VHS Is Dead

This newsletter often talks about new or emerging technologies. Perhaps it is time to note the death of another technology that nearly all of us have used in the past.

In case you haven't heard, VHS videotape is dead.

Nobody manufactures VHS videotapes anymore. The major chain stores, such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy, stopped selling VHS recorders and players some years ago. Not long after, the manufacturers of videotapes stopped manufacturing them, due to a lack of sales outlets and a lack of sales.

The same companies stopped manufacturing VHS video recorders as well. The reason was the same: declining sales. However, several manufacturers still produce combination VHS and DVD recorders, designed to copy your old VHS tapes to modern CD or DVD disks.

In October, what is believed to be the final truckload of VHS tapes rolled out of a Palm Harbor, Florida, warehouse. You may find videotapes in stock in various stores for several more months, but there are no more VHS tapes left in the supply chain. Wal-Mart and other major department store chains stopped selling VHS videotapes a few years ago although you might still find some for sale at the Dollar Store, convenience stores, and at truck stops across the country. Be aware that these videotapes are for sale "as long as supplies last." The wholesalers have since moved on to other products, so retail sales will soon dry up.

What does this mean if you have a stash of old family videos on VHS tapes? Well, there is no emergency as the VHS-to-DVD copiers will probably be around for a few more years. VHS tapes all deteriorate slowly over time, but they will probably still be playable for another ten years or so, assuming you can find a VHS player. The problem is that the analog video signals stored on VHS slowly deteriorate, something the engineers refer to as "noise." If you copy a tape to CD today, the result will probably be good. You will probably obtain a clear video.

The problem arises when you procrastinate. Every year, a bit more noise will be introduced to every VHS video tape in your library. The result will not be dramatic if you wait a year or two. However, if you wait 5 or 10 or 20 years, the result is cumulative: every year you procrastinate will result in more and more noise introduced to the tapes. Copying a VHS video tape to DVD twenty years from now will result in a much "noisier" video than copying the same tape today.

Unlike the analog VHS videotapes, DVD disks are digital and do not suffer from video degradation with the passage of time. There may still be an issue of finding suitable DVD players some years from now, but the signals on DVD disks should still be playable for many years.

DVD disks do not last forever, however. The disks themselves will suffer from some internal chemical changes and will deteriorate for different reasons than those of VHS tapes. Even so, the life expectancy of a DVD disk is significantly longer than that of a VHS videotape. When copied, the video on a DVD disk will not have induced noise like a VHS videotape.

While not perfect, engineers agree that DVD disks last a lot longer than do VHS videotapes. The signals stored on that disk twenty years from now will be much clearer and have much less induced "noise" than the same video stored on VHS videotape. By that time we all will be copying to Blu-Ray disks or perhaps to some other as yet unknown technology that will eventually replace Blu-Ray.

Do you have old family videos stored on VHS? The time to copy them to DVD is NOW.

If you do not have a VHS-to-DVD copier already, you might think about purchasing one before supplies dry up. Prices range from $75 and upwards. I'd suggest that you purchase one soon as the VHS-to-DVD copiers probably won't be available within a few years.

Preserving old videos is about the same as preserving old digital data: it is easy to do as long as you make sure that you do not wait too long. Always copy your old files and videos to new technologies as soon as it is cost-effective to do so.

I'd suggest that the time is now.

For more information about the death of VHS, look at the recent article in the Los Angeles Times at http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-vhs-tapes22-2008dec22,0,5852342.story.

Comments

[George G. Morgan]

OMG, Dick! I'm living in the past, yet again. I have a vast collection of VHS movies that replaced the old Beta-Max movies. (Yes, I made the wrong choice then!) I guess I have another New Year's resolution project for 2009: converting these, assuming I can with security measures from "those days." Yes, the Betty Davis, Bette Grable, Rita Hayworth, Wizard of Oz, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Greer Garson, Norma Shearer, Eleanor Powell, Shirley Temple, Jean Harlow, Ginger Rogers, Mae West, George Murphy, W,C Fields, George Raft, Marjorie Reynolds, Alice Faye, Fanny Brice, the Marx Brothers, and hundreds of others!

