If you have home movies on old formats like videotapes or film reels, then digitizing them is a great way to preserve them before they begin to deteriorate. Plus, digital video files are easier to share over email and social media, enhance with editing software, or enjoy on almost any digital device like a smartphone, tablet, or hard drive.
Since Capture began over 20 years ago, the digitization industry has expanded significantly. With so many options available, it can be challenging to choose the best companies to digitize your home movies. Each service offers its own unique benefits and features, which is why we've gathered key information about the top 7 conversion services.
Keep reading to compare the pros, cons, pricing, and reviews for Capture, Legacybox, ScanDigital, iMemories, and more. That way, you can make the best choice for your family memories.
Jump to:
- #1 Capture.com
- #2 Legacybox
- #3 ScanDigital
- #4 iMemories
- #5 Southtree
- #6 ScanCafe
- #7 Walmart Photo
- Choosing The Best Home Video Digitization Company
1. Capture.com
Since 1999, Capture has been one of the best companies to digitize home movies. We convert the formats people still hold onto today, preserving them through a secure, professionally monitored process that protects every item from arrival to return.
- Betamax to digital
- VHS to digital
- VHS C to digital
- MiniDV to digital
- Video 8 to digital
- Hi-8 to digital
- DVC to digital
We also specialize in digitizing various film formats, such as:
In addition, we spent a fortune to protect your valuable memories with a state-of-the-art tracking and security system that tracks your home videos every step of the way, through every hand, and right back to your doorstep. Combined with our satisfaction guarantee, we offer complete peace of mind for your precious memories.
Capture Pros
- Fastest turnaround time of less than 30 days, including shipping
- Multi-million-dollar comprehensive tracking and security system
- Most videotape and film formats accepted
- Professional results with over 12 million satisfied customers
- Minor repairs included like case replacement and cleaning for videotapes, and splicing and scratch reduction for film
- DVD and USB formats available
- Physical drop-off location available in Atlanta for added convenience and peace of mind
Capture Cons
- No home movie editing or enhancement services offered
- No Blu-Ray or mobile app options
Pricing and Services Offered
Capture’s digitization services currently start at $34.98 per service type. You are only charged for what can actually be digitized, and there is no fee for blank tapes or damaged items that cannot be transferred.
There are always ongoing discounts, so make sure to sign up for the newsletter before placing an order.
As one of the best companies to digitize home movies, we pride ourselves on offering competitive pricing and exceptional service. Plus, the security and privacy guarantee is unmatched by any other company.
- Video Transfer: $34.98 for each tape (Tape repair included and PAL format included).
- Film transfer: $ 34.98 for the first 100 feet of film and only $0.30 for each additional foot. (original audio included, and film cleaning and repair included).
- USB Flash-Drive: $18.98 for your entire order.
- DVD Copies (at time of transfer): $8.98 per DVD that holds approximately 2 hours of video, 1,600 feet of film, or 500 images.
Customer Reviews and Ratings
Capture boasts tons of great reviews and ratings that point out the premium quality and expertise we offer. In addition, reviews often point out the friendly customer service, care, and security of their memories. That’s why we’ve developed partnerships with major companies throughout the years like:
While positive reviews far outnumber negative ones, any company around as long as Capture will have some negative feedback. Some of the complaints include charges for content customers didn’t want to convert or confusion over pricing or services offered.
Many customers have called Capture one of the best companies to digitize home movies, and we’ve used this feedback to improve our services. Please let us know if your videotapes or film reels contain any content you don’t want to digitize so we can avoid accidentally overcharging you.
2. Legacybox
Legacybox is a popular option for people comparing the best video digitizing service choices, especially those who prefer simple, kit-based ordering. Founded in 2009, Legacybox converts a wide range of home movie formats, including VHS, VHS-C, Hi8, Video8, MiniDV, Betamax, MicroMV, Digital8, PAL tapes, and 8mm, Super 8, and 16mm film reels.
