Home Video Memories Will Soon Be Lost Forever
Popular Home Video Camcorder Formats Are Going Away Soon
By Kirk
Barber
San Diego
– June 24, 2008
Family trips to
Disneyland
, gift openings on Christmas or other holidays, and glimpses of the family’s
youngest member attempting to blow out the handful of candles on their birthday
cake; these are among the favorite cherished memories captured with Mom and
Dad’s video camera. They are also
on the verge of becoming lost forever as the equipment used to play them is
quickly disappearing from homes all over the country.
History has shown that media formats
have a limited life span
Do you remember the old Victrolas? How
about reel-to-reel tape, 8-tracks, 8mm film or the Betamax VCR?
As technology speeds ahead, media formats are left behind, sometimes,
along with their contents. Some of
the old recordings made during the days of the Victrola have managed to survive
long enough to be digitally restored with the aide of advanced computer
software. The infamous “duet” of
Nat King Cole and his daughter Natalie is one of the best known examples of this
technological wonder.
Many of the recordings made in people’s homes using the once popular
Betamax VCR have not been so fortunate. The
extinction of the format along with the VCRs capable of playing the Betamax
tapes have left thousands of people with videos they’ll probably never get to
see again. History is about to
repeat itself as the 8mm, Hi8, Digital8, VHS-C and VHS formats are nearing the
end of their viewing life.
The end of the 8mm, Hi-8, and
Digital-8 video formats
Sony, the creator of the 8mm, Hi8, and Digital 8 tape formats has been
phasing out production of all of their 8mm camcorder models.
In fact, their website no longer includes any 8mm models in their current
product lineup.
During the lifespan of the 8mm videotape formats there were relatively few
video players produced that would play any of the 8mm video formats, so most
consumers had to use their cameras in order to view the tapes on their
television screens.
The cost of repairing an 8mm camcorder was nearly that of purchasing a new
one, so when it ceased to function, it was usually thrown away.
Many 8mm camera owners grew frustrated with the idea of having to use the
camera to play the tapes, so they opted to switch over to the VHS-C format.
Others decided to go with the newer MiniDV format when it became the more
popular format.
The combination of these factors have left us with very few fully-functioning
videotape players that are necessary in order to transfer
8mm videos to a format like DVD that can be viewed on televisions now.
It’s expected that within the next few years it could become nearly
impossible to make these conversions, as we run out of equipment to play them,
as it did with Betamax. For this
reason, it’s strongly recommended that anyone who has one of these formats
should have their 8mm,
Hi8, and Digital8 videos transferred to DVD as soon as possible or risk
losing their contents forever.
VHS and VHS-C tape formats are next
JVC, the inventor of the VHS and VHS-C formats, has been phasing out the
VHS-C camcorders. While VHS-C tapes
can still be played in a standard VCR using a special adaptor, VCR’s have been
rapidly disappearing from retailers’ shelves as a result of the transition to
DVD. VCRs are expected to be gone
within the next few years.
In addition, it’s been proven that video information captured on VHS and
VHS-C tapes will begin to deteriorate 7 years after being recorded, so now, more
than ever, is the time to transfer
your VHS videos to DVD.
MiniDV’s days are numbered
Take a trip to the local camera or electronics store and you’ll notice that
even the MiniDV format is giving way to the hard drive, memory card, and mini
DVD cameras. MiniDV has been one of
the most popular video formats, in recent years, for both consumers and
professional video production companies alike.
This should allow these types of tapes to be transferred for a few years
longer than the 8mm and VHS formats.
Time is running out to transfer home videos to
DVD
The window of opportunity is closing soon.
Don’t let your precious memories suffer the same fate as Betamax
videos. Have all of your 8mm,
Hi8, Digital8, VHS-C, VHS, and MiniDV videotapes transferred to DVD before
it’s too late and the equipment needed for the transfer is no longer
available.
What format is safe to transfer to?
As of 2008 the most common video format in the country is DVD.
The Gold
Archival DVD is the ideal choice for preserving all of those special
memories and important videos. Gold
doesn’t oxidize like other minerals, which is a common cause of failure in
most DVDs. The non-corrosive,
reflective properties of gold make these discs the best choice for archiving
important information and enable the discs to last up to 100 years.
For now, DVD is the preferred format and the Gold
Archival DVDs make the best choice for preserving your important videos.
Don't risk losing
your video memories forever, transfer them to DVD while you still can.
Give us a call today!
