Most households have some VHS or other video tapes stored in an attic or basement that you know would be best to do something with. There’s no better time than now to convert your VHS tapes to a digital format.
But why go through the bother?
Here are 5 reasons why you should transfer your VHS tapes to digital
Preserving Priceless Memories
Tucked away on those VHS tapes are moments in life that simply cannot be recreated. Perhaps your wedding video, retirement party, or simple family get-together is sitting on one of those tapes.
It’s incredible when you go back and watch old footage and see how young everyone looks. Or how great it is to see a lost loved one.
The problem is VHS as well as other tape formats degrade over time. Some say they last 15-20 years., but nobody for sure can tell you how long your tapes will still be playable.
Videotapes are made of a material where the magnetic particles that store the information on the tape eventually flake off and are no longer playable.
Not only the tapes are degrading but devices that play back VHS tapes are no longer manufactured, which means as time goes on not only your tapes will be harder to play back but it will also be harder to find a way to play them back.
By transferring your tapes to a digital format you are permanently preserving your memories before they rot and can no longer be played.
Improved Video Quality
Many of the methods of transferring VHS to a digital format will actually improve the video and audio quality compared to what was on the videotape.
There is hardware and software used as part of this transfer process that can improve the shake, lighting, and overall video quality as it transfers the tape to digital.
Some video transfer services use high-end equipment to convert your VHS into a modern digital format.
Editing Old Videos
Once you have your VHS tapes into a digital format a whole world of possibilities opens up for editing your old videos.
Most editing software has a ton of manual controls so you can further adjust your video and clean tit up to your liking.
There is even AI software like TopazLabs to further upscale and improve upon your old memories once you have them in a digital format.
You can also cut out any “dead space” from the final video file with a simple edit. Lets say you recorded an old TV show and want to edit out all of the commercials, this is simple once its in a digital format. Or create short sharable clips, whatever you want!
Sharing and Accessibility
The only way to share a VHS video is to invite people over your house to watch the tape if you even have a working VCR.
Once you have your video converted to a digital format there are so many ways you can share the media like on:
- Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram
- Google platforms like YouTube of Google Photos
- Stored on platforms like DropBox
- Shared via email as an attachment or link to any of these platforms
Once the video is converted to digital it can be watched on any modern device, such as your laptop, smartphone, or tablet. It is far more convenient than inviting people over to your house to watch a tape,
Ease Of Storage
Once your VHS tapes are converted to digital you may consider getting rid of the VHS tapes themselves to free up storage in your attic or basement.
These digital files the VHS tapes have been converted to will only take up room on your hard drive or an online platform. No longer do they need to take up space in your basement.
Word of caution: I would make sure I have your video files copied to a “cloud” location or stored on a secondary backup hard drive before ever throwing away the original VHS tapes.
Remember – those tapes can never be replaced!
Next Steps: Converting your VHS to Digital
Hopefully, we’ve convinced you to transfer your VHS tapes to a digital format.
The next questions are how:
- Can you transfer the video yourself and what equipment will be needed?
- How much does it cost to have someone transfer the video for you?