Digital Video Transfer: Preserving Memories for Good

Any footage preserved on a VHS tape should be considered an endangered memory. Comprised of magnetic tape that can degrade over time—and imperiled by any malfunctioning VCR—the once-popular videos were not built to last. Converting analog tapes into digital files ensures that client's home movies can be enjoyed for years without losing quality or taking up shelf space otherwise reserved for Oscar statuettes. To accomplish this, most VHS-to-DVD transfer services use an analog-to-digital adapter, which translates the tape's video signal into pixels to store on a computer's hard drive. From there, the files can be edited and preserved for posterity either by burning them to DVDs or uploading the videos to Internet sites such as YouTube.

Bonus Points

• VHS, which stands for video home service, was almost obsolete before it even took off. Many considered an early competitor, Betamax, a superior form of videocassette.
• A single DVD can typically fit about two hours of video—just enough time to see a child grow from a newborn into a full-fledged justborn.