Reliable transfer services in 2022?

[nicholasserra]

Took a look around and not seeing any kind of thread. Feel free to close and point me in the right direction.

Anyone have a running list of businesses or people who provide expert/reliable tape transfer services?

I get enough folks messaging me on reddit asking if I can transfer tapes, and I always turn them down. But I feel worse that I can't even point them in the right direction on who to go to.

I've seen some shops around the USA who seem to specialize in this. I'd rather point people in that direction than send them off to a mom and pop with an old camcorder and a DVD burner.

So, anyone have recommendations?

Obviously smurf here does this, but seems not always available? Would be good to get a list of others.

[latreche34]

Members here and at videohelp can do an excellent job, I hope they PM you if they see this, I'm one of them but I'm really booked for a while since I have a full time job and other hobbies to do, Good luck.

[nicholasserra]

Would be nice to get a list going, hopefully others can chime in. That way when people are asking, we can just link them here.

[Davis]

Hello, I do transfer work at home more or less as a hobby right now. I do use the high-end machines though, capture as uncompressed, encode and author if the customer want's that. Can of course also give it to them as MP4's on a jump drive. I have just purchased an AJA FS1 for a full frame TBC. Still working a full-time job but plan to retire in June, so I should have more time to do projects afterward.

[mbassiouny]

digitalfaq already offers a transfer service.

Also, I saw that one a couple weeks ago
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/c...465698919.html

Seems to be using good hardware. And there is one guy I have in mind who's using a tbc-3000+JVC VCR in France (his capture card is a BM intensity shuttle)

https://www.paruvendu.fr/annonces/hi...573A1KBMUPV000

[nicholasserra]

So what are people charging these days?

I'm still getting enough requests where I might entertain taking some paid work.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicholasserra

So what are people charging these days?
I'm still getting enough requests where I might entertain taking some paid work.

It's easy to screw yourself by not charging enough, or even having a one-size-fits-all "per tape" pricing structure. That's what the low-quality slop shops do, and they all eventually fail. I've been around since the 90s (00s professionally), and seen this situation implode on itself many times. I'm still here (we're still here), they're not.

And this is your hobby, don't ruin it for yourself. Working in video is also the #1 way to sap any enjoyment you have. For example, there are many actors that don't enjoy watching their own work, or even the work of others. Working in movies/TV makes them want to read a book instead, never watch TV, no Netflix, etc. This enjoyment vampire has often affected me, to the point where I'd not often even enjoy watching new TV shows. I'd even reach points of burnout where I had to reject projects for a time.

There's also a lots of scam-type behavior out there (I will not elaborate here), from the customer end. Some of it is baiting, and quite disturbing. Watch yourself.

[latreche34]

I would say you need a little bit more of practice and experience, you were just looking for someone to transfer your tapes back in march, Take it easy learn the tricks and from the mistakes, Once you feel confident enough you can take other people's work. While it seems a straight forward process, it is not. I keep learning new things after years of doing it at the hobby level, and the learning never stops but you'll know when you are confident enough to take on other people's precious memories.

[nicholasserra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

It's easy to screw yourself by not charging enough, or even having a one-size-fits-all "per tape" pricing structure. That's what the low-quality slop shops do, and they all eventually fail. I've been around since the 90s (00s professionally), and seen this situation implode on itself many times. I'm still here (we're still here), they're not.

So what's your charging process? Looking for some ballpark here. I have no intentions of pursuing work. But I get enough requests where I can't point them anywhere else. I'd probably make it a point to way overcharge to make it worth my time, if i'm being blunt.

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

I would say you need a little bit more of practice and experience, you were just looking for someone to transfer your tapes back in march, Take it easy learn the tricks and from the mistakes, Once you feel confident enough you can take other people's work. While it seems a straight forward process, it is not. I keep learning new things after years of doing it at the hobby level, and the learning never stops but you'll know when you are confident enough to take on other people's precious memories.

I wasn't originally asking for help in March. I was asking who's doing the work, so I can send them referrals. I get tons of people asking me to transfer their tapes and turn them all down. Just don't have anyone to point them to.

[latreche34]

I do take requests but at the local level only, I don't like shipping tapes back and forth, plus I like to interact with customers and they usually bring their hard drive with their tapes and ask me questions directly. But I don't say no to a big job from a commercial entity especially if the tapes are non consumer stuff.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

But I don't say no to a big job from a commercial entity especially if the tapes are non consumer stuff.

For me, for us, it really depends on what it is, who it's for. We've always tried to accept projects from John Q. Consumer, so everybody can get the benefit of high quality transfers, not just our B2B clients (filmmakers, archivists, museums, studios, etc). I knew of several post houses that are essentially closed to the public this way, B2B only.

But in recent times, it's literally been requests like "can you transfer my copy of Star Wars?" or "can you restore a tape I erased?" And for $10/15/20, of course! I don't know where that traffic is coming from, but I have my suspicion it's from the same place nicholasserra is getting requests.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicholasserra

But I get enough requests where I can't point them anywhere else.

@nicholasserra, that said, if you know of somebody with a decent project, somebody looking for high quality, usually lossless, no unrealistic low budgets (no 10/15 per tape type), please refer him/her our way, Contact Us. If needed, I can be requested.

[Hushpower]

Quote:

And for $10/15/20, of course! I don't know where that traffic is coming from

That's the going Facebook Marketplace/Gumtree rate here. Obviously with a DVD Recorder, but how is the client to know that they could do much better with a better transfer? And then, would they be actually prepared to pay $30-40 for an hour of (well) digitised tape?

