EachMoment

Convert Your VHS Tapes to Digital

Convert Your VHS Tapes to Digital – Professional VHS Digitisation Services

EachMoment converts all kinds of VHS tapes, including S-VHS, VHS PAL, VHS NTSC, and all variety of camcorder tape.

Our Memory Box system is the safest way to digitise VHS in the UK.

  • Free collection and re-delivery by the UK’s most secure courier.
  • Free cleaning and restoration by our team of specialists.
  • Free crush-proof Memory Box.

Why Digitising Your VHS is Important

VHS Digital Memories
They take up room in the house and can feel messy. Just more stuff to dust! Fit in the palm of your hand. Once your tapes are digitised, you’re free to dispose of them. Now you have more space in your home.
Often can’t be viewed or shared anymore. With VCRs becoming rare and unreliable, tapes are increasingly just a shelf-full of pointless plastic. Easily enjoyed on smartphone, computer, or smart TV. Now you can actually watch your precious memories! Instantly share with loved ones, wherever they are in the world.
Cannot keep your memories safe. VHS is easily lost in the event of household accidents such as fire or flood. They’re often the only copy of important family memories, so if they are lost, those memories are gone forever. Ultimate protection for your memories — Once they’re digital, you can make infinite backups of your memories. They can also be stored in the cloud. This means that your memories are protected no matter what happens.
Actively puts your memories in danger — VHS are deteriorating. As tapes age, they will succumb to fading, mould, and other issues that eventually make them unusable. Memories stuck on them will be lost if they’re not rescued. Sadly this is not a question of if but when. Keeps your memories safe forever — your precious memories cannot degrade when they’re digital. They’ll be accessible a hundred years from now, and will look as good as they do on the day they’re digitised!

How to Convert VHS to Digital and DVD

Option 1. Professional Digitisation — Easy & Safe

1. Fill up a Memory Box


• The crush-proof Memory Box arrives on your doorstep the day after you make an order.
• You fill it with your old VHS tapes and more. If you’re curious, you can check out everything else we digitise.
• When you feel ready, we collect it via the UK’s safest courier for free.

2. We Digitise

We Digitise

• Our lab’s specialist restoration team safely clean & repair every tape that needs attention for free.
• We safely digitise your memories to the best possible quality. Choose to enjoy them on memory stick, DVD, or online album.
• The same high-security courier returns your Memory Box with your safely preserved digital memories, as well as your old tapes.

3. Enjoy Your Digital Memories


• Now you can easily share and relive precious memories on any digital device, such as smartphone, tablet, computer, or TV.
• Laugh and cry when you get to see and hear old times and old faces brought to life again.
• Feel secure knowing that your memories are safe forever. They will look as good in a hundred years as they do on the day they’re digitised, ready to be passed down the generations.

Option 2. DIY (Digitise It Yourself)

Of course, we’re biased when it comes to this option. There’s no point hiding that we’d prefer you to choose our professional digitisation service. We’ve dedicated a lot of time to making EachMoment the safest way to digitise, not to mention the most convenient. It’s also how we make a living!

But how you digitise your VHS is a decision you have to make yourself. So we just do our best to help you make an informed decision.

Guide to VCR Equipment

The first challenge when digitising video tapes is finding good equipment. VCR players weren’t the most reliable devices when they were new, let alone decades old.

For smooth transfer, we recommend using regularly-serviced, broadcast-quality Video Cassette Recorders (VCRs) with Time Base Correction. This is the only kind of VCR that the EachMoment lab uses.

These specialist VCRs correct syncing issues and are far less likely to chew up tapes due to their superior build quality. A Time Base Corrector (TBC) automatically fixes shaky and blurry footage so that it can be digitised at the best possible quality. Explore for yourself and make sure to discuss with vendors, but some excellent examples to start off your independent research include:

  • Thomson Scenium VTH-7090
  • Panasonic AG-5260E
  • and if you’re really serious, JVC BR 7000

If you must use a consumer-grade VCR, the following VCRs are known for their durability and overall build-quality. While they are not absolutely optimal for safety and smoothness, they are likely to give an okay transfer:

  • Panasonic NV-FJ620
  • Sony SLV-N71
  • JVC HR-S9800U
  • Mitsubishi HS-U448
  • Philips VR550

Guide to Video Capture Devices

The two main things to consider with video capture devices is their compatibility with your computer—be it Mac, Windows, or Linux—and its connection types. Ideally, it will support both RCA and S-Video. If you haven’t got these cables, don’t worry. It’s simple enough to buy them from high-street consumer electronics stores or online retailers.

