The chemical makeup of popular home movie videotape formats unfortunately ensures that they are extremely susceptible to three elements: the passing of time, the number of times they are played or duplicated, and the environment in which they are stored. Unless these tapes are transferred to digital formats, their images and audio will eventually be lost and irretrievable.



Overview

There are three elements to home movie videotape formats that contribute to its eventual degradation, although most consumers are unaware of these factors. These are time, usage, and environment. While camcorder videotape became popular in the 1980s as an inexpensive method for shooting footage of family movies, unfortunately it is not a permanent or durable medium.

Most experts agree that analog videotape begins to degrade after only 10 years. The most clear evidence begins with loss of audio quality (sounds goes in and out) or image quality (distorted pixels, wavy lines, dark or blanked out visuals). As these tapes sit stored in family basements and garages, they are literally withering away. When they are finally brought out and played again, it often comes as a surprise to the owner that the once-clear tape they remembered from a few years ago is now a grainy, dull version of what it once was.

Sometimes consumers have the VHS tapes transferred to digital without first viewing the condition of the tape. Thus, they don’t know how much degradation has already occurred. The digital conversion preserves the footage as it was at that point in time. Or, they are unaware that while the tape may still play sufficiently well in the original camcorder in which it was shot, it will not be able to play well anywhere else. This is because the original equipment “heads" (which convert signals from electrical to magnetic) line up exactly with the tape. Not being able to show the footage on any other device except on the original camera, however, prevents others from enjoying it fully. Additionally, in many cases, the original camcorder is not operational (broken, missing cables) or not available.

Culprit #1: Time

The first enemy of videotape is the simple passing of time. Like most physical media, the elements that went into the creation of the tape break down bit by bit over time. Tape loses its magnetic particles as well as its lubricants. This is an unavoidable but realistic factor and has resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of valuable feet of footage that once were extremely vibrant.

Culprit #2: Usage/Duplication

Unlike DVDs, in which a laser “reads" the data without ever touching the physical disk, a videotape makes contact with the equipment heads every time it is played. This eventually wears down the tape. And every time a copy or “dupe" is made of the tape, each successive “generation" loses quality and clarity.

Culprit #3: Environment

The third major enemy to videotape is the environment, including heat, moisture, mildew, water, and so on. These elements react with the materials that comprise the videotape, and cause warping, distortion, and brittleness. Eventually the tape will be unreadable in any type of player.

Videotape is Magnetic

Understanding the chemical makeup of videotape is helpful in realizing why it is so fragile. It consists of a layer of tiny magnetic particles applied to Mylar as part of the manufacturing process. These particles act like tiny bar magnets, so that when the tape passes over an electromagnet, information is recorded and played back. These particles carry the video signal and are changed into patterns during the recording process. When the tape is played back, the patterns are picked up by a playback head and become the video image. (For more information, visit www.answers.com). By virtue of its physical nature, therefore, videotape can suffer any number of mishaps that aren’t present in the digital world, such as stretching, breaking, and loss of magnetic quality.

Solution

Analog videotape was popularized in the 1970s and 1980s, and fortunately helped introduce a new generation of families to the benefits of home movie making. These memories need to be preserved for future generations, however, and the best method is to transfer them to contemporary digital formats, such as DVDs. Once the older physical media is transferred into an electronic file, it can be more easily shared, enjoyed, and distributed without worry of degradation.

About iMemories

iMemories is a leader in the dynamic Web 2.0-generation of Internet services. The company transforms old-media memories into crystal-clear digital files that consumers can enjoy and share—whenever and wherever they like.

In iMemories’ 8,500-square foot fiber-optic studio, production professionals use state-of-the-art technology and techniques to convert old home-movie films, videotapes, photographs and slides into organized archives and full-length digital productions. Memories that were deteriorating in the dark are preserved forever on optical disc—and easy to edit, organize, store and share worldwide through iMemories’ private, secure online user experience.

In a market crowded with audiovisual houses and small firms offering basic video-transfer services, iMemories’ technology and expertise enable it to deliver a premium product efficiently and affordably. Founded and led by new-media entrepreneur Mark Rukavina, iMemories is privately held and based in Scottsdale, Ariz. To learn more, visit www.imemories.com or call 480-767-2510.

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Disclaimer:

This article is provided as an educational guide for iMemories customers. Use of or reliance upon the information set forth in this article shall be at the reader’s own risk, and shall not establish any contractual or other legal relationship between the author and the users of this information.

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