Many customers choose Legacybox because the kit format makes the process easy. Each kit includes a set number of items; typically 2, 10, 20, or 40. You fill the box with your home movies, ship it in, and Legacybox handles the rest.
However, their turnaround time is slower than most competitors. Standard orders generally take 10 to 12 weeks, and some customers report waiting even longer during busy periods.
Legacybox Pros
- Convenient kits that you simply mail to their facility
- Over 14 years of experience providing professional results
- Optional $1,000 added-safety protection plan for an additional cost
Legacybox Cons
- Slow turnaround time, with standard orders often taking around 10 to 12 weeks
- Kit-based pricing can become expensive, especially for larger collections
- Cloud storage, USB, and DVD copies all come with additional fees
Pricing and Services Offered
Legacybox uses a kit pricing structure based on the number of items you send. An “item” can be one videotape, one film reel, or a set number of photos or slides. This system is simple, but the per-item cost can add up quickly.
Current package prices:
- Up to 2 items: $69.98
- Up to 10 items: $319.98
- Up to 20 items: $639.98
- Up to 40 items: $1,249.98
Add-on output options:
- USB thumb drive: $19.99
- DVD set: $19.99
Discounts:
Legacybox frequently runs promotions, and during major sale periods like Cyber Monday, customers often see discounts as high as 60–70% off. This can make the service more affordable, depending on when you order.
Customer Reviews and Ratings
In general, reviews and ratings on Legacybox are positive, which is why they boast over 1 million satisfied customers. People often highlight the quality of digitization, convenience, and excellent customer service.
However, there are some glaring negative reviews as well, including the fact that Legacybox takes a long time to complete the digital conversion. In fact, some users claim they’ve waited much longer than 12 weeks and still haven’t received their original videotapes or movie film. While you can protect yourself against potentially lost media, the added protection costs extra.
3. ScanDigital
ScanDigital was founded in 2007 and prides itself on friendly customer service and peace of mind. They offer barcoded tracking, professional grade equipment, and e-mail updates throughout the entire process. They also offer a satisfaction guarantee so if you’re not happy with the results, they will reprocess your order for free. Like Capture, they offer minor videotape repairs and film cleaning and splicing.
Their services will accept standard VHS, VHS-C, High8, Video 8, Digital 8, Betamax, Betacam, and U-Matic tapes, and possibly more, but you have to call to confirm. They also convert 8mm, Super 8, 16 mm, and 35 mm film. Plus, they have a quick turnaround time for most orders of 3 to 4 weeks.
ScanDigital Pros
- Turnaround time of 3 to 4 weeks
- Satisfaction guarantee
- Barcode tracking and status updates
- Professional results using digital download links and USB or hard drive add-ons
ScanDigital Cons
- Limited videotape formats accepted
- Expensive roundtrip shipping
Pricing and Services Offered
ScanDigital offers videotape, film reel, and photo digitization services, and you can see their pricing structure below. In addition, they can transfer audio cassettes and offer add-on options for USB drives and hard drives.
- Film Reels: $0.38 per foot
- Videotapes: $28.00 per tape
- Photo Scanning: $0.68 per image ($0.83 per image for higher DPI resolution)
Customer Reviews and Ratings
Considering this is a list designed to answer the question, “what is the best company to digitize my home movies?” The positive reviews outnumber the negative ones for ScanDigital. Many users point out exceptional customer service, fast turnaround, and high-quality results.
However, negative reviews are plentiful as well and often mention expensive services, especially for film reels. Multiple reviews also complain about expensive shipping options compared to other companies. Finally, some reviewers are unhappy with the order status updates and became worried about their order when they didn’t receive any emails or updates within a week or longer.
4. iMemories
iMemories is frequently mentioned by customers searching for the best digital conversion service because of its fast turnaround times and easy digital access. With over 15 years of experience, iMemories converts a wide range of home movie formats, including VHS, VHS-C, Betamax, Video8, Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV, and MicroMV. They also support standard 8mm, 16mm, and Super 8 film reels.
