If you have any film or tape that contains footage of events that are important to you, it is a good idea to have them converted to a digital format. There are many reasons for doing this. The following are a few of the reasons that should give you the motivation to take action as soon as possible.
Your equipment will not last forever
There has been a lot of different technologies used in the past for recording on film and tape: Super 8 8mm, 16mm, Beta and VHS to name a few. But the availability of equipment to play these recordings that can be found today in used but good working condition is scarce. Even if your equipment is working today, it will need repairs sooner or later. The chances of finding someone who has even heard of the technology, let along someone who can repair it, is slim. Add to this, even if you can find someone who can repair the equipment, the spare parts needed are not likely to be available.
Film and tape will not last forever
Film and tape will degrade over time. It can also break or become crimped simply during the process of playing it. Not only that, but it is easy to misplace or throw out old film and tape. Someone could come across the recordings and throw them out simply because they do not understand their sentimental value. The only way around this problem is to have copies, but making copies of older recording formats is seldom an option. It is better to convert the film and tape to a digital format, which will last for generations.
After conversion, it is easy to make copies and distribute
Once you have your film and tape converted to a digital medium, you can easily make copies for a backup. No longer will your recordings be in danger of being lost forever. Another benefit of the ease of making copies is that you will be able to share these memories with others. Friends, relatives and loved ones will be able to see recordings of events in the past that they might not otherwise be able to experience.
Time is not on your side when it comes to video conversion. As soon as you possibly can, you need to take inventory of all recordings you have that you want to preserve. Make a list of the format types, too. You can then get a quote for the cost of digital conversion from services like Prime Time Video Digital Productions. Memories are precious, so take the necessary steps to preserve them today.
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