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Convert MiniDV to Digital or DVD
Now is the perfect time to convert your MiniDV tapes to digital. MiniDV tapes can begin to lose playback quality within 5 years of being recorded. When it comes to your priceless home videos, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Our MiniDV to digital service ensures that your captured moments are preserved forever and can be shared with loved ones for generations to come. Give us a call today or place your order online to get started. You will be glad you did!
Accepted Video Formats
Our pricing for video transfer service VHS, VHS-C, MiniDV, Hi8, 8mm, Betamax
| QUANTITY | BULK DISCOUNT | PRICE PER TAPE (UP TO 2.5 HOURS) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 10 | $22.00 | |
| 11 - 25 | 10% | $20.00 |
| 26 - 50 | 15% | $19.00 |
| 51 - 100 | 20% | $18.00 |
| 101 - 200 | 25% | $17.00 |
| 201+ | CALL |
| ADDITIONAL VIDEOTAPE TRANSFER OPTIONS | |
|---|---|
| Capture Video Footage Over 2.5 Hours | $10 per Tape |
| Create Video DVD with Custom Menu & Case | $15 per DVD |
| Additional DVD Copies | $9 per DVD |
| Custom On-Screen Titles | $5 per Title |
| Repair, Re-case, Re-spool Damaged Tape | up to $25 |
| Custom Video Editing Service | $55 per hour |
Every MiniDV Transfer Order Includes:
- Careful Inspection & Handling of Each Mini DV Tape
- Real-time Capture Using Professional Video Decks
- Custom Naming of Video Files by Label
- TBC Video Filtering to Eliminate Jitter & Improve Quality
- Free Shipping for Orders Over $250
- Free Pickup for Orders over $500 (NYC Tri-State Area)
Our MiniDV Transfer Process
Once your MiniDV tapes are received at our secure facility in NJ, they are labeled and logged into our order tracking system. Our skilled video technicians carefully inspect, clean, and determine the length of each MiniDV tape. We use state-of-the-art equipment and software to convert MiniDV to digital or DVD at the highest quality.
All MiniDV tapes are transferred in real-time using high-end playback decks. The analog video signal is converted to digital and filtered through a TBC (time base corrector) device to eliminate jitter, stabilize playback errors, and enhance picture quality. Once each tape is captured in its entirety, the footage is reviewed for quality, and black space is removed. Each video file is custom-named to match your labelling, as included in our complete video transfer service.
Video Quality and Resolution
The DV in MiniDV stands for Digital Video. The introduction of the MiniDV camcorder was a great innovation and was the last major stepping stone before capturing straight to digital became the norm. The MiniDV format was popular because of its compact size and superior video quality over VHS, VHS-C, and 8mm tapes. Unfortunately, MiniDV tapes are also highly vulnerable to degradation and digital corruption. This can cause intermittent periods of video pixilation and/or loss of audio.
Keep in mind that once digital corruption has occurred it cannot be repaired. The sooner you convert MiniDV to digital or DVD, the better off your memories will be. Our MiniDV to digital service ensures that your life’s special moments are captured with the highest picture and sound quality.
MiniDV Transfer to Digital or DVD
Our standard video transfer service is to convert MiniDV to digital files in MP4 format. This offers you and your family the most versatility. Digital video files can be stored on a flash drive, hard drive, computer, device or in the cloud. They can also be edited, emailed, copied, uploaded and more. You can even make your own DVDs at home.
You can provide your own flash drive or get one from us. Upon request, we can output your files to AVI, MOV, MPEG-2 or any other file format you prefer. We also convert MiniDV to DVD as well. All DVDs include custom menus, chapters and cases. We can convert each tape to its own DVD or combine multiple tapes onto a single DVD, creating a custom chapter for each. We use dual layer DVDs that can hold up to 4 hours of footage on each disc.
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What people are saying
about Smooth Photo Scanning Services...
