The Best VHS To Digital Company Service – Buyer’s Guide

1. Our top picks
2. Comparison table
3. iMemories
4. Legacybox
5. Southtree
6. Costco
7. ScanMyPhotos
8. Memory Fortress
9. Kodak Digitizing
10. Bottom line

Summary of Our Top Picks

Is your house full of old VHS tapes and films from your wedding, family vacation, or just general things that you’ve recorded in the past?

Our precious memories are stored on old VHS tapes that degrade over time, and on top of that, the devices that can play them are becoming rare by the day.

The best way to deal with this problem is to convert VHS to Digital. Unfortunately, the process of doing this on your own is quite complicated, and you would have to buy additional equipment that can convert VHS tapes.

The best way to convert VHS to DVD, USB, or digital is to have a professional company service do this for you. But, how would someone know which service does this kind of work the best?

That’s where we come in. We’ve found the Top 7 Best VHS to digital service on the market and found out which one is the winner, so you don’t have to research all this on your own.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

Best VHS To Digital Service Comparison Table

1) iMemories

iMemories touts itself as the original digitizing company.

They provide their customers a free quote when they ship their media. There are also free image enhancements when converting to digital and free UPS shipping, along with the free quote.

Another thing they are proud of is that they’ve never lost or damaged a single media that they’ve received. That is impressive, considering they have digitized millions of memories.

Their turnaround time is rather impressive. You can get your old media digitized in 2-3 weeks.

They have an app for iOS and Android where you view and share your memories with the rest of your family and friends.

Steps to take in order to have your old vcr tapes digitized by iMemories is relatively simple:

1. Pack your old media
   Search through your house for old VHS tapes, films, photo slides, negatives, DVDs and put them all together in a SafeShip Kit box and send it to them to digitize and organize.

2. Digitizing begins at their company headquarters
   A team of professionals will take your old media and carefully convert them into your preferred choice of format.

3. Finally, start watching with your family and friends
   Immediately start watching your old videos from their iOS and Android app or a USB or DVD.

You can choose between 4 ways on how you receive your new digitized media:

What will iMemories digitize?

iMemories will digitize:

• Movie Films – 8mm, 16mm, Super 8
• Videotapes – Betamax, VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, Digital 8, MiniDV, MicroMini
• Photo Slides and Negatives
• DVDs and MiniDVD

iMemories Pricing

As of time of writing this article, iMemories was offering a Limited Time Offer of 50% on digital conversion pricing.

Conversion of Videotapes normally costs $29.99 but now it’s only $14.99 per tape and the same thing is with Movies films which is $14.99 per 50ft.

Photos are normally $0.99 but it’s now $0.49 per photo.

Click here to see if the Limited Time Offer is still available.

How to Contact iMemories

• Working hours: Monday – Friday, 8am – 6pm MST
• Email: [email protected]
• Address: 9160 E. Del Camino Drive, Scottdale AZ 85258
• Phone number: (800) 845-7986

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2) LegacyBox

LegacyBox is a digitizing service that takes your old outdated media and transfers it to a digital format for an easy viewing experience.

They have been digitizing memories for 10+ years. The company is located in the US where they have a 100,000 square foot production facility where they employ over 200 trained professionals.

LegacyBox takes their digitizing process very seriously. Each item they receive is hand-digitized by a team of trained technicians.

They have a great online tracking system that can send up to 12 emailed updates along the journey of digitizing your memories.

As with the iMemories SafeShip Kit, LegacyBox will also send you their LegacyBox Kit which you fill in with your VHS tapes, or any other media that they support.

Every Legacybox Kit comes with a prepaid return UPS mailing label for you to use when sending your old media

After you send it to them, they will start converting your old media to one of the 3 options they offer:

• Digital Access – One time download is $5.99 and the unlimited full-year download is $5.99/year
• Thumb Drive – also $5.99 (they don’t specify the GB size of the flash drive)
• Disc Set – DVD’s will also cost you $5.99.

What Old Media Will Legacybox Digitize?

LegacyBox digitizes Tapes, Film, Photos, and Audio.

