VHS
$32 / $52The full-size cassette that defined home video for 30 years. Most common tape in any collection. Recorded at SP, LP, or EP speeds — we capture any.
- Dimensions
- 7.4 × 4.1 in
- Length
- Up to 240 min
- Resolution
- 240 lines (SD)
01 / What we digitize
Every consumer and professional videotape format we handle.
From the home videos in your parents' VHS collection to the MiniDV tapes in your first camcorder. Two tiers per format: Access (basic SD capture, color correction, H.264 delivery) and Preservation (scene-by-scene color, time-base correction, noise reduction, ProRes 422 HQ master + H.264 — all bundled). Formats are grouped by playback complexity: standard formats use widely-available decks; specialty formats require harder-to-source equipment that we maintain.
01 · Standard formats
$32 Access / $52 PreservationCommon consumer tape formats
VHS, VHS-C, S-VHS, Hi8, Video8, Digital8, and MiniDV — the mainstream consumer formats from the late 1970s through the early 2010s. We maintain calibrated decks for each, and capture pricing is identical across the group.
1976 — 2008
VHS-C
$32 / $52The compact VHS tape that fit in early camcorders. Requires an adapter to play in standard VHS decks — we have the adapters. Identical tape stock to VHS.
- Dimensions
- 3.6 × 2.5 in
- Length
- Up to 45 min
- Resolution
- 240 lines (SD)
S-VHS
$32 / $52Super VHS — the higher-resolution variant favored by videographers and prosumers. Same shell as standard VHS with a notch that signals S-VHS decks to enable higher bandwidth.
- Dimensions
- 7.4 × 4.1 in
- Length
- Up to 240 min
- Resolution
- 400 lines
Hi8 / Video8
$32 / $52Sony 8mm camcorder formats — analog video on a small cassette. Hi8 is the higher-resolution variant. Common in family archives from the 90s.
- Dimensions
- 3.7 × 2.5 in
- Length
- Up to 120 min
- Resolution
- 240 — 400 lines
Digital8
$32 / $52Sony’s digital encoding on the same 8mm cassette format. We maintain working Digital8 decks; same standard pricing as the rest of the Hi8/Video8 family.
- Dimensions
- 3.7 × 2.5 in
- Length
- Up to 120 min
- Resolution
- 530 lines (DV)
MiniDV
$32 / $52The small digital tape that dominated camcorders in the early 2000s. Records DV-encoded video — digitally stored but still on tape. Drive mechanics fail first; content usually survives.
- Dimensions
- 2.6 × 1.9 in
- Length
- Up to 80 min
- Resolution
- 480p / 576p (SD)
02 · Specialty formats (+$20 / tier)
$52 Access / $72 PreservationHarder-to-source playback equipment
Betamax, U-matic, and PAL/SECAM tapes — formats requiring decks that are no longer manufactured or that need standards conversion we don’t run on every order. The $20-per-tier surcharge reflects the cost of maintaining working playback hardware. We invest in keeping these decks operational because no one else nearby will.
Betamax
$52 / $72Sony’s consumer format that lost the video format war but had better quality. Requires specialist equipment that’s no longer manufactured. We maintain working Betamax decks for this service.
- Dimensions
- 6.1 × 3.7 in
- Length
- Up to 330 min
- Resolution
- 250 lines
U-matic (¾″)
$52 / $72The professional ¾-inch cassette used for broadcast, corporate video, and institutional archives before Betacam replaced it. Rarely seen in family collections; common in institutional contexts.
- Dimensions
- 8.6 × 5.4 in
- Length
- Up to 60 min
- Resolution
- 340 lines
PAL / SECAM
$52 / $72PAL and SECAM tapes from Europe, UK, Australia, and other non-NTSC regions. Specialty pricing covers the additional standards-conversion workflow. Works with any underlying tape format recorded in PAL or SECAM.
- Region
- UK · EU · AU and more
- Resolution
- 576 lines (vs 480)
- Frame rate
- 25 fps (vs 30)
Sticky shed, mold, or physical damage?
Tapes showing sticky-shed symptoms (squealing, visible tape shed, stalling), severe mold, broken shells, or other physical damage are quoted after intake inspection rather than via fixed surcharge — each case varies. Send them in; we’ll send a written assessment with specific pricing before any treatment begins. See the deterioration section below for what’s actually happening inside damaged tapes.
