I'm in Halstead in Essex.

This service is specifically to help me raise money for charity, rather than my day job. Since my full time job is a media geek in a local high school, I'd rather not put my address in the public domain...for obvious reasons.

Don't worry though - once we've sorted out what tapes you need doing, I'll let you know exactly where to either drop off or post your tapes. 

£5 per tape, regardless of what's on each tape.

I don't charge anything for tapes that turn out to be completely blank, or full of nothing but random TV programmes (particularly common with unmarked VHS tapes!)

No. Sorry.

Whilst I get that £5 a tape might work out a bit on the expensive side if you have tapes with hardly anything on them, it's really rare for that to be the case on multiple tapes. Although the price of blank tapes did decrease over time, most people tried to use them up, so batches of tapes do average out. One of your tapes might only have 5 minutes on it, but the next might have over 2 hours. It's just too much of a gamble (for you and me) to do the whole "charge by the minute" thing. I'm trying to make this as simple and as affordable as possible.

So yes, if you have only one tape and it has only ten minutes of footage on it, £5 a tape might work out on the expensive side if you work it out price/minute. But it's still not remotely excessive compared to many services, you know exactly what you're going to be charged up front, and most places charge a minimum per tape that's more than my maximum cost anyway 😏

Sorry - no.

Here's why...

There's no "Economy of Scale" to this process. ("Oooohh get him with his fancy terms!" Look, I didn't do 4 years of an Economics Degree for nothing you know!) 

A 2 hour tape takes 2 hours to capture. 12 x 2 hour tapes take 24 hours to capture. 100 x 2 hour tapes take 200 hours to capture.

See where I'm going here? 

Also, I honestly think that at just £5 a tape, my service is already cheap enough. I've said elsewhere that a major UK supermarket charges £29 a tape, regardless of how many you give them. Bottom line - I'm trying to raise money for charity and I'm very confident that I'm pricing the service fairly.

No.

Here's the deal. Although the point of this service is to raise money for RSPCA Danaher it does take up quite a bit of my spare time. Making it any cheaper than £5 a tape means it's just not worthwhile, especially for long tapes. Also, I want to do the best job I can, rather than just giving you something "that'll do" because the rate is so low. 

Realistically, if your footage is worth less than £5 a tape, is it really worth converting? 😉

When I set the service up, £5 a tape seemed like a sensible price point for several reasons.

I wanted to raise as much money for charity as quickly as possible over lockdown. Much cheaper and it would take too long to raise any money. Much more expensive (one very large supermarket charges £29 a tape!) and I thought people would worry so much about the cost that they'd only get a few key tapes converted. £5 was the "Goldilocks zone".

I had a significant amount of the equipment already, so I didn't need to spend a vast amount of money to get the service up and running. Some. But not hundreds and hundreds.

I'm best if I'm busy. At my day job I worked all through lockdown (schools never stopped) but I usually play in bands and do wedding photography in my spare time. Those spare time activities all went to zero, so like most people I had a lot of time on my hands in the evenings. As a result, although capturing and converting tapes is a very time intensive activity, I wasn't looking for a high hourly rate. To be brually honest, in addition to raising money for the animal shelter, it gave me a focus and, as my wife is very fond of saying "stopped me moping about and kept me out of her hair" 😊

At present I can convert the following video formats

VHS

VHS-C

Betamax

8mm (Video8, Hi-8, Digital8)

Mini DV and HDV

DVD & Mini DVD-R/RW

and Audio Cassettes

If you have something else, or you're not sure what you have, contact me and I'll go through your options.

No, sorry.

To convert Cine film you need some really expensive specialist equipment which I just don't have. I would recommend Chris Squiers at http://savethosememories.co.uk/ for anything film (rather than tape) based. Although I don't know him personally, he comes highly recommended from someone I trust to know what they are talking about and we've exchanged emails about his gear and experience. Seems like a really nice guy and very very knowledgeable.

I'd be more than happy sending him any of my family's cine films - and he's got an outstanding slide scanner too if that's something you need!

You're absolutely correct - they ARE a digital format. So long as you have a computer with a DVD/BluRay drive you can convert these yourself for free using the same program I use (HandBrake) or something similar. 

I'm not trying to rip anyone off here. I'll even walk you through the process if you have five minutes, so you can do it yourself. It's not that difficult. A tad fiddly to set up maybe, but not difficult. 

However, many people either don't have a computer with a suitable drive any more, or just don't want the "hassle" of going through the process of doing it themselves. Hence my offer to do it for you if you'd rather pay someone else. Let's put it this way; changing the oil in your car isn't that difficult, but personally, having done it once, I'd rather pay someone else to do it for me. 😉

Of course. 

