The UK's most affordable and flexible Betacam and BetacamSP transfers.
A personal service by an engineer with 20 years of video experience. Transfers to DVD, computer and more.
Costs just £17 per tape, extra copies £3.50 or less. Discounts for quantity. Lowest prices in the UK but the highest quality.
Used in television studios throughout the world, Betacam SP is a very popular professional video format. There are two tapes sizes, the smaller ones are very similar to domestic Beta (Betamax) tapes to look at, and in the case of early Betacam (oxide) tapes, the tapes are essentially identical. However Betacam recordings are absolutely incompatible with domestic Beta (Betamax) video players. My equipment will handle both the smaller and larger sized cassettes and also can play both the linear and FM audio tracks. I have two machines pictured below, the BVW-22P is best for early Betacam recordings and also those which require the AFM sound track, whereas the UVW1200P is a ideally suited to getting the very highest picture quality to DVD or miniDV due to its advanced digital timebase corrector and excellent output connection options. Both machines give excellent results.
Not all video transfer companies have the right equipment to handle AFM audio tracks or Low Band Betacam (oxide) tapes, and may let you down. Video99 handles all analogue Betacam tapes provided they are recording in the PAL television system. (See later regarding NTSC recordings.)
You may come across Betacam or BetacamSP tapes which have been recorded by a professional video company, for example in creating training or promo films. But how can you view the recording? Video99 can transfer these recordings to normal viewable DVD, or to computer files, or even miniDV or DVCAM tape
I've done BetacamSP transfers for former BBC staff who have been delighted with the quality.
Professional Betacam SP tapes
(large size on left and small size on the right of this picture). Suitable
equipment, as you can see, tends to be large and expensive.
Basic Menu, £17 per tape: The menus are limited to just a title, but you get a chapter point every 5 minutes so it is easy to move around the DVD. Extra copies of these DVDs cost just £3.50 each and are recommended.
Deluxe Menu £22 per tape: Nice menu icons showing what is on that part of the recording, and if you email me with titles I will put them on the DVD for you too. I place the chapter breaks at points of interest or new recordings. These menus look like professionally recorded DVD films. Extra copies are very cheap, just £2.50 each, and well worth taking.
DVD-ROM £20: Up to 1:30 hours on one DVD-Rom in high quality MPEG2 video files.
Options include transfer to DV AVI format files on hard disk for larger quantities of tapes (5 or more), and transfer to miniDV or DVCAM. Just email me for details.
Please note that I cannot handle Digital Betacam / Digibeta, or Betacam SX recordings, nor recordings which are not in the PAL television system. NTSC Betacam capability is expected later in 2008.
| PAL | NTSC | |
| YES | NO *** | |
*** NTSC BetacamSP may now be available, I have a player but no tