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Help in converting old VCR tapes into digital format


how24111

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I have a bag full of old VCR-C tapes.  These are small VCR-C tapes that go into a full size VCR tape adapter.  I have the full size adapter so they should play in any VCR that uses the American standard of recording.  I have read that VCR's from Asia/Europe use a different type of coding and won't play VCR tapes that were recorded using an American VCR machine.  I have also read that there is a inexpensive cable that will convert a playing VCR tape into a digital format. My problem is that I live full time in Thailand and have no plans to return to the USA.  I don't have any people in the USA that could help me either.  I was thinking that if I locate a USA type  VCR in Thailand I might try to just use my cell phone and record the images from the TV playback.  I think if someone had a old VCR camera that also might be a way of getting the tapes to play back I'm guessing the picture quality won't be very good.  I have maybe 20-30 hours of tapes but many are just hour long tapes of my children's basketball games where he is running up and back and I certainly don't need all of that transferred.  There is videos of Christmas and family's gatherings that I would really like to have.  I don't mind spend a decent amount of money to do this.  Possibly someone is returning to the USA and could do this for me for a price ??   or maybe someone knows a friend in the USA who could do this and I could mail the VCR tapes over to him.  Has anyone heard of any Thai company that could do this ??  The transferred digital format could be put on a hard drive or memory cards.  Again, I would gladly pay a good price to have this done.  If you have any other suggestions please let me know.  Thanks for any help or info

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33 minutes ago, how24111 said:

I think I found the answer.  A Facebook man in Bangkok does tape conversations. I will try him. 

that's definitely the best way.  Just make sure he understands the video tapes are recorded with the NTSC system used in the US and not the European PAL counterpart. He has to have an NTSC VCR player for the conversion to work.

Otherwise, you can buy a VCR player for $25-$50 on eBay in the U.S., but that's not much help as you live in Thailand.  A conversion box costs about $40 in the U.S.

A few years ago I helped an elderly relative convert hundreds of hours of video tapes from 30 years of family life. She wanted the tapes digitalized so her children and grandchildren could watch them.  The big stumbling block was that some of the cassettes were so old the tape tangled or snapped when played back.  We sent her precious tapes, with weddings, birthdays, etc. to a digitalizing service.  Luckily, she had them well labeled so she knew what was on each tape. At that time, digitalization cost $10 per cassette in the U.S. plus the cost of the DVDs.

Evil

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34 minutes ago, Evil Penevil said:

Just make sure he understands the video tapes are recorded with the NTSC system used in the US and not the European PAL counterpart. He has to have an NTSC VCR player for the conversion to work.

I ask him about this and was told his machine plays both types of formats. Thanks for your help and info.

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35 minutes ago, Evil Penevil said:

The big stumbling block was that some of the cassettes were so old the tape tangled or snapped when played back. 

I hope my tapes still play as they were recorded  1991-1997.  Some of them might have been played a few years after that.  The tapes were stored at several locations so I don't really know if they were subjected to high temps. or not.

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