In this digital age, old video formats like VHS, Hi8, and Betamax are disappearing faster and faster. But then again, who doesn’t have a stack of those tapes lying around in an attic or in an old box? They often contain precious memories: birthdays, vacations, weddings—you know the drill. Unfortunately, those tapes don’t last forever and deteriorate over time. If you want to preserve those moments, it’s a smart idea to digitize your video tapes now. Why? Well, here are a few good reasons.
Protect what you love
The problem with videotapes is that, let’s face it, they’re not meant to last forever. They wear out, can be damaged by magnetic fields, or worse, mold. By digitizing your old tapes, you’re essentially stopping time. You’re making sure the images don’t deteriorate any further and your memories are preserved as they are now.
Prevent a disaster
Accidents can happen. Imagine a fire, a flood in your basement, or simply losing that tape during a move. Gone are your memories! When you digitize your videos, you’re essentially making a copy that you can safely store in multiple places—a hard drive, a USB stick, or in the cloud. That way, you don’t have to worry about losing those special moments.
Easier access
Let’s be honest, who still has a working VHS player in their house? And if you do, does it still work properly? Going digital makes your videos more accessible on the devices you use every day—your laptop, phone, or even your tablet. You no longer have to hunt down outdated technology to watch that old footage.
Gain space
Let’s be honest, that pile of video tapes just takes up too much space, right? Boxes full of them in the attic or basement… not very handy, right? By digitizing everything, you can store those images in a much more compact way—on a hard drive, for example. That saves you a lot of space and you don’t have to worry about dusty old tapes anymore.
Ready for the future
Technology is changing rapidly, and devices that currently play old video formats will soon be completely obsolete. If you digitize now, you can be sure that your memories will stand the test of time. So even if technology changes again, your videos will be preserved for the future.
How does converting video tapes work?
It may sound complicated, but it is not. You simply play the videotape on a VCR that you have connected to a computer or a special device, and during playback everything is converted to a digital file such as MP4. You can try it yourself, or if you are not so technical, you can have it done by a professional such as VCRShop.
This article was created in collaboration with digitaliseren.VCRshop.com
