My Saddest Days – A Hard Lesson in Preserving Memories

This week has been one of the hardest I’ve had in a long time.

A customer brought in a stack of DVDs—discs that had been created years ago from original VHS tapes. The conversion had been done by another service, in another town. Trusting that the job was done properly, they disposed of the original tapes. It made sense at the time. They had assumed those memories were safely preserved.

But they never watched the DVDs.

And now, years later, they finally did.

What we’ve discovered is devastating:
Some of the discs are blank. Maybe even all of them.
No footage. No sound. Just… nothing.

I’m still working on it. I haven’t given up yet—I’m trying every possible method to see if anything can be recovered. But sadly, this has become a very real reminder of why it’s so important to approach memory preservation with care, caution, and a little bit of healthy paranoia.

This is why I urge everyone: Please don’t just make one copy.

At Your Video Angel, I’m passionate about helping families across Queensland and especially here in Mackay with VHS to DVD or USB transfers. I do my best to ensure every memory is treated with care and delivered in a format that’s safe and accessible.

But even the best-quality digital format is not immune to risk. USBs can be lost. DVDs can be scratched. External hard drives can fail.

That’s why I always say:
Copy, copy, copy.

How to Safeguard Your Digitised Memories

Once you’ve had your VHS tapes converted to DVD or USB, here are a few essential steps I recommend:

Copy your footage to your computer or laptop
Upload a backup to a secure cloud service like Google Drive
Store a copy on an external hard drive
Share copies with trusted family members in different locations
Set a reminder to check your files once a year
Refresh your copies every few years to keep up with changing technology

It may sound repetitive—but that’s only because it matters so much.

I Can Help with Extra Copies Too

If you’d like additional USBs, DVDs, or external hard drives with your footage, I’m happy to provide them. It’s simply the cost of the storage device and a small fee for the time to copy them over. It’s a small investment for the peace of mind that your memories are safe and shared.

And if you’d like longer-term peace of mind, I offer up to 3 years of secure archive storage of your digitised content. That way, if anything does go wrong with your copy, I may still have a backup ready to restore it for you.

But After That… It’s In Your Hands

As much as I love helping people preserve their stories, there’s only so much I can do once the job leaves my hands. If those final copies aren’t backed up and shared, and something happens… I may not be able to help.

And that’s the part that breaks my heart.

Because these aren’t just files. They’re stories. They’re people. They’re moments in time that can never be recreated.

Please Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

Whether you’re in Mackay or anywhere across Queensland, if you’re considering converting your tapes, now is the time. I offer VHS to DVD or USB conversions with full care, attention, and a personal touch you can rely on.

Let this story be the reminder none of us wanted.
Let it be the reason you finally go through that box.
Let it be the nudge to double-check your backups.

And if you ever need help figuring out what to do next, I’m always just a message away.

Ready to get started Mackay VHS to DVD or USB?

Cick here to fill in the contact form to find out more.

Phone or text Cheryl 0429 343 762

Email: yvideoangel@gmail.com

Talk soon,

Cheryl.

The Importance of Backups – Mackay VHS to DVD or USB Transfers That Protect Your Memories