Yes—if it is practical, keep the original VHS or camcorder tapes after digitising them. At a minimum, retain them until every digital file has been checked and backed up. For important family recordings, the tape remains the original source and may be useful if a file is incomplete, lost or needs to be transferred again.
Why keep the tape when you already have a digital copy?
A digital transfer makes a recording easier to watch, copy and share, but it does not make the physical original redundant straight away. The Canadian Conservation Institute advises retaining originals because mistakes can happen and a later transfer may produce a better result from an important section.
The cassette also carries useful context: handwritten dates, names, recording speeds and event labels. Keep those details with the tape even after you have used them in filenames or folders.
What should I check before putting the tapes away?
Use your tape inventory and check one digital file at a time:
1. Open the file and confirm that it plays. 2. Check the beginning, a point in the middle and the end. 3. Listen for sound as well as checking the picture. 4. Match the file to the correct cassette label. 5. Note any suspected gap, unexpected ending or playback problem. 6. Keep at least two digital copies in different places.
A USB drive can be a convenient copy, but it should not be the only one. Our guide to backing up converted family videos explains a simple approach.
How should I store original video tapes?
Keep each cassette in its case, upright on its long edge, in a cool, dry and stable part of the home. Avoid attics, garages, direct sunlight, radiators, damp and strong magnetic fields. Handle a cassette by its outer shell rather than touching exposed tape or internal spools.
Do not repeatedly play an original just to see whether it still works. The US National Archives notes that playback can damage a tape and recommends limiting use of originals. If a cassette looks mouldy, dirty, broken or distorted, keep it separate and do not test-play it; ask for advice first.
How long should I keep the originals?
There is no single deadline for every household. The safest answer is to keep valued family tapes for as long as you can store them properly. If space is tight, do not make a disposal decision until you have checked every transfer, created working backups and agreed with anyone else who may value the recordings.
Digitisation protects access to the content; sensible storage protects the remaining original. The two approaches work together.
What happens to tapes after a Rewind Digital transfer?
Original VHS, VHS-C, MiniDV and Hi8 tapes are returned at your local Tadcaster collection appointment. Current tape prices and the optional USB are listed on our pricing page. You can build an estimate and send an order request; the format, condition, availability and final quote are confirmed before work starts.
