People have been capturing home movies for decades, but they include many different formats that are decaying, hard to view, and difficult to share. Digital Life's video conversion service allows me to convert home movies from more than a dozen common formats including . . . 


    CAMCORDER

    Digital8

    MiniDV

    VHS

    VHS

    VHSC

    VIDEO TAPES

    Hi8

    Video8


    PRICES

    NUMBER OF VIDEO TAPES PRICE / VIDEO TAPE
    1 to 4 Tapes $30/Tape
    5 to 9 Tapes $25/Tape
    10+ Tapes $20/Tape
    USB Flash Drives From $10 to $120 depending on the size of the drive.
    WeTransfer (Video files delivered over the Internet) $10

    Prices valid as of 26 August 2024


    What video tapes do you convert?

    Digital Life can convert the following video tapes. Digital8, Hi8, MiniDV, VHS, VHS-C, and Video8 tapes.

    How can I drop off the tapes to you?

    The process to have these tapes digitised is that you can drop them off to me at my home address, 4D Owens Terrace, Upper Riccarton from 4:30pm, Monday to Friday, since I have a full time job during the week. You can also drop them off during weekends.

    What digital file format do you provide?

    I provide a MP4 file with H.264 compression, which is the same format global video services like Vimeo and YouTube use. You This means your converted videos are easy to edit, save, share, and watch.

    How do you deliver the digital video files

    I can send them to you via the secure file sharing site WeTransfer for price of $10. The way this works is that after I have sent you the files, you will receive an email with a link to the Digital Life WeTransfer account where you can download the files to your computer and then back them up to whatever back up method you use. You will not require to set up an account with WeTransfer to be able to download the files.

    Or you can have them saved to a USB Flash Drive by me. You can supply your own drive or I can supply one for a price of $10 for a 32GB size drive. If a larger size drive is needed you can see here what that will cost.

    Can you convert my home movies to DVD?

    Yes I can convert your home movies to DVD. That being said it's not a good format for long term archives, editing, or sharing. I also deliver you files onto a USB Flash Drive or External Hard Drive, which are much faster, safer, and more reliable than DVDs.

    My VCR ate my tape! Can you repair it?

    Yes, for an extra service fee I can repair video tapes that are broken.

    Am I charged to convert a blank tape?

    If a tape is blank there will no charge.

     

     

     

     

    What if my tape is a commercial recording?

    If I discover that a tape is a commercial recording (major motion picture, TV show, professional sports broadcast) I won’t convert the tape and there’s no charge. I don’t want to violate the publisher’s copyright by converting a commercial recording, but if it’s important to you a high quality version can probably be purchased online.

    Under New Zealand copyright law I am unable to convert programmes/shows or items recorded off TV, movies, or any other items marked with copyright, unless you or your organisation owns the copyright. Please ensure that you own the copyright of any media you provide me with, or that you have obtained the required permission from the copyright holder. I may ask to see written permission from the copyright holder.

    How can I watch my converted home movies?

    Because I deliver your converted home movies in the MP4 digital video format, you can watch your converted videos on your computer, smart phone, tablet, and smart TVs.

    How can I share my converted home movies?

    I deliver your converted home movies in the MP4 digital video format because it’s a universal file format. This makes it easy to share your home movies offline and online, to family and friends around the globe.

    Can I edit my home movies after they have been converted?

    Because I deliver digital video files, you can edit your home movies with most video editing software apps on Mac or Windows computers. Apple iMove and the default Windows Video Editor are free and easy to use options that come pre-installed on your computer.

    How long does it take to convert video tapes?

    Depending on how many tapes there are, my standard tunaround time is 1-2 weeks. This is due to my running Digital Life outside of my full time employment at this present time.