Media Types We Digitize

Every analog format degrades over time; the only question is how fast. Here's what we work with, and why sooner is better.

VHS

The tape's binder breaks down with age, causing dropouts, fading and eventually "sticky-shed" that makes tapes unplayable. Most VHS tapes are now 20–40 years old.

VHS-C

The same tape as full-size VHS in a compact camcorder cassette, with the same breakdown. Working VHS-C adapters and camcorders are getting hard to find.

MiniDV

Digital, but still on magnetic tape, so it's vulnerable to mold, stretching and dropouts. MiniDV decks are no longer made, so playback gets harder every year.

DVD

Home-burned DVDs use a dye layer that can fail within 10–25 years ("disc rot"), depending on disc quality and storage. Scratches and delamination are common too.

Camcorder Tapes (Hi8 / Digital8)

Magnetic tape like VHS, prone to binder breakdown and mold. Compatible camcorders are rare and costly to keep running.

Audio Cassettes

Magnetic tape too, subject to binder breakdown and print-through (the signal bleeding between wound layers). Voice recordings, mixtapes and interviews are worth saving now.