That said, if your tapes are cracked, but the film seems to be okay - there are ways to transfer your tape to another tape. We all know that we are moving to the digital era, so it’s not often to find someone who can restore a broken VHS tape. Maybe another box falls onto your box of old VHS tapes and it cracks the hardware of your most precious tape.Įither way, VHS tape restorations are tricky. There could be animals that decided to use your tape and film as a nice, warm bed, or there could be kids who decided it would be fun to see if your video cassettes were baseball bat proof. Sure, VHS tapes are hefty, firm, and feel like they could last a century.
However, once clean, get those videos digitized! 3. You may also be able to use an electric tape cleaner to safely clean your VHS tapes. If you discover mold on your tapes, there are safe ways to clean them like gently wiping them down with a dry, soft cloth. Sounds extreme and it is! That means your precious memories can be gone forever. Mold can cause the exact same damage as water, with a few other problems like the mold can eat through your videotape. Yep, you can have moldy VHS tapes and this is a little tricky to recover from. If the tapes aren’t too damaged, it’s not too late! 2. If you feel like your tapes are dry enough, carefully try to play them in your VCR.Įven though VHS tapes can survive some water damage, the best trick to keep your home movies safe is to get them digitized. Once dry, examine your tape, the film, and the hardware. Lay your VHS tapes out on a dry cloth and let them air dry in a temperature-controlled room. What can you do if you discover water damage? DRY IT OUT.
#Vhs tape broken crack
Meaning, if your tapes contract water in the summer, the winter temperature can cause those droplets to expand and crack your tape altogether. Water damage can make the tape very weak, so if you tried to play your tape, it could snap.Īdditionally, water expands when it freezes. What happens with water damage? Droplets of water can ruin the tape on the inside causing fading and discoloration. Moisture from the air can get into any space, including your VHS tapes.
You may not know it, but your tapes are susceptible to water damage.even if you have it in a pretty dry spot.
#Vhs tape broken how to
3 COMMON WAYS VHS TAPES CAN BE DAMAGED AND HOW TO RESTORE THEM 1.
It should be safe, right?” We understand that you’ve treated your memories with care, but sometimes mother nature decides to intervene with our plans.ĭon’t worry, we are here to help ease your mind! Let’s discuss the kind of damage that can be done to your tapes and what you can do to restore them. So, as you get around to pulling your tubs of VHS tapes out of the closet or basement, you might find a damaged VHS tape! “But, I have it stored away in a box. Who knew your VHS tapes would be so important? We did! I mean, your home movies are the closest things to the past! You can rewatch your family reunion, see videos of your great grandparents, and enjoy that moment your cousin tripped down the aisle at your wedding. Not yet at least.We understand how important your home movies are, trust us. Our digitization magic can work wonders on your old analog media, but we don’t have a Hermoine to cast a “VHS reparo” spell.
That’s why we’ll give you a credit to either send in another tape in its place or a refund for the un-digitized tape if our team can’t convert your broken one. We know how much digitizing your old memories means to you – to your family and friends. This is our way of informing you early on in the conversion process that we were, unfortunately, unable to convert your tape. Unfortunately, not all broken tapes are created equal – some tapes are too sliced beyond repair, some too eroded – so, if the tape is too damaged, it will receive a sticker to indicate they were unable to convert it.Ĭustomer notification: “Houston, we have a problem”Īlong with that sticker, your tape will receive a barcode that when scanned in our warehouse will generate a heads-up email to the customer. For the most part, as long as the actual magnetic tape is in decent condition, conversion can commence.
#Vhs tape broken professional
Our team of professional preservationists know this and will do their best to repair any broken tape that is sent in. Yes, that was a bad VHS joke, you’re welcome.īasically, what we’re saying is that three decades of wear and tear can make digitizing VHS tapes difficult or not possible if they’re too damaged. What’s even crazier is that most of your VHS tapes are probably more like 20-30 years old, which means they’d probably be married with little VHS-C or MiniDV tapes as kids. If they were a person, they’d be dang near legal driving age. It’s crazy to think that VHS tapes lost the limelight nearly fifteen years ago.
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