1. Our top picks
  2. Comparison table
  3. 1) iMemories
  4. 2) Legacybox
  5. 3) Memory Fortress
  6. 4) KODAK Digitizing
  7. 5) EverPresent
  8. 6) Nostalgic Media
  9. Final Words

Summary Of Our Top Picks

imemories best vhs to digital

Editor’s pick

iMemories

They provide their customers with a free quote, free image enhancements, professional splices of broken films and videotapes without losing footage.

legacybox box kit

RUNNER UP

Legacybox

They take their digitizing process very seriously and each item is hand-digitized by a team of technicians.


Best Betamax To Digital Service Comparison Table

iMemories

EDITORS CHOICE

Legacybox

Memory Fortress

Kodak Digitizing

Everpresent

Nostalgic Media

iMemories
Legacybox
Legacybox
Kodak digitizing
Costco digitizing

Website Link

Reviews Across Multiple Websites

Trustpilot: 4.7 out of 5

Sitejabber: 4.8 out of 5

Yelp: 3.5 out of 5

Trustpilot: 2.0 out of 5

Sitejabber: 3.8 out of 5

Yelp: n/a

Trustpilot: n/a

Sitejabber: n/a

Yelp: 4 out of 5

Trustpilot: n/a

Sitejabber: n/a

Yelp: n/a

Facebook: 2.5 out of 5

Trustpilot: n/a

Sitejabber: n/a

Yelp: 4 out of 5

Trustpilot: n/a

Sitejabber: n/a

Yelp: 4 out of 5

Video Conversion

Betamax, VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, Digital 8, MiniDV, MicroMini, DVDs, MiniDVDs

Betamax, VHS, VHS-C, Mini-DV, Hi8, Digital 8, MicroMV, 8mm Video Cassette

VHS, VHS-C, Betamax, Hi8, Digital 8, 8mm, MiniDV, MicroMV

VHS, VHS-C, Hi8, Video 8, MiniDV, Betamax, MicroMV, PAL, Digital 8

VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV, HDMiniDV, DVCam, DVCPro, Betamax, Betacam, BetacamSP, Digibeta

VHS, VHS-C, Hi8, 8mm, MiniDV, 3/4 U-Matic, Beta, Betamax

Film Conversion

8mm, 16mm, Super 8

16mm, 8mm, Super 8, Regular 8

8mm

8mm, 16mm

16mm, 8mm, Super 8

8mm, Super 8mm, 16mm

Photo Conversion

Photos, Negatives, Slides

Prints, 35mm Negatives, 35mm/126 slides

Photos, negatives, slides

35mm/126 slides, Prints, Negatives

Prints, Slides, Negatives

Prints from 2" x 2" to 8" x 12"

Audio Conversion

N/A

Reel to Reel, Audio Cassette, Micro-Cassette

n/a

Audio Cassette, Reel-to-Reel

Cassette, Mini/Micro, Vinyl, Reel to Reel

Cassette, Vinyl, Reel to Reel

PRICING

Video Conversion Price

$11.99 per tape

$59.99 for 2 tapes

$279.99 for 10 tapes

$559.99 for 20 tapes

$1099.99 for 40 tapes

Starts at $20 per tape but gets cheaper the more you add

$69.99 for 2 tapes

$299.99 for 10 tapes

$599.99 for 20 tapes

$1199.99 for 40 tapes

Digital only $17.99 per tape

DVD $25.99 per tape

Starting at $30

Film Conversion Price

$11.99 per 50ft.

$59.99 for 2 films

$279.99 for 10 films

$559.99 for 20 films

$1099.99 for 40 films

$0.29 per foot

$69.99 for 2 films

$299.99 for 10 films

$599.99 for 20 films

$1199.99 for 40 films

Digital only $0.22 per foot

DVD $0.32 per foot

Starting at $0.22 per foot

Photo Conversion Price

$0.47 per photo

$59.99 for 2 sets of 25 pictures

$279.99 for 10 sets of 25 pictures

$559.99 for 20 sets of 25 pictures

$1099.99 for 40 sets of 25 pictures

Starts at $0.38 per photo but gets cheaper the more you add

$69.99 for 2 sets of 25 pictures

$299.99 for 10 sets of 25 pictures

$599.99 for 20 sets of 25 pictures

$1199.99 for 40 sets of 25 pictures

$0.59 per photo

Starting at $0.19

Audio Conversion Price

N/A

$59.99 for 2 audio items

$279.99 for 10 audio items

$559.99 for 20 audio items

$1099.99 for 40 audio items

n/a

$69.99 for 2 audio items

$299.99 for 10 audio items

$599.99 for 20 audio items

$1199.99 for 40 audio items

$25.99 per tape

Starting at $35 per tape

Converting your old Betamax tapes into a digital format is the best way to ensure you won’t lose any footage. Unfortunately, no one knows how long video recordings will last, so it’s best to convert older formats and keep them on DVD or hard drive.

Betamax and VHS are similar. They are both film technologies, and they even look alike. They have black plastic cases with video film inside and were even pretty much the same size, with the Betamax being slightly smaller. However, the Betamax format is said to have a better recording than VHS due to having a higher resolution (250 lines vs. 240). In addition, the sound quality was slightly better. The Betamax recorder also had a higher quality construction than the VHS. Unfortunately, even though Betamax was smaller and had better picture quality, it still lost to VHS in popularity.

vhs tape case

High-grade tapes tend to have a greater durability and metal particle density which means they will last longer on your shelf. Unfortunately, cheap, 90s era cassettes were reasonable because flimsy cassette shells with low-grade materials reduced impact on their shelf life.

If you’re looking to find the best Betamax to DVD or digital conversion service, you’ve come to the right place. These services convert your Betamax to digital format and label them all, providing you a digital file collection in addition to your requested DVDs or USBs.

Converting Betamax Tapes to Digital

transfer betamax to digital format

The Betamax to DVD transfer is a process that is done with professional digitizing services, and we are here to help you find the perfect service for you.

It is essential to find a company service with experience in converting Betamax tapes. These experts will ensure that you are getting professionals taking care of this process who know what they’re doing and can adequately preserve precious moments before they fade away forever.

Important to note:

  • Over time, flash drives can become corrupt for many reasons and make it impossible to read what’s stored on them. To avoid this problem at all costs, we recommend backing up your files directly to the computer or a cloud service.
  • The digitizing company will not process any copyrighted material. You can find out more about the copyright status by calling them directly, so please keep this in mind before making copies of your transfer order.
  • For newer computers without a disc drive, you want to add an extra USB flash drive with your purchase.

1) iMemories

iMemories Box

Trustpilot Rating:

4.4 /5

What we like

  • Comprehensive digitization of various media formats with and without sound
  • Various choices for digital copies
  • Quick processing time
  • Affordable service prices
  • Regular email updates throughout the process
  • Enhancements and repairs offered for select media types
  • Highly rated by client

What we don’t like

  • iMemories shipping kit has limited storage and may not be sufficient for large orders despite accepting any size order.

When you think your old family tapes can’t get any worse, they start to fade and deteriorate. But there is a way of preserving them for years by digitizing them. Our research about the best digitizing services found that iMemories has the best user reviews and an overall excellent rating of 4.7 stars on Sitejabber. Some companies even ship Betamax tapes overseas to be digitized? But iMemories does not.

iMemories is an analog media conversion company that will turn your Betamax tapes, Mini DV movies, or even VHS tapes into digital format. They work with the most outdated types of video equipment, such as 8mm reels, so you can still enjoy them on any modern device. You can also digitize photographs, negatives, and slides if you need to.

iMemories is a company that can take on any size order. They’ve received orders with over 100 videotapes and movie films and 10 thousand photos. 

iMemories has a variety of ways for you to preserve your digitized memories. For example, you can have them stored on cloud storage or a disc, hard drive, or flash drive so that you can access them anytime. They’ll also return the original media after they’re done converting it into digital copies for safekeeping.

How Does iMemories Work?

Find and pack up all of your memories in the iMemories SafeShip Kit and take them to FedEx for sending. The crush-proof box is safe, so there’s no need to worry about the old formats getting damaged during transport.

iMemories Team Experts

The 50,000 square foot facility is an incredible place where over 200 technicians digitize thousands of old memories every day, and they also return all your old media back to you. They never lost a single one in 15 years.

imemories company

Choose What You Get Back

You can have your memories saved onto durable storage media like: 

  • DVDs for $19.99
  • Blu-ray for $19.99
  • USB flash drive for $39.99/8GB, $59.99/16GB, $79.99/32GB
  • Portable Hard Drive for $199.99/1TB
  • iMemories Cloud for $7.99 per month or $49.99 per year

iMemories App

The iMemories app is a great way to make your memories come alive in your home or anywhere you go. There’s no charge for this app, but it comes with a subscription for unlimited viewing, sharing & storage at the cost of $7.99 per month or 49 dollars annually, covering all continued use of their service.


2) Legacybox

legacybox box kit

Editors Rating:

4.5 /5

What we like

  • Convenient shipping kit for efficient process
  • Simple and easy process with email updates
  • Accepts and transfers a wide range of analog media, including audio formats
  • Regular deals and discounts available

What we don’t like

  • Some customers report a longer digitization process than expected

After iMemories, one of the best digitizing companies is LegacyBox. Legacybox is another consumer favorite with 4.03 stars on SiteJabber, indicating that most customers are satisfied and happy with their purchase.

