Common Tape Types
- VHS
- VHSC
- S-VHS
- S-VHSC
- Digital8
- Video8
- Hi8
- MiniDV
- Internal Drive Cameras…and more
- We can send older film cameras and video cameras to our vendors where they still must be chemically developed.
Tape Repair
Tape repair is sometimes possible depending on the condition of the tape. We are happy to attempt repair to get as much as possible of the footage pulled. Contact us for rates and tape evaluation.
We Also Transfer Data From
- iPods
- Tablets
- Computers
- Hard Drives
- iPads
- Flip Phones
- DVD and more
Slides and Photos
Do you need slides or pictures converted to digital format. We can scan and even touch up your photos if needed.
Why Transfer?
There are many reasons you should transfer those old tapes that have been collecting dust over the years.
The main reason is to preserve the content of the tape. Tapes don’t last forever and the technology to even play tapes is fading from existence. Like me, you may have held onto your VCR and cameras, but they have many moving parts and they will fail in time. There also are not many people who even repair or provide maintenance. The tapes themselves are on average good to last 20-30 years in prime storage location. Tape deteriorates and quality reduces over the years.
Space is another reason to transfer these tapes. The amount of space it takes to keep your tapes in a climate controlled, 0% moisture environment is valuable. You might have a box in a closet or keep them on a shelf in the library. Whether you are transferring to DVD or Hard Drive the amount of space is reduced substantially.
Share the memories. We live in the digital age and whether we like it or not there are benefits to it. Having your tapes converted to a digital format will automatically mean they can be shared with the ones you choose very easily. Sending your kids and grand-kids video they have never seen is likely to be a valuable history lesson and bonding experience. We can help you decide on how/where to store your tapes if you are interested. There are many ‘cloud services’ such as Dropbox, Vimeo, Youtube, personal websites and more that will allow you to host your videos for sharing. Depending on how much you are hosting it may even be free!
Plan for the future. Chances are you or someone you love chose to get the camera out and record the family or vacation. They wanted to remember it and wanted others to remember it. While we can’t know the future we can plan to the best of our ability. We all remember the saying ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’. Unfortunately I’ve seen this to be very true. This is an all to common scenario – A loved one dies and someone inherits the job of going through the belongings that were left behind. Often that means pictures, slides, videos among others. They will likely do one of three things. 1. Hopefully, they decide to have them transferred and go through the memories. 2. They throw it in box and hold onto it for some more years. 3. They trash it. Not out of spite, but out of not knowing what it is or what to do with it. I can tell you that I’ve seen 3 happen over and over.
I hope that you’ve found this information helpful. I am a fellow ‘guy with the camera’ that really does enjoy the aspects of preserving history and telling stories through video.