I am not a fan of advertising “scare tactics” but here’s the thing; I’ve been digitizing and preserving VHS tapes for over 20 years and in the last few, I’ve run across several tapes that are virtually unplayable without costly rescue efforts.
Last month I talked to a video lab technician at a popular online digitization service about those problematic “unplayable” VHS tapes. He said he throws them out - and charges the customer!
VHS was a prolific and robust video format but given the sheer number of un-digitized tapes remaining, their lifespan, and the diminishing numbers of quality VCRs to play them, they are in danger. Simply put, some of those VHS tapes will be lost. There isn’t enough equipment, people and time to save them all. You can read more about that here.
Like I said, I don’t want to scare you but I do want to put this on your radar. If I had a collection of old VHS tapes, I’d start thinking about a plan to digitize them. If you’re looking for someone to help you with that plan, consider Archive Washington. I offer free advice, estimates and am willing to do on-site evaluations.
I love VHS tapes and I’m very passionate about saving them!
Comentários