How long do VHS tapes last, and when should you digitise them?

Home videos of weddings, birthdays and first steps were recorded on VHS, VHS-C and camcorder tapes for over twenty years. Many of those tapes are now 30 or more years old.

Tapes wear out

Video tape is a thin plastic ribbon coated with magnetic particles. Over time the magnetic signal weakens, the binder that holds the coating can break down, and the tape can stretch or become brittle. Picture quality slowly drops: colours fade, the image becomes noisy, and eventually tapes can fail to play at all. Heat, damp and repeated playing all speed this up.

The players are disappearing too

New VHS players have not been made for years, and working machines are becoming harder to find and repair. A worn or dirty player can also damage a tape as it plays. Even a tape in good condition is only useful while something can still play it.

Warning signs

• White or grey spots, or a fuzzy web on the tape: mould. Do not play it, as it can damage the tape and the player.
• Crinkled or snapped tape visible through the window.
• A squealing sound, or the picture rolling and jumping.

How to store tapes until they are copied

• Keep them upright, like books, in their cases.
• Store them somewhere cool and dry, away from speakers and magnets.
• Rewind them fully before storing.

Digitising tapes

A tape is copied in real time, so a three-hour tape takes three hours to capture. The result is an MP4 file that plays on any phone, computer or smart TV and can be shared with family. We copy home recordings only, and we'll contact you before playing any tape that shows signs of mould or damage. See our prices for tapes, cassettes and discs.