U-matic Tapes to Digital Service
If you have rare video formats, get excited! EverPresent’s video team can even transfer U-matic tapes to DVDs for you. Since their birth in the 1970s, U-matic cassettes and VCRs were too pricey to catch on with consumers. But these tapes found a home at schools and firms with bigger budgets.
Your U-matic tapes were probably used for broadcasting or education. Though you won’t know that if you can’t watch them. It’s now harder than ever to find – and afford – a VCR that can still play these videos. We use a professional-grade tape deck to convert U-matic tapes to digital formats. Your videos are then delivered via flash drives, DVDs, and cloud storage. All of these options can help you enjoy those old U-matic videos without an ancient VCR.
If your school or company still has U-matic cassettes, it’s time to turn that dusty shelf of tapes into a sleek digital archive. The actual tape inside of U-matic cassettes will deteriorate over time. It can also be damaged by friction inside of the VCR when a video is paused. Don’t wait for these items to get worse – call us today to transfer those U-matic tapes to digital.
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Everything you need to know
about U-matic to DVD services
Common questions about U-matic tapes to digital
How old are my U-matic videos?
Sony introduced the U-matic format in 1971, so your cassettes could already be over the hill! The U-matic S (for ‘small’) variation came three years later as a more portable option for field crews, and the Broadcast Video U-matic (BVU) arrived in the early 1980s as a high-quality version. Some things get better with age – sadly, U-matic tapes do not.
Why does the tape look like a used scratch ticket?
Uh-oh! If the tape inside a U-matic cassette looks blotchy in some spots and clear in others, it probably has ‘sticky shed syndrome.’ This happens when the glue that holds magnetic tape together starts to break down. Without that glue, part of the tape will start to flake off. You can slow the damage by ‘baking’ U-matic tapes at a low temperature, but this job needs an expert. EverPresent does not bake your tapes in-house, but we partner with folks who do.
Where Can I Find a U-matic VCR?
Be prepared to do some digging! U-matic tape decks’ high cost has kept demand low, so they’re not as abundant as other mass-made video gear. You can still find U-matic players for sale on eBay and Amazon, but even a broken one will run you just under $200. U-matic VCRs that actually work could cost you thousands. And because they’re mostly refurbished, they might not last long. EverPresent converts U-matic tapes to DVDs, USB flash drives, and cloud storage to make your video stash more accessible.
Sharing & archiving after converting U-matic cassettes to digital
The work on your U-matic tapes is worth too much to be left in the past. Most of these recordings are assets for schools, broadcasters, and advertisers. After we transfer your tapes to digital, there’s still more we can do to make your legacy shine. One reporter used our custom video editing service to turn his news packages into a digital highlight reel that shows off his work. Once your stacks of U-matic cassettes turn into hours of digital video, our digital organizing service can help you sort through your archive and reduce clutter.
“Last summer I came across my two boxes of stored video tapes, spanning more than two decades of my family’s life from before kids to college graduations. I worried those memories might degrade in those boxes and be lost forever. Fortunately I found EverPresent Throughout the process, the staff at EverPresent was readily available whenever I called. Each person I spoke with was as pleasant to deal with as the next. They promised to be able to transcribe our recordings from three different (obsolete) video formats to modern digital format. I received another courtesy call when my project was finished and on its way to the drop off in Connecticut. The final result was excellent…what a trip down memory lane! I have used EverPresent five times now, each time as smooth as the first. I would heartily recommend EverPresent to anyone interested in preserving their important memories for posterity.”
– Warren M.
Farmington, CT
Visit one of our Northeast locations:
U-matic tapes to digital scanning pricing
We’ll convert your old U-matic tapes to DVD, USB or digital and maintain your organization!
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1-10 Umatic tapes
- Delivered via private website & DVDs
- High quality transfer to computer
- 3 level human eye quality control
- Experienced and trained local technicians
10+ Umatic tapes
- USB drive or CD/DVDs
- Label transcription
- Experienced and trained local technicians
- Private website included
Archival Upgrade
$10+
add $10 to each tape
- DVD & USB combos
- Ask about archival DVDs for added security
- 80yr, scratch-resistant, silver/gold alloy
- Medical-grade USBs
A $30 service fee applies to all orders. This service fee provides for safe handling procedures including: intake, item coding, physical & digital storage, quality checks by senior technicians and packaging.
WE ORGANIZE AND DIGITIZE ALL OF YOUR MEMORIES
- Consolidated library
- No duplicates
- Organized chronologically
- Consulations from your home
- Certified organizers & consultants
- Ideal for large projects
- Edited highlight videos
- Family documentaries
- Turn hours of raw footage into something sharable
- One-of-a-kind designs
- Work with a designer
- Be as involved, or not, as you want
- Photos & videos set to music
- Perfect for family events & weddings
- Easy to watch and share
Get an estimate on your umatic tape project!
Fill out our form or call to speak to a consultant
617-505-1132
