Wow...softball, I have to agree with you! We just had all our VHS tapes transferred to DVD's. When we re-watched them after not seeing them for a few years, we laughed and cried and were so thankful that we had them. Both my parents are gone now, and the last footage we have of them is at their surprise 50th Anniversary party the year before they died.
Our children (who are now 32, 29 and 20) were so precious in those old videos. I always tell them that if I have to go to a nursing home, make SURE they pack my DVD's!!!!!

It's on my "To Do" list for the new year....I just know I will cry when I see my grown kids as little ones again...I'm a mom,it's my job!..LOL

Um.... our family movies aren't on VHS (or even Beta). They're on 16mm, 8mm and Super 8 film. (yeah, I'm old)

We've already done that and gave a copy to our GD on a dvd.We have her when she wasn't even 2 yet sitting on a rocking horse xmas morning singing the ABC'S,and then opening her presents,and exclaiming,look i got a feater(sweater).Love looking at all those and glad dh like to mess around on the computor and transfer things from vhs to dvd's.Precious memories!!!! Love them.
Kathi

About 20 years ago, I had some "silent" home movies compiled and put on a VHS tape. I put it away and never thought much about it.

A few months ago, I remembered that one of those old movies was of my nephew on his 3rd birthday. He is now 30. I have the machine to copy VHS tapes to DVD, so I decided to do it for him for Christmas this year---but never got around to it. Then my mom died in October...

A few weeks ago, I decided to do my nephew's tape. Little did I know that I had old home movies of my folks' 25th wedding anniversary and other videos of my mom. In one of them, she gets right up to the camera and "mouths" the words: I love you! I bawled like a baby when I saw that but answered her aloud, "I love you, too, Mom!"

That prompted me to go through some newer videos (18 years old) and found even more of my mom. Seeing her on film was such a healing experience for me... I am now making DVDs for my sisters, my dad, and one of mom's sisters. I hope it is as comforting for them as it was for me.

Sorry to go on and on. But yes, people should watch those old movies, preserve the ones and VHS tapes, and keep making more movies! Not sure why DH and I ever quit.

I watch ours quite often too....I had 78 of the little camcorder tapes that I transferred onto DVD's a few year ago. It took a few weeks to do but it feels so much better having them on DVD's.....and much easier to bring out and watch. I am making copies of all of them now for ours sons to have. So many memories on those little tapes! I'd hate to lose them!!! My son bought me a new camcorder a few years ago that records right to the disc...wish we'd had that years ago! What a time saver!!

lindsey - all is not lost. Even the old home movies on film can be put onto DVD these days. I urge you to do it because being even older than VHS they may be more likely to become unwatchable. Once that happens, they're gone.

I saw this thing on tv this morning where you run your old negatives thru and it can then be put on dvd as well.Can't remember what it was called,but hope i see it again,so i can tell dh to get it.He likes that kind of stuff.
Kathi

We had some old 8MM put onto DVD a few years ago also...I got one copy made and then made the rest myslef for my mom and dad and siblings. That required someone else to do it for me on the first copy. The VHS tapes you can do with a VCR/dvd combo recorder.

Ok writer I got goosebumps from your story!!! I had all of my husbands 9mm etc put on dvds. I agree that they won't last forever. Our kids were vhs so I did that myself.

We have lots of VHS movies from when our kids were little. I find myself wishing we had more footage of the grandparents, three of whom are now gone. Sure, the kids are cute and change so much, but I really enjoy seeing the Grandmas and Grandpa at their parties.

VHS tape? What's that? Our memories of Christmases past are stored on 8 mm movie film shot by the kid's grandmother. Am I dating myself or what?

Most of these have been lost to time and no equipment to transfer the images to modern formats. But we still have those images stored in our personal memory bank: our brains.