And then there are the 1950s films with Marilyn Monroe, Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, Rock Hudson and Doris Day, and the great spectacle films; "Around the World in 80 Days," "The Robe,"The Ten Commandments,"Rear Window," "A Star is Born" (the second and best production!), "Vertigo," and more. The 1960s gave us "My Fair Lady," "West Side Story," "Charade," Breakfast at Tiffanys," and so many more. And my very favorite file, from 1952, is "With a Song in My Heart," starring Susan Hayward with vocals sung by the incredible subject of the film, the wonderful Jane Froman. (If you have never heard her, go to YouTube and check her out!)

I am a movie lover and, as you can tell, I have a lot of transfers to do! I need more time than I thought in 2009!

[Art]

Any ideas out there on how to recycle the old tapes once we no longer use them?

[Sue]

This is very timely and appreciated. My daughter and son-in-law have done this for a few of my tapes of grandchildren (and my deceased mother) and I look forward to getting the other 20+ tapes in my "stash" done.

[A-M Coke]

Here we go again! I don't know if I'll be able to deal with the change to HDTV, much less the loss of VHS! Seriously, though, the best thing about transferring our precious images to discs is that we procrastinators will be forced to review, organize, and catalog them before they deteriorate beyond saving.

With regard to the disposal of those old movie tapes we've already transferred, how about checking with your local Veteran's organizations/hospitals or retirement homes with video libraries and asking if they might like to have them?

[Dave Dobbin]

One extra problem is that 'people in the know' are already looking at the technology that is going to replace DVDs. BluRay discs/disks (depending on which side of the Atlantic you live), or 'BD' as the term is usually abbreviated to, are the next stage for DVD-style storage but with higher capacity. BD recording drives are already widely available, so it may be worthwhile skipping DVDs altogether.

But the experts are also looking at what will replace BD. This may be along the lines of Memory Drives - or there may be newer technology yet to be announced.

For delivery of movies, with higher broadband speeds, delivery of HDTV (or even 3DTV)can be provided 'on demand' over the phone lines effectively making BD/DVD redundant, as you no longer need to keep your own copy.

[John Kruse]

Dick,
I'm not sure where you got your info on "noise" to VHS, but it is not true. As an eletronics engineer, I can assure you that noise does not accumulate on VHS tapes that sit on a shelf. Tapes are a magnetic medium and the problem over time is the wearing off or drop out of magnetic particles from the mylar substrate.

[Dick Eastman]

If you search the web, you can find hundreds of references to the issues involving signal degradation (increasing noise) of VHS videotapes, caused by several different factors. Here are a few:

from http://www.slidescanning.com/vhs-2-dvd.htm : A typical VHS recording can last as long as 20 years, but image and sound quality degradation becomes noticeable in as little as 5 years. This is especially true when the recording was done using the LP (4-hour) or EP (6-hour) setting. If you want your wedding video to last until the grandkids can watch it, there's really no choice.

from http://blog.scanmyphotos.com/2008/02/how-to-affordably-transfer-vhs-cassette.html : How long do VHS Tapes Last? Did you know that VHS tapes degrade after just a few years. This means that you must get your cassettes converted to digital before your home movies disintegrate.

from http://www.tech-faq.com/how-long-do-vhs-tapes-last.shtml : Unfortunately, consumers have already recorded many precious moments on their VHS tapes and are increasingly finding that they do not have the same quality as the new technologies being offered today. In some cases, the tapes themselves are beginning to deteriorate. Generally, this deterioration takes place because of incorrect storage, but overall, it usually happens because the recording wears away the tape.

from http://www.digitalfaq.com/media/longevity.htm : The lifespan of magnetic tape media - At the other end of the spectrum are consumer formats like VHS, which start to degrade within 10-25 years. Most of the video tapes manufactured in the 1970s and 1980s tend to be more durable than the thinner and cheaper tapes that flooded the market in the 1990s and are still sold new today. There are also various grades of VHS tape, from standard consumer, to advanced consumer, to professional and broadcast grades; the particle density and tape perfection being the primary discrimination between the grades.

