Mould threatening VHS tape archives

VHS tapes throughout the UK are being threatened by mould

A UK digital archiving firm is using an interesting idea to pitch its backup products.

Pinnacle claimed that many Brits are losing their home movies to an outbreak of mould which is destroying VHS tapes.

The fungus, which appears as a fine white dust, eventually destroys the ability to playback content, according to the firm.

Pinnacle is using the news to pitch its line of VHS-to-DVD backup devices and software, advising users to digitise old recordings and home movies rather than risk losing the tapes.

"We all have those memories we want to hold on to, the memories that we want to be able to look back on whenever we can," said a company spokesman.

"But if you are wanting to keep them safe and watchable, you will need to back up onto a digital format quickly."

The problem may be more than just a marketing ploy. A recent report in The Guardian suggests that a string of wet summers in the past three years has seen the levels of tape mould rise dramatically.

The paper quoted one Scottish repairman as saying that restoration cases from tape mould infections have grown from one or two a year to as much as 10 per cent of all restoration projects.

In addition to the option of digitising content, tape owners are advised to store cassettes in a dark, dry location that is cool, but still heated in the winter.