Convert VHS to DVD - Comments Page 7

These guys do a really good job of converting records to CDs or mp3s: http://modernseniortech.com/music/tapecdconversion.html

i also have used this company, i got my dvd's back today and they are perfect. www.vhsontodvd.com

I had to re introduce Windows XP Pro before I could burn CDs and DVD but can only burn CDs now. I have both Windows Player and Nero and neither will burn DVD. Help please.

Bob Rankin said, "... Don't count on those VCR tapes lasting longer than a few years, convert VHS to DVD format today, and save those memories for posterity."
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A rare exception to Mr. Rankin's generally good advice-- optical discs are NOT the best archival media. No consumer-grade disc manufacturer makes claims about disc reliability, but latest word is the archival stability of optical discs does not even approximate tape. Today, no national standard exists for optical disc life in archival storage under ideal conditions.

Nor, for that matter, do tape OEMs make claims about archival specs for tape. But VCR tapes, like audio tapes, play until the oxide coating is damaged or covered by contaminants. Or until, at the extreme, when the acetate tape and/or oxide binder breaks down chemically.

CBS News still has reels of 3/4-inch videotape of early television shows in its vault at its New York City HQ-- some have been there nearly 60 years.

Compared to archival quality black and white photos, 60 years is a short lifespan, but still better than optical discs.

There is another, huge advantage to tape-- if a portion of the record becomes damaged or otherwise inaccessible, the rest of the tape is still readable, in most cases. Not so for digital discs-- if a byte fails in the most critical area, all access can be lost.

Keep your family memories longer on VCR / audio tape, and store the tape under best archival conditions, away from heat, humidity, strong magnetic fields and sunlight UV.

Maintain a tape player (for the format used) in operating condition, and protect the player with storage under best conditions possible. If you plan for the long term, look into the condition of rubber pressure wheels and belts-- these must not "dry out" and crack.

The ideal strategy is to copy the tape to optical disc, archive the tape, and use the disc as source material. Check the disc yearly for problems, and re-record a disc from the tape source, if necessary.

RE: Earlier post to your "Convert VHS to DVD" article (http://askbobrankin.com/convert_vhs_to_dvd.html)questioned statement optical media is safe long-term archival storage.

NIST has studied the archival storage life problem for years, since so much rests on the outcome for both government and industry-- not to mention consumers. The NIST working group on archival storage concluded after its 2004 study that simulated aging was "too harsh"-- another way of saying we still have no field-proven benchmark for archival storage of optical media.

Field results are in for tape, however, showing well-protected acetate tape can last decades. This is not an industry-standard performance benchmark, nor a scientific sampling, nor a rigorously controlled exposure to aging elements, but it does demonstrate longevity under optimal conditions.

For consumers, the real question is probably not whether optical or tape is better, but how archival materials are to be maintained. There should be equal emphasis on storage and care of media-reading devices, for use when data is needed from archive but readers are no longer available.

Will I lose all of the information on my VHS tape once I convert it to a DVD using my Combo player? I would still like to have my VHS tape as well as my DVD. Thanks!

Laura asks, "Will I lose all of the information on my VHS tape once I convert it to a DVD using my Combo player? I would still like to have my VHS tape as well as my DVD."
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Normally, the copying of audiovisual data from a VHS tape to DVD involves nothing more than a simple data transfer. The tape should be unaffected.

Take care about storage conditions for the tape, however. As VHS tape manufacturers always suggest, keep tape away from excessive moisture, heat and even magnetic fields (and in an era of optical storage, you would be surprised at how many people are surprised to hear that).

If you treat the VHS cassette with the same general care you give a delicate old family photo, you will see many years of life for the cassette. To extend its life, however, use the VHS tape for only mastering sessions, not for casual playback. To avoid frequently running through the tape, you can note the contents and approximate playing time on a label or other record, such as a computer file.

Before using a tape master, always make sure the VHS heads, capstan and rubber rollers are clean. Sticky components in the tape transport path can cause tape to jam, stretch, or break. Electronics shops sometimes still carry a product called "Rubber Renewer", which minimizes rubber deterioration and cleans the rubber surface.

There is also the slight electromagnetic effect of "print-through", in which layers of magnetic tape wound on a reel begin to "record" information from the layer above or below. This affect never was a serious problem in the golden age of tape, but in archival storage, this affect could be significant. Tape archivists are the best source for further information.

Again-- it bears repetition-- keep at least one VHS player for your archive (or several players, as cheap as they are) in good operating condition. As your tapes gain sentimental value, and the grandchildren want to know how grandfather looked as a young man, a working VHS player is your key to your video past.

This article gives some information on different ways of converting VHS to DVD and other digital formats. http://www.easy-explanations.com/2011/09/how-to-convert-vhs-video-tapes-to.html

Major brands will not always give the best results.
I burned 50 DVD's on TDK and they were all useless
within 1 year.not readeble on any type of DVD player or computer.
I did burn hundreds of DVD,s on the cheap Platinum brand for over 10 years now and they all run well!
they were kept in the same store box under the same conditions.
Beware of the major Brands! they produce them there where it is produced the cheapest! India-Malasya etc. they just charge you an arm and a leg.

Thank you Bob exceedingly. I have been searching for a solutin to this problem. I have a multitude of VHS tapes that spans the lives of my 3 children, now, 17- 32 years age. I bought a dual VHS-DVD, however, I relied on the salesperson's assurance that it can do the job, not! It is sitting in the basement collecting dust.
I greatly apppreciate your articles and your help.

Issam

purchased a vhs to dvd recorder...works great except the dvd will only play on that recorder. Not on any others in the house?
am i doing something wrong?