EachMoment

Umatic Digitisation Services

U-Matic Tape Conversion Services

Preserve your priceless memories stored on U-Matic tapes by converting them to digital formats with EachMoment. Judging by the hundreds of U-Matic tapes we convert to digital and DVD every year, we can testify to the huge number of these tapes taking up space in production studios and households alike. In modern times, U-Matic tapes are at high risk of degradation. Although they are slightly more durable than some of their successors like VHS and Betamax, U-Matic tapes can and will degrade—some by as much as 10% every 20 years. What's more, mould can grow on the sides of the tapes, putting the footage at risk of being lost forever.

Why Convert Your U-Matic Tapes to Digital?

Converting your U-Matic tapes to digital formats like DVD, USB memory stick, or cloud storage ensures that your valuable footage is preserved for generations to come. Here are three big reasons to convert your U-Matic tapes to digital:

  1. Save Space: Many of our customers tell us that saving space is one of the biggest reasons for digitising old tapes. Collections of tapes, whether they be VHS, U-Matic, or Betamax, consume storage space in many family households. We can replace all your tapes with one tidy USB memory stick.
  2. Prevent Degradation: Tapes are prone to degradation, losing approximately 10% of their quality every 20 years. As U-Matic tapes are one of the oldest forms of video cassette tape, we commonly receive tapes with mould eating into the tape itself. Don't worry—we are often able to retrieve much of the footage during the cleaning and digitisation process.
  3. Enhance Quality: Video making and viewing technology has advanced since the use of U-Matic tapes and camcorders. The quality of the footage taken from U-Matic tapes can be jarring to modern viewers. We use specialist software to bring your footage up to modern standards.

How We Convert U-Matic Tapes at EachMoment

Our digitisation process is designed to be simple and secure:

  1. Order a Memory Box: Begin by placing an order for an EachMoment Memory Box that suits your needs. View our pricing and options here.
  2. Choose Your Output Format: Decide how you would like to store your digital files—we offer DVD, USB memory stick, or cloud album.
  3. Receive Your Memory Box: The next working day, our premade Memory Box arrives at your chosen location, ready to be filled with U-Matic tapes.
  4. Send Us Your Tapes: Let us know when you’re ready for collection via our online portal, and we will pick up your Memory Box from your doorstep and take it to our digitisation lab.
  5. Cleaning and Preparation: We hand-clean each tape using bespoke cleaning methods. We use lint-free gloves and dusters, as well as carefully applied chemicals. This helps to preserve the tapes for the future as well as preparing them for digitisation.
  6. Digitisation: The tapes are played through our broadcast-quality VCRs, equipped with Time Base Correction to address any syncing problems before being digitally formatted.
  7. Editing and Enhancement: Digital files can then be manipulated more easily with computer software. We apply colour correction and remove audio distortion, aiming to bring your footage into the 21st century.
  8. Final Delivery: Fully edited files are transferred to your chosen output format. All your cleaned and refreshed U-Matic video tapes are repackaged in your Memory Box together with your digital copies—unless you selected the cloud album, in which case we will email you a secure link to access the videos.
  9. Enjoy Your Memories: We return everything to your doorstep, ready to be enjoyed at home with friends and family.

Start Digitising Your U-Matic Tapes Today!

Stop the degradation of your tapes with an EachMoment Memory Box order! Preserving your precious memories and gifting an EachMoment Memory Box to a friend or family member is an especially touching way to show how much you care. Whether it be for Christmas, a birthday, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or Father’s Day, the memories enclosed in an EachMoment Memory Box always make the most thoughtful gift.

View Pricing and Order Your Memory Box Now

A Brief History of U-Matic Tapes

One of the earliest formats to hold videotape inside a cassette—making a break from the most popular reel-to-reel formats of the time—the release of U-Matic video cassettes in 1971 signposted a video-recording revolution in the TV and film industry. It helped pave the way for the more widely used Betamax and VHS videocassettes and the explosive popularity of home-video entertainment.

There were, however, many issues with U-Matic tapes. As well as being easily prone to damage and producing distorted images, U-Matics also had trouble reproducing the colour red. The colour issue was so renowned that TV and film studios often discouraged on-screen talent from wearing red clothing.

Despite its issues, lack of mainstream consumer appeal, and eventual obsolescence, many long-running TV and film studios still have stacks of U-Matic tapes along with their recorders to replay footage from their heyday.

Preserve Other Media Formats

At EachMoment, we don't just convert U-Matic tapes. We also offer conversion services for a variety of media formats:

Explore our full range of services and let us help you preserve all your precious memories.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out. Our team of specialists is here to help you every step of the way.

Don't let your treasured memories fade away. Convert your U-Matic tapes to digital formats with EachMoment and keep them alive for generations to come.

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