The older a tape gets, the more likely it will face problems like oxide shedding and tape-eating bacteria. The replay count will also affect the level of degradation. VHS tapes owned by consumers and recorded in the 1980s-1990s should last another 10 years on average.

from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_n2575_v121/ai_13695086 : here's no label saying so, but be warned: VHS tapes don't last forever. Those personal, irreplaceable videos--be they of the big game, the birth of a child, your wedding, baby's first steps--one day could break down. It probably won't happen, though, because today's VCR tapes are too good and ways to extend their lives too easy. The trouble is, no one seems to know exactly how long those tapes will remain operable. "There's no absolute answer to how long your tapes will last," indicates Bob Fontana, TDK's Manager of Customer and Technical Services. "But it's safe to assume that, with proper care, 25 years or more can be expected."

I do agree with your statement of "Tapes are a magnetic medium and the problem over time is the wearing off or drop out of magnetic particles from the mylar substrate." That causes reduced signal strength of the tape which results in an reduced signal-to-noise ratio. Of course, there are even more external influences that may decrease shelf life: temperature, storage conditions, stray magnetic fields, tape wear caused by multiple replays of the tape, etc. However, those are tough to predict in advance.

[Kim E. Dolce]

If you have only a few videos to transfer and don't want to invest in a machine, many photo labs can do it for you. I know Walgreens does, as do others. I had all of our 8mm home movies put onto video and now I need to get cracking and get them transferred to DVD.

[Tim]

"Wal-Mart and other major department store chains stopped selling VHS videotapes a few years ago although you might still find some for sale at the Dollar Store, convenience stores, and at truck stops across the country. "

I guess I was dreaming when I bought some just a few weeks ago at Wal Mart.

For recording longer videos DVDs are good, but for short clips VHS is still the best. I don't need a hundred "titles" on a disk just because I recorded several short clips from TV broadcasts. Until DVD recorders work like tapes, tapes will still be needed. The fact that they don't is one of the few reasons DVRs are so popular.

Video can be recorded to VHS tapes digitally, and tape similar to VHS has been used for that purpose for years. It's too bad that never caught on in the consumer market.

[Linda Enz]

I know this will sound crazy but the thought of all that plastic ending up in the dump made me sick! So several months ago I started crocheting rugs out of all the VHS tapes that I have copied. These are quite durable for the outside and clean up nicely, just hose them down. I usually mix them with my plastic shopping bags to give them more color. Just my small way of helping the environment. It's just and alternative idea, as most donated tapes to Goodwill and etc. end up being thrown away. This way I feel I have gotten a little more use out of them and delayed the dumping process.

[Rob]

When I was studying Media Production, we were taught that the magnetic particles on the tape were mixed with a type of "glue" to bond them to the mylar base. This glue eventually dries out and the magnetic particles shed from the tape. This is what causes the acceleration of "snow" or "noise" in the picture. I have seen old 1960s TV tape with whole chunks of the magnetic surface missing.
Hope this helps.
Rob

[Jennifer]

Walmart still sells VCRs/VHS. It may be as a DVD/VCR combo, but it's there. In fact, I'm looking at one at their online website now that states that it records on both DVDs and VHS tapes. A search for "VCR" turned up 7 results and 3 of them record onto VHS tapes.

[Jim Agnew, Rocklin, Calif.]

