If you grew up in Chatham, there's a good chance your family has a box of old VHS tapes gathering dust in the loft. Those tapes hold precious memories: birthday parties, school plays, a first ride on the historic Chatham Dockyard railway, or a day out at the seaside. But VHS degrades over time, and the players are becoming harder to find. Here's how to digitise them before it's too late.
How Professional Transfer Services Work
Professional transfer services are the simplest route. You drop off your tapes, and they handle the rest. Most providers in Chatham offer a range of options: you can get digital files on a USB drive, a hard drive, or even a DVD. The process usually takes a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the number of tapes and the provider's workload. They use professional-grade equipment to capture the video in high quality, and many will clean your tapes first to reduce dust and noise. The cost is usually charged per VHS tape and depends on the provider. To compare prices and turnaround times, use the provider checker on this page. Some providers also offer extras like chapter markers or custom menus for DVDs. It's worth calling ahead to ask about their process and what format they deliver.
Looking After Your Tapes Before Digitising
Before you send your tapes off, there are a few things you can do to preserve them. Store them upright in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Avoid basements or attics where temperature and humidity fluctuate. If a tape is mouldy or smells musty, it may need professional cleaning before digitising. Handle tapes by the edges to avoid touching the magnetic tape inside. If you have a VCR, you can play the tape through once to check for any obvious damage. If the tape is sticky or makes unusual noises, stop immediately. Over time, the lubricant in VHS tapes can break down, causing the tape to stick or shed oxide. A professional service can often salvage tapes in this condition, but it's best to get advice first.
DIY Digitising with a USB Capture Card
If you're hands-on and have a working VCR, you can digitise your tapes yourself. You'll need a USB capture card, which connects your VCR to your computer. These are inexpensive and easily bought from eBay or Amazon for around around £20. Our step-by-step DIY guide covers everything: connect the video and audio cables from your VCR to the capture card, install the software, press play on the VCR, and record the video on your computer. You'll need a computer with enough hard drive space, as raw video files can be large. The process takes real time, so a two-hour tape takes two hours to capture. Once recorded, you can save the file in a common format like MP4 or AVI. The guide also explains how to split long recordings into separate clips for each event. It's a satisfying project, and you can do it in an afternoon.
The Problem with Digitised Files Alone
Once your tapes are digitised, what happens next? All too often, the USB stick or hard drive gets tucked into a drawer, and those childhood memories are just as forgotten as when they were on VHS. You might share a clip on social media, but then it gets lost in the noise. The real magic of digitising isn't just the files, it's what you do with them afterwards.
A Better Way: Build a Family Archive Online
Imagine a private space where all your family's memories live together: the newly digitised VHS clips alongside old photos from your nan's album and videos from your brother's phone. That's exactly what Memrial offers. It's a private family memory archive, like a social network for just your family, with no ads and complete privacy. You are the archive owner with full control.
You don't need to wait until your tapes are digitised. You can start right now, today, for free, from your phone. Upload the photos and videos already on it, pin dates to build a shared family timeline, and invite relatives to add their own memories. The digitised tapes join later. Imagine your aunt in Scotland adding her old photos of Chatham from the 1980s, or your cousin in Australia uploading a video of your granddad. Everything comes together in one place.
What makes it special? You can watch old home videos together with family far apart in a synced Watch Party, reacting in real time as if you're on the same sofa. Faded or black-and-white footage can be brought back to life with Colourisation. Every memory can be tagged with the people in it, building a rich family history for generations to come.
Get Started Now
Digitising your VHS tapes is the first step. The next is to give those memories a permanent, living home. Start your free Memrial family archive today, just upload a photo or video from your phone and invite your family. The rest will follow.
The memories your children will thank you for.