RCA Connection

RCA

S-Video Connection

S-Video

Make sure to determine what you need from your video capture device. Here are some popular devices with their respective pros and cons for you to consider:

  • Elgato Video Capture
    • Pros: User-friendly; supports both Mac and Windows; provides high-quality video capture.
    • Cons: Pricey.
  • Diamond VC500
    • Pros: Relatively affordable; supports a wide range of video formats.
    • Cons: The accompanying software might be a bit complex for beginners.
  • Hauppauge USB-Live2
    • Pros: Comes with a set of robust features; supports a wide variety of operating systems; can be found for a bargain used.
    • Cons: The setup can be complex.

Guide to VHS-to-Digital Software

When it comes to VHS-to-digital software, the domestic user has three main things to consider: user-friendliness; editing capabilities; and format flexibility.

Here are some well-regarded software options for you to consider:

  • Elgato Video Capture Software
    • Pros: Offers an easy-to-use interface; compatible with both Mac and Windows; and provides good quality video output.
    • Cons: Limited editing tools.
  • Roxio Easy VHS-to-DVD
    • Pros: Features a decent set of editing tools; allows for direct burning to DVD.
    • Cons: Only available for Windows; pricey.
  • VidBox Video Conversion Suite
    • Pros: Supports both Mac and Windows; offers a straightforward process for video conversion.
    • Cons: Editing options are bare-bones.

How to Inspect Your VHS

One of the keys to top-quality digitisation is to make sure your tapes are ready for digitisation! The first thing is to inspect them. You’ll need the following:

  • A clean, well-lit workspace
  • Magnifying glass (optional, but useful)
  • A pencil or pen for manual tape winding (if needed)
Step 1: Check Externally

Before you even remove the VHS tape from its case, inspect the case itself for signs of mould, water damage, or severe scratches. Check the plastic shell of the cassette for any cracks, warping, or broken parts.

Step 2: Check Internally

Open the front protective flap of the VHS tape carefully. Use a magnifying glass if available to inspect the tape surface for any mould, dirt, or physical damage.

How to Clean Mould From Your VHS

It is extremely important to clean any mould off your VHS tapes before digitisation. Otherwise, the quality of the picture can be severely affected.

If you find mould, these are the items you will need to clean them safely:

  • A second VCR to avoid contaminating the machine you plan to use for digitisation.
  • N95 mask to protect yourself from dangerous mould spores.
  • Disposable gloves to avoid contamination.
  • An extension lead to clean outdoors.

How to Fix Damaged VHS — Common Repairs

Tangled or Twisted Tape
  1. Disassemble the Cassette: Use a screwdriver to open the shell.
  2. Untangle the Tape: Carefully untangle the tape, avoiding creases.
  3. Wind It Back: Manually wind the tape back onto the reels, ensuring it is tight and even.
Broken or Damaged Shell
  1. Open the Shell: Unscrew and open the cassette.
  2. Transfer to a Donor Shell: Move the reels to a donor VHS shell that’s in good condition.

How to Digitise Your Tapes at Home

Step 1: Connect VCR to Computer

Connect your VCR to your computer using the video capture device. This usually involves connecting RCA cables from the VCR to the capture device and then connecting the device to the computer via USB.

Step 2: Install and Set Up Software

Follow the set-up wizard for your chosen software. You may need to update drivers on your computer.

A Brief History of VHS Tapes

Technology moves quickly. If you wanted to preserve some much-loved memories on a home camcorder between the nineteen-eighties and the early two-thousands, the chances are they were recorded and saved onto a format such as VHS. VHS camcorders not only changed the film and television industry forever, but they also completely revolutionised the way that everyday consumers preserve their own precious memories.

Many versions of VHS tapes were brought to market during the 1980s and 1990s, including VHS-C used mainly for camcorders, S-VHS which boasted greater storage and quality, and a variety of geographically coded VHS tapes designed to integrate best with national broadcast quality.

Following the popularity of the VHS, by 2005 it was DVDs taking centre stage for home video watching. However, VHS tapes were hugely successful for a long time and the average family accumulated plenty of them prior to their obsolescence. Convert VHS to digital to keep your family memories alive.

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