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hushpower

That's the going Facebook Marketplace/Gumtree rate here. Obviously with a DVD Recorder, but how is the client to know that they could do much better with a better transfer? And then, would they be actually prepared to pay $30-40 for an hour of (well) digitised tape?

- Gumtree = Craigslist here
- Don't forget eBay (fleabay).
- And for social media, maybe also Instagram or TikTok. I don't know, I use neither. But I would imagine those have low ROI, neither have the demographics that overlap with folks seeking conversions. What I see at Insta is "convert your VHS" profiles with almost no usage. Facebook doesn't really have ROI either, for that matter.

None of those are quality. In fact, it's so not-quality that the shops known for bad quality look good.

A lot of those ads are not from video professionals (not even the local mom-and-pop wedding studio types), but people looking for "spending money" or even weekend "beer money", an apathetic side gig using thrift store DVD recorders (originally sold at Walmart), or Easycaps, worst quality possible.

It doesn't help that formerly reputable sites sites like Kim Comando tell users to buy junk from Amazon (with affiliate links, of course, the ONLY reason the "advice" exists). And those are the people who land here at this site, because we all know that stuff is Chinese junk that barfs out low quality. They then wonder why it looks bad, __ site claimed it was good.

Yet other sites treat video conversion like a cash grab (side gig, spending/beer money), and showcase the site with bad advice as good advice on how to run their mini business.

You get what you pay for.

When you charge $10-15/tape, you're making less than minimum wage. Yes, even if you try to spin up multiple instances, time is the limiter, overall still less, a point of diminishing returns is quickly reached. When you get to $20-25, you're a bit better off, but it's still not any sort of great wage, and no way to pay off expenses (not just the gear, but electricity, shipping supplies, etc).

Legacy Box and iMemories are two of the bottom-barrel services, and have pricing that start at about $30/tape. And it goes up from there, based on "addons", some of which are really basics that everybody will add. Both of those places hire minimum wage intern-type employees. Again, zero video backgrounds, no more than you would find from McDonald's employees (some might, most will not). Anybody that doubts this can read the Glassdoor and Indeed reviews, most are revealing, even shocking.

So also be careful who you trust with your tapes.

While some may consider this competition, it's mostly just noise. It's almost never here over the longer term, thus is the nature of side gigs.

[MittenMonster]

I actually just spun up an account here because I've wanted to digitize VHS tapes for a long time. However, I can't afford a nice set up to do it myself so I too am looking for a service.

I tried getting someone to do it locally for me but they refused because they're Star Wars tapes (my childhood tapes in fact, complete with Phantom Menace stickers I added when I was kid lol).

I shot LordSmurf an email, I think, a couple weeks back and hope to hear back but I am open to any and all suggestions. I know ppl's hard work isn't "budget" but it's the best I can do right rn by getting a service.

Anyway, I hope this finds everyone well. I'm excited to be here and continue to read lol. Merry Christmas!

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MittenMonster

but they refused
Star Wars tapes
I shot LordSmurf an email,

Stuff like that has to be more informal, user to user, fans helping fans, and is not something any business would touch.

But you're in luck, I'm a Star Wars fan, saw some of those first-run in theatres (yes, age is showing), and converted my tapes long ago. In fact, I've assisted several Original Trilogy members in years past. I may open your eyes to what exists, and you won't even need or want to convert the tapes. You've been PM'd!

Remember, I was a video hobbyist for a decade before turning pro. My hobby work turned to pro requests, and my pro requests (and some hobby) got me headhunted by studios. I'd still be there if health/MS had not plundered my body, ruthless disease that it is. Hobby video, and the video hobbyists, especially cartoons, are still very dear to me. I try to never turn my back on hobbyists, but it has to be informal contact directly to me.

[nicholasserra]

Thanks for posting some dollar values. Sounds about right. I think i'm likely going to tell people $100 a tape. Not going to actually try to find work. But in the event people are messaging me desperate, there it is.

[nicholasserra]

Getting more and more people asking for transfer services. What's everyone status for 2024? Nobody PMed me saying they're taking on work. I still don't have anyone I can send them for recommendations.

What companies are doing this these days? Seems it's the only option to go with the big brands. LegacyBox? I dunno.

[lordsmurf]

Our backlog is almost zero'd out finally, and I'll be available again for new projects in mid Jan (about 2-3 weeks from today). But I'll also only be accepting a certain number of projects, not willing to overextend myself.

The "big brands" let "no experience required" people (often low-paid/unpaid interns) handle videos, and the quality is what you'd expect from somebody that never used a VCR before. Others just send your videos to whoever gave them the cheapest bid for the year, including boat shipping your videos to mills in India or Philippines that often lose/damage videos. Read Glassdoor/Indeed reviews, aka the current/former employees, some of it is shocking stuff. Quality is such crap that a thrift store VCR with an Easycap is not really any worse, and way safer. But neither is desirable. Either do quality DIY with recommended hardware, or pay a quality business/individual that is using recommended hardware (and knows how to properly use it).

[nicholasserra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

Either do quality DIY with recommended hardware, or pay a quality business/individual that is using recommended hardware (and knows how to properly use it).

Well, aside from you, I don't see anyone else chiming in. There's a legit place in florida that seems to know their stuff:

https://www.facebook.com/thevideolabofsouthflorida

You and them are the only ones I can think of these days.

[Gary34]

They seem a lot different to me. Video labs uses DPS TBCs. He does hardware upscaling. I wouldn’t put them in the same category https://youtu.be/rE0Ki69XceM?feature=shared. Anyways atleast he’s not like gotmemories charging 30 to 50 dollars a tape to transfer peoples DV tapes with an El gato capture device using the El gato software instead of just using a FireWire.