Betamax to Digital Conversion

[theeggmaster]

Hi,

 

One of our teachers is asking if we know of any way to do Betamax to a digital format to preserve her father's collection. His Betamax players have both been water damaged recently and he can't play them back. Does anyone have such equipment, or recommend any of the online services available through a Google search?

[mikeprice]

I have no idea of the connection on a betamax but you could link its coax output to the coax input of a VHS recorder

Then link the scart from the vhs to a usb on a PC and record it. Dunno what the scart to usb is called but I have one at home which works fine

e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008F0SARC/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=569136327&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B003IDXT90&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=9NRQKCW1J6CXTB166SH2

 

Although quality may suffer - I have tried it with 2 VHS's and it was fine

[theeggmaster]

Yes, I would have recommended similar, but as both of his players are water damaged and don't work, that isn't an option unfortunately. Buying one second hand and doing the conversion may be another option but may not be as cost-effective as shipping them off to a company to do the conversion for him.

[unixman_again]

I know Max Spielmann do this, but I have no idea as to what they would charge. A quick look online indicates widely varying prices (£8.50 per tape to £36 per tape). If you have lots of tapes, buying a recording is probably cheaper.

[mikeprice]

It looks like you can get a betamax player on Ebay for 15-40 pounds - although if you do this would you still want to convert them??

[twin--turbo]

Buy the machine and sell it afterwards.

 

Get a PC capture card and take them straight to PC.

 

 

I loved BetaMax, At one point I had the Pinnacle in my hands an SL-HF950 awesome, probably the best VCR ever launched int he UK.

 

TT

[theeggmaster]

I've given that teacher both of the options, so it's up to them and their father from this point, although I agree that buying the machine and converting it to PC themselves is probably the best option.

 

Thanks for all of your input.