Digitizing services compared
Eight US digitizing services compared on what they publish: how each prices tapes and film, what ten two-hour tapes and five large film reels come to with files and shipping, what you get back, and how long it takes. Southtree is cheapest for ten tapes at regular prices.
| Service | 10 tapes | 5 large reels |
|---|---|---|
| Southtree cheapest Southtree sells tape boxes from 2 tapes for $39.99 to 40 tapes for $649.99, one output included, whatever the tapes' length. Files: one output (download, thumb drive or discs), included in the box price. 4 to 6 weeks after they receive the box. | $169.99 | – |
| DVD Your Memories DVD Your Memories charges $29.99 a tape for up to 2 hours, plus $10 for each additional 2 hours. Files: thumb drive, "start at" $20. Most standard projects take a week or two. | at least $289.91 | – |
| Kodak Digitizing Kodak Digitizing sells kits from 2 items for $69.99 to 40 items for $1,199.99; one tape or one film reel is one item. Files: digital download for 30 days, included. About 4 to 6 weeks after they receive the box. | $299.99 | $299.99 |
| Larsen Digital Larsen Digital charges $25.00 a tape ($15.00 in its current sale). Files: digital video file, added to the DVD, "as low as" $5 a tape. | at least $300.00 | at least $665.00 |
| ScanDigital ScanDigital charges $28.00 a tape. Files: uSB drive or hard drive, not priced separately in its FAQ. Most orders back in 3 to 4 weeks. | at least $304.00 | – |
| iMemories iMemories charges $29.99 a tape ($14.99 with the code SAVE50). Files: digital download. 2 weeks from approval to files online. | $329.89 | $1,229.59 |
| Legacybox Legacybox sells kits from 2 items for $69.98 to 80 items for $2,499.98; one tape or one film reel is one item. Files: a storage option (download, thumb drive or discs), required, priced by kit size. About 4 to 6 weeks at standard speed. | $339.97 | $339.97 |
| Walgreens Walgreens lists videotapes "starting at" $34.99, without saying whether that is per tape or per order. Files: dVD only: videotapes and film can't go to USB. | – | – |
Regular prices for two-hour tapes and 400 ft reels, with the cheapest way to get files back and shipping where it's priced; "at least" where part of the bill is priced only as "starting at" or not at all; "–" where the pages give no price. With codes and sales, or your own numbers: the calculator.
By what you have
- VHS and camcorder tapes: one tape and ten, and long tapes
- Film reels: per reel or per foot
- Legacybox vs iMemories: box by box
- Doing it yourself and restoration
Every service's totals for 1 to 40 tapes and for film, at regular prices and with what it advertises, with each service's page and the date it was read: digitizing-prices.csv. Free to use with a link to this page.
Prices checked against each service's own pages on .