Legacybox comes in different sizes, depending on how many items you need to have digitized. They offer four package options, and they are:

legacybox kit
  • 2 item starter: you can convert up to 2 tapes, or 2 films, or 2 sets of 25 photos to digital
  • 10 item family: it’s the same thing but with 10 items
  • 20 item closet: also the same but with 20 items
  • 40 item trunk: finally, their most expensive package where you can convert 40 items

When you order one of these packages, you’ll receive a box containing all the instructions you need and your bar codes and shipping labels. The unique generated numbers allow them to identify which items are yours in just one quick scan.

There would be an extra barcode on the next page of your booklet if you decided to add additional items. Once they’re tagged, fill up the Legacy Box and ship it off.

What Will You Get Back?

You can choose between 3 options, and they are:

  • Digital access (you can pick unlimited full-year download or a one time download)
  • USB Thumb Drive
  • Disc set (CD/DVD)

How Long Does Legacybox Take?

After receiving your package, they will have it converted in approximately 6 to 8 weeks. You’ll get personal updates throughout the process with access to a concierge who can answer all those questions.

How Much Does Legacybox Cost?

Legacybox offers several different digitizing kits, and the cost depends on which you select:

  • 2 items starter is $35.98
  • 10 item family is $159.99
  • 20 item closet is $319.99
  • 40 item trunk is $629.99

Be sure to check the official website because Legacybox has frequent discounts on their services.

legacybox_Open-Box

3) Memory Fortress

memory fortress logo

Trustpilot Rating:

4.5 /5

What we like

  • Easy and straightforward ordering process
  • Phone ordering available
  • Suitable for large orders and family projects
  • Accepts various media formats
  • Fast turnaround time

What we don’t like

  • Doesn’t offer a shipping kit
  • Minimum order fee of $99

Memory Fortress is a top-tier photo scanning and video transfer service that offers unparalleled expertise in handling large order volumes. In addition, they offer a relatively fast turnaround time, ensuring that customers receive their digital copies as quickly as possible.

What’s more, Memory Fortress allows customers to combine their family memories into one comprehensive project, allowing them to transfer and preserve memories from multiple generations. Even if you have a small number of films, Memory Fortress has partnerships with smaller transfer facilities to ensure that they can accommodate your needs.

Memory Fortress prides itself on quality and speed, with high-rated customer reviews to back up their work. You can place an order through their website or by phone, but you will need to pack and ship your films in your own box.

Memory Fortress digitizes films quickly and offers several transfer options, including DVD, USB, and cloud storage. Prices start at $0.29 per foot for 8mm film transfers, and videotape transfers start at $20 per tape. Additionally, as the number of tapes, photos, slides, and negatives you want to digitize increases, the price per item decreases.

Upon completion of the transfer process, you will receive both a digital copy and the original films. Memory Fortress accepts and converts a variety of formats, including VHS, VHS-C, Betamax, 8mm, Hi8, Digital 8, MiniDV/HDV, MicroMV, 8mm film, loose photos, photos in albums, 35mm, Super 35mm, 35mm half frame, 110, 126, and 127 slides, and 35mm, 110 films, and 126 negatives.

With their streamlined process, quick turnaround times, and affordable prices, Memory Fortress is the ideal choice for preserving your cherished memories and making them accessible for future generations.


4) KODAK Digitizing

Kodak digitizing

Editors Rating:

4.2 /5

What we like

  • Straightforward process for digitizing analog media
  • Includes supplies and easy-to-follow guide
  • Regular email updates provided
  • Converts wide range of media types
  • Provides digital copy in convenient formats

What we don’t like

  • Turnaround time can take 6-8 weeks
  • Pricing structure not transparent and varies based on number and type of items digitized

One of the original companies to release Betamax video cassettes was Kodak. So if you have long-forgotten Betamax tapes lying around, there’s a good chance they could be their L-750 models.

With a KODAK Digitizing Box, you can digitize your memories and enjoy them on any device. You’ll receive all the supplies needed to quickly get started with an easy-to-follow guide that includes instructions for loading. They include extra safety barcodes if you have more media that you would like to digitize. They’ll invoice you for any add-ons once they receive your media.

With a straightforward process, it is possible to convert those old memories into digital, so they never go outdated again.

Which Media Kodak Digitizes?

As with most companies on this list, they will do:

  • Tapes: VHS, VHS-C, Hi8, Video 8, MiniDV, Betamax, MicroMV, PAL, Digital 8
  • Film: 8mm, 16mm
  • Photo: 35mm/126 slides, Prints, Negatives
  • Audio: Audio Cassette, Reel-to-Reel

How Long Does Kodak Take?

