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CONVERTING OLD TAPES TO DIGITAL

RELIVE CHERISHED MEMORIES FOR YEARS TO COME

Tape Conversion and Duplications

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Do you still have piles of old tapes lying around the house? We completely understand. Those old videos can be nearly impossible to let go of, especially when they're of rare and cherished moments like your child's first steps, your wedding, or even your favorite TV shows from the 80s. The Montage Maven can convert your tapes and home movies to digital files that will let you enjoy them at maximum quality for years to come.

We can convert old tapes listed below into long-lasting MP4 Files, DVDs, or Blu-rays, ideal for playing on all computers.​

  • VHS-C and VHS. VHS - The "Video Home System" was developed by JVC and eventually established itself as the preeminent home video standard. To this day, it is the most common videotape format available. 

  • Super VHS - SVHS, or Super VHS, was an improved version of VHS which used a higher-quality tape and supported higher resolution video. The success of this format was hindered, however, by the fact that VHS players could only play SVHS tapes in normal VHS quality. 

  • Video 8 - The Video8 format featured a smaller and more convenient cassette and became a popular option with the introduction of the first camcorders. Its predecessor, Hi8, was introduced in 1989. 

  • HI8 - Hi8 was an improved version of the Video8 system that used the same cassette shape with higher-quality tape. Hi8 recordings are of much higher quality than Video8 or VHS. The successor to Hi8 was Digital8. 

  • Also, Digital 8, DV, DVCAM, HDV, MiniDV.

 

You can bring your tapes to our location in Rye Brook, NY, or simply package your footage into a sturdy box and ship it to us, where the staff will compress videos into an archival-quality format. You can also upload the converted digital file to your site or any other streaming service of your choice.​

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Other Options:

  • Foreign Conversion – (Broadcast standards conversion) We have the ability to convert videotapes from worldwide standards e.g. PAL, PAL-M, PAL-N, SECAM, and MESCAM to NTSC format to enable viewing in the US.

  • Media Duplication and Replication -- The Montage Maven utilizes state-of-the-art duplication equipment which allows us to make multiple high-quality copies of almost any video and audio format.

  • Video to Digital Editable Files. ( .AVI or .MOV )

  • Multimedia streaming & compression services.

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Why you should convert your VHS tapes to digital

There's just something nice about old VHS tapes that makes you want to hold on to them. But, since VHS tapes only last for so long, you should really consider converting your tapes to digital as soon as possible. If you still have tapes lying around from the 90s, now's the time to act.

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The risks of analog:

  • Even under optimal conditions, VHS tapes only tend to last about 35 years. After this point, the picture starts to wobble and the sound begins to worsen.

  • Old cassettes use magnetic tapes that are very sensitive. These can be easily damaged by moisture and heat, making your favorite videos unrecoverable.

  • VHS players are all but impossible to find nowadays and the odds of a revival are slim.

 

The advantages of digital:

  • Digital video doesn't get worse with age.

  • Video files can be stored for very long periods of time, so you'll be able to watch them whenever you want.

  • Converted VHS tapes are compatible with all standard media devices, including PCs, tablets, and smartphones.

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Our process

  1. We convert your tapes to digital files!  We use state-of-the-art encoders and software to digitize the footage in real-time.

  2. Optional Step: We can provide additional enhancement and editing of the footage such as shaky footage, wind noise to washed-out colors. We can correct many of these issues and restore your videos to their former glory. For this reason, it's a good idea to fix up your newly digitized videotape, even if it means investing a bit more time. It's more than worth the wait.

  3. Once your video has been converted to a digital file, you can finally view your precious memories on an H264 file, a USB, or a cloud service. Of course, there are other options available to you as well, such as get the master on a DVD or Blu-ray Disc.

 

In conclusion: It doesn't take much to revive your videotapes. In just a few easy steps, we can turn old memories into convenient digital movies to be enjoyed again and again for years to come — without ever having to worry about damaging your VHS tapes or losing the original.

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