How to Care for Your Video Tapes

While video tapes are not fragile, they are not indestructible either. Generally, video tapes have a short life span which ranges from 10 to 30 years and care is required to maximize their life expectancy. It has been documented that when some tapes are severely neglected their life expectancy lessens to 0 to 3 years. The following are some basic do's and don't's when handling video tapes.

keep tapes away from food, drinks and cigarette smoke.
avoid placing tape in pause for long periods of time.
store tapes fully wound to one side.
keep tapes away from magnetic sources
store tapes in an upright position
avoid storing tapes in areas with extreme fluctuations in temperature.
store in a cool dry place

Don't

touch the magnetic tape
leave tapes in the recording or playback device
use a cold cassette. Bring it up to room temperature before placing in the recording or playback device.Should your tape ever become damaged, the best thing to do is to take it to a professional. Don't attempt to fix it yourself as you may only cause more damage.