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Convert VHS-C to Digital
The best time to convert your VHS-C tapes to digital or DVD is right now. Magnetic tapes degrade with each passing day and VHS-C tapes have small pieces that wear down and can further distort playback. If you have not transferred your old home movies to digital yet, now is the best time to finally check that off your to-do list.
Our VHS-C to digital service ensures that your precious moments are preserved for the future and can be enjoyed with loved ones. Imagine the joy that you and your family will get from watching those special moments you went out of your way to record all those years ago. 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 VHS-C Transfer Order Includes:
- 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 VHS-C Transfer Process
Once we receive your VHS-C tapes at our secure facility in NJ, they are labeled and entered into our order tracking system. Our skilled video technicians will carefully inspect each tape for defects, repair as necessary and determine the length of each tape.
All VHS-C tapes are transferred in real-time using professional VCR equipment and specialized video capture software. 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 blank spaces are trimmed. Each video file is custom-named to match the labels on your VHS-C tapes, as included in our complete video transfer service. You can also provide a printout of how you want the tapes labeled if you already have them organized in a specific manner.
Video Quality and Resolution
VHS-C tapes were introduced in the early 80s and competed with video8 and Hi-8 tape formats. Their compact size (at the time) and ability to play in a standard VCR using an adapter made VHS-C tapes very popular. As will all magnetic tape formats though, they are vulnerable to deterioration, especially when stored in poor conditions. Footage recorded in LP or EP modes will suffer further since they prioritized length over quality, to begin with.
Our goal is to transfer your VHS-C tapes to digital with the highest quality possible. We convert VHS-C tapes to digital at a 1:1 ratio to maintain their native resolution, so there is no loss of quality. NTSC format tapes are captured at 720 x 480 and PAL VHS-C tapes are captured at 720 x 576, both with a 4:3 aspect ratio.
VHS-C Transfer to Digital or DVD
Our standard transfer service is to convert VHS-C tapes to digital files, which offers the most versatility to our customers. Digital video files can be stored on a flash drive, hard drive, computer, mobile device or in the cloud. They can also be edited, emailed, copied, uploaded, written to DVDs and more. There is no end to what you can do with the files once you have them, this effectively makes them future proof.
By default, we output all VHS-C tapes to digital MP4 files. MP4 files are universal to both PCs and Macs, easy to upload/share, fully editable, and are a manageable file size. 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 convert VHS-C to DVD as well. All DVDs include custom menus, chapters and cases. We can create a single DVD for each tape 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 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
- Can VHS-C tapes be converted without a VHS-C adapter?
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Yes. You do not need an adapter or a working camcorder. Smooth Photo Scanning transfers VHS-C tapes in real time on professional VCR equipment with specialized capture software, so tapes can be sent exactly as they are.
- What is the difference between VHS-C and full-size VHS?
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VHS-C uses the same tape width as VHS but in a compact cassette designed for camcorders, introduced in the early 1980s. It plays in a standard VCR through an adapter but holds less recording time than a full-size VHS cassette.
- How much does VHS-C to digital conversion cost?
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The VHS-C conversion cost starts at $22 per tape for 1-10 tapes. Pricing is discounted to $20 for 11-25 tapes, $19 for 26-50, $18 for 51-100, and $17 for 101-200.
- How is VHS-C different from Video8 and Hi8 camcorder tapes?
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VHS-C was JVC’s compact camcorder format built on VHS tape, while Video8 and Hi8 were Sony’s competing 8mm tape formats. VHS-C can play in a VCR with an adapter, whereas 8mm tapes need an 8mm deck or camcorder. Smooth Photo Scanning converts all of these formats.
- Why are VHS-C tapes more vulnerable to damage than regular VHS?
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VHS-C cassettes contain small moving parts that wear down and can distort playback, on top of the normal degradation of magnetic tape. Tapes stored in poor conditions deteriorate faster, so converting sooner preserves more of the original picture and sound.
- Can VHS-C camcorder tapes be put on 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 VHS-C tape can have its own disc or several tapes can be combined onto one with a chapter for each.
- What resolution are VHS-C tapes digitized at?
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VHS-C tapes are captured at their native resolution, 720 × 480 for NTSC and 720 × 576 for PAL, both at a 4:3 aspect ratio, so no quality is lost. The signal passes through a time base corrector, and files are delivered as MP4 by default.