Tape Transfer Consulting

The Cost

It's not easy to find out exactly how much it will cost to get a videotape archive digitized. That's because there are so many variables that can impact the cost. Armed with the right information about the archive before negotiating a price with a vendor can save a great deal of time, headaches, and unexpected charges. A visual inspection of the tapes can provide a clue, but nothing is completely certain until the tape passes a VTR play head. 

If there are more than a dozen tapes, there are two checklists that should be completed before and during a discussion with a vendor. I recommend using an independent consultant as part of the process who can speak to all of the issues related to cost and help you set the quality standard for digitization.

● Does the tape reel or cassette require repair or preparation?

● Does the tape itself require cleaning, baking, or other conservation methods?

● Is the videotape PAL or NTSC?

● Do the tapes need to be digitized for output to today's technology displays?
(Resolution scaling, de-interlacing, color/dynamic range correction)

● Do you need low-resolution and high-resolution versions?

● Do you require physical digital storage devices?

● How do you want the content curated? 

● Who is actually going to be doing the work (their credentials)?

● What equipment do they have (how many redundant machines)?

● Do they have/use Teranex Standards Converters/Processors? (If not, what are they using?)

● What methods do they use for conservation, cleaning, baking?

● What minimum hourly rate do they use to calculate their quotation?

● Who can be called as a reference?

● Can they provide a scope of work document along with a proposal?

● What is their standard level of quality?

● What guarantees do they provide?

● What surcharges are there?

● What are the options (noise reduction, sound sweetening, de-hum)?

Ballpark $

1" Type C NTSC videotapes ballpark cost falls between $75 and $150 per hour of tape

3/4" U-Matic ballpark cost falls between $0.60 and $2.00 per minute of tape. 

BetaSP ballpark cost falls between $0.30 and $2.00 per minute of tape. 

For an archive with 125 - 200 professional format tapes, a budget of $10,000+ can be appropriate and expected.

If you are thinking that over ten grand is simply out of the question, there are other components to this analysis. For example:

• Can the digitized archive have a value that exceeds the cost of digitization? 
• What about reclaiming the space now used as storage? 
• Is there a possibility to license footage directly or through a licensing entity like Shutterstock?
• What is the true liability of losing the archive for future generations? Who knows how important and valuable the archive will be 100 years from now?

One thing is certain, if the archive ends up in a dumpster then all is lost including the investment made storing it for years.

-G