Want to hear about pricing specials?

Top Questions About Our Video Transfer Services

1. How do you transfer video tapes (the process)?
2. How much does it cost
3. Will I be able to edit my movies?
4. Will my new DVD play on my DVD player?
5. I have very specific needs for my menu, chapters, editing, etc. Can you help?
6. How long does it take?
7. What tapes do you convert?
8. Is it safe, will you return my original tapes?
9. Do you guarantee your work, what if I'm not satisfied?
10. What is the best way to preserve my home movies?
11. How many DVDs or hard drives will I get?
12. How many hours of footage will fit on one DVD or hard drive?
13. Can I edit my new DVD on my home computer?
14. How do I order more copies?
15. How do I order, how should I send my movies?
16. Can I combine footage from multiple tapes onto one DVD?
17. Do you have any restrictions regarding the content of the video tape?

1. How do you transfer video tapes. What is the process for transferring video?

We feel you should know what you are paying for and give a How it Works in a Nutshell as well as a detailed technical description.

2. How much does it cost?

Pricing varies depending on the number of tapes. Visit our pricing calculator to determine the cost of your video tape transfer. Furthermore, Home Movie Depot is proud to price match any of our competitor's Video Tape to DVD transfers. If you find a lower price from another company for this service, simply contact us and we will match their price!

3. Will I be able to edit my movies?

Currently, we can not provide a service for video customer to edit their footage. However, most customers find that it is not necessary to edit their home movies once they see their DVD from Home Movie Depot. See the features of the video transfer DVD here.

4. Will my new DVD play on my DVD player?

We use brand name DVD-R which has been shown to be the most compatible general use media. We also print your title directly on to the disc rather than using stickers. Our discs have been found to be compatible with over 95% of home DVD players made in the past three years.

5. I have very specific needs for my menu, chapters, editing, etc. Can you help?

While we can not accept requests for specific chapter points, our Home Movie Depot programmers have developed proprietary software that determines scene changes during your home movies. During our copy VHS to DVD process, your home movies will have chapter points inserted every scene change or every 10 minutes, which ever is less.

6. How long does it take?

In most cases, once your order arrives in our office it will take 48-72 hours to process. *Due to our current high volume, please allow 4-5 business days to process. Depending on your return shipping method, Continental US shipping can take anywhere from 1-5 business days. International shipping runs between 1-2 weeks. Rush service and expedited shipping are always available.

During the holiday season, the turnaround time will be closer to 3-4 weeks.

7. What tapes do you convert?

We specialize in VHS, VHS-C, 8mm Tapes, MiniDV, Digital8, Hi8, and Betamax tapes.

8. Is it safe?

We receive orders from around the world on a daily basis. Movies are not destroyed or damaged in the process. An operator is with your movie during every step of the process. Movies are not destroyed or damaged in the process. We return everything that you send to us- tapes, boxes, bags, and labels. You can read about some of our efforts to ensure the safety of your movies.

9. Do you guarantee your work, what if I'm not satisfied?

We have our policies posted here.

10. What is the best way to preserve my home movies?

We recommend ordering at least 2 DVD copies of every transfer so that one DVD copy can serve as your archive copy of the transfer.

We strongly recommend visiting The Association of Moving Image Archivists for expert advice on how to preserve the actual tape.

11. How many DVDs or hard drives will I get? How many DVDs or hard drives will it take to complete my order?

As many as it takes! You do not have to calculate how many DVDs or hard drives will be needed to complete your order. We only need to know how many complete copies of your movies you?d like to receive. If your order takes 10 DVDs to create a complete copy that is what we deliver. The cost of your media is calculated when you place an order - so the number of DVDs or hard drives needed will not further affect your price.

12. How many hours of footage will fit on one DVD or hard drive?

We can put roughly two hours of video footage on one DVD. This can vary with the speed of your footage.

Hard drives will hold approximately 30 hours of footage. Larger drives may be ordered on a case-by-case basis.

13. I want to edit my new DVD on my home computer. Can I simply drag and drop my DVD files onto my computer?

It is possible to edit your new DVD footage on your home computer. However, like a commercial DVD, it requires a good deal more than just dragging and dropping the files to your hard drive. Although our DVDs are not encrypted, editing your new DVD would require DVD authoring software which we do not provide and cannot support.

If you want to edit your footage on your computer, we highly recommend ordering a hard drive copy of your transfer. With the proper equipment, you can then create your own DVD from the digital footage.

14. How do I order more copies?

To ensure that we can accommodate your copy order, please place your copy order with 30 days after receiving your shipment.

Please contact us to order more copies of your video tape transfer.

15. How do I order, how should I send my movies?

The Order Process:

Step 1: Let us know what you are sending and what you want as your finished product. Calculate your transfer estimate with our Pricing Calculator.
Step 2: Label each of your tapes with our printable barcodes.
Step 3: Keep a copy of any information that is written on the outside of each tape.
Step 4: Send your tapes and the checkout confirmation to:

Home Movie Depot
101 West Broadway
Ashland, Missouri 65010

We prefer FedEX shipping.

Step 5: We will email you and confirm your quote once we have received your movies.
Step 6: You will receive an email with your tracking number when the original video along with your copies have been shipped.

16. Can I combine footage from multiple tapes onto one DVD?

To preserve the quality of your VHS to DVD footage, we can not combine footage from multiple tapes onto the same DVD. Each tape will receive its own DVD/DVD set.

17. Do you have any restrictions regarding the content of the video tape?

There are several instances where your video tape will be returned without being converted to DVD. If we do not transfer the home movie for any of the following reasons, the associated transfer costs will be refunded to your card:

• Blank or undeveloped film or video
• Non-supported Format (such as PAL or 35mm Film)
• Objectionable Material
• Copy Protection
• Copyright
• Film or video with too much physical damage