For Tapes specifically they will convert: VHS, VHS-C, Mini-DV, Hi8, Digital 8, MicroMV, Betamax, and 8mm Video Cassette.

When it comes to Film, they will digitize: 16mm, 8mm, Super 8, and Regular 8.

For Photos, LegacyBox will make a conversion of: Prints, 35mm Negatives, and 35mm/126 slides.

And finally, for Audio, the service will digitize: Reel to Reel, Audio Cassettes, and Micro-Cassette.

Legacybox Pricing

They have 4 options which you can choose from:

• 2 Item Starter: This one is the cheapest option to choose and it costs $59.98. Convert up to 2 Films, or 2 Tapes, or you can go with 2 sets of 25 pictures to digital format.
• 10 Item Family: This one is $279.98 and for that amount you can convert up to 10 tapes or 10 films, or 10 sets of 25 pictures to digital format.
• 20 Item Closet: For $559.98 you can convert up to 20 tapes, or 20 films, or you can go with 10 sets of 25 images.
• 40 Item Trunk: This is the most expensive one and it will cost you $1099.98. With this package you can convert up to 40 tapes or films or 40 sets of 25 pictures to digital.

How to Contact Legacybox

• Weekday hours: Monday – Friday, 8am – 7pm EST
• Weekend hours: Saturday – Sunday, 10am – 6pm
• Email: [email protected]
• Address: 515 N Holtzclaw Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37404, United States
• Phone number: (800) 797-8210

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3) SouthTree Digitizing

The third option on our list is Southtree digitizing service. They have a 100,000 square foot building with the latest technology needed to convert your analog memories.

Southtree has more than 10 years of experience of preserving old memories. They have 200+ professionals converting your media with the utmost care.

As with the first two competitors here, Southtree also has their own box called Southtree Converter Box. You fill the box with your old tapes, photos, etc. and send it to them to digitize/convert.

The process of digitizing is done in 3 simple steps:

1. Buy a Southtree Converter Box, Pack it and then ship it to them.
   Included in the box are safety barcodes for every item you place inside and a prepaid return shipping label to UPS.
2. Southree starts digitizing.
   Their team of professionals will start working on your items, sending you emailed updates along the way.
3. You receive everything back.
   They will send you back all your original items including the newly digitized ones.

What does Southtree digitize?

Tapes: VHS, VHS-C, MiniDV, Hi8, Digital 8, MicroMV, Beta, Pal to NTSC.

• Film: 16mm, 8mm, Super 8.
• Photos: Prints, Slides, Negatives.
• Audio: Cassettes, Reel-To-Reel.

Southtree Pricing

The cost of your memories being digitized by Southtree is cheaper than LegacyBox.

Here is the complete pricing for all formats:

• Tapes: $15 per item
• Film: $25 per item
• Photos: $0.25 per item
• Audio: $15 per item

How to Contact Southtree

• Weekday working hours: Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm EST
• Email: [email protected]
• Address: 515 N Holtzclaw Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37404, USA
• Phone number: (800) 656-6032

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4) Costco Digitizing Service

I never would’ve guessed that Costco would have a service like this, but lo and behold, here they are on this list.

The only noticeable difference between the rest is that they do not have a box of their own where you put your memories. Instead you find a box of your own and fill it with your old media.

The processing time is also longer, it will take 3-4 weeks for them to finish everything. They also email you when they receive your package and when they send it back to you.

The process of making an order can be made in 3 easy steps:

• You create an order on their site.
• Package it all inside a box and send it to them.
• Receive your new and modern digital media.

What does Costco digitize?

CostcoDVD will digitize Video, Film, Photos, and Slides.

Each photo and slide is digitized into a JPEG format.

Pricing of Costco Digitizing Service

The pricing of Costco is a tad bit more complicated than the rest here. 

For Video conversion they charge $19.99 per tape when you choose to have it transferred to DVD.

When it’s a USB it is $24.99 for the first tape, for any additional tapes it’s $16.99.

If you choose DVD + USB you get the first tape for $29.99 and each additional $22.99

When ordering both DVD and USB don’t get them separately because it’s more expensive. They offer a discount when you get them together.