One of iMemories’ most popular features is its app, which gives you instant access to your digitized videos through the iMemories Cloud. After your tapes are processed, you can view and share your videos online for $7.99 per month or $49.99 per year, sometimes within 1 to 2 weeks. Physical returns, such as DVDs, USBs, and your original tapes, typically take around 4 weeks.
iMemories Pros
- iMemories app access means you can view digital copies in as little as 1 to 2 weeks
- Professional quality results
- Easy to complete order process
iMemories Cons
- Can get expensive, particularly for larger orders of film or orders that contain a DVD or USB copy
- App access cost extra
- Lack of security for your priceless memories
Pricing and Services Offered
iMemories can transfer videotapes and film home movies as well as photo transfer if you want to use that service as well. Plus, they offer DVD and Blu-Ray options or USB flash drives, but these options can get quite expensive. Here’s a look at iMemories pricing
- Videotapes: $29.99 per tape
- Film: $29.99 per 50 feet of film
- Photos: $0.99 per photo, slide, or negative.
- iMemories Cloud Access: $7.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
- USB: $39.99 for 8GB
- DVD: $19.99 per DVD (or Blu-Ray)
Customer Reviews and Ratings
iMemories has over 1 million customers and lots of great reviews that suggest high-quality digitization processes. iMemory reviews praise easy app access, faster than average turnaround time, and good results for their home movies.
Negative reviews mention longer processing times of up to 6 weeks or longer, despite the digitization process times listed on their website. In addition, some people on Yelp claim that iMemories has poor customer service and has even lost their memories. Plus, people who have lots of old VHS tapes or film reels complain about the expensive pricing with expensive add-ons for app access, DVD, Blu-Ray, and USB drive formats.
5. Southtree
Southtree is often considered by buyers when comparing the best digital transfer service options, especially for small home-video collections. Their pricing tends to be lower than some competitors, but customer feedback is mixed. Southtree currently holds a 2.8-star rating from 381 reviews, with many customers mentioning slow communication, customer service issues, and delivery delays.
Their BBB rating is an A, though the company has received 123 complaints in the past three years. At this time, Southtree does not have an active Yelp profile.
Southtree Pros
- Fair pricing per film reel or videotape, no matter how much content it contains
- Good quality results with flicker removal for film
Southtree Cons
- Negative reviews on claim lost media
- Pricing is misleading, with $9.99 added on for a digital download
- Minimum 2 videotapes or film reels per order
- 10 to 12 week turnaround time
Pricing and Services Offered
In addition to digital transfer for your camcorder or film reel memories, Southtree will also process photos into a digital photo format. They also offer audio transfer and slide scanning services, and can transfer your video conversion to discs or thumb drives.
- Videotape: $15 per videotape (minimum 2 per order)
- Film: $25 per reel (minimum 2 per order)
- Photos, slides, and negatives: 25 cents per image (minimum 100 per order)
- Disc Set, Thumb Drive, and Digital Download: $9.99 each, with at least one required for every order
Customer Reviews and Ratings
While Southtree has received some positive feedback for reasonable pricing, ease of use, and good customer service, there are many negative reviews that have impacted their ratings. On Sitejabber, Southtree holds a 2.4-star rating based on 381 reviews, with many customers citing issues with customer service and delivery delays. Their BBB rating is an A-, reflecting their commitment to BBB Standards for Trust, though there have been 142 complaints in the last three years. As of now, there is no available profile on Yelp for Southtree.
Most Southtree reviews point out misleading practices like slower than suggested turnaround time, hidden digital download fees, and hiding the fact that they are the same company as Legacybox. In addition, there are an alarming number of reviews that mention lost or damaged media.
6. ScanCafe
ScanCafe is often considered by people searching for the best digitizing service for videos, thanks to its long history and wide range of supported formats. With more than 15 years of experience, ScanCafe converts popular home-movie formats such as VHS, S-VHS, Hi8, Video8, MiniDV, and Betamax, as well as 8mm and Super 8 film reels.
One of its standout features is the ScanCafe Subscription Service, which provides private cloud storage for long-term access to your digitized videos. This gives customers the option to preserve and stream home movies even if they switch devices or lose access to external storage platforms like Google Photos.