What Our Customers Say
We had such a great experience with Smooth Photo Scanning, and I really can’t recommend them enough. We brought them a very old book with Sanskrit/Devanagari text, which turned out to be a much more complicated project than a standard book scan. Brandon took the time to go through the book, understand exactly what we were trying to accomplish, and talk through the different options with us. One… of the biggest challenges was the OCR. Devanagari wasn’t compatible with the typical OCR programs they normally work with, but instead of just telling us it couldn’t be done, Brandon independently researched different OCR programs and tested several options on our pages. He spent a lot of extra time trying to find something that might actually work for us which was so above and beyond of him. The scanning itself was incredible. The book was scanned completely non-destructively, with absolutely no damage to it, and the quality of the finished images is beautiful. We were honestly amazed at how clear and professional everything came out. The pricing was also very reasonable, especially considering the amount of time and care that went into the project. We were also on a bit of a time crunch because we were trying to get the material ready to begin working with our teacher, and everyone went above and beyond to accommodate our timeline. Everyone we interacted with was super understanding and helpful.. While we were there Brandon also took the time to show us some of the incredible archival work they’ve done, involving places like Madison Square Garden and historical works. It was extremely fascinating to see the level of care and expertise that goes into preserving these materials. We are so grateful to Brandon and the whole team. They were amazing to work with and this truly is a passion for all of them. The quality of the scans is amazing, and we couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out. If you have something valuable or irreplaceable that you need scanned, especially if it requires extra care, I would seriously recommend Smooth Photo Scanning. 11 out of 10!
- Apoorva YaddanapudiGoogle review
Great experience overall. I brought in my paintings to be scanned and they had everything done same day, which I really appreciated. The customer service was very friendly , professional, and made the process smooth. The quality came out exactly how I needed. Definitely a solid spot if you're an artist looking to get your work digitized . I will be back for sure .
- Tamar RobinsonGoogle review
I brought in 17 beta tapes from an old camcorder and within a week and a half they were put on a thumb drive! Excellent service, really nice people that work there! I highly recommend! It was so nice to be able to share these videos from almost 30 years ago with my grown children! They loved seeing themselves as little kids.
- Lesley RafesGoogle review
The old video tape that Brandon had digitized for me had presented a few difficulties on my end. I got back in touch with him with questions a couple of times, via email. He responded quickly every time and guided me to find a solution to the problem. He is a very responsible and professional businessman. I highly recommend Smooth Photo Scanning.
- Guillermo GallegosGoogle review
I had three very old family group photos colorized by Smooth Photo Services and the result was amazing, seemingly bringing those persons back to life with perfectly chosen colors, an excellent job. I wholeheartedly recommend them for your more important b&w photos.
- Lorenzo CamilloGoogle review
- How can MiniDV tapes be transferred to a computer?
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A DIY transfer needs a working MiniDV camcorder and a FireWire port, which most modern computers no longer have. A professional service avoids this. Smooth Photo Scanning transfers MiniDV tapes in real time on high-end playback decks at its New Jersey facility for $22 per tape.
- How much does MiniDV to digital conversion cost?
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MiniDV conversion costs $22 per tape for 1-10 tapes, covering up to 2.5 hours of footage each. Pricing drops to $20 for 11-25 tapes, $19 for 26-50, $18 for 51-100, and $17 for 101-200. Footage over 2.5 hours is $10 extra per tape.
- Why does MiniDV footage show pixelation or audio dropouts?
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MiniDV stores video as digital data on magnetic tape, and as the tape degrades, data errors appear as blocky pixelation and brief audio loss. Once digital corruption has occurred it cannot be repaired, so transferring MiniDV tapes sooner protects the footage that is still intact.
- Can HDV tapes recorded on MiniDV cassettes be transferred in HD?
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Yes. HDV footage recorded on MiniDV cassettes is captured in high definition at 1080i with a 16:9 aspect ratio, while standard MiniDV is captured at its native 720 × 480. Each tape is transferred at the resolution it was originally recorded in.
- Is MiniDV better quality than VHS?
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Yes. MiniDV records digital video, giving noticeably sharper picture and cleaner sound than analog VHS, VHS-C, and 8mm tapes. That quality advantage carries into the digital transfer, although the condition of each tape still determines the final result.
- Can MiniDV tapes be converted to DVD?
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Yes. A DVD with a custom menu, chapters, and case costs $15, with additional copies at $9 each. Dual-layer DVDs hold up to 4 hours of footage, so each MiniDV tape can have its own disc or several tapes can be combined with a chapter for each.
- What file format are MiniDV tapes converted to?
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MiniDV tapes are converted to MP4 file by default, which can be stored on a flash drive, hard drive, or cloud service and easily edited, emailed, or uploaded. AVI, MOV, or MPEG-2 output is available on request, and each file is named to match your tape labels.