Films, Video, and Audio Tapes

Your VHS, VHS-C, Hi8 and DV tapes can be converted to a digital format using equipment in FamilySearch Memory Lane. Your tapes may have become fragile over time. Convert them at your own risk.

• Bring a flash drive at least 32 GB if your file is small. A 128 GB is recommended for full tapes and multiple tapes. MP4 file size will be about 1000 MB (1 GB) per hour of recording.
• You are required to remain at the equipment station for the entire digitizing session. Tapes transfer in real time. A 120 minute tape will take 2 hours so consider bringing a laptop, or something to work on or read while the transfer is taking place.

By preparing your video tapes you will maximize your time and preserve more family memories during your digitizing session.

8mm and Super8 film can be transferred to digital format using Memory Lane equipment. Your tapes may have become fragile over time. Convert them at your own risk.

• Carefully clean your film.
• Check your film for damage and breaks.
• You are required to remain at the equipment station the entire session. Film transfer in real time so consider bringing a laptop, or something to work on or read while the transfer is taking place.
• Bring a flash drive at least 32 GB. A 120 minute tape will take 2 hours .

We currently digitize VHS, VHS C, S-VHS, and S-VHS C formatted tapes.
If you have your own movie camera we can connect to your camera and convert your tapes from the camera.
We now have a Hi8 system and a DV system for copying video tapes.

We recommend you play and record a small segment of your tap to verify sound level settings are what you want. If the tape is not at the beginning DO NOT use the rewind function on the tape to rewind it completely. Use a pencil to rewind it to the beginning of the leader. The connection of the leader to the tape spindle is old and weak.
1. We are using two Teac TASCOM CD-A850 players that can read cassette tapes, CD's, and has an input for other external players.
2. Currently we have a Micro Cassette Player as well as a Sony TC-640 Reel-to-Reel tape player.
3. The Sony TC-640 can play tape reels up to 7-inches at speeds of 3 ¾ or 7 ½ inches per second. Some recordings were made at 1 ⅞ speed for voice recordings.
4. If your audio sounds like the chip monks, you will need to use a software program like Audacity to adjust the speed of the recording digitally.