My dad's been doing this for a long time. Even 30 years ago he was splicing broken tapes and re-shelling them. I'm not really surprised by how little effort the "big" transfer companies put in to this kind of work and I wish that more people understood the value of proper transfers/restorations.
Amen! There’s such a massive disparity in the understanding of what goes into a quality digital transfer, time, expertise, not only a quality AND having a business owner that gives amazing, caring and conscientious customer service, which is what you need when trusting the ONLY copy of precious memories to a company.
I’ve learned so much from your videos. I really appreciate what you do, many of the owners of these tapes don’t know how much work goes into cleaning them.
David, glad you’re enjoying the videos! Yes, the owners of these tapes have no idea what goes into this AND no idea what goes into a regular ‘healthy’ quality video transfer either! Everyone is focused on the lowest bidder and blindly handing over problematic tapes and getting unwatchable junk back or worse, told they can’t be transferred and they believe them and throw them away!
Thank you SO much for this video - what is “contact cleaner”? I have isopropyl but this is something else? I’m in Australia so a bit far away to use your services but am having a go myself and doing pretty well! Just about to tackle a bad moldy one…..
Huge thanks for your really helpful explanations. I've now managed to clean a few mouldy tapes successfully now👌 Weirdly a couple of tapes that weren't mouldy play very dark in places, some like a dark red. I've cleaned these too and my vcr heads, but no luck.. Any idea why this is?
I would never use a big company for this type of thing, as you say, they don't care and they will use any excuse to take your money and not give you what you pay for.
In my very little experience, i think the cleaning rollers should remain stationary with something wrapped on the for cleaning while the tape moves around them at a consistent speed for optimal cleaning. Currently, the rollers spin along with the tape, which may not provide the most effective cleaning. I'm from India and work in the same profession. Although these specialized cleaning machines are no longer available, I manually clean VHS tapes in a VCR, which is quite time-consuming.
This is exactly the same process I go thru over all the tapes. I don't mind it, but the video player cleaning and switching depending on the tape is what breaks my b*lls the most specially that I have to switch between PAL and NTSC. 😛
@@gotmemories I have a Tapechek 490, the "wholy grail" that I am considering selling because since I got André's device I can better control the flow of things, yes, it is more tedious but the result we both want is the best quality at the end.
Just for the heck of it, it capturing it tried Linux (it works) and then edit my stuff on a M1 Apple. But I have small batches to capture, currently more than 300 VHS, Hi8, Mini-VHS, Betamax, 8mm films, 16 mm films and this is all from family archives, different color systems, NTSC, PAL, PAL M, SECAM, so my turn up time is up to me, contrary to Phil who is doing this is a business and does not have time to play around. 😀 Phil's set up is good, ElGato, Apple computers and life is much easier. He knows his sh*t.
You may want to (have someone) listen to the video before you post it. Your voice is rather loud in the beginning but then becomes very silent after switching cameras, to the point of being very hard to understand without tuning a lot louder. Then, the vacuum cleaner is suddenly extremely loud next to your now very silent voice. At some point I hear you say you don't edit your videos, and that's fair enough. In that case, being conscious of the loud noise of the vacuum cleaner and just muting the mic while using it could already make a big difference at almost no effort on your part. Anyhow - you're doing a great thing there - do keep it up!
Yeah I’m well aware, it’s just the nature of my content currently. I just capture on my iPhone and just upload, good bad and ugly, otherwise it’ll never get posted, I don’t have the time. I mention that in most videos.
Actually, that's a good thing. I'd rather have a vlog-style video with bad sound quality that teaches me something than no video at all. By all means, do continue posting.
My dad's been doing this for a long time. Even 30 years ago he was splicing broken tapes and re-shelling them. I'm not really surprised by how little effort the "big" transfer companies put in to this kind of work and I wish that more people understood the value of proper transfers/restorations.
Amen! There’s such a massive disparity in the understanding of what goes into a quality digital transfer, time, expertise, not only a quality AND having a business owner that gives amazing, caring and conscientious customer service, which is what you need when trusting the ONLY copy of precious memories to a company.
I’ve learned so much from your videos. I really appreciate what you do, many of the owners of these tapes don’t know how much work goes into cleaning them.
David, glad you’re enjoying the videos! Yes, the owners of these tapes have no idea what goes into this AND no idea what goes into a regular ‘healthy’ quality video transfer either! Everyone is focused on the lowest bidder and blindly handing over problematic tapes and getting unwatchable junk back or worse, told they can’t be transferred and they believe them and throw them away!
Thank you SO much for this video - what is “contact cleaner”? I have isopropyl but this is something else? I’m in Australia so a bit far away to use your services but am having a go myself and doing pretty well! Just about to tackle a bad moldy one…..
Contact cleaner is exactly that, electrical contact cleaner, it’ll be avail down your way for sure mate!
Huge thanks for your really helpful explanations. I've now managed to clean a few mouldy tapes successfully now👌
Weirdly a couple of tapes that weren't mouldy play very dark in places, some like a dark red. I've cleaned these too and my vcr heads, but no luck.. Any idea why this is?
Probably recorded like that.
I would never use a big company for this type of thing, as you say, they don't care and they will use any excuse to take your money and not give you what you pay for.
100%
Sir i have 30 VHS cassettes
Please goto gotmemories.com and fill in the quote form as best you can.
A great video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and showing what you do.
You’re welcome!
In my very little experience, i think the cleaning rollers should remain stationary with something wrapped on the for cleaning while the tape moves around them at a consistent speed for optimal cleaning. Currently, the rollers spin along with the tape, which may not provide the most effective cleaning. I'm from India and work in the same profession. Although these specialized cleaning machines are no longer available, I manually clean VHS tapes in a VCR, which is quite time-consuming.
Thanks for the comment! Keep up the good work in India my friend!
@@gotmemories Thanku good luck to you too
Ótimo trabalho, é bom rever coisas da infância, a nova geração nunca entenderá esse sentimento de quem viveu os anos 90 🙂
Abraço aqui do 🇧🇷
Appreciate!
Will contact cleaner help audio tapes that stick in the case?
Worth a shot
13:00 As long as a method results in a desired outcome, it is not a wrong one.
Exactly! The competition’s suggestion on how to deal with these problem tapes is to throw them in the trash.
This is exactly the same process I go thru over all the tapes. I don't mind it, but the video player cleaning and switching depending on the tape is what breaks my b*lls the most specially that I have to switch between PAL and NTSC. 😛
👍
@@gotmemories I have a Tapechek 490, the "wholy grail" that I am considering selling because since I got André's device I can better control the flow of things, yes, it is more tedious but the result we both want is the best quality at the end.
Great! Andre is great!
3:30 As a tekkie, you should know better than to buy an Apple 😆 very interesting vid thank you
👍
Just for the heck of it, it capturing it tried Linux (it works) and then edit my stuff on a M1 Apple.
But I have small batches to capture, currently more than 300 VHS, Hi8, Mini-VHS, Betamax, 8mm films, 16 mm films and this is all from family archives, different color systems, NTSC, PAL, PAL M, SECAM, so my turn up time is up to me, contrary to Phil who is doing this is a business and does not have time to play around. 😀
Phil's set up is good, ElGato, Apple computers and life is much easier. He knows his sh*t.
😂 Thanks my man!
You may want to (have someone) listen to the video before you post it. Your voice is rather loud in the beginning but then becomes very silent after switching cameras, to the point of being very hard to understand without tuning a lot louder. Then, the vacuum cleaner is suddenly extremely loud next to your now very silent voice.
At some point I hear you say you don't edit your videos, and that's fair enough. In that case, being conscious of the loud noise of the vacuum cleaner and just muting the mic while using it could already make a big difference at almost no effort on your part.
Anyhow - you're doing a great thing there - do keep it up!
Yeah I’m well aware, it’s just the nature of my content currently. I just capture on my iPhone and just upload, good bad and ugly, otherwise it’ll never get posted, I don’t have the time. I mention that in most videos.
Actually, that's a good thing. I'd rather have a vlog-style video with bad sound quality that teaches me something than no video at all. By all means, do continue posting.
👍👍