Question 1

What happens if some of my tapes are blank or full of TV programmes?

Accepted Answer

If any tapes are blank, full of episodes from programmes such as Coronation Street or London's Burning, or only have a couple of minutes of footage at the beginning, we will not charge you for the conversion. If there is more than a couple of minutes of your own footage on the tape, we will charge for the conversion as normal.

Question 2

Can you repair damaged or broken tapes?

Accepted Answer

If a tape is snapped or the tape mechanism is broken, we can usually repair it as part of the conversion service at no extra charge. If the repair is more complicated, we will contact you before doing any work to explain the problem and let you know the cost.

Question 3

Can you edit and consolidate my videos?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we can. Once you have viewed your videos, you might want to create a new video containing all the best bits, perhaps condensed into an hour, grouped into different categories, or created for a special occasion. We can do this for you using the files we have backed up. We will provide a separate quotation based on the amount of work involved.

Question 4

Can you offer HD or widescreen versions of tape transfers?

Accepted Answer

We can't make something HD if it wasn't HD to begin with. VHS tapes were generally recorded at around 720 × 480 pixels with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The best anyone can do is produce the best possible reproduction of the original tape. Upscaling the footage or stretching it to fit a widescreen TV does not create additional detail and can actually make the picture look worse. We prefer to be honest about what we can and cannot achieve rather than offer a service based on a misleading claim.

Question 5

Can you transfer mouldy tapes?

Accepted Answer

Mould can seriously affect both the tape and our equipment. Small amounts of mould on the casing may not cause a problem, but if mould spreads across the tape reels, it can work its way between the layers of tape, weakening and deteriorating it. This can result in poor picture quality and the tape snapping, particularly when fast-forwarding or rewinding. We clean mouldy tapes in a separate cleaning machine before attempting to play them on our normal equipment. This will often allow us to recover the footage, although the picture quality may not be perfect. If the tape continues to snap because it is too badly damaged, we may not be able to complete the transfer.

Question 6

Why do some tape formats cost more than others?

Accepted Answer

Price differences largely depend on the equipment required to transfer different tape formats. Around 95% of the tapes we transfer are VHS, VHS-C, 8mm/Hi8 and MiniDV. These are by far the most popular formats, so we have more equipment available to maintain and restore them. Less common formats require specialist equipment that is more expensive to purchase, maintain and service. When a tape costs more than our standard price for VHS and similar formats, it is simply because of these unavoidable additional equipment costs.

Question 7

I only want certain sections of the tape transferred, shouldn't this cost less?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. To transfer only selected sections, we would need to watch the entire tape during the digitisation process and manually stop and start the transfer at the required points. This takes considerably more technician time and would cost more than transferring the whole tape. For most customers, it is more cost-effective to transfer the whole tape and then edit the digital file afterwards, if required. We can also edit it for you as a separate service. As standard, we remove blank sections at the beginning and end of the tape after the transfer, so you won't be left with a blue screen or static after your footage ends.

Convert your tapes to digital

Digitise them now and keep your memories alive

How You Can Recieve Your Digital Files

Cloud

USB

Get free advice, options, & a confirmed price

Fill out the form below | Call 01937 349010

mark@photorevivals.com

Questions You May Have - Tape Conversions

What happens if some of my tapes are blank or full of TV programmes?

Can you repair damaged or broken tapes?

Can you edit and consolidate my videos?

Can you offer HD or widescreen versions of tape transfers?

Can you transfer mouldy tapes?

Why do some tape formats cost more than others?

I only want certain sections of the tape transferred, shouldn't this cost less?

Find more information and articles in our help & advice page

Why You Shouldn't Send Important Photos and Videos by WhatsApp?

Do VHS and Camcorder Tapes Deteriorate Even When Not in Use?

What Is Metadata and Why Is It Useful for Your Digitised Photos?

Subscribe for offers & Information

01937 349010
07545 915343

mark@photorevivals.com

Convert your tapes to digital

Digitise them now and keep your memories alive

How You Can Recieve Your Digital Files

Cloud

USB

Get free advice, options, & a confirmed price Fill out the form below | Call 01937 349010 mark@photorevivals.com

Questions You May Have - Tape Conversions

What happens if some of my tapes are blank or full of TV programmes?

Can you repair damaged or broken tapes?

Can you edit and consolidate my videos?

Can you offer HD or widescreen versions of tape transfers?

Can you transfer mouldy tapes?

Why do some tape formats cost more than others?

I only want certain sections of the tape transferred, shouldn't this cost less?

Find more information and articles in our help & advice page

Why You Shouldn't Send Important Photos and Videos by WhatsApp?

Do VHS and Camcorder Tapes Deteriorate Even When Not in Use?

What Is Metadata and Why Is It Useful for Your Digitised Photos?

Subscribe for offers & Information

01937 349010 07545 915343

mark@photorevivals.com

Get free advice, options, & a confirmed price

Fill out the form below | Call 01937 349010

mark@photorevivals.com

01937 349010
07545 915343