One Tape, Ten Events: Why Digitizing Is Only Half the Story
And what makes my process completely different from everyone else’s.
If you have a box of old VHS tapes, chances are each one is a treasure chest of memories—family vacations to Destin, dance recitals, birthday parties, and those perfectly imperfect everyday moments you forgot you were recording.
But remember, this was the ‘80s and ‘90s, which means:
One VHS tape usually holds ten—or more—completely separate events.
And while digitizing those tapes is a wonderful first step, it’s really only half the story.
What Most Services Do
When you send a VHS tape to a typical digitizing service (which is what I did), they’ll convert the footage into a digital file (nothing wrong with that). But what you get back is:
One long video (sometimes 2+ hours long, which sometimes included that gray/white fuzzy screen you saw before/in between/after filming)
No labels, no chapters (AKA no organization)
Just raw footage—start to finish—leaving you left to scroll and guess where each memory begins
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all about getting our VHS tapes digitized. It’s better than having nothing, but it’s not as easy to watch and enjoy (which is the whole point of getting them converted in the first place, isn’t it?).
I mean, imagine digging through your newly converted video trying to find your daughter’s first bike ride (which might be 3 minutes long) in a 2 hr video. That’s not preserving memories… that’s digital clutter. I’ve been there..and it’s not fun!
What I Do Differently: Event-by-Event Editing
I go beyond digitizing.
Once I convert your tape, I bring it into professional video editing software and carefully go through the footage from beginning to end—identifying each unique event.
Then I:
Crop and separate each individual moment
Label it with a clear, descriptive title (e.g., “Katie Learns How to Ride a Bike 1998” or “Family Vacation to Destin, Florida 2000”)
Deliver the final product as a collection of individual clips (chronologically organized), which you can easily click, watch, and share
Why This Matters
1. It’s easier to enjoy.
No more scrubbing through hours of tape. Just open a folder and choose the exact clip you want to see.
2. It’s perfect for sharing.
Want to send your son a video of his first bike ride? You don’t have to send a 2-hour file—just a 3-minute clip that will make his day.
3. It feels more meaningful.
Each video becomes its own little memory, ready to be watched, laughed at, and remembered.
What You’ll Receive
A USB drive filled with clearly labeled thumbnail clips (which you can then plug into your laptop or computer and upload it to Facebook or the cloud, so that you can share your memories)
Each event saved as its own video file, organized in folders by year
Peace of mind knowing your memories are not just saved, but sorted and ready to (easily) be treasured
Your Memories Deserve More Than “Just Digitized”
Digitizing is the first step.
Organizing is what makes it watchable, enjoyable, and shareable.
And that’s what I do best.
If you’re ready to bring your VHS tapes back to life—and finally make those memories easy to enjoy—I’d love to help. Click here to find out more.
-Andrea