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Video Transfer Service for Every Old Tape You Own

Somewhere in a closet there is a box of tapes. Birthdays, holidays, first steps, the old house. Reel Keeper converts your home videos to digital files you can watch on your phone, TV or computer and share with the whole family.

Send any mix of VHS, camcorder and MiniDV tapes in one box. A technician handles every tape by hand, and your originals come back to you.

Order Your Kit Find Your Tape Type
Customer holding a Reel Keeper photo digitizing box

Every tape handled
by a real person

One price for every
tape format

Your original tapes
shipped back to you

Find Your Tape Type in 10 Seconds

Most families have more than one kind of tape. The size and the words on the label tell you almost everything. You do not need to know the format to order, because every tape type costs the same. This quick guide just helps you know what you have before you convert your camcorder tapes to digital.

Find Your Tape Type in 10 Seconds
Tape About the Size Of The Label Says Most Common Years
VHS A paperback book VHS Late 1970s to early 2000s
S-VHS A paperback book S-VHS Late 1980s and 1990s
VHS-C A deck of cards VHS-C or Compact VHS 1980s and 1990s
Video8 and Hi8 An audio cassette 8mm, Video8 or Hi8 Late 1980s to early 2000s
Digital8 An audio cassette Hi8 or D8 tape, Digital8 camcorder 1999 to mid-2000s
MiniDV The palm of your hand DV or MiniDV Late 1990s to late 2000s

Please note that we do not accept Betamax, MicroMV or PAL tapes. Still not sure? Our guide Which Camcorder Tape Do You Have? walks you through it with photos.

The Tapes We Transfer

VHS

VHS

The full-size tape that played in every home VCR. It holds TV recordings, rentals and camcorder footage from the late 1970s into the early 2000s.

 VHS-C

VHS-C

A compact VHS tape made for VHS camcorders. It plays in a regular VCR only with an adapter, which most people no longer have.

 S-VHS

S-VHS

It looks just like a VHS tape but has an “S-VHS” mark on the label or case. Serious hobbyists used this higher quality version.

 Video8 and Hi8

Video8 and Hi8

Small tapes about the size of an audio cassette. They were the go-to camcorder tapes of the late 1980s and 1990s and were used in many Sony Handycams.

 Digital8

Digital8

It uses the same small cassette as Hi8 but records in digital. Look for “Digital8” printed on the camcorder.

 MiniDV

MiniDV

A small tape that fits in the palm of your hand. It was the most popular camcorder tape from the late 1990s into the late 2000s.

How Video Transfer Works

Getting your home videos digitized takes four simple steps.

Step 01

Order Your Kit

Pick a kit size based on how many tapes you have. Your crushproof box ships within two business days with a prepaid return label.

Step 02

Pack Your Tapes

Put a barcode sticker on each tape, pack them in the box and drop it off at any UPS location.

Step 03

We Transfer by Hand

A technician handles each tape one at a time. You get text and email updates along the way.

Step 04

Download and Get Your Tapes Back

Your videos arrive through a private cloud link. Your original tapes ship back to you, insured.

What You Get Back

USB Drive

An optional USB drive with every file loaded before it ships

MP4 Video Files

MP4 video files that play on phones, computers and smart TVs with no special software

Cloud Link

A private cloud link to stream, download single videos or download everything at once

Original Tapes Returned

Your original tapes, packed and returned

Sharing With Family

Easy sharing with family, who do not need an account to watch

Make Old Footage Look Its Best

Old tapes were made for old TVs. These optional add-ons help them look better on the screens you use today.

  • HD upscaling, so tape footage looks sharper on a large TV

  • Color and fade restoration for tapes that have lost color over the years

  • Chapter splitting, which turns one long tape into separate clips that are easy to find

  • Still photo captures, which pull your favorite moments from a video as photos

Upscaling improves how footage looks on a big screen. It cannot add detail the original tape never recorded.

Why Digital Files Instead
of a DVD

Many people look for a way to put a videotape on DVD. We deliver digital files instead, for a few simple reasons.

If you still want a DVD for a parent or grandparent, you can burn one from your files at home.

Read more about VHS and DVD
Film reels and discs beside a television playing a family home movie

  • DVDs scratch, and a damaged disc can stop playing halfway through

  • Many new laptops and TVs no longer have a disc player

  • A disc sits in one house, while a digital file can be shared with every family member in minutes

  • A file can be copied and backed up as many times as you like

A collection of old videotapes stacked together

Why Old Tapes
Should Not Wait

Videotape is magnetic tape, and it wears out over time. Colors fade, the picture gets noisy, and tapes stored in damp basements or hot attics can grow mold. Working VCRs and camcorders are also harder to find and repair every year.

The sooner you convert old tapes to digital, the more of each tape you save.

Order Your Kit

Damaged or Moldy Tapes

Old film reels and strips of movie film

Send them anyway. We check every tape before we start. If a tape cannot be saved, we tell you before any work begins and refund that tape in full.

Why Families Choose Reel Keeper

Real Hands on Every Tape

No tape goes down an automated line. A trained technician handles your order from start to finish.

One Price for Every Format

VHS, Hi8 and MiniDV all cost the same. Add your photos and film reels to the same kit.

Your Videos Stay Private

Your files are private by default. We never share or sell your footage, and we never use it to train AI.

Originals Always Come Back

Every tape is returned to you and insured while it is in our care.

No Store Visit Needed

Our video conversion service works by mail across all 48 contiguous states. Ship from any UPS location.

Quality Guarantee

If something is not right within 30 days, we transfer it again at no charge.

Your Videos Stay Private

Technicians see your footage during transfer and quality checks and nothing more. Your videos are never shared, never sold, never used for marketing, and never used to train AI models. Your download link is encrypted and unique to you.

Video Transfer Questions

01 What is a video transfer service?

A video transfer service plays your old tapes and records them as digital video files. You get the files to keep and your original tapes back.

02 Which video tape formats do you accept?

We accept VHS, VHS-C, S-VHS, Video8, Hi8, Digital8 and MiniDV tapes recorded in the US. We do not accept Betamax, MicroMV or PAL tapes.

03 Do I need to know my tape format before I order?

No. Every tape format costs the same, so just count your tapes and pick a kit.

04 Can I send different kinds of tapes in one box?

Yes. Mix any tape formats together, and add photos, slides or film reels to the same kit.

05 Is there a video transfer service near me?

You do not need one. Reel Keeper works by mail and ships kits to all 48 contiguous states. Drop your box at any UPS location and we handle the rest.

06 How long does a video transfer take?

Standard processing takes six to eight weeks from the day your box arrives. Rush processing is available if you need your videos sooner.

07 Will my videos be in HD?

Tapes are transferred at the quality they were recorded in. Add HD upscaling if you want them to look sharper on a large TV.

08 Can you put my videos on a DVD?

We deliver digital files and an optional USB drive, not DVDs. You can burn a DVD from your files at home if you need one.

09 What if a tape is broken, moldy or very old?

Send it. If a tape cannot be saved, we tell you before any work starts and refund that tape.

10 Do I get my original tapes back?

Yes. Every tape is returned to you, insured while it is in our care.

Your Tapes Have Waited Long Enough

Gather every tape you can find. One box is all it takes to watch them again.

Order Your Kit

Explore Our Other Services

Photos and Albums

Prints, slides and negatives scanned by hand.

Film Reels

8mm, Super 8 and 16mm home movies moved to digital.

Audio Tapes

Cassettes and reel to reel recordings saved as digital audio.

Digital Media

DVDs and burned discs copied to files you can keep.