For many decades, people have used the power of video recorders to document special times in their lives. Over time, some of the videotape formats that were used in the past have become outdated. Studies show that over 40% of Americans are in possession of heirlooms that are over 50 years old. If you have some old video tapes that you want to preserve, digitizing them is a great idea.
Luckily, there are a variety of different ways you can digitize your old home movies. If you are looking for the right method to preserve these special memories, then check out the information below.
1. Hire Professionals To Perform This Job
If you consider yourself to be tech-savvy, then digitizing old home movies might be something you can’t handle. Rather than allowing these special memories to deteriorate, you need to seek out the help of professionals to digitize your movies. There are a number of businesses in operation that can help you convert your 8mm movies into digital files.
Before hiring a service to help with this important job, you need to do some research. Ideally, you want to hire a service that has great reviews and plenty of experience. Looking at the online reviews, a video conversion business has received can help you assess if they are the right fit.
2. DVD Recorders Come In Handy
If you want to digitize home movies while still maintaining a physical form of media, then a DVD recorder is something you should invest in. When connected to an 8mm tape player, a DVD recorder can transfer the analog footage on these tapes to a DVD.
This, in effect, makes the 8mm footage a digital file. Since DVD recorder technology is considered somewhat old hat, you will probably have to buy a used one. Looking on popular online marketplaces like eBay is a great way to find a good deal on a DVD recorder.
3. Use Your Computer
An overwhelming number of people in the United States have a laptop or desktop in their homes. If you have access to a computer, you might be able to convert your old video tapes into digital files. The first step in this process is connecting your videotape player to your computer. This can be done by accessing either the VGA or USB ports on your computer.
If you have an older tape player, you might have to hunt down an adapter cable to connect it to your computer. Before you buy a particular adapter, you need to make sure it is designed for your type of player and computer. In some cases, you might have to reach out to a computer repair professional to get more information about what you need and where you can find it.
4. Record The Home Video With Your Phone
One of the easiest ways to turn old home videos into digital files is by playing them on a projector or television screen and recording it with your phone. These recordings will be saved as digital files. Sending these files to your email address will allow you to save them on your computer. When recording these home videos, you might want to use a tripod to hold it steady. By doing this, you can improve the quality of the recording in question.
If you are serious about preserving your old home movies, then you need to use one of the methods mentioned in this article. Due to the complexity involved in converting old home movies to digital files, you might want to let professionals handle it.
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