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Convert 8mm Tapes to Digital
The best time to convert your 8mm tapes to digital or DVD was at the start of this sentence. 8mm tapes can begin to lose quality within 5 years of recording on them. Do not let your birthday parties, holiday gatherings, family vacations, and other home videos fade away any longer.
With over 25 years of experience, we transfer all formats of 8mm tapes to digital, including Video8, Digital8, and Hi8 at the highest quality. Digitizing 8mm tapes and other magnetic tape formats is the only way to ensure your memories are preserved and protected, forever.
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 8mm Tape Transfer Order Includes:
- Careful Inspection & Handling of Each 8mm 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 8mm Tape Transfer Process
We carefully inspect and determine the length of each tape being converted to digital. All tapes are processed in real-time from beginning to end to ensure every moment is preserved. Our skilled video technicians convert 8mm tapes to digital, as well as other formats using high end decks connected to computers via professional analog to digital converters.
The video signals are 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, blank spaces are removed from the beginning and end of each video before being converted to MP4 (or any other digital format you prefer). Each file is double checked for quality assurance before being put onto your delivery media of choice (Flash Drive, Hard Drive or DVD).
Video Quality and Resolution
The 8mm video tape format refers to 3 variations including the original Video8, the upgraded Hi-8, and the most recent Digital8. Sony introduced the first Video8 camcorder, the Handycam, in the mid-80s to compete with Panasonic’s VHS-C format. Though slightly more durable than VHS or VHS-C tapes, 8mm tapes are still magnetic and will lose their recorded contents over time.
We use professional equipment and software to transfer your camcorder tapes to digital, ensuring the highest picture and sound quality. To make sure all of your memories are captured; we convert 8mm tapes to digital at the same resolution as the original recording, so there is no loss of quality. Most consumer videotapes including VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi-8, and MiniDV have a Standard Definition Resolution of 720×480 with a 4:3 aspect ratio.
Convert 8mm Tapes DVD or Digital
Our standard service includes converting your 8mm tapes to digital files, which offers you the most flexibility. 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 or written to DVD. We can provide you with the appropriately sized flash or hard drive for your new digital files or we will put them on your own at no charge.
Most smart TVs have a USB port on them these days, so you can simply plug the flash drive into your TV to watch your digitized home movies. By default, we output all videotapes to MP4 files. MP4 files are compact, universal to both PCs and Macs, easy to upload/share, and are fully editable. Upon request, we are happy to output your files to AVI, MOV, MPEG-2 or any other file format you prefer.
For your convenience we can also convert 8mm tapes to DVD. Included with all DVDs is 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
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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
- Is 8mm video tape the same as 8mm film?
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No. 8mm video tape is a magnetic camcorder cassette, while 8mm film is a reel of physical movie film that requires a completely different transfer process. Smooth Photo Scanning handles both, with 8mm film digitized through specialized frame-by-frame film transfer equipment.
- How are 8mm camcorder tapes converted to digital?
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Smooth Photo Scanning plays each 8mm tape on a high-end deck connected to a computer through professional converters, capturing the content in real time. The video files are named by the labels on each tape, blank space is removed, and every file is quality checked before delivery.
- How much does 8mm tape to digital conversion cost?
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8mm tape conversion costs $22 per tape for 1-10 tapes. 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, , though 8mm tapes rarely exceed 2 hours of content.
- Can old Sony Handycam tapes be digitized?
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Yes. Sony introduced the Handycam in the mid-1980s using Video8 tape, and later models recorded on Hi8 and Digital8. Smooth Photo Scanning converts all 8mm tape variations to digital or DVD, so you don’t need a working Handycam to enjoy your recorded moments.
- Do 8mm video tapes deteriorate over time?
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Yes. 8mm tapes are slightly more durable than VHS or VHS-C, but they are still magnetic media and lose recorded content over time. Converting sooner preserves more of the original picture and sound quality.
- Can 8mm tapes be converted to DVD?
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Yes. Each DVD includes a custom menu, chapters, and case for $15, with additional copies at $9 each. Dual-layer DVDs hold up to 4 hours of footage, so several 8mm tapes can be combined onto one disc with a custom chapter for each.
- What resolution and format are Video8 tapes converted to?
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Video8 and 8mm tapes are captured at their native standard-definition resolution of 720 × 480 at a 4:3 aspect ratio, so no quality is lost. Files are delivered as MP4 by default, with AVI, MOV, or MPEG-2 available on request.