How to transfer video to DVD

 How long is my tape? What’s the format?

Like most people, you will likely have a box full of old tapes and films stowed away in your loft or garage somewhere. GO URL & LEARN MORE

Perhaps you are even in the process of digitizing them, and for this we applaud you. It's a smart thing to do and will benefit you and your videos. But how are you to know the lengths of the film in that disordered box of the film? Or the size and standard of the film? And crucially, is that at all important in the process of digitisation? 

The simple answer is; No. Here at Supaphoto, we offer services to digitize your tapes and films regardless of the length or standards they may be. We offer the whole service for a consistent and affordable price.

If you’re still intrigued as to the lengths and standards of the tapes in your collection, then there are several things you can do to determine this…

 

Tape length vs Playback time

A Video tape's length is defined in terms of playback time as opposed to its physical length. In the US, the system in place for tape speeds is NTSC, which has a faster running rate at 6.6 feet/minute compared to European (PAL) or French (SECAM) systems that run at a rate of 4.69 feet/minute. All this means is that the tape played on a PAL VCR will give you a longer playback time than that of an NTSC.

If it’s a US tape then you’ve got a pretty high chance of guessing your tape's operating system - likely to be NTSC. And if it is then it’s probably a standard T-120 tape, this will typically have a total length of 812 feet and a total runtime of approximately 2 hours. GO URL & LEARN MORE

Recording times available for VHS tapes 

Recording times on your VHS tapes vary depending on what your VCR’s record speed is set at. There are several record speeds available on your VHS deck. These are SP/LP/EP. A T-120 VHS tape on SP (Standard Play)  will amount to about 2 hours. If it’s an LP (Long Play) it could be up to 4 hours long. EP (Extended Play) could be a recorded time of up to 6 hours.

Other formats for VHS such as T-160 and T-180 have an increased recording time. The simple formula to use is: The bigger the number = the more time u have. GO URL & LEARN MORE

 

In conclusion

Regardless of the length of your tape or in film, In both feet and time, is irrelevant to your digitizing needs, long or short. The same goes for the format. At Supaphoto, we’ll convert every second to digital.