MiniDV TRANSFERS

NOTE: YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SHIPPING BOTH WAYS. WE DO NOT SEND A BOX. WE BILL FOR RETURN SHIPPING WHEN THE JOB IS COMPLETE. *Unless you choose to have your tapes recycled. Expedited or rushed services only apply to availability of digital files for download and may still be subject to delays based on the condition of what we receive.

This listing is for the transfer of small size MiniDV Tapes to digital files. We do not transfer any of the larger size professional DV tapes, but only the consumer MiniDV size.

HISTORY:
MiniDV tapes were first released for amateur use in 1995 for use in small camcorders. The DV format was stored as data and not a regular analog video signal. So just like trying to get data from an old dusty floppy disc you threw in the drawer for 30 years, DV tapes are more problematic to transfer with age and we run across more issues with them the longer you’ve had them bouncing from house to house or sitting somewhere until someone discovered them again.

While most MiniDV tapes look the same, if they were used in a professional unit, we may not be able to read them, or we may contact you for additional fees for professional transfer as they may include frame rate or sound settings and features not available on consumer or prosumer units. We mostly run into this with DV tapes filmed with cameras used or borrowed at schools/universities, libraries, or camcorders used for religious services which were higher end. Most consumer camcorders purchased from department stores are fine. If you know you used a plain mom and pop handheld MiniDV camcorder you will probably be fine.

VERSIONS:
There were three different recording formats of the small MiniDV but all of them could be recorded on the same type of tape. Standard, DVCAM, and HDV. Unfortunately, you cannot tell which format is on what tape until you attempt to play them. HDV and DVCAM formats will not show on Standard playback units. We charge $3 more to transfer DVCAM and HDV because they are more problematic to transfer with age- especially when it was common for folks to slip in a standard MiniDV tape which was more prone to drop out signals than tapes designed for those higher formats. In addition, the file sizes are much larger. It’s ok if you don’t know which tapes are which but you can expect a balance due if we discover any, unless you give us permission to transfer them as standard definition, upon which we will waive the upcharge.

LENGTHS AND QUALITY:
Most MiniDV tapes are 60 Minutes for standard recording and 90 minutes for extended recording.

The slower the recording speed, the more that could be fit on a tape. However, that slow speed also made the quality of the recording worse and makes it more problematic to transfer as the tape ages. Keep in mind that nobody imagined looking at these videos on screens as big as we have today, so be realistic with your expectations after transfer.

Please note that the price you pay is per tape and covers up to 2 hours transfer per tape. Tapes exceeding 120 minutes will be charged an additional transfer fee for every portion of each two hour block thereafter.

FOREIGN MiniDV TAPES.
There were two different recording formats for DV tapes depending on the country the tape was recorded in: NTSC, PAL. The base price includes the transfer of NTSC which is common to the Americas. If your tapes are from someone who served on active duty overseas, it’s a safe bet that they are still NTSC since military PX sold NTSC units. If we discover that you have sent a foreign format, you will be charged an additional $3 per tape as these units are more expensive for us to purchase and maintain here in the United States.