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So many of us have wonderful family memories stored on some kind of magnetic tape. But how many of us are aware that these tapes have a limited shelf life of about eight to ten years? The formats in question would include VHS, S-VHS, VHS-C, Betamax, Video8, Hi8, Digital8, and mini DV. All of these are on magnetic tape and only Digital 8 and mini DV are actually digital. But even these have a limited life span because of the media.

Magnetic tape is made of magnetic particles which are held on the tape with a chemical binder. This binder adheres the magnetic molecules to the film backing of the tape as well as creating a smooth surface to facilitate the tape’s transportation through a tape machine. Additional lubricants, cleaning materials, and other substances are added to prevent excessive tension, tape drop-outs, and static charges that can attract dust and dirt. Since magnetic tape is an actual physical medium, there are advantages in short-term stability. The trouble is that this medium is susceptible to decay over time. Environmental factors can speed up this deterioration process.

The point of failure for magnetic tape is usually the binder material. If the binder loses its softness and lubrication, the tape can become unreadable. This degradation process is inevitable but there are a variety of preventative measures we can take to preserve our VHS tapes and other tapes just a little bit longer until we can transfer them to a digital format. Proper storage is foremost among the ways we can delay deterioration. All magnetic tapes should be placed on a shelf just like a book. Never store them near any device that produces a magnetic field. This would include audio speakers, video cabling, computers, and even electric motors. Even a mild magnetic field can cause problems over time. Stable and moderate temperatures with a minimum humidity level provide a good environment for tape storage. Also, it is recommended that periodically tapes be fast forwarded and rewound again to avoid uneven stretching.

This said, there is no way to make magnetic tape last forever. Transfer your material to a digital format as soon as possible to prevent any more degradation. Some DVD formats may only have a twenty-five year life span. I recommend transferring magnetic tapes to digital files that are stored on hard drive. These files can be periodically copied to newer media and preserved for generations to come. Multiple back-ups can be made easily. The rule of thumb should be to have a primary copy, a back-up, and a back-up in a second location.

Take action now – - before it’s too late. Good luck!

For a decade Marty Holthaus coordinated on Hollywood visual effects films and now enjoys blogging about how to convert VHS to DVD for family home movies. To read more about this topic, click on his post about 8mm to DVD transfers and VHS to DVD transfers. There you will learn how to preserve old movies and videos, convert them to DVD and hard drive, and edit them on your computer.
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