How Should I Preserve VHS Tapes for Posterity?

Posted by brandon Harris on June 29th, 2019

From recording family events and home videos to watching movies and recording TV shows, video cassettes did it all. Playing the cassettes on the VCR was a delightful experience for many families. It was one of the favorite activities when families would get together during the holidays. ‘Generation VHS’ still remembers why rewinding the video cassette was considered an act of kindness back in the day!

Videocassettes can still be found in many homes, stashed away in old boxes gathering dust somewhere in your closets or in the attic. They carry with them your most precious memories.

But do you know that these analog video cassettes are rapidly deteriorating? And along with them, your old memories are also being vanished. If you don’t do anything about them today, you will end up losing valuable content forever.

Brief History of VHS Tapes

The VHS technology was invented by the Japanese electronics giant JVC in 1976 and was then introduced in the US a year later. For the first time ever, people were able to record videos and watch them. It featured long playtime (up to 6 hours), fast forwarding and fast rewinding.

Moreover, it enabled users to record one show while watching another. This served as a major technological breakthrough at that time. As funny as it sounds, you could even get rid of annoying ads or trailers by simply using a pair of scissors!

The usage of VHS died a little more than a decade ago. In fact, until  2001, there were a significant number of VHS cassettes being sold on the market. As of 2013, 58% of Americans still owned a VHS player!

VHS Tape Life Span – They Are Not Going To Last Forever!

VHS tapes can deteriorate as much as 10-20% over the course of 10-25 years. With time, videotapes lose the magnetic particles that contain the video data. This happens due to magnetic particles becoming unstable and changing their physical properties. The color, sharpness, quality, and crispness all fade away gradually. Worst of all, the tape can become brittle and break when it’s played.

The environment in which the videotapes are stored can further accelerate the degradation process. Temperature fluctuations, humidity, dust, and exposure to sunlight shorten the life of these tapes. If not stored properly, the degradation can start within just 5 years.

Moreover, the devices used to play videotapes are fast becoming obsolete. This means you don’t have a lot of time left if you want to preserve them. The Christmas celebrations or vacations you recorded in the 80s or 90s may soon become unwatchable- unless you take steps to preserve them.

Preserving VHS  Tapes

Storing VHS tapes (and other magnetic tape formats) properly is the single most important way to preserve them.

• Always rewind after you’ve watched the tape so that it remains tight and you can prevent them from sagging.
• Keep the tapes in a cool and dry space, away from sunlight. Make sure they stand vertically.
• Never leave the tapes inside the VCR.
• Handle with care! Avoid dropping the tapes; also don’t touch the inside ribbon.

Converting VHS Tapes  to Digital Format

Digitizing your VHS tapes is the most effective and ‘permanent’ way to preserve the memories captured on them. You can either do this by yourself or find a professional VHS to digital service.

Digitizing VHS Tapes Yourself   

If you choose to convert your VHS tapes to digital format at home, you’re going to need a few pieces of equipment. You will need a working VCR, a computer or laptop, an analog to digital converter, the right cables, and video capture software. You can find cheap VCR’s on eBay under , but you’ll be better off doing some research and getting a higher end video deck, which can cost 0 and up.

Converting VHS tapes to digital is done in real-time, so a 2-hour tape takes two hours to transfer. The files are saved to your hard drive, where they can be edited, copied or shared.

Another option is to purchase a VCR/DVD combo unit that can transfer directly from VHS to DVD. This method works fine but there are some downsides. First, the quality isn’t as good and as transferring to digital. Second, you are limited to having to play the video on a DVD player and it can’t be edited. You could always transfer the DVD to a digital file but you’ll need specialized software and again, you’ll be losing out on quality.

Using a VHS to Digital Service

A video transfer service is typically a better choice than managing the project on your own. For starters, the output is of much better quality because services like these have the most advanced equipment that you just cannot think of investing in. Plus, you avoid all the hassles involved, finishing off the project in a much shorter time.

Send the VHS tapes to your chosen video transfer service, and they will convert them into a digital format. The final file may either be shared on a drive or via a cloud platform.

In a nutshell, the best way to preserve your VHS tapes is by digitizing them. Doing so provides you with a permanent copy of your memories that you can watch or share anytime and from anywhere if you store it over the cloud.

 And if required, you can edit the videos as well to add a  modern touch!