The mention of VHS tapes evokes pleasant childhood memories, for many people. If you, like me, spent hours and hours sat cross-legged in front of your family’s television set, watching television programs and movies on your VHS player, then you will likely view VHS tapes, as I do, quite fondly. They remind one of better times – simpler times. Times before big technology, social media, and smartphones. However, just because the technology is antiquated and no longer used widely, VHS tapes can still be salvaged, and so can the material and memories contained within them.
In this article, we are going to tell you how you can save valuable video material from your VHS tape collection. There is a lot of benefit in saving your old VHS tapes – not only can you hold onto the memories – but you can keep the content alive, whether it be old movies, family videos, or television recordings.
Here are a few ways to save valuable video material from your VHS collection.
Race Against Time
It is important that you know you are racing against time. VHS tapes contain analogue materials, which deteriorate and degrade over time. If you want to preserve your home videos, your favourite movies, or television recordings that are meaningful to you. If you allow your VHS tapes to sit around and gather dust, they will inevitably degrade and break down. Instead of allowing this to happen, act effectively. You have a number of options at your disposal.
Conversion
The easiest way to preserve the content of your VHS tapes is through video conversion. You can do this at home with the best digital converter that you can find. The video conversion is quite straightforward and very simple. You only need the proper converter and then you can do conversions by simply following the instructions. VHS conversion is a great way for you to preserve the content of precious family memories and home videos. Converting your videos will be very rewarding and will give you the opportunity to cherish and hold onto your memories for a lifetime.
Conversion Services
If you do not want to put the time, effort, and money into converting your own VHS tapes, then you can hire a professional conversion service to do it for you. The cost will depend on what it is you are trying to convert, as well as whether or not you want it transferred in SD or HD (or even 4k). You may also be able to convert your VHS tapes to Blu-ray.
With these services, they will try to get the best quality that they can out of your memories and family material. They can maximize your enjoyment and return you with a high-quality copy of your VHS tapes, burned onto a DVD, or even onto a USB stick.
DVD-VHS
DVD’s are themselves quickly going out of fashion, and in a few years, will likely not be used at all. A DVD-VHS recorder, however, will allow you to transfer a video onto a DVD. You may need a PC, depending on the DVD output format, though. It is definitely the cheapest and easiest method of capturing your old VHS tapes and holding onto them forever, though with that said, the quality can be rubbish, and it will not be the best service.
Smartphone
Another way that many people capture their VHS tapes is through smartphones, though the quality can be absolutely rubbish. It is, however, a way to hold onto the VHS memories and keep them without having to pay a fortune. Some smartphone cameras are of such good quality nowadays that the quality may not, actually, be that bad. Even so, the quality will not stand up to that of a professional digital reformat. Smartphones are a great way for you to capture your memories on film and hold onto them for a lifetime.
Enjoy Yourself
Whatever you do, enjoy yourself. VHS tapes evoke a nostalgia that can sometimes be emotional. With your VHS tapes, before they inevitably degrade, consider inviting the family over for one last nostalgic ‘90s movie night. Watch some home movies, watch some real movies, and watch some old television recordings. Invest in some ‘90s snacks, draw the curtains, and have a great night. During the pandemic, to this author, that sounds like an evening well spent, even if it is just you and your children. Enjoy yourself, for your tapes, will not last you forever, will they?
In this article, we hope to have explained how you can preserve and hold onto your old VHS tapes. We hope that you have enjoyed this article and that you will come back and join us again soon. Thank you for visiting this page and thank you for reading this article.
