Indianapolis VHS to DVD

Affordable, high quality videotape transfers to DVD or MP4 files. Convert your old home movies to digital before those memories disappear forever!

Our Services & Cost

We transfer VHS, VHS-C, Beta, 8mm/Video8, Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV, HDV, and MicroMV videotapes of any length to either DVD or MP4 files.

Your first five tapes are $15/tape. Additional tapes are $10/tape. We have a $20 minimum order.

Tapes transferred to DVD and MP4 must be run twice and are considered two tapes. Broken or moldy/dirty tapes will incur extra charges detailed below.

We also convert audio cassettes, hard-drive-based camcorders, and non-copy-protected CDs and DVDs. Click the red tabs below for more details about each service.

Videotapes to DVD

Each transfer includes the disc, printed label, and a clear clamshell case. We can combine multiple tapes onto a single DVD, but we still charge per tape.

We can only fit two hours on a DVD. Longer tapes will be split up onto multiple DVDs at no extra charge. If you’re ordering additional DVD copies of a tape, be aware you may have to duplicate multiple DVDs to get the entire tape.

If the label on your tape doesn’t match what you want printed on the disc, our order form is an easy way to provide the correct details for each tape. Or just re-label your tapes with post-it notes. Be sure your handwriting is legible!

Click on the DVD Digitizing and Copies tab for the pricing of extra copies. They start at $5/disc and get cheaper the more you buy.

We won’t run your tape if it’s blank or just old movies or TV shows. There’s a $1/tape fee for each tape we don’t transfer.

Videotapes to MP4 Files

We transfer your tapes to MP4 (H.264) video files. These files are playable and editable on any Mac or PC, will play on your phone, and can be uploaded to Facebook or YouTube.

We provide a flash drive with your files up to 32GB in size. Larger drives are available from $10 – $20, or supply your own for no extra fees. Plan on needing 1-2 GB of space per hour of tape. Or you may download a limited number of files from a Dropbox link for free.

We won’t run your tape if it’s blank or just old movies or TV shows. There’s a $1/tape fee for each tape we don’t transfer.

DVD Digitizing & Copies

We convert camcorder (mini size) DVDs and non-copyrighted regular-size DVDs to MP4 files for the same price as videotapes. The first five discs are $15/disc. Additional discs are $10/disc. We do not convert commercially purchased DVDs or Blu-rays.

Want extra copies of your tape transfers or duplicates of an existing DVD? They get cheaper the more you buy:

1-5 Copies
$5/each

6-20
$4

21-30
$3.50

31-50
$3

51-100
$2.50

101-250
$2

These prices are based on the total number of extra discs in your order.

Cassette Tape Transfer

We convert standard-size cassette tapes to MP3 or WAV files for $15/tape. Please note there is no discount after five tapes. We do not transfer other types of audiotapes, reel-to-reel tape, MiniDisc, or vinyl.

For $15, you receive a single WAV or MP3 file of the entire contents of your cassette tape, minus most silence. We apply noise reduction and normalize the audio.

If your tape contains music or other content with clearly defined breaks between tracks, we can split it into multiple files for an additional $5/tape. Other editing services are available for an additional fee.

We will burn audio CDs of your cassette tape (up to 80 minutes in length) for an extra $5/tape. This includes one disc, a professionally printed label, and a clear clamshell case. We don’t sell jewel cases or provide printing of inserts.

Things We Don’t Do

We don’t transfer 8mm or 16mm film, photos, or slides.

We do not transfer HD formats (other than HDV), broadcast-format tapes (Betacam, U-matic), full-sized DV, or DVDs with copy protection.

We don’t transfer commercially purchased movies; these tapes often have copy protection signals.

We don’t buy old VHS tapes.

We don’t transfer reel-to-reel audiotape, MiniDisc, or vinyl.

We do not provide editing services. We transfer the entire contents of each tape.

Great! Let’s get started.

Hi, my name is Zach Rosing. I run Indy VHS to DVD from my basement-level studio at 2305 Broadway Street in Indianapolis. It’s a bright green house one block west of College at the corner of 23rd and Broadway in the Fall Creek Place neighborhood.

I work by appointment only. Please text me at (317) 721-6772 or email transfers@indyvhstodvd.com to schedule an appointment or ask about same-day drop-offs. As the entrance is not accessible, if you need curbside service, please let me know!

I accept cash, check, or credit card. Prepay online with a credit card, PayPal, Cash App ($ZachRosingProd), or Venmo (@ZachRosing). No payment is due until you pick up your order.

You’ll be required to sign our Limited Liability Agreement before leaving your tapes.

Additional Services

Out of the area? Mail items to 2305 Broadway Street, Indianapolis, IN 46205. You MUST include the signed Limited Liability Agreement with your order. Please include your email address on the form. We’ll contact you when we are finished regarding payment and returning your tapes.

When mailing, we highly recommend signature confirmation service so you’re certain tapes get delivered to us. We are not responsible for tapes lost in the mail.

Same-day transfers incur an additional 50% charge of the total bill, with a minimum fee of $50.

If your VHS tape is broken/breaks in our machine (snaps loose from its reel), there is a $5 charge to fix it.

More significant repairs (if your tape must be moved to a new shell) are $10.

8mm and MiniDV repairs are $10. MiniDV tapes are quite fragile, and we can’t always repair them.

Dirty or moldy tapes can damage our equipment. There is a $5-$10 fee per tape to work with these tapes, which we will do at our discretion. You may be charged even if the tape does not successfully play back.

We offer VHS PAL (United Kingdom) and SECAM, 8mm/Hi8 PAL, and MiniDV PAL transfers to an MP4 file for $30/tape.

We don’t offer transfers of these tapes to DVD.

