There’s really no sense in holding onto old video tapes, because they will degrade over time – slowly on the shelf, and much quicker if they are played frequently. If you’ve got irreplaceable memories like weddings, births or holidays on video tape, it’s a good idea to transfer them over to DVD as soon as possible. If they’ve degraded a little bit, it may still be possible to salvage them and still have them transferred, but it’s best to do it right away to avoid the tapes getting too far damaged. Otherwise, they may lose their original quality.
Is copying your non-family video tapes legal in Toronto?
Is it legal to transfer a film on VHS to a DVD, instead of having to go buy a new DVD of the same film at the store?
In Canada, we are legally allowed to make copies of VHS tapes that we have purchased, as long as only one copy is made for backup purposes. Most VHS tapes in Canada allow for copying to DVDs, but other countries are not so lucky. For example, many video tapes in the United States have special copyright protections that are encrypted into the tape, and it is illegal to copy these tapes.
If you have a large VHS movie collection that you are hanging on to because many of the VHS movies are no longer being produced even in DVD format, or because it would be extremely expensive to go and replace every one of them with a new store-bought DVD copy, consider having them professionally transferred over to DVDs. Otherwise, they won’t last.
If you’re considering transferring your VHS tapes over to DVD, contact us today for a free wrote on our video transfer prices. It’s less expensive than you think, and it will preserve your precious memories and favourite films forever.