The factors that fuel collecting are often highly personal, evoking headshaking from family members, friends, and strangers – and videotapes are no exception. A 2019 Forbes article featured a young man from Michigan with a collection of 170 copies of Shrek VHS tapes who claims he isn’t done collecting this single DreamWorks movie. And the Los Angeles-based video and performance collective Everything is Terrible! amassed a collection of more than 26,000 Jerry Maguire VHS tapes that will one day live in a permanent pyramid in the desert. For the rest of us, old VHS, hi8, and MiniDV tapes are obsolete media cluttering closets and gathering dust on bookshelves. Many people donate old VHS tapes to thrift stores. But to preserve your fondest commercial and home movie memories, a better solution is to convert videotapes to digital.
How to Choose the Best Video Transfer Service
Congratulations on the decision to transfer video tapes to digital – that’s a huge first step. Like any other type of service, companies that offer video transfers vary greatly in quality and expertise. Here are six factors to look at before selecting a video to DVD transfer service.
The Right Type of Service
After identifying the type of tapes you own, make sure the company you choose can handle that type of media. At ScanCafe, we convert VHS/VHS-C, Hi8, Digital8, and MiniDV formats.
Safe Handling
The last thing you want is for your tapes to get lost. ScanCafe is one of a few select companies that provides order tracking and the only one to offer a $1000 safety guarantee and cell phone updates. In addition, we offer barcode tracking, video monitoring, and weigh your boxes prior to scanning to ensure your video memories are safe and can be tracked every step of the way, door-to-door.
Processing in the USA
Although a company is located in the US, they may outsource your precious tapes to another country for digitizing, without disclosing this. Only select a service that states on their website that processing is done in the US. When you send your tapes to ScanCafe, all services are performed at our state-of-the-lab in the USA.
Track Record
Take a look at the company website to determine how long they’ve been in business, have top-notch industry experience, and a professional and trustworthy-looking site. If the scanning process isn’t spelled out clearly, you’re better off looking elsewhere. Founded in 2006, ScanCafe has preserved more than 175 million memories and counting as of 2020 and is the highest-rated scanning service in the world!
Customer Reviews
It’s always a good idea to look for customer reviews, whether you’re buying a major appliance or looking for a service. You can typically find customer reviews on a company website, Facebook page, or via a Google search. ScanCafe receives glowing customer reviews for transferring videotapes to digital.
Digitized File Versatility
Different companies offer diverse file options. While one may not be better than another, make sure the company you select offers the digitized file type that works best for you. When you choose ScanCafe, you can select cloud-based storage to access your memories anywhere, anytime, as well as DVDs, USB Drives, uncompressed H.264/MPEG-4 Files, or lightly compressed digital files on a hard drive for editing with video editing software.
ScanCafe checks off all the right boxes for the highest quality video conversion service! So unless you’re looking to set the Guinness World Record for the most mammoth tape collection, have a creative art project in mind, or have your heart set on converting tapes yourself, there’s no reason to delay! Our high-quality video to digital conversion process is easy, painless, and safe.