They include videotape repair as well as a case replacement, you also have the option to download a digital copy of your videos from their MemoryCloud.

Film conversion will cost you $19.99 for the first 150 feet, after that it’s $0.13 per foot when transferring to DVD.

When it’s ordered on a USB it is $24.99 for the first 150 feet and also $0.13 per foot just like with DVD.

DVD + USB is $29.99 for the first 150 feet and $0.13 per foot.

Included: original audio as well as cleaning, splicing, scratch reduction and enhanced colors and of course the digital download.

Getting your photos converted will cost you $19.99 for the first 62 photos and after that it’s $0.32 per photo.

Transferring it to a USB is $24.99 for the first 62 photos and $0.32 per photo after the initial 62.

When you select DVD+USB it is $29.99 for the first set of 62 images and $0.32 after that.

For photos they only include enhanced colors as well as a digital download from MemoryCloud.

Slides on a DVD are $19.99 for the first 62 slides and $0.32 per slide after that. If you decide to get it on a USB it’s going to cost you $24.99 for the first 62, and $0.32 per slide after the first 62 slides.

DVD+USB is $29.99 for the first 62 slides and $0.32 per slide after the first 62.

They include the same thing as with the photos, enhanced colors and a digital download.

How to Contact CostcoDVD

• Weekday working hours: Monday – Friday, 8am – 3pm PT
• Weekend working hours: Saturday – Sunday, 8am – 2pm PT
• Email: contact form
• Address: N/A
• Phone number: (866) 463-7694

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5) ScanMyPhotos

ScanMyPhotos started in 1990 as a retail store specializing in photos. Under their original name, “30 Minute Photos Etc,” they offered quick and cheap photo processing for local customers.

When the founders of this company realized that photo processing technology had evolved into a digital age, they reoriented their focus from processing to scanning. This was when they decided to take their company online so it could reach a bigger audience.

Regarding photo scanning, you can choose to scan individual images or buy their Photo Scanning Box, which can hold about 1,800 photos inside. The standard turnaround time for the prepaid box is 5-10 business days, but they can get it done much faster if you choose the Express Same-Day Scanning, which costs a whopping $195.95 per box. It’s a similar thing with slides, videotapes, negatives, and film.

My biggest issue is that they charge you for returning your original photos, tapes, film, etc. And let’s say you don’t want to pay for the return; well, you’re in for a surprise because they will then charge you for the disposal of the originals. This is not the issue with some other digitization companies.

If you’re interested in learning every little detail about the company and how it operates, you can read our ScanMyPhotos review.

What will ScanMyPhotos digitize?

ScanMyPhotos digitizes the following formats:

• Photos
• Slides (35mm, 126mm, 110mm)
• Negatives (35mm, APS, 120mm)
• Videotapes (VHS, mini VHS, VHS-C, Hi8 NTSC format tape)
• Film (8mm, 16mm, Super8)

ScanMyPhotos Pricing

If you want to digitize photos, you can do so in three ways: 

• Pay-per-photo scan, which costs 13 cents per scan, but there is a minimum order fee of $25
• Photo scanning box that can fit around 1,800 photographs inside, which costs $220
• Family generation collection is the same as the photo scanning box, but instead of one box, you get six boxes that can hold about 11,000 photos, and it costs $995

In the case of slides, you have two options:

• Slide scanning box costs $235 and can fit up to 540 35mm slides
• Pay-per-slide, which costs 21 cents per slide but comes with a minimum order of $20

If you want to digitize negatives, you can pick between three options:

• 35mm negative scanning that starts at 47 cents per frame and has a $20 minimum order fee
• APS negative scanning service starts $7.95 per roll with also a $20 minimum order fee
• 120mm negative scanning, which starts at $1.95 per frame with a $20 minimum order fee

For videotapes, there are two options:

• VHS to DVD transfer box, which can fit up to 14 tapes and costs $245
• Individual VHS to DVD transfer starts at $19.95 per tape but comes with a $20 minimum order fee

And finally, when it comes to digitizing film, you have three options:

