Vancouver: 778-819-8400
Good ol' VHS. These are the same tapes you would rent from the video store before DVDs. Size: about 4 by 7¼ inches. Runtimes are usually 2 hours or less, but could reach as long as six hours when recorded in the slower LP or SLP speeds.
These tapes are the same thickness as a VHS tape, but smaller - about 2¼ by 3½ inches. The tape inside is the same as VHS. These were developed for use in handheld video cameras. These usually have a runtime of 30 minutes.
S is for Super. Both of the previous VHS formats were later developed in a Super-VHS format which featured better image and sound quality. We transfer Super VHS tapes, both full-size and compact, at full quality for excellent results.
Betacam was the professional version of the beta formats. We transfer these to your choice of DVDs or digital computer files.
BetacamSP was the de facto broadcast video format for many years. We transfer these to your choice of DVDs or digital computer files.
Digital Betacam (commonly referred to as DigiBeta, D-Beta, DBC or simply Digi) was launched in 1993. It supersedes both Betacam and Betacam SP, while costing significantly less than the first, 100% uncompressed D1 format. S tapes are available with up to 40 minutes running time, and L tapes with up to 124 minutes.
Betacam SX is a digital version of Betacam SP introduced in 1996, positioned as a cheaper alternative to Digital Betacam. It stores video using MPEG 4:2:2 Profile@ML compression, along with four channels of 48 kHz 16 bit PCM audio.
Size: About 3¾ by 2½ inches and a little more than half an inch thick. Video8, Hi8 and Digital8 are all handheld camcorder formats developed after VHS, having increasing image quality, respectively. Video8 runtimes range from 60 to 135 minutes.
Size: About 3¾ by 2½ inches and a little more than half an inch thick. Video8, Hi8 and Digital8 are all handheld camcorder formats developed after VHS, having increasing image quality, respectively. Hi8 runtimes range from 60 to 135 minutes.
Size: About 3¾ by 2½ inches and a little more than half an inch thick. Video8, Hi8 and Digital8 are all handheld camcorder formats developed after VHS, having increasing image quality, respectively. Ditigal8 runtimes range from 60 to 90 minutes.
This was the consumer version of the beta formats. Betamax came out around the same time as VHS, and was a higher-quality format, but was more expensive, so VHS became the popular format.
U-matic is an analogue recording videocassette format first shown by Sony in prototype in October 1969, and introduced to the market in September 1971. The videotape was ¾in (1.9 cm) wide, so the format is often known as "three-quarter-inch" or simply "three-quarter", comparing to other open reel videotape formats of the same vintage.
Did someone say mix tape? This was the ubiquitous storage format for audio before CDs came along. These range from 30 to 110 minutes in length. We transfer these to your choice of CDs or digital files for your computer, such as WAV or MP3. If you have a tape that is 90 minutes or longer and you go to CD, then you'll end up with two CDs; one for side A and one for side B. CDs hold 80 minutes of music.
Often used in portable audio records for meetings, lectures, dictation, or even evidence, these tapes are a much smaller version of the regular Cassette format. Sometimes they are in stereo, sometimes mono. We transfer these to your choice of CDs or digital files for your computer, such as WAV or MP3. These are usually 30 minutes per side. One tape will fit on a single CD.
Even smaller than the Mini Cassette, but the same in virtually every other way.
DAT stands for Digital Audio Tape. This rare format boasts deep dynamic range and high resolution. We transfer these to your choice of CD or digital files for your computer, using a direct digital-to-digital connection that sounds fantastic and preserves any track markers that may exist on the tape. Yes, we can preserve the 48kHz sample rate if you are going to digital files. CDs have a native rate of 44.1kHz. We have heard that we are the only place in the Lower Mainland that handles DAT tape!
The MiniDisc (MD) is a magneto-optical disc-based data storage device offering a capacity of 74 minutes and, later, 80 minutes, of digitized audio or 1 gigabyte of Hi-MD data. The Sony brand audio players were on the market from September 1992 until March 2013.
Floppy disks from the computers of no-so-long-ago. We transfer these to your choice of CDs or digital files for your current computer. Floppy disks hold about 2.5MB of data each.