Frequently Asked Questions

Please find our most frequently asked questions below. If you can't find an answer to your question, don't hesitate to get in touch with us, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

How do I order more than 1 Tape for Transfer?

If you click on the product and then click “Add to Cart” DO NOT click “Buy Now”, on the next screen you will see the quantity as 1 x, click on  the 1 x and you can change it to a higher quantity.

My Tape is broken / damaged; can it still be transferred?

We will attempt to repair any broken tapes before transfer and free of charge. Although, for badly damaged tapes, we may not be able to return them after transfer.

My DVD Just Has "Your Family Memories" Printed on it?

We only Print on the DVD what is written on the Tape if it is clear and easy to read, if we are unsure then we only print  "Our Family Memories Tape 1" etc to be safe.

We will also only print it on the DVD if it is written on the Tape itself and not the case, as cases can get swapped around or mixed up and we could end up printing the wrong title on the DVD.

My Tape has white dust on it, can I send it?

No, we cannot accept any tapes that are suspected of having tape mould. Please see our Tape Mould information page for more details.

Are there any restrictions on what can be transferred?

No, we'll attempt to transfer every and any tape.

Are the DVD's I get from you Copy Protected in any way?

No, none of our DVD's are ever copy-protected; they belong to you to do with as you wish and to make copies of etc.

When and how will I receive my order?

We aim for a turnaround of 7 working days, although we'll always endeavor to finish conversions as quickly as possible. All finished DVDs will be returned along with the original tapes through Royal Mail 48. Each DVD is returned with a label and protective cover.

How secure is your payment processing system?

All payments are handled through Shopify Payments and processed by Stripe (a processor for companies such as Booking.com, ASOS, and Deliveroo). Know you're in safe hands with industry-leading levels of encryption that ensures we never see your payment details in plain text.

We're fully PCI compliant, which means that we're recognised as conforming with industry-standard practices for providing a safe and secure platform for our customers. We employ the latest security techniques and are constantly reviewing our system for improvements.

Do you provide a 'discrete' conversion service?

Yes we do.

I have a prerecorded VHS Tape. Are you able to transfer this?

If it is your own personal copy and is for your own personal use with no intention to rent or sell, we can facilitate this.

Can you convert Tapes from the USA (NTSC) to PAL format?

Yes, we can convert NTSC VHS, VHS-C and MiniDV tapes to PAL format on either DVD or MP4.

Do you edit the Tapes?

Unfortunately, as we're a low-cost service, we can only transfer the entire contents of a tape to the chosen transfer medium. We cannot cut or edit the original media.

However if you wish us to remove parts from your transfer, such as only keep family footage and remove TV Programs that were recorded on the Tape, then there is a £10 per hour of Tape length extra charge for this due to the extra work involved.

How is my Tape transferred to DVD?

We use the most up-to-date transfer equipment to ensure the quality of your conversion. Your tape will be transferred via a JVC Tape Deck via a Signal Processor to a hard drive unit and then converted into DVD or MP4 format. We then burn the footage onto disc and Ink Jet print our labels, achieving a very professional and high-quality finish.

What type of DVD do you use and what quality can I expect?

We only use the highest quality 'A' grade DVD-R media for all conversions. DVD-R is the standard format for most DVD players. However, some older DVD players and recorders are not DVD-R compatible. Please consult your user manual for further information.

As for the quality of our conversion, "The DVD you receive will reflect the original quality of the media you supplied. Your digital copy may be slightly better than your original media". But please remember Tapes age, regardless of how they have been stored, so after 10 or 20 years the picture and sound will likely have degraded somewhat.

Will my PlayStation / Xbox play the DVD's?

PlayStations and Xboxes are known to be problematic with certain brands of DVD; we would therefore recommend that the DVD's are played only on a DVD player, computer or laptop with the appropriate playback software.

What ratio is the DVD supplied in?

The default ratio for a DVD is 16:9 widescreen, but we can also supply in 4:3 ratio for older televisions. If you require 4:3, please advise us in the order notes when purchasing.

Will my Tapes be well kept and looked after?

We always treat every customer's tapes with the utmost care — they are valuable and irreplaceable and, as such, are treated with the utmost respect. Our 48 delivery service is tracked and insured to give you peace of mind. As a family run business (est. 2008), we are grateful for you considering us for your tape conversions.

Will my original Tapes be returned?

Yes, along with your DVD / USB conversion, you will receive your original tapes as well.

Can I order extra copies of my Tape?

Yes. When you view one of our conversion products, you'll see an Additional DVD Copies dropdown. Select the appropriate number of additional DVDs, and we'll do the rest. Each extra DVD is £3.99.

Can I play the DVDs on my computer or laptop?