Don’t know what format you have? Send us a photo of the cassette. We identify it in under an hour and tell you what it costs. Send an inquiry →
02 / Why tape fails
Magnetic tape has a real expiration date.
Unlike film, videotape doesn't fail visibly. It plays fine, then one day it doesn't play at all. The chemistry has been degrading the whole time. Here's what's actually happening inside the cassette.
Binder hydrolysis (sticky shed syndrome)
The magnetic particles that carry your video are glued to a polyester film backing with a polyurethane binder. That binder absorbs moisture from the air. Over 20 — 40 years, it starts breaking down — a process called hydrolysis — and the particles begin detaching from the backing. The tape loses signal, sheds brown residue, and in advanced cases causes the tape to stick to the deck's playback heads. You'll hear it before you see it: squealing, stalling, high-pitched noise during playback.
Sticky shed is reversible if treated early. Low-temperature baking re-polymerizes the binder long enough to capture the tape one time. After capture, the effect reverses — but the tape is never the same. This is why we recommend digitizing at the first sign of squealing.
Most vulnerable: VHS from 1985 — 1995, all 8mm formats, mid-range 90s camcorder tapes.
Magnetic particle loss
Even without sticky shed, the magnetic-oxide particles on tape slowly lose their magnetization over time. The signal that represents your video gets weaker every year. After 30 — 40 years, even a perfectly stored tape may show visible degradation: washed-out colors, reduced contrast, noisy audio, and dropout lines. Capture can’t restore what’s been lost — it can only save what’s still there.
Mold and biological damage
Tapes stored in basements, garages, or damp closets are vulnerable to mold growth on the tape surface. Visible mold requires physical cleaning before playback. Severely molded tapes may need professional restoration — we assess each case individually and won’t run a moldy tape through our decks without treatment.
Mechanical failure of the cassette
The most common failure isn’t the tape itself — it’s the cassette mechanism. Broken leaders, jammed reels, dried-out lubricants in the tape guides, cracked shells. Most are repairable: we open the cassette, splice a broken leader, transfer tape to a working shell, and capture normally. Don’t throw out tapes that won’t play — they may be fine once the shell is addressed.
03 / Capture workflow
How we capture your tapes.
Unlike film scanning, videotape capture is real-time — a 120-minute tape takes 120 minutes to capture, plus preparation and quality review. Here's the full workflow for every tape we handle.
Inspection
Each tape inspected for shell damage, visible mold, broken leaders, and sticky-shed indicators. Anything needing intervention is flagged before it reaches the deck. You’re notified if we find problems.
Treatment (if needed)
Sticky-shed tapes are baked at controlled low temperature for 8 — 12 hours. Moldy tapes are cleaned. Broken shells are repaired or the tape is transferred to a new shell.
Capture
Time-base corrected capture through a broadcast-quality TBC, captured to lossless FFV1 master. Signal monitored throughout; dropouts and tracking issues logged per tape.
QC & Delivery
Every minute spot-checked for capture errors. Files transcoded to your requested output formats, organized by tape label, delivered via Vault. Originals returned.
About real-time capture
Videotape, unlike film, has to be played in real time. A 120-minute tape takes 120 minutes to capture — plus inspection, treatment, and QC. This is why our turnaround is 3 — 4 weeks for orders with more than a few tapes. If speed matters, ask about our rush option (limited availability).
04 / Equipment
The decks and signal chain we actually use.
VHS digitization quality depends almost entirely on the deck and the signal chain between it and the capture card. Consumer decks with composite output produce consumer-quality results. Here's what's in our chain.
Professional S-VHS playback (multiple units)
A rotating bench of S-VHS-capable decks (JVC HR-S9800U, Panasonic AG-1980, or equivalent professional-grade units) maintained in working condition. S-VHS decks play standard VHS at higher quality than consumer VHS decks — which is why professional captures always use S-VHS decks for standard VHS tapes.
Betamax, U-matic, Digital8 decks
Sony SL-HF870 or similar for Betamax. Sony VO-9600 or equivalent for ¾-inch U-matic. Sony DCR-TRV520 or later for Digital8 (which also plays Hi8 and Video8). Each format has a dedicated deck; we don’t cross-use machines.