If you have zero clue what you've got (very common when finding/being given tapes from someone else) let me have them and I'll happily assess them for you so you can make an informed decision how to proceed. 

It won't be the first time I've been given a mixed bag of camcorder tapes, VHS copies of the same tapes and then later DVD copies of some/all of the tapes, plus some other random tapes, some of which turn out to be blank. 

I promise I'll do my very best to unravel your mystery bag. If that means converting everything then comparing the files and just delivering the best versions then sobeit. I'll won't intentionally charge you for two copies of the same thing, provided you understand that there's always a possibility of some overlap if there's multiple mixed versions of the same thing. I would rather guarantee not to miss anything.

I don't charge for competely blank tapes; I'll check the first 10 minutes and if there's nothing there I'll move on (no-one started tapes in the middle!) 

With unlabelled VHS tapes I'll check the first 10-15 minutes then if it's blank or just contains TV programmes I'll assume it has nothing else of value on it. Unless you clearly state that SOMEWHERE that on one of the tapes there's some specific footage (you were on the news; mum was in a film etc) in which case I'll capture everything just in case. I do reserve the right to charge for this though as it's incredibly time consuming capturing long tapes just to "see if X is on there". 

Honestly, this is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question...but I'll try...

I'll start work on your tapes as quickly as possible after I receive them. If there's going to be a significant delay (e.g. I've got a backlog of tapes, I'm away on holiday, etc) I'll let you know in advance. 

This is a 1:1 process, e.g. each 2 hour tape takes 2 hours to capture. I can usually do rush jobs if necessary, but this is the absolute limiting factor, even if you just need the master AVI files. If there are any issues capturing your tapes(s), that'll slow the process down while I try other devices, splice tapes etc. 

Converting the captured footage from AVI to MP4 takes a bit less time per tape than capturing it. I tend to "bank up" several tapes worth of file conversions and run them overnight. 

Copying the files to USB sticks/Hard Drive takes minutes rather than hours, but uploading files to the Cloud takes hours per tape sometimes.

Put all this together and you're looking at anything from being able to view your files the same day for a single 20 minute wedding video, up to waiting weeks for dozens of 2-3 hours tapes. For big jobs, I tend to upload files to the Cloud as I'm going along though, so you should be able to view some of your footage online within a few days. 

Regardless of any of this, I'll give you regular updates with how your job is going...

There's no other answer for this than "It depends". 

Sorry, but anyone who tells you any different without seeing your tapes is guessing at best. 

The capturing/conversion process produces files which are as good as the original tapes, but not all tapes are created equal. 

For a more in-depth discussion, see my page here. 

Cards on the table - the only honest answer anyone can give you is "very probably".

Even brand new tapes occasionally got/get chewed up or snapped entirely and unfortunately machines have no respect over how vital/irreplaceable your footage is.

The tapes this service is designed to convert won't be anything like new, and the older the cassette, generally the more fragile the tape itself and the more brittle the plastic of the casing. So even if you have looked after your tapes exceptionally well, and your player is in top condition, every time you play a tape there's a small chance it could get damaged. It's actually not that common, but the reality is that it does happen occasionally. I've written a whole page about what I can do with damaged tapes here.

However, the bottom line is that the longer you leave them the more fragile they'll get, and if you never play the tapes they are no use to anyone anyway.

Converting your tapes to digital files means that I only have to get them to play once, then you can watch them as many times as you like, forever.

Please also read my terms of service, as I do only accept tapes on the understanding that I accept no liability for any loss of, or damage to, your tapes. That's not some sort of cop out - I'll treat your tapes with the utmost care, but this limitation of liability is the only way to make the service viable. 

Yes - that's usually not a problem. 

The vast majority of snapped tapes just need splicing back together and you'll hardly notice the join. 

Some also need the tape transplanting into a donor shell to allow them to play properly. Again you shouldn't lose too much footage. 

Worst case scenario is that the tape has long sections of chewed or mouldy tape in which case I'll do my best to rescue as much of your footage as possible, and if they need a specialist service I'll put you in touch with one I trust. 

Click here for my long rambling discussion about this...

If you have your file(s) converted to MP4, which is by far the more popular and compatible option, you can watch it on just about any media device these days. 

Any computer can play these files (also called H264 files) without having to install any extra software. There are plenty of apps/programs around that give you more options (VLC Media Player is really popular and free) but they aren't actually necessary to enjoy your videos. 