The KODAK Digitizing Box will take approximately 6 – 8 weeks once they receive your filled order. You can expect regular email updates throughout the process, and their knowledgeable customer support team is ready to answer any questions you may have along the way.

What Do You Get Back?

You can have a digital copy of your memories in convenient formats such as Thumb Drive, DVD, or Digital Download. All analog media will be professionally digitized by hand.

How Much Does Kodak Cost?

Kodak prices depend on the type and how many items you would like to digitize. The minimum starting price for two tapes is $69.99.

The current prices of the Kodak kits are:

  • $69.99 for two tapes + $9.99 for a thumb drive or Disc set
  • $300.00 for ten tapes + $19.99 for a thumb drive or Disc set
  • $599.99 for twenty tapes + $39.99 for a thumb drive or Disc set
  • $1.199.99 for forty tapes + $79.99 for a thumb drive or Disc set

5) EverPresent

everpresent service

Editors Rating:

4.4 /5

What we like

  • Straightforward process for digitizing analog media
  • Includes supplies and easy-to-follow guide
  • Regular email updates provided
  • Converts wide range of media types
  • Provides digital copy in convenient formats

What we don’t like

  • Turnaround time can take 6-8 weeks
  • Pricing structure not transparent and varies based on number and type of items digitized

Everpresent Service is a locally trusted and nationally recognized premium conversion company. They specialize in the digital preservation of tapes, film reels, slides, albums, etc., to ensure that your precious memories last forever.

They do things others don’t, like manually transcribe handwritten labels into DVD menus and filenames. As a result, 90% of jobs are completed within a month at an affordable price, with rush service available to all customers who need it.

You can get an estimate without paying upfront. They include phone consults with experts, and the company will only charge you when they approve your project.

Which Media Everpresent Digitize?

They will digitize:

  • Tapes: Hi8, VHS, VHS-C, Video 8, MiniDV, HDMiniDV, Betamax, Betacam, MicroMV, DVCam, DVCPro PAL, Digital 8
  • Film: 16mm, 8mm, Super8
  • Photo: Slides, Photos, Photos Albums, Negatives
  • Audio: They digitize standard audio cassettes, DAT tapes, mini-cassettes, micro-cassettes, dictation tapes, 1/4 inch audio reels, half-track audio reels, and all forms of vinyl records and LPs from 33 ⅓ RPM to 45 RPM to 78 RPM.

How Long Does Everpresent Take?

With video conversion, you can have them converted in two weeks. But, of course, it all depends on how many tapes are sent.

For the StoryBoxes, it typically takes about 6-8 weeks to complete when they receive your filled box at headquarters.

How Much Does Everpresent Cost?

For storyboxes, they have 3 options you can choose from, and they are:

  • post digitizing mini-documentary for $1600
  • signature for $3000
  • everpresent for $5000

When you click order now on any of these packages, it goes to the 404 not found page, so not sure what’s going here exactly. They’re not really focused on their website that much. I’m guessing they rely primarily on local sales or if you contact them directly via their contact form.


6) Nostalgic Media

Nostalgic media

Editors Rating:

4.0 /5

What we like

  • Can order online or print an order form, and have the option to drop off physical items at the Atlanta lab
  • Blank or unconvertible tapes will not be charged

What we don’t like

  • Turnaround time can take 6-8 weeks
  • Prices can be expensive compared to other services
  • Digital download options are not available

Nostalgic media says they never send Betamax tapes overseas to be converted. Instead, all the work is in-house at their lab located in Atlanta, GA. This means you can pick up the phone and talk with technicians who will work at digitizing your priceless memories.

With the Standard Betamax to DVD transfer service, you can have your memories secured for future generations. These conversions are rated at 100 years or more, so you know they will be safe in any standard player and computer with a drive.

You can complete your order online or print the order form. Then, pack the box with your old media and ship it off. If you’re not comfortable shipping them yourself, don’t worry. You can drop off any physical items in person at Atlanta’s lab.

If you submit tapes that are blank or too damaged to convert, then there will be no charge. Starting price for Betamax transfer to DVD is $45 per tape.

Final Words

Digitizing Betamax tapes is expensive for some people, but remember, your memories don’t have a price. For reasonable processing time and price, iMemories, in our opinion, is your best choice for converting Betamax to digital. With years of experience and professional staff, you can get high-quality digitizing service for an affordable price.

Written by Abdo

Abdo is a Zoopy writer who loves spending his free time outdoors, camping, and enjoying the peace that nature brings. He also enjoys fixing things - he's particularly good with electronics. His favorite movie is I Am Legend, and he's fascinated by survival gear and safety.

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