VHS tapes have been obsolete for over ten years now yet you probably still have VHS tapes still sitting in our closets. Your wedding video tape, for example. Have you convert it to DVD yet? When considering handing over your old home movies to a VHS tapes to DVD transfer service, ask these 4 questions.
Question 1. Is the transfer done in a dedicated facility like a video transfer lab?
If you ask someone if they use professional equipment, they will all say Yes. Who will say, "I use a VHS to DVD machine I bought at Best Buy for 0"? So instead, ask if the transfer's done in a dedicated facility. You don't want someone using hobby equipment in their home basement handling your tapes. These tapes are usually over ten years old and fragile. If they mess up, your old home movie is not replaceable.
Question 2. Will the DVD have a DVD menu so I can skip from one chapter to another easily without using the hit-and-mis Rewind and Forward buttons?
Watching raw footage is like watching paint dry. You want the option of skipping to another chapter when you want to show someone a particular scene. Reputable transfer services using professional equipment can create DVD menus easily. How do they know when a chapter starts or end? The algorithm is usually like this: Create a new chapter if there is a major scene change. If there is no scene change, then after 5 minutes, it creates a new chapter. These chapters do not break up your viewing experience. You can start from chapter 1, and it will play through chapter 2,3,4 seamlessly. The DVD menu just gives you an option of scene selections when you need it.
Question 3. Can I see a sample finished DVD ?
This is a 2-part question. First and most important, you want to make sure the DVD is playable in most DVD players. Hobbyist equipments can churn out DVDs alright but they will not work in many of the new DVD players. Part 2, you want to know if the final DVD output is a finished DVD with caption and nice case cover that's gift-ready. Ask for a sample of the finished product. Many people are disappointed when they get back a clear-face DVD in a clear case which they have to hand-write the caption on using a Sharpie. It just doesn't look professional. Especially if you intended it as a gift to a family member.
Question 4. Finally, ask if they guarantee their work.
Just like how you get a range of video quality depending on the quality of your video camcorder, VHS to DVD transfer quality varies depending on the quality of the transfer equipment. A reputable video transfer service that is proud of their work will not hesitate to give you a money-back guarantee. If the video transfer service hems and haws and will not give you a guarantee, at the very least you should ask to speak to their past customers or references.
Don't wait any longer. Magnetic media, and that includes VHS, Hi8, Super 8, mini-DV have a shelf life. The sooner you digitize them, the better the video transfer quality you will get.
