Are your memories at risk?

Did you know that thousands of audio and Cinetapes are literally being eaten alive, destroying treasured family memories? Videotape is made from a cellulose carrier tape which is coated with ferric oxide which then stores the recording magnetically.

We are used to tapes becoming brittle and snapping over time. These kind of problem can be repaired and once repaired even old Betamax tapes can be transferred to DVD. More recently we have seen a massive increase in the number of tapes arriving with us that are infected with mould. Storage in damp and poorly ventilated conditions are the cause and the worst enemy of a videotape collection. The warm damp summers of the last three years have seen increasing numbers of mouldy tapes being sent to us. Once infected the spores spread rapidly and eat into the coating on the tape.

This damage can not be reversed nor can the recordings be recovered. There is nothing worse than having to tell a customer that the videotape with their wedding or child’s birthday recorded on it is lost forever.

So how can these problems be avoided?

Avoid storing tapes any where that I subjected to changes in temperature, such as sheds, garages and cellars. Instead try to store your videos at a constant cool temperature away from heat sources and light.

How do I know if my tapes have a mould infection? Look for a fine white dusty powder on top of the spools of tape, these will be mould spores.

What do I do if I think my tapes are at risk? Throw away any damp cardboard cases your videotapes may be stored in, preferably substitute these with plastic cases. Remember to make a note of any information that is written on the cases before you dispose of them.
Do not try to play infected tapes as you may damage them and your video player will become infected.

Our advice is to have your tapes copied to DVD as soon as possible.