• Individual 8mm reel digitization starts at 19 cents per foot with a $20 minimum deposit
• 8mm reels to DVD box, which comes a bit cheaper at 17 cents per foot, and it costs $599.95 for the whole box, but you can fit 55 3″ reels or 10 7″ reels inside

How to Contact ScanMyPhotos

• Working hours: Monday – Friday, 8am – 4pm
• Email: [email protected]
• Address: 7 Corporate Park Ste 255, Irvine, CA 92606-5161, USA
• Phone number: 949-474-7654

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6) Memory Fortress

Memory Fortress started in April 2009 because they were frustrated with the digitization industry. Companies were charging way too much, took way too long to digitize, and some were even sending the old media to other continents to be digitized by someone you didn’t even hear about.

As far as I saw, the turnaround time is maybe the best out of everyone, with 1-2 days for small orders and 4-5 days for larger ones. Of course, if the order is massive, it’s 10 business days, but even that is faster than most companies.

What does Memory Fortress digitize?

Memory Fortress will digitize the following formats:

• Videotapes (VHS, VHS-C, Betamax, Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV, MicroMV)
• Photos
• Film (8mm)
• Slides (126, 35mm half frame, 35mm, 127 slide, 110, super 35mm)
• Scrapbook (12×12)
• Negatives (35mm, 126mm, 110mm)

Memory Fortress Pricing

The pricing for videotapes is as follows:

• 1-3 tapes is $20
• 4-10 is $18 per tape
• 11-20 is $17 per tape
• 21-50 is $16 per tape
• 51-100 is $15 per tape
• 101+ is $14 per tape

Here is the pricing for photos:

• If you choose the 300 dpi option, the price is $0.38 for up to 1,500 photos, and the more you add up, the price gets a tiny bit cheaper.
• If you choose the 600 dpi option, the price is $0.42 for up to 1,500, and it also gets cheaper the more you add.

For 4,000 dpi slides, the pricing starts at $0.54 per slide for up to 500 slides, and the cheapest you can get is $0.49 per slide for 5,000+ slides.

Scanning scrapbooks at 300 dpi will cost you $1.59 per page and $1.99 for 600 dpi.

If you want to digitize the film reel, it will cost you $0.29 per foot.

And lastly, the negatives at 4000 dpi will cost you $0.75 per image when converting 35mm.

If you want more details regarding the pricing you can find it in our full Memory Fortress review.

How to Contact Memory Fortress

• Working hours: Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm
• Email: [email protected]
• Address: 2180 Satellite Boulevard Suite 400, Duluth, GA 30097, USA
• Phone number: 678-579-2249

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7) Kodak Digitizing

And finally the last one on our list is the Kodak Digitizing. After looking at their website I realized something. It looks really similar to Legacybox and Southree.

After further investigation I found out that all three companies are owned by AMB Media LLC. All three companies operate from Chattanooga, Tennessee.

From the looks of it they simply branded their service under three different names with different format conversions and pricing.

What will Kodak digitize?

They also use the same classic mail-in model that they use with Southree and Legacybox.

Kodak digitizing does Tapes, Photos, Film, and Audio.

Kodak Digitizing Price

The company uses the same method of pricing as it does with Legacybox but a tad bit more expensive. Probably because they are using the Kodak brand name.

The 2 item box is $69.99, the 10 item is 299.99, the 20 item box is 599.99, and finally the 40 item is $1199.99.

Kodak digitizing offers 3 ways to get your converted items which are Secure Thumb Drive, Digital Download, and DVD’s.

How to Contact Kodak Digitizing

• Working hours: Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm EST
• Email: [email protected]
• Address: 515 North Holtzclaw Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37404
• Phone number: 423-602-2576

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The Bottom Line

When you’re deciding on which VHS to Digital service you’re going to get, you need to make sure it’s the best one because they will be in charge of converting your precious memories.

When you are done reading this article, do your research if you’d like to. Then, compare their features and ask for a price quote from each of them, so you’ll know for sure which one is the best VHS to Digital company service.

But if you don’t have the time or simply don’t want to research on your own, I recommend you go with iMemories.