For reasons possibly too technical to get into here, older magnetic tape absorbs moisture which causes it to deteriorate. Depending on when (and how well) the tape was manufactured, this data loss can begin to occur after only 8 years and, within 20 years, the tape can become totally unreadable.

There are many technically challenging and highly expensive ways of breathing life into old and damaged tapes. Depending on the cause of the damage these include baking the tape in carefully controlled ovens (yes really, but don't try this at home), and precise vacuum drying. But by far the best solution is to have your tapes transferred to a digital format while the tapes are still ok.

At the moment we are hearing reports of shops no longer stocking VHS video recorders. Compact cassettes are no longer generally available, and when was the last time you saw a reel-to-reel tape recorder? I don't for a moment believe that DVD and CD will be around forever either but it makes sense to transfer your cherished memories to the most up-to-date format available. It also makes sense to use the medium with the highest consumer penetration. That way, there remains a very good chance that, in another 50 years time, your grandchildren will be able to find a machine to look at grannies wedding on.

I am not trying to scare monger here. The threat to old magnetic tape is a genuine one. For further information, check out the links on our LINKS page. Then CONTACT us and we'll see how we can help.