How long do DVDs last compared to Videotapes?
The DVD-video format has a minimum life expectancy of at least 100 years. Some people in the DVD Transfer industry claim that a DVD will only last 2 to 5 years. I transferred my own Family Movie Film to DVD-R back in December of 2000 and it still plays, looks and sounds GREAT! While it is true that the MPEG2 video format used for DVD does not look as good or as sharp as an original MiniDV Master Videotape, I have seen way too many MiniDV Videotapes that customers brought/sent that had been “Eaten” and destroyed in their MiniDV Camcorder. Also, MiniDV Videotapes are still a Magnetic Medium and will fade away. Unlike videotapes, DVDs are not recorded as a magnetic medium but rather by using a tiny laser, burning microscopic pits into the recording surface that lies underneath a protective clear coating. Most videotapes of any format will not be playable 20 years after first being recorded. The earlier your Home Videotapes get transferred to DVD-Video, the better quality the original vide
The DVD-video format has a minimum life expectancy of at least 100 years. Some people in the DVD Transfer industry claim that a DVD will only last 2 to 5 years. I transferred my own Family Movie Film to DVD-R back in December of 2000 and it still plays, looks and sounds GREAT! While it is true that the MPEG2 video format used for DVD does not look as good or as sharp as an original MiniDV Master Videotape, I have seen way too many MiniDV Videotapes that customers brought/sent that had been “Eaten” and destroyed in their MiniDV Camcorder. Also, MiniDV Videotapes are still a Magnetic Medium and will fade away. Unlike videotapes, DVDs are not recorded as a magnetic medium but rather by using a tiny laser, burning microscopic pits into the recording surface that lies underneath a protective clear coating. Most videotapes of any format will not be playable 20-30 years after first being recorded. The earlier your Home Videotapes get transferred to DVD-Video, the better quality the original v