Our DVDs are encoded to be used on a normal standalone DVD player connected to a TV and computers / laptops with a DVD drive and the appropriate DVD player software, like PowerDVD. Without DVD software on your computer or laptop, your device may not be able to play the DVD.

To use them on a computer or laptop without the appropriate DVD software, we advise you to opt for the MP4 format on a USB stick.

Can I edit my DVDs?

It can be pretty difficult to edit a DVD, as it would have to be converted into an editable format such as MP4. Therefore, we recommend that if you want to edit your files, you purchase the MP4 USB conversion service. This will allow you to edit your files using the editing software included with your operating system. You'd also be able to upload your MP4 to YouTube or share it with family and friends via a file-sharing service such as Dropbox, Fileshare or by email.

Can you put more than one Tape on a DVD?

A DVD can hold a maximum of 4 hours of content — so an E240 tape on SP (Standard Play) is the maximum one of our DVDs will hold. If you send an E240 tape-recorded on LP (Long Play), that would be 8 hours, so only the first 4 hours would fit on the DVD and you would have to order 2 x Tape Transfers.

We do not put more than one tape on a DVD due to loss of quality. Each video will be on a separate DVD.

What if my Tape was recorded on Long Play ?

We only transfer a maximum of 4 hours on a DVD, anything over that and the quality suffers, so if you sent in a E180 Tape for example that would normally run for 3 Hours, but it was recoded in Long Play so it actually runs for 6 hours, then only 4 hours would be transferred. Therefore if you think your Tape has been recorded in Long Play let us know as you will have to order an additional Tape transfer to DVD as it would need to be spread over 2 DVD's. This only applies to VHS Tapes and not Camcorder Tapes.

I have 10, 20, 30 tapes, will I get a discount?

As we are a low-cost service, we don't offer any discount unless you send 100+ tapes per order. Please note that on bulk orders, the turnaround time will increase from 7 days. Please get in touch with us for updated turnaround times based on bulk quantity.

If my Tapes are blank, will I be charged?

We do not charge for blank tapes, so you would not be charged for them and will be refunded if they are blank. However, if they have anything on them at all, even for a short time, you will be charged.

What is the £3.99 P&P for?

The £3.99 P&P is the postage and packing charge for us to return your completed DVDs and tapes back to you. You will still have to post your videos to us at your own cost as we do not have a Freepost label service. If you're sending multiple tapes, it might be cheaper to send them via courier rather than using the Post Office. We advise you to take a look at parcel2go.com for quotes and pricing.

Do You Provide Freepost Labels?

As we're a low-cost service, you will still have to post your tapes to us at your own cost as we don't operate a Freepost label service.

I live locally can I drop my Tapes off ?

Please note we DO NOT allow personal callers to drop off or collect Tapes as we are mail Order only.

I know that my DVD is returned in a plastic wallet, but can I have it in a case?

We can supply your DVDs in black plastic cases with an insert for a small extra charge. Please get in touch with us for details before purchase.

If I send my own USB stick with my Tapes, will there be a price reduction?

The £9.99 charge for this service is per tape converted and not based on how many USB sticks are used, as the USB stick is provided free with conversions. It is not 1 USB stick per tape, as our USB sticks can hold up to 100 tapes depending on the file sizes of each tape. Therefore, even if you supply your own USB stick, the £9.99 charge remains.

I want my Tapes converted to MP4. Can I supply a portable hard drive for you to put them on?

Yes, we're happy for you to do this. As stated above, this would not reduce the cost of the service, regardless of the medium.

I understand that you convert the tapes to MP4 format for USB transfers, but can you do other formats?

Yes. We can convert to MP4, AVI, WMV, MKV, MPEG-2, DIVX and MOV. If you'd like a format listed above and different from the default MP4 format, let us know in the order details section when making your purchase.

How are my Tapes indexed on the USB stick?

Each converted tape will have file names (if you have a title written on the tape). So, for example, on the USB stick will be Holiday Mexico 1994, Ryan's Birthday, Christmas 1984 etc.

This makes each tape easy to find. Where there is no written tape name, or the writing is illegible, we'll use a default of Tape 1, Tape 2 and so on. We will mark the tapes with the same names too.

Do you have customer reviews to look through?

Yes! We use Google and Yellow Pages. Please take a look at our reviews and see what our customers are saying.

Sending Your Tapes

Package your tapes and send them to the following address. We recommend doing so by recorded delivery. Please attach a reference to your order number so that we can identify your tapes easily.

Your Video 2 DVD

61 Toronto Avenue

Livingston

EH54 6BN

United Kingdom

Please make sure your tape DOES NOT have tape mould before sending.

When will I receive my order?

We aim for a turnaround of 7 working days, although we'll always endeavor to finish conversions as quickly as possible. All finished DVDs will be returned along with the original tapes through Royal Mail 48. Each DVD is returned with a label and protective cover.