Were you one of those people who always filmed family holidays, birthdays, and Christmases in the 80s, 90s or early 2000s? If so, chances are you have boxes of camcorder tapes under your bed or in the loft, but no longer have the correct camera or other equipment to watch them back with. Those tapes will contain your precious family history and it is important to digitize them. Here’s why.
Deterioration, degradation and mould
Old media formats such as VHS tapes are not very reliable. Over time, the images on the tapes can degrade and deteriorate. Or worse still, mould can develop inside the tape housing and your family memories will be lost forever. If your tapes have been stored in direct sunlight, or somewhere that is prone to damp, your tapes most certainly will show some signs of mould and deterioration.
Where to store your tapes
The first thing to do with your tapes if you have found mould on them, is to move them to a safer storage space. So, if they are in your shed or garage, move them! Keep them inside your house, in a cupboard or drawer, out of sunlight and away from sources of humidity or magnets. This will decrease the chances of further mould or deterioration occurring.
Why not do it myself?
Of course, it is possible to preserve and digitize your camcorder tapes at home, but this can be a long process. Not only do you need to find and possibly purchase the correct equipment, you will also need to sit through each tape in real time during the process. Most importantly, by attempting to digitize your precious family memories at home, you run the risk of damaging or worse still destroying the tapes accidentally. Sending your tapes to a professional service provider will safeguard your precious videos and save you time and money.
Why digital files?
To digitize your tapes means to make your memories safe and protected for the future. Not only that, but the quality will be much better and will not deteriorate any further. Digital files on a USB stick are very versatile. You can share them with friends and family much easier, and they can be played back on multiple devices, such as your phone or tablet. Lastly, you can store hundreds of hours of footage on just 1 small USB stick, saving you all that space in your house! So don’t wait any longer. Save those precious memories and get them digitized now.