Refreshing your memories

They are the fossils of family entertainment.

Inside millions of homes across the country, dusty boxes hold invaluable archives of household media treasures. Among them: 8-mm. films and VHS tapes, LP music albums, and glossy (if often fading) photos.

As recently as 20 years ago, these keepsakes were generated according to the highest standards of cutting-edge technology. Today, they are fast becoming quaint reminders of a simpler time. And they may soon be as obsolete as a hand-cranked phonograph.

Digital technology has prompted the evolution. New video, music, and photo devices now store pictures and sound in the form of ones and zeros, rather than as impressions made on vinyl or as information stored in the metal oxides of tape.

The digital format has in many cases improved quality. It has certainly given users more options, experts say, leading millions of consumers to upgrade to new devices such as digital cameras and DVD players, both of which smashed their own sales records last year.

The problem: Digital machines don't play old media. And unlike digital information, which doesn't wear out from extended use, film, records, photos, and tapes tend to break down.

Today, many families are concerned with the fate of their audio/video relics, and they're scrambling to find the most cost-effective ways to preserve them.

As a result, a number of products and services are being rolled out. They promise to convert the old entertainment into a form better suited for long-term enjoyment and safekeeping.

"People are beginning to understand that if they want to preserve something forever, they need to save it in a medium that will last," says Matt Swanston, a spokesman for the Consumer Electronics Association in Arlington, Va.

Most do-it-yourself options are expensive and technically complex. Experts say outside services might be the better option for those out to convert just a few records or VHS tapes, for example.

Consider the following products and services:

Families' home-movie collections often include 8-mm. film reels and VHS and Betamax tapes, among other formats.

But the future of video is clearly DVD. Americans are expected to buy 16 million DVD players this year, while sales of VCRs will likely drop to about 14 million, according to the CEA.

Do-it-yourself. Consumers can use their personal computers to make DVDs from old videotapes. The process requires three steps: transferring the video to a computer, editing it, and "burning" it onto a blank DVD.

The transfer requires a kit that includes a tiny, box-like converter and normally sells for about $300. The device, with cables, serves as a conduit between a Camcorder or VCR and a computer.

While the video plays, the box collects the transmission and converts it into a digital package. The video is then saved on the computer hard drive as an MPEG file.

Examples include Hewlett-Packard's Dazzle Digital Video Creator II for PCs and Formac's Studio DV/TV for Apple computers. The Hollywood DV-Bridge from Dazzle is compatible with both PCs and Apple.

Most digital video cameras can provide the same function.

Many converters come with editing software that allows the user to break up the video into separate parts for archiving or to craft a more finished product for viewing. Apple's iDVD2 for the Macintosh is a user-friendly software that comes with the company's new $1,800 iMac.

Once the video is edited, it can be burned onto a blank DVD. The iMac is equipped with a DVD drive, but most PC owners will need to buy one separately. They typically cost less than $800.

Page: 1 | 2