99.9% of mobile phones and tablets are capable of playing the files too...if you can get them onto your device in the first place. It's not always simple to connect a USB stick to an iPad for example. However, as I offer to upload your files to the Cloud for free, that makes playback on such devices much simpler; you just click on the link I send you and choose your video. 

I've found that the absolute best way to play the files back is on a modern Smart TV, either by putting the USB into the TV directly, or via a games console like a PS4 or similar. Modern Smart TVs have built-in upscalers designed specifically to blow up relatively low resolution (SD) footage. It's not going to turn 20 year old video camera footage into real HD or 4K since it was never that in the first place, but it'll make it look way better than you'd expect.

You can if you really want to.

Please note that I supply good quality branded (usualy Kingston or SanDisk) metal bodied USB sticks at what they cost me from Amazon; I add no mark up at all. But if you happen to have a supply of cheaper USB sticks (or a portable hard drive) that you'd trust to store your footage then I'm fine with using them. However, they do need to be new, sealed in their original packaging, and obviously large enough to store all your footage.

Realistically you're not going to save a significant amount of money unless you buy really cheap and therefore possibly unreliable sticks, and it's far quicker if I supply your storage (I keep some in stock) rather that you waiting until you know how much you'll need and then getting it to me. 

It's your choice though.

Don't overthink this. 

"The Cloud" is just a "Big USB stick in the sky".

Basically I upload your file(s) to another computer somewhere in the world, run by a big company like Microsoft or Apple. 

You get a link. 

You click on the link to see/view/download your file(s). You can share the link with anyone you like so that they can do the same. No-one else can see your files unless you choose to let them.

If you really must. 

It's not ideal though. 

If you just want a copy for someone who doesn't have any other way to watch the videos, then fine. The quality of longer videos might sufffer a bit in order to fit them onto the limited space on a Video DVD, but it's not impossible...for most relatively short videos. If they are long videos though, there might be an issue. Without getting deep into the geekiness, a sensible limit on a normal home-burnt DVD (rather than one that's been commercially pressed) is about 2 hours. After that the video needs to be severely compressed/quality reduced to make it fit. Over three hours and it might not fit at all, no matter what I do.

If you want a DVD as the way to preserve your video for years, it's an absolutely terrible choice for a whole host of reasons. 

See my discussion on the subject of delivery formats.

Ok - don't panic. Did you make a backup or a copy for friends/family? If so, grab that and you're all sorted. If not... 

Unless you specifically asked me to delete your files after delivery, I keep a copy for a limited period of time, as follows:-

AVI Master Files: I keep two local backups of these files for 14 days after delivery.

MP4 Conversions: I keep two local backups of these files for 30 days after delivery, and one copy for a further 30 days.

Cloud Storage: Any files uploaded to my OneDrive account for you to view/download/share will be available for 30 days after upload. 

I occasionally retain copies of either file type for a longer period of time, purely as an unofficial additional off-site backup. However, this is not guaranteed and is completely dependent on the amount of storage I have available.

Before you go off the deep end, contact me as soon as possible and see if I do have a copy on file. If so, we're all good; all we need to do is sort out a new USB stick/hard drive/Cloud Upload and you'll have a copy. If I don't have a copy on file but you still have the tapes then you're ok; I can always reconvert them (it'll be chargeable at the original rate though). If you've binned the original tapes...er...why on earth did you do that?! That's the one situation in which I can't help you. Short of a TARDIS. 

Seriously - make  a backup as soon as possible!!

Because that was the whole point of setting up this service - a quick way for a media geek like myself to raise funds for RSPCA Danaher during lockdown, when most of their avenues for fundraising were cut off. Like I've said elsewhere, I'm not running a marathon any time soon - but I've been doing media stuff professionally for decades, so this seemed like a good idea...and still does!

After lockdown I changed it to a minimum of a 50% donation (usually far more), but after we had to say goodnight to our girl Tora I decided to continue giving all the money to animal charities in her memory.

RSPCA Danaher in Wethersfield, Essex has been our favourite charity for years: 4 of our cats (The EssexNekoYakuza!) are Danaher Alumni and there's a cat pen with my name on it that we sponsored before lockdown. It also happened to be the charity adopted by my house at the school I work at for a day job.  

Friends of Felines is a cat rescue based five minutes from my house and one of our cats came from there. I'm now actively involved with this non-profit and wrote/manage their website. 

I don't have anything against any other charity, especially cat-focussed ones, but I'd rather give a decent amount of money to one charity where it might make a noticable difference, rather than splitting it up into increasingly small amounts where it doesn't do anywhere near as much good to anyone. That said I'm not adverse to dropping a few quid to others very occasionally if there's a specific need.

See full details on the Charity page...