If you grew up in Shrewsbury, chances are there’s a box of VHS tapes gathering dust in a loft or cupboard. Maybe they hold your children’s first steps, a wedding at St Chad’s, or a birthday party at the Abbey. These tapes are fragile, magnetic tape degrades over time, and the players that read them are becoming harder to find. The good news is that digitising them is easier than you think, and you have options right here in town.
Why Digitise and How Transfer Works
VHS tapes have a lifespan of around 10 to 25 years, after which the magnetic coating can flake or the tape can become sticky. Moisture and temperature changes in Shrewsbury’s old buildings can speed up this process. Digitising gives your memories a new life, they become files you can watch on any screen, share with relatives, and store safely in multiple places.
When you use a transfer service, they typically take your tapes, inspect them for damage, and play them on a professional-grade VCR connected to a capture device. The video signal is converted to a digital format like MP4 or MOV, often at a high bitrate to preserve quality. Some services will clean the tape heads or even splice broken tape. You receive the files on a USB drive, DVD, or via download. The cost is usually charged per VHS tape and depends on the provider, you can compare prices and services using the provider checker on this page. Always ask about turnaround time and whether they return your original tapes.
Tape Care Before You Start
Before sending tapes off or starting a DIY project, check their condition. Store tapes upright in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Avoid dusty attics or damp basements. If a tape has mould (a white or grey powdery growth), do not play it, as mould can damage your VCR and spread to other tapes. Professional services can treat mouldy tapes, but it costs more. For tapes that are simply dusty, wipe the cassette shell with a dry cloth. Rewind each tape fully before playback to reduce tension. If a tape is stuck or makes unusual noises, stop immediately and seek professional help. Handling tapes gently now can prevent irreversible loss.
DIY with a USB Capture Card
If you prefer to do it yourself, you can buy a USB video capture card. This is inexpensive and easily bought from eBay or Amazon, and for its price write only the literal token around £20. You will also need a VHS player (or a VCR) and a computer. Our step-by-step DIY guide walks you through connecting the cables, installing the software, and recording each tape. It takes a bit of patience, but gives you full control. You can pause, re-record sections, and name files as you like. The quality depends on your VCR and cables, so use a good quality SCART or composite cable. Once captured, you can edit the files or upload them directly to your family archive.
The Problem with Digitised Files
Once your tapes are digitised, you might save the files to a hard drive or cloud storage. But then what? Years go by, and those files end up forgotten in a folder, just like the tapes in the loft. Your children may never see them. That’s where Memrial comes in.
Build a Family Archive with Memrial
Memrial is a private, ad-free space where your whole family’s memories live together. You do not need to wait until your tapes are digitised. You can start now, today, for free, from your phone. Simply upload the photos and videos already on it, pin dates to build a shared family timeline, and invite relatives to add their own old photos and videos. Now grandma’s 1980s photos of Shrewsbury Market Hall sit alongside your daughter’s first steps. The digitised VHS tapes join later, bringing everything into one place.
Imagine this: you and your sister, living in different cities, watching the same old home video in sync, reacting together with laughter and tears. That’s Memrial’s Watch Party. Or picture your uncle scanning his faded prints of the Shrewsbury Flower Show, and your cousin adding clips from a family reunion at the river Severn. Everyone contributes, and the archive grows richer over time. You, as the archive owner, have full control over who sees what. The memories you save today are the ones your children will thank you for. Start your free family archive now, no tapes required.
Get Started
Whether you choose a local transfer service or the DIY route, the important thing is to act before your tapes degrade further. And once you have digital copies, bring them to life in a Memrial family archive. Your story deserves to be shared, not hidden.