The life of a properly stored video tape, assuming it is professional-quality and not purchased at the "10 for a Dollar Store", is from 2 to 64 years.The lifetime of a tape is defined as the length of time a tape can be archived until it will fail when 12% of the binder polymer has hydrolyzed.

Do you know how old your tapes are?

According to manufacturers' data sheets and other technical literature, thirty years appears to be the upper limit for magnetic tape products, including video and audio tapes. LE values for storage media, however, are similar to miles per gallon ratings for automobiles. Your actual mileage may vary. Recently, articles have been appearing which suggest that the life expectancy of magnetic media is much shorter than originally thought. For example, an article in the January 1995 Scientific American ( Jeff Rothenberg, "Ensuring the Longevity of Digital Documents") conservatively estimated the physical lifetime of digital magnetic recording tape at one year. Because of the confusion that can result from such a statement, NML officially responded with a letter to the editor that appeared in the June 1995 issue of Scientific American. The letter states that the "physical lifetimes for digital magnetic tape are at least 10 to 20 years."