Broadcast-quality TBC
Every capture passes through a dedicated time-base corrector (DataVideo TBC-1000, AVT-8710, or equivalent). TBCs stabilize the jittery analog signal from aging tapes — without one, your digital file inherits every flutter and jump from the original. The single biggest quality variable in VHS capture.
Lossless FFV1 master
Capture to FFV1 codec in Matroska container — a lossless format designed for archival video. From the master, we transcode your delivery formats (H.264 and optionally ProRes 422 HQ). Nothing is lost in transcoding because the master is always available.
Happy to discuss specific equipment on request. For institutional or archival customers who require documented chain-of-custody, see the institutional service.
05 / Pricing
Two tiers per tape. Specialty surcharge for hard-to-source decks.
Two tiers across all tapes: Access (basic SD capture, color correction, H.264 delivery) and Preservation (scene-by-scene color, time-base correction, noise reduction, ProRes 422 HQ master + H.264, optional Topaz AI HD upscale on request — all bundled). Specialty formats add $20 per tier for specialized deck setup.
| Format | Access | Preservation | Includes at Preservation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard: VHS, VHS-C, S-VHS, Hi8, Video8, Digital8, MiniDV | $32 | $52 | Scene-by-scene color, TBC, noise reduction, audio normalization, ProRes 422 HQ + H.264 — all bundled. Optional Topaz AI upscale to HD available on request. |
| Specialty: Betamax, U-Matic, PAL/SECAM (+$20) | $52 | $72 | Same Preservation deliverables as standard; surcharge covers specialized deck setup and harder-to-source playback equipment. |
| Sticky shed / damaged tape | Quoted | Quoted | Quoted after intake inspection rather than via fixed surcharge. Each case varies — you receive a written assessment with specific pricing before any treatment begins. |
Order minimums & H&P
Order minimum (tapes): $85 (scanning + H&P, before output media and shipping). Below the minimum, we offer a tier upgrade first; if declined, we top up to $85 with an honest line item.
Tape handling & prep: $40 base + $3 per tape. Covers deck setup verification, head cleaning, intake logging, individual tape condition assessment, file organization, and return prep.
Shipping: at-cost both ways on FedEx/UPS commercial account, with insurance bundled at the greater of order value or $2,500.
Mixed orders: each service line (film, tapes, photos) has its own H&P fee — the work really is separate. But everything ships together as one shipment with one Vault subscription.
Output formats — what you get
All tapes come back with H.264 delivery files. Preservation tier adds a ProRes 422 HQ master alongside, bundled — no separate add-on. Vault delivery (streaming + download) is included free for the first year.
H.264 MP4
All tiers · included1080p HD upscaled from source, 10 — 15 Mbps, compatible with every modern device. Great for TV, computer, tablet, or sharing with family.
ProRes 422 HQ
Preservation · bundledHigh-bitrate mezzanine codec used in professional video work. Recommended if you want to edit, color-correct, or preserve a master-quality file. Bundled at Preservation tier — no separate add-on.
FFV1 / MKV master
Archival · on requestLossless archival format used by libraries and archives. Available on request for institutional customers or customers requesting long-term preservation files.
06 / Mixed orders
Tapes ship together with film and photos — one Vault, one shipment.
If you have a collection with multiple media types, send everything together. Each service line has its own H&P (the workflows really are separate), but you save on shipping, vault subscription, and project management overhead.
5 VHS tapes — Preservation
- 5 × VHS @ $52
- $260
- Tape H&P · $40 + ($3 × 5)
- $55
- Vault Family Y1
- $0
- Shipping (both ways, est.)
- ~$28
Estimated total~$343
Per-tape cost: ~$69 estimated total including bundled ProRes master.
5 VHS + 4 Super 8 reels @ Preservation
- 5 × VHS @ $52
- $260
- 200 ft S8 @ $0.98
- $196
- Tape H&P · $40 + ($3 × 5)
- $55
- Film H&P · $50 + ($6 × 4)
- $74
- Vault Family Y1 (shared)
- $0
- Shipping (one shipment)
- ~$36
Estimated total~$621
Two H&P fees but one shipment, one Vault, one project — saving shipping and project overhead vs two separate orders.
07 / Questions
VHS digitization, common questions.
The questions that come up most often about videotape digitization.
Ready to start
Get your tapes to a drive.
If they still play, we can capture them. If they squeal or stall, we can usually still capture them. Send a description of your collection and we’ll give you an exact quote and turnaround.