Hopefully, you’ve never had to put a cherished photo book, home movie, or other mementos in a storage bin to protect it from the elements. But what if there’s an emergency and your house burns down? Or your mom moves into assisted living and can’t take all her things with her? If that should happen, you’ll be glad you took the time to learn how easy it is these days to archive your stuff digitally.
It’s hard to believe, but it’s been over 31 years since the launch of the Macintosh. In that time, we’ve come to rely heavily on our computers for everything from storing photos and videos to saving work-related files.
But every device reaches its end-of-life at some point. If you want to store your files, stay on forever and safeguard them against natural disasters or even human error, you’ll want to store them digitally and virtually!
The problem with storing files
A key concern is the rapid technological advancements that quickly render the storage media of yesteryears obsolete. What may be a common and accepted format today may be obsolete in a few years. Therefore, you’ll need to constantly update your storage methods to keep up with the latest changes. Additionally, as data formats change, you may need to convert your data to the new format
Think of how quickly we’ve moved away from VCRs and towards cloud storage. Five more years and probably, VCRs will be forgotten entirely, and it may be impossible to find them on sale anywhere.
If you want to store files forever, the best way to do it is to burn them to a CD or DVD. This way, they will last forever and won’t risk technological redundancy.
Where Can I Find Archival Video
Depending on your needs, there are many different ways to store files permanently. Some people keep all their files in a single location, while others use multiple locations for different types of files.
One option is to use an archival video storage service. These services offer high-quality storage for video and other digital content, and they often have features such as automatic file backup and recovery. You can also find these services online or in physical locations.
Another option is to use a cloud storage service. These services let you store your files online, where they’re accessible from any device with internet access. Cloud storage services are convenient because you can access your files from anywhere, but they may not be as reliable as archival video storage services.
Whichever you choose, make sure that the storage medium is reliable and technologically up to date; and that the data can be backed up regularly so that you can restore it if necessary.
How Do I Archive a Family Video?
There are several ways to archive a family video collection. You can either create a physical DVD or Blu-ray copy of all the videos or digitize the videos and store them in an online database.
Here is how to archive a family video collection:
- Decide how you want to store the videos. A physical DVD or Blu-ray copy is the easiest to keep, but it can be expensive and take up space. Digitizing the videos and storing them in an online database is more straightforward and cheaper, but you may not be able to access them if your computer crashes or you lose your internet connection.
- Make sure all the family members have copies of the videos. If one member of your family doesn’t own a copy of the videos, they won’t be able to access them if something happens to your digital copies.
- Regularly track the date and time of each video. This will help you remember when the videos were created and when they expire.
- Update the dates and times of the videos as you add new ones. This will keep them accurate and up to date.
- Create a family video archive policy. This will ensure everyone in your family understands how to archive and access the videos and that no one takes advantage of the system by deleting or editing videos without permission.
- Train family members on how to use the archive system. This will help them be able to access the videos when they need to and prevent any problems from happening in the future
How Do I Archive a Family Video?
If you have an extensive family video collection, you may want to consider archiving it. You can either create a physical DVD or Blu-ray copy of all the videos or digitize the videos and store them in an online database. Here are a few tips for archiving a family video collection:
- Decide how you want to store the videos. A physical DVD or Blu-ray copy is the easiest to keep, but it can be expensive and take up space. Digitizing the videos and storing them in an online database is simpler and cheaper, but you may not be able to access them if your computer crashes or you lose your internet connection.
- Make sure all the family members have copies of the videos. If one member of your family doesn’t own a copy of the videos, they won’t be able to access them if something happens to your digital copies.
- Track the date and time of each video. This will help you remember when the videos were created and when they expire.
- Update the dates and times of the videos as you add new ones. This will keep them accurate and up to date.
- Create a family video archive policy. This will guarantee everyone in your family knows how to archive and access the videos and that no one takes advantage of the system by deleting or editing videos without permission.
- Train family members on how to use the archive system. This will help them access the videos when they need to and prevent any problems from happening in the future.
Final Thoughts to Ensure Your Files Last Forever
Follow these simple but effective tips when storing files for the long term:
– Use a reliable storage medium: Choose a storage medium that is not susceptible to physical damage, such as a hard drive or solid-state drive.
– Store in a cool, dry place: Keep your storage devices in a cool, dry environment to prevent data corruption.
– Ensure you regularly back up your files to another location (such as an external hard drive or cloud storage service) in case of data loss.
– Keep your data organized: When storing files, keep them organized by category (for example, photos, documents, etc.) to make finding and accessing information easy.