ScanCafe Pros
- Good pricing
- Decent security including video monitoring and order weighing
- Lots of experience in professional digitization
ScanCafe Cons
- 4 to 6 turnaround time (or you can pay for expedited shipping)
- Cloud storage requires a subscription payment
- Limited media formats that exclude VHS-C and 16mm film as well as other analog formats
Pricing and Services Offered
ScanCafe offers decent pricing and similar services to the other companies on our list. In addition, they have paid cloud storage and external hard drive options.
- Videotape pricing: ScanCafe charges $22.99 per videotape whether it contains an hour or 1 minute of home video footage.
- Film pricing: $0.30 per foot.
- Photos: $0.44 per scanned image (photo, slide, or negative).
- Audio Transfer: $22.99 per audio cassette or $0.30 per foot of reel-to-reel audio.
- ScanCafe Cloud Storage Access: $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.
- USB Thumb Drive: $14.95 each.
- External hard drive: $69.95 for your entire order.
Customer Reviews and Ratings
ScanCafe claims to have scanned over 150 million memories and has received many positive reviews highlighting good results, fair pricing, and customer service. This contributes to their 3.6 Trustpilot rating from 3,337 reviews. However, their Yelp rating is 3.1 from 350 reviews, indicating a mix of positive and negative experiences.
Negative comments complain about slower than 6-week turnaround times or even misplaced media. In addition, some mention that the quality of results was not what they expected, though this is rare amongst mostly positive ScanCafe reviews.
7. Walmart Photo
Walmart offers a home movie transfer service fulfilled by Capture, which means you can trust them to offer the highest-quality digital video for your precious memories. You can currently use Walmart for all the same services that Capture offers, other than the touchless photo album scanning service.
However, they do offer drop-off at Walmart stores that offer even more convenience. Plus, their pricing is a little different than Capture, with DVD copies costing only $3.96 per disc, and the USB format is also more affordable at $12.96. Additionally, they price videotapes based on 30-minute intervals instead of 2 hours.
Walmart Photo Pros
- Professional results fulfilled by Capture/YesVideo
- Local drop-off available for added convenience
- Affordable DVD or USB copies
Walmart Photo Cons
- Local drop-off may lengthen turnaround time depending on the Walmart location.
- Pricing structure is more confusing than some alternatives
Pricing and Services Offered
Other than not having touchless photo album scanning, the services Walmart offers are identical to Capture, but the pricing structure is quite different, as you can see below.
- Videotape pricing: $15.96 for the first 30 minutes ($5.46 for each additional 30 minutes)
- Film Pricing: $15.96 for the first 50 feet ($0.20 for each additional foot)
- DVD copies: $3.96 per disc that stores approximately 90 minutes of digital video or 771 digital photos
- USB: $12.96 for the entire order
Customer Reviews and Ratings
Walmart Photo Center has tons of great reviews indicating great service, convenience, and affordable pricing. As far as the high-quality results are concerned, they will be identical to Capture or YesVideo that use the same equipment and facility to preserve your family memories.
With negative reviews, some people complain that they thought the service would be locally completed instead of sending the old media off. In addition, some people expressed confusion over the pricing structure.
Choosing The Best Home Video Digitization Company
It’s hard to compare Capture to the competition without sounding biased, but we’ll give it a shot. Our pricing starts at $34.98 for each videotape, 100 feet of film, or 50 photos. Plus, we don’t charge for blank tapes, unlike some competitors who will bill for the full item regardless of content.
When it comes to turnaround time, Capture processes orders in less than 30 days, including shipping. Others, like LegacyBox, can take up to 12 weeks. Our security also goes further, with advanced tracking and a 60-day backup—features many competitors either don’t offer or charge extra for. This comparison table offers a full overview of how Capture stacks up against other companies that convert VHS tapes to digital.
Overall, Capture’s services offer the best combination of high-quality results at an affordable price, making us the best company to digitize home movies.