Dick is mainly talking about copying your home movies from VHS to CD, DVD or Blueray. I recall reading that a lot of store-bought movies on VHS were copy-protected. The original tape could be watched, but it could not be copied. It may not be possible to copy purchased movies, but you could try it. The copy protection causes the picture to go in and out of focus, with white-outs, dropouts in the sound volume, etc. The VHS players had electronics to compensate for the copy-protection scheme. Some VHS tapes were protected, and others were not. The oldest VHS movies may not have protection, while probably ALL the later ones did. I believe there is a similar type of copy-protection on all currently-available movies on DVD and BlueRay.

[Austin Wade]

Would you please specify, by name, the machines which will--as a stand alone unit--copy any VHS tape to DVD or BD?

[Dick Eastman]

---> Would you please specify, by name, the machines which will--as a stand alone unit--copy any VHS tape to DVD or BD?

There are dozens of them. I have no idea how many there are but I know it is a large number. Stop in at any store that sells video equipment and I suspect you will find at least three or four different ones in stock.

- Dick Eastman

[Jim Owen]

I use a Magnavox MWR20V6 for direct VHS to DVD copying. It also has A/V and S-Video inputs that I connect to my Sony GV-D200 Hi8 digital VCR for copying Hi8 digital tapes recorded on my Sony digital comcorder to DVD. I have converted about 125 digital tapes and have another 200 VHS tapes to copy. This is the setup that I use and I am sure there are others which are better.

Jim

[Jim Agnew, Rocklin, Calif.]

I bought a nice Panasonic VHS-to-DVD recorder at Costco about a year ago. It was about $300; they may have come down in price by now. You put the VHS tape in on the left and a blank DVD (either -R or -RW) in on the right, push one button and it copies the tape onto DVD. You may need to babysit it if you want to add "chapters" to the DVD (so that you don't have to scroll through the whole movie to find what you want). Also, I'm told there are no VHS-to-BlueRay copiers yet.

[Jason Presley]

--I recall reading that a lot of store-bought movies on VHS were copy-protected. The original tape could be watched, but it could not be copied. It may not be possible to copy purchased movies, but you could try it. The copy protection causes the picture to go in and out of focus, with white-outs, dropouts in the sound volume, etc.

The implementation of MacroVision (the VHS copy protection technology) was surprisingly inconsistent across different VCR manufacturers. I'd actually be surprised if any of the current VHS-DVD copy machines even bothered to include it. It was common to find some of the lower-end VCRs from Samsung that didn't have the copy protection system. You never saw anything on the box advertising that fact, but you didn't get the distortion on a copy.

[Paul, Oxford UK]

Has anyone tried using "multimedia" external hard drives as a means of storage ? They appear to both hook up to a PC via USB, and also to connect to a television. Photographs, video footage and sound can be backed-up and stored thereon, and can be accesssed via PC or TV.

A 500GB model from Iomega is on sale in the UK at circa GBP120 - that's one-hundred and twenty pounds sterling. Has anyone got any experience of these units - does anyone feel able to recommend or not recommend them ?

Paul

[Mary]

I have a number of VHS-C tapes that need to be transfered to DVD. It is my understanding that the transfer won't occur even if I use the VHS adaptor in the VCR/DVD combo. Has anyone found something to work with the VHS-C to DVD transfer?

[Fields]

I have a Panasonic VHS to DVD machine. But I prefer to hook up my old Sony VCR to the front of the Panasonic with the RCA connections and burn to DVD that way. In my opinion, the Panansonic VHS player is not as good as my older VCR. Try it both ways and see for yourself.

I have about 12 tapes of home movies from 1985-1990, only one of the tapes developed any problem - squeaky tape. They have always been kept in air conditioned/heated conditions and I had always bought good brand name VHS tapes. I didn't notice any deterioration when I copied them to DVD.

THEORETICALLY the RF cable can be used to copy professional VHS tapes.

[Fields]

Oh, I just remembered, when transfering through the RCA connections on the front of my Panasonic VHS-DVD recorder, the better movies usually have coding on them and sometimes they won't copy. But sometimes they will. But the DVD recorder (same unit, same tape being copied) will refuse to copy a copyrighted tape.