The world has moved away from VHS tape and this format is no longer manufactured or
Free Download: Managing the K-12 Digital Transition
produced. As a result, many schools may have very large video libraries of VHS tape. This content should be moved to a digital format as soon as possible before it is no longer usable. There are three issues regarding “legacy” VHS content:
(1) The actual tape itself will not last forever and will begin to disintegrate over time. Once the tape begins to “flake” the content is lost. This is called “Data-Rot” and will affect all analog tape over time.
(2) VHS players are going away. Most manufacturers have stopped making them and the few that remain do so as part of a “combo” player with a DVD unit. These are consumer units and not built for heavy usage or to last a long time. It is very possible that the lack of reliable hardware may cause more programs to become obsolete versus the loss of data on the tape.
(3) Copyright confusion may stop some schools from migrating their content because they think it’s illegal to make a digital copy. If the titles in question are still in production the odds are you can get a digital copy from the author or distributor. If the content is not available or can’t be located in a digital form, a digital copy can be created without breaking any copyright laws. Both the Copyright Law and TEACH Act allow educators to make digital copies if a format is no longer supported. You can download our Educator’s Guide to Copyright and Video Materials for additional insight on this issue.
For more information on data rot read our blog post from last year that references a piece from CBS News.
To learn more about our K-12 Video and Media Systems please visit our web site.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }