Why Home Movie Videotapes Don?t Last Forever
shot, it will not be able to play well anywhere else. This is because the original equipment “heads” (which convert signals from electrical to magnetic) line up exactly with the tape. Not being able to show the footage on any other device except on the original camera, however, prevents others from enjoying it fully. Additionally, in many cases, the original camcorder is not operational (broken, missing cables) or not available.
Culprit #1: Time
The first enemy of videotape is the simple passing of time. Like most physical media, the elements that went into the creation of the tape break down bit by bit over time. Tape loses its magnetic particles as well as its lubricants. This is an unavoidable but realistic factor and has resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of valuable feet of footage that once were extremely vibrant.
