how to convert vhs tapes to digital format

Understanding Video Formats Image by InspiredImages from Pixabay Here’s the process I used to convert my tapes to digital format. So, I just needed to get a few additional items. The most expensive piece of equipment I needed was a computer, and I already had that. So, I decided to do the conversion myself. Also, these services can get very expensive if, like me, you have a lot of tapes to convert. However, these tapes were priceless, and I didn’t want to risk trusting them to someone who could inadvertently lose or damage them. You ship them a box of your tapes, and they send you the digital files after converting them. I initially thought about using one of the services that do the conversion for you. I can also make a perfect copy of the video just by copying the digital files, and sharing the videos is as easy as sending a link. Also, playing a digital video provides the ability to jump back and forth during playback instead of having to rewind and fast forward. Most sites say that tapes last 10-25 years, and most of our collection was in the middle or end of that range.Ĭonverting the tapes to a digital format would transfer these memories from a medium that was degrading over time to one that would probably last forever. Even the digitization process would shorten their lifespan.

So, these tapes were degrading with each passing minute and the act of playing old tapes further damages them. The very act of playing and rewinding the tapes stretches the material and dries out the lubricant in the binder layer. Tapes can also degrade due to dust and bacteria unless they are stored in special containers, and the boxes in my attic didn’t qualify as special containers. This damages the color and detail of the video on the tapes.

The magnetic charge that allows the tape to work degrades over time due to a process called remanence decay. This meant that a number of factors were contributing to the steady deterioration of the tapes. While these tapes were in different formats, they all used magnetic tape. These were priceless memories, and, after surviving multiple moves between apartments and homes, they were just sitting in my attic in multiple boxes. My wife and I had videos that went as far back as the 1980s and covered events like high school parties, prom, college events, our wedding, and the birth of all three of our children. The one I tackled first was taking my decades old collection of VHS, Video8, Hi8, and MiniDV tapes and converting them to a digital format. I scheduled a few weeks of downtime when I last changed companies, and I had a number of home projects that needed my attention.

How to convert vhs tapes to digital format