Tape types for digitization

VHS and S-VHS formats (PAL/SECAM/NTSC)

VHS (Video Home System) is one of the most popular analogue video formats, developed by JVC in Japan in 1976. It became the standard for home video thanks to its availability and ease of use. Many families used VHS to record life's important moments such as birthdays, celebrations and trips.

• Tape size: 19 × 10 × 2 cm.
• Recording time: 1 to 4 hours. In Long Play (LP) mode the time doubles, but video quality drops.
• Tape labels: for example "E180" means 180 minutes of recording.
• Use: VHS tapes were played on VCRs. Some professional cameras also recorded straight onto these tapes.

If you want to digitize VHS tapes, we can transfer them to modern media such as USB sticks or hard drives. It is a great way to keep your memories in digital form.

S-VHS (Super VHS) is an improved VHS with better picture and sound quality. It was less common because of expensive equipment. If you still have S-VHS tapes, we can transfer them to USB or convert them to a convenient format.

VHS-C and S-VHS-C formats (PAL/NTSC)

VHS-C (Compact VHS) is a compact version of VHS made for portable camcorders. The cassette is about half the size of a standard VHS tape, which made it ideal for small cameras.

• Recording time: 30–60 minutes (up to 120 minutes in LP mode).
• Use: these tapes were widely used in inexpensive camcorders in the 1990s. To watch them on a VCR you needed a special adapter.
• S-VHS-C: a rarer format for Super VHS Compact cameras. It offered better video quality but was less popular because of its price.

If you are looking for a place to digitize old video tapes, our specialists can transfer VHS-C and S-VHS-C to modern media. We guarantee high-quality conversion.

Video8, Hi8 and Digital8 formats (PAL/NTSC)

Video8 is an analogue video format introduced by Sony in 1985. The cassettes look like audio cassettes in size and shape. They became popular for their compact size and better recording quality compared with VHS.

• Advantages: better video and sound quality than VHS and VHS-C.
• Hi8: an improved version of Video8 that appeared in 1989. A better magnetic layer gave an even sharper picture.
• Digital8: a digital recording format that uses the same cassettes as Video8. It offers the highest video quality of the three formats.
• Recording time: usually 1.5 hours, depending on the mode.
• Special feature: to watch these tapes on a VCR you first had to copy them to a larger cassette via a camcorder.

If you want to transfer Hi8 to USB or convert Video8 to digital, contact us. We also convert Digital8 so your memories live on in a modern format.

MiniDV format (PAL/NTSC)

MiniDV is a digital video format that became popular in the early 2000s. It stands out for its high recording quality and compact cassettes. MiniDV was especially popular with home-video enthusiasts and professionals.

• Cassette size: 66 × 48 × 12 mm.
• Recording time: 60–120 minutes.
• Special feature: ideal for home videos and professional recordings. Files are easy to transfer to a computer for further editing.

If you need MiniDV digitization, we can move your tapes to a digital format. Our service includes transferring the videos to USB sticks, hard drives or cloud storage.

Mini DVD discs (DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW)

Mini DVD is a compact video recording format that became popular at the end of the video tape era. These discs were used in small camcorders because of their small size.

• Advantages: compact size and compatibility with DVD players.
• Disadvantages: small capacity (20–40 minutes); problems with finalizing discs; difficulty copying files to a computer (VOB format and VIDEO_TS folder).
• Recommendation: if you still have such discs, we can convert them to a convenient format and save them on modern media.

If you want to transfer Mini DVD to USB, our specialists do it quickly and to a high standard. We also offer Mini DVD conversion to a digital format.