MENU
Get Started
Your VHS tapes are deteriorating every year they sit on the shelf — losing color, clarity, and sound. Before those memories are gone for good, let Scan5 transfer them to crisp, shareable digital files you can watch on any device.
Consumer VHS players struggle to play back degraded tapes reliably, and entry-level capture equipment adds noise and compression that degrades your footage further. At Scan5, we use professional-grade VHS decks paired with time-base correctors (TBCs) and broadcast-quality capture hardware to ensure every frame is transferred faithfully — even from aging or partially damaged tapes.
Every tape is reviewed individually by our experienced technicians, who adjust settings and document any quality issues so you know exactly what to expect from your transfer.
VHS (Video Home System) was the dominant home video format from the early 1980s through the 2000s. Birthdays, holidays, school plays, sports games — millions of family moments were captured on VHS. But magnetic tape degrades with time, especially when exposed to heat, humidity, and repeated playback. Most tapes lose significant quality after 15–25 years.
If your tapes are more than a decade old, the window to preserve them is closing. The sooner you digitize, the better the result. We accept VHS, S-VHS, PAL/SECAM, and VHS recordings of all types.
Choose the output format that best fits how you plan to use and store your digitized VHS footage.
Compact file size, perfect for everyday viewing on phones, TVs, and computers. Minor compression may be visible on older or degraded recordings.
Larger files with no visible loss of detail compared to the source transfer. The best all-around option for preserving your memories with maximum fidelity.
Professional master formats (ProRes, DNxHD) with minimal compression. Ideal for editors, filmmakers, and those building a permanent archive.
Years in a box can damage cassette cases, break ribbons, or allow mold to form. We repair most issues in-house before transferring so you get the best possible result.
We fix broken cassette cases, splice torn or tangled ribbons, and safely remove mold when present — so your tape can be played and transferred successfully.
Need your footage trimmed, organized, or combined with other tapes into a single video? Our editors can help you tell your family's story.
Once your VHS tapes are digitized, you have a few options for how to store and access your files.
We've digitized home movies for thousands of families and institutions across the Chicago area.
We transfer VHS home movies all day, every day. Bring us your collection — one tape or one hundred — and rest easy knowing your memories are safe.
Have hundreds of VHS tapes? We handle large-volume orders for institutions, schools, and organizations with competitive turnaround and pricing.
We understand how personal your memories are, and we treat them with the utmost care. Your photos, tapes, and videos are always secure with us, and we never share them with third parties. Your physical items are kept safe in our climate controlled inventory room at our office building with 24/7 monitoring.
We digitize standard VHS, S-VHS, and VHS recordings in both NTSC and PAL/SECAM formats. If you're unsure about your tape, bring it in or contact us and we'll take a look.
VHS tapes degrade over time due to magnetic particle deterioration, heat, humidity, and physical wear from repeated playback. Most tapes experience noticeable quality loss after 15–25 years. The sooner you digitize, the better the result — waiting risks losing footage permanently.
Yes. We can usually repair broken cassette cases, splice torn ribbons, and remove mold in-house before transferring. We'll let you know if a tape is too damaged to transfer and will never charge a full fee for content that cannot be reasonably viewed.
We offer high-quality MP4 files for everyday viewing, larger high-fidelity MP4 files for maximum quality, and professional archival formats (ProRes, DNxHD) for editing and long-term preservation.
We review every tape and provide you with a description of its contents. Blank tapes and tapes containing only copyrighted TV recordings are charged a reduced fee. We'll always notify you before charging for these.
You have three options: drop off your tapes at our Chicago studio at 4001 N Ravenswood Ave Suite 502-B, schedule a courier pickup, or ship your tapes to us via UPS (we provide a prepaid shipping label upon request).
Most projects are completed in 1–2 weeks depending on the size of the order. Rush service may be available — contact us to discuss your timeline.
We offer cloud hosting with free downloads (the most convenient option), USB thumb drives, and portable hard drives. Cloud storage includes automatic backup and easy family sharing.
Yes. We offer basic editing services including trimming, organizing footage by event or date, merging multiple tapes, and adding titles. Contact us for a custom quote on editing services.
Yes. We offer volume discounts for large collections. Contact us with the number of tapes you have and we'll provide a custom quote.
Don't wait until it's too late. Let Scan5 preserve your family's home movies before they're gone forever.
