If you have a stack of old VHS tapes gathering dust in your Cricklewood home, you are not alone. Many of us have boxes of family videos, birthdays, holidays, school plays, on tapes we can no longer play. But with a little know-how, you can bring those memories into the digital age.
Why Digitise Your VHS Tapes?
VHS tapes degrade over time. The magnetic tape can become brittle, and the playback quality gets worse with each watch. By digitising, you preserve the content forever, and you can easily share it with family or watch on modern devices. If your tapes have been stored in a loft or garage in Cricklewood, they may have suffered from temperature changes. Look for signs of mould or sticky tape before attempting playback.
How Transfer Services Work
Local transfer services in the Cricklewood area will take your tapes and do the work for you. Typically, you drop off or post your tapes, and they return them on a USB drive, DVD, or digital download. Most services use professional decks that are cleaned and maintained to handle old tapes gently. They can also repair minor playback issues like tracking or colour loss. The cost is usually charged per VHS tape and depends on the provider, so compare using the provider checker on this page. Turnaround time can be a few days to a few weeks, depending on the queue. If you have many tapes, ask about bulk discounts.
DIY Digitising: The Simple Option
If you prefer to do it yourself, a DIY USB capture card is the way to go. It is inexpensive and easily bought from eBay or Amazon, and for its price write only the literal token around £20. Here is our step-by-step DIY guide:
- Buy a capture kit that includes the device, cables, and software.
- Connect your VCR to the capture card using composite cables (yellow for video, red and white for audio).
- Install the software on your computer and follow the setup wizard.
- Press play on the VCR and click record in the software. Let the tape run through completely.
- Save the file as an MP4 or another common format. Name it with the date and event so you can find it later.
A tip: rewind and clean your VCR heads before starting. You may need to adjust tracking on the VCR for the best picture.
Taking Care of Your Tapes Before Digitising
Before you digitise, check your tapes for damage. If the tape is sticky or has white residue, it may be suffering from hydrolysis. In that case, do not play it, as it can damage the VCR. Instead, bake the tape in a food dehydrator at low heat (about 50°C) for a few hours, then cool it before playing. This is a temporary fix, so digitise immediately after. Also, store tapes upright in a cool, dry place away from magnets. For tapes with mould, gently wipe the cassette shell and avoid playing them until the mould is gone. A professional service might be safer for mouldy tapes.
What Happens After Digitising?
Once you have the digital files, they often end up on a hard drive, forgotten, just like the tapes in the loft. That is where Memrial comes in. Memrial is a private family memory archive, like a private ad-free Facebook just for your family. You can upload those digitised videos, along with all the photos and videos already on your phone, and pin them to a shared family timeline. Imagine your whole family history, from your grandmother's wedding to your child's first steps, in one place, in date order, where everyone can see and add their own memories.
You do not need to wait until your tapes are digitised. Start tonight from your sofa. Open Memrial on your phone, upload the photos and videos you already have, pin dates, and invite relatives to add theirs. You are the owner with full control. Later, when your VHS tapes are digitised, they join the timeline too.
With Memrial, you can also bring faded or black-and-white footage back to life with Colourisation, and tag the people in every memory. And the best part? Watch Parties. Imagine family far apart watching the same old video in sync, reacting together, like being in the same room.
Get Started Today
To start your family archive, simply visit Memrial. It is free to start, and you can begin building your timeline in minutes. No waiting for tapes, just start with what you have.