A few years back, I emptied out a cabinet and discovered a collection of old Super 8 tapes. I’ll always remember the joy on my mom’s face when I digitized videos from her late brother Harold Jr.’s wedding. Unfortunately, he passed away in a car accident just one week after the wedding ceremony.
Treasured memories like these are invaluable, but when did you last revisit your old family videos? If they’re on VHS, it can be quite a hassle. To make matters worse, each year that passes, those tapes deteriorate a bit more.
Satish from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, reached out to my national radio show seeking assistance with digitizing old tapes, and I realized he likely wasn’t alone in this situation.
Explore the DIY option
To digitize your VHS tapes, you’ll require a VCR or VHS camcorder. If you lack one, consider checking eBay, OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, or similar local selling platforms. Remember, the transfer needs to happen in real time, so allocate a few hours for this task if possible.
Once you’re set up, you have two clear choices:
Choice 1: Acquire a converter like the one from Elgato, which enables you to digitize videos directly onto a computer. Connect it to your USB port and link your analog video device (VCR, DVD player, DVR, or camcorder) using the provided cables. The software that comes with your converter will lead you through the steps.
Choice 2: Use a portable video-to-digital converter. No computer or software is necessary. Simply connect it to your video source and insert a USB drive or SD card. Press the “Record” button and observe as your films are digitized live on the built-in LCD screen. Neat!
Hire a service to handle it for you
Chains like Costco, Walgreens, and Walmart offer tape conversion services, starting around $20 each. Not a bad deal! They can transfer your VHS footage onto DVDs, plus provide you with a digital version.
You can also consider a dedicated service, which can be pricier.
- iMemories: Begins at $29.99 per VHS tape.
- Legacybox: Starts at $60; the starter kit covers up to two tapes or 50 photos. (Great news—I just saw a 50% off sale on their site!)
- Capture: Pricing begins at $29.99 per tape.
Completing the process requires time
Taking it step by step helps immensely. Gather your tapes, obtain the necessary equipment, or select the service you wish to use. I like to upload old digitized videos to YouTube with private links, allowing me to share them easily with family and friends.
Bonus: Don’t overlook old pictures
I’ve scanned plenty of photos in my time, but I adore this swift and simple approach for digitizing a print displayed in someone’s home.
Google’s PhotoScan is a free app for both iOS and Android that scans your photos multiple times and stitches the images to eliminate glare while enhancing final quality. The app supports matte and glossy prints, as well as images in albums.
Here’s the process: Capture one image, then take four additional shots as directed by the app. PhotoScan employs an algorithm to detect and crop the photo, automatically identifying edges, correcting rotation, and adjusting perspective for an optimal front view.
- Launch the PhotoScan app and position your phone above the photo.
- Press the capture button to snap photos, which will be stored on your device.
- Shift your phone to align the circle with each of the four dots.
- After processing the image, tap the thumbnail of the photo.
- Choose a photo to rotate, tweak corners, or