Footage on a hard-drive-based camcorder is generally a flat $50 to convert to MP4 files. We’ll need to check your camcorder to provide a specific price. Make sure you bring a working power adapter, not a battery.

We charge $1/disk to check a 3½” floppy disk for photos or documents and another $4/disk to copy any contents.

Floppy disks deteriorate over time. You should not assume every file will copy perfectly.

Creating a DVD from a video file is separate from our standard transfer service, as it requires editing time and rendering a DVD image before discs can be burned. Unlike our standard transfers, it is not an automated process.

The fee is generally $50 per master disc, though we must look at your footage before confirming that price.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much is it to convert to DVD and MP4?

Transfers to DVD and MP4 are two separate services, as we have to run your tape twice, so each tape is charged twice.

Q: What is your privacy policy?

Your privacy is vital to us. Your tapes always stay at our location and are never shown to anyone else. They will never be placed online (unless a download link is requested), and you own all the copyrights to your material.

For MP4 transfers, we keep an archive copy of your footage on our computers for at least two weeks. This allows you a chance to confirm that everything looks correct. We may keep your footage as a backup for an indefinite time beyond that as storage space allows. We are happy to erase your material upon request.

For DVD transfers, your footage is never transferred to a computer, so we do not have a backup of it.

Q: There's lots of stuff on my tape I don't want. Can you leave that extra stuff off?

A: Because our process is automated, to only transfer a portion of your tape, you must do one of the following:

  • We can program our machine to record a certain length of time from wherever the tape is cued. Make sure the length is written on the tape.
  • You can also cue your tape to the point where you want the transfer to stop, and we will rewind to the beginning (or a specified length) and transfer from there. Again, be sure to indicate this on your tape.

Because we don’t sit and watch your tapes while they run, videotape transfers to DVD generally run the entire two-hour length of a tape, regardless of what’s on it (old TV shows, static, blue screens, etc.).

Q: Can you do my transfer while I wait?

A: If you make arrangements ahead of time, we can start your transfer immediately, but we ask that you leave and come back. There is an extra charge for same-day service.

Transfers to DVD generally take the length of your tape plus about 10 minutes. We cannot estimate the time needed to transfer to MP4 files, as the time required to render an MP4 file from the captured video is unpredictable.

Q: I need my tapes converted yesterday. What's your schedule?

A: Please be aware that this is a side business for me. If you have a deadline, be sure it’s in writing on your form at dropoff.

Q: My tape isn't playing back very well. Can you do anything to fix it?

A: Possibly. We have various machines that all react differently to “bad” tape. We will do our best to get the highest quality output.

Even if your tape has problems, we will transfer the entire contents as long as our machine does not stop. If you are unsatisfied, we will check and re-run any tape at no charge.

A repair fee will be charged if your tape breaks in our machine (snaps loose from its reel when rewinding or splits in two). Per the Limited Liability Agreement you signed before leaving your tapes, we cannot be held responsible if this happens.

If your tape does not move correctly while in our machine (gets stuck, spools don’t turn properly), we will not continue attempting a transfer to protect your tape and our equipment. At our discretion, tapes stuck in a machine that requires disassembly to be removed may be subject to a repair charge.

Q: Can I play my flash drive on my Smart TV?

A: Probably. However, we can’t 100% guarantee that your particular flash drive will work with your specific TV. The reason is somewhat technical.

Most flash drives default to a file system called FAT32. FAT32 has a 4GB size limit for any individual file. If one of your videos exceeds this size, we must format the flash drive with either exFAT or NTFS to overcome this limit. All Smart TVs should work with FAT32, while only some work with exFAT or NTFS.

Please let us know the brand and model of your TV at the time of drop-off, and we’ll attempt to make it work.

Q: Is there any reduction in quality during the transfer?

A: There is a minor reduction in quality whenever analog video footage is digitized, but generally speaking, your video will play at the same quality as the original tape.

Q: I have a bunch of old Disney movies. Can you please transfer these for me?

A: Commercially purchased tapes (including most movies, some exercise videos–potentially anything you bought from a store) likely cannot be transferred. This is due to copy protection signals on the tape that physically stop the recorder–not our unwillingness to help you.

Movies recorded on TV and event videos (dance recitals, school or choral performances, etc.) should transfer fine.

Q: Can I edit DVD footage on my computer?

While ripping DVDs to video files is possible, we don’t provide technical support nor guarantee that your DVDs can be ripped. The free Mac and PC program Handbrake will create MP4 files from DVDs.

We recommend our separate videotape to MP4 service for customers needing video files.

Q: Can you ramble a bit about the DVD labeling process?

A: Labels are printed directly onto the surface of the DVD. They are not stick-on labels (which can damage your machine).

Our order form lets you pick the label style and write exactly how the DVDs should be labeled. You may also attach post-it notes to each tape with the desired phrasing.

If you choose not to use the order form or provide titles, the DVDs will be labeled exactly as they are written on the tape’s label (typos, abbreviations, inconsistent punctuation, and all).

We can also leave the DVDs blank.

Q: Can you make more copies of a DVD at a later time?

A: We don’t keep copies of your tapes or DVDs and require an original copy to make duplicates.

Q: Do you operate out of your home?

A: Indy VHS to DVD is a home-based business. Working from home means flexibility in scheduling drop-off/pick-up of materials. I am often available during the day, evening, and weekend hours. And with no overhead involved with office space, we keep our prices low.

Q: Why should I trust you?

A: Zach Rosing Productions has provided video production services to the Indianapolis community since 2002. Visit our website to see some of the organizations we work with and the projects we’ve worked on. We are primarily a video, photography, and multimedia production company for the Indianapolis arts community.

Your satisfaction is our highest priority. If you are dissatisfied with a transfer, we will refund your money (upon returning the DVDs or flash drives) or re-run your tape at no charge.