What to check before you send your tapes or cine film
A practical checklist. Where we mention providers, it's from what they publish (checked 21 October 2026).
1. Who actually does the work?
Some services transfer everything themselves. Others may pass work to another lab. Of the 39 providers in our directory, 17 say on their website that the work is done in-house or on their premises. The rest don't say either way, which doesn't mean they outsource. Ask them directly.
2. Will you get your originals back, and how?
Ask how originals are returned: tracked, signed-for, insured? Keep a list of what you sent. Number each tape or reel and photograph the labels before posting.
3. Post it, or hand it over?
If posting worries you, filter the comparison table by "Drop-off / local". Our local guides compare hand-over options in one city at a time, starting with Glasgow. If you do post, use a tracked and insured service, pack tapes upright in a sturdy box with padding, and never post cine film loose without its spool or can.
4. Mould, damage and snapped tapes
White or grey fuzz on the tape edges, or a musty smell, can mean mould. Don't play it in your own machine. That can damage the tape and the player. Tell the provider beforehand. Several list mould cleaning or repair as a separate charge, and some don't handle mould at all.
5. NTSC and foreign tapes
Tapes recorded in the US, Japan or France may use a different TV standard. Some providers include conversion and others charge extra per tape.
6. Pricing units
Compare like for like: per tape, per hour, per reel or per foot. Check whether VAT, USB sticks, DVDs, return postage and per-order fees are included. Our VHS price guide and cine price guide list the published figures.
7. File format and quality
- An MP4 (H.264) file plays almost anywhere. It's fine for watching and sharing.
- If you might edit or restore later, ask for a higher-quality master file (e.g. ProRes or lossless AVI/MOV) as well.
- For tape, ask about time-base correction (TBC), which steadies wobbly or jittery pictures.
- For cine, ask whether it's scanned frame by frame and at the right frame rate.
8. Turnaround
Published turnarounds in this directory range from same-day or 24-hour services to about 9–10 weeks for one large mail-in service. If you need the files for a date like a birthday, anniversary or funeral, say so up front.
9. Once you have the files
Keep at least two copies in different places, for example a USB or hard drive plus a cloud backup. Download links often expire, so save files as soon as you receive them. Hang on to the originals for now, because digital files can be re-made from tape or film but not the other way round.