I'm organizing the photos on my old phone to get physical prints made, and it made me wonder if there's a way to create physical copies of videos too, similar to the moving paintings in Harry Potter. I want to keep my important videos stored on something separate from my phone or other devices because those could break or become obsolete. I fear that with advancing technology, I might not be able to retrieve those videos if the device fails or if formats change, like how VHS tapes are hard to play now. I'd like a guarantee that I can access my videos in the future without worry. Also, it'd be cool if these videos could be easily copied like photos. How can I ensure my videos won't get lost?
2 Answers
Long-term storage is a challenge since standards change. You'll need to transfer your files to the current technology about every decade. I had files on old tape formats that I had to convert to newer formats over the years to keep them accessible. So, it's all about staying ahead and keeping backups!
It's tricky because everything has gone digital. You can store your videos on physical media like an external hard drive or solid-state drive, but technology evolves. Consider saving your videos in a non-compressed format and think about refreshing them every few years. If you're worried about compatibility, make backups on a cloud service and on physical drives too!
Wow, 9-track tapes? You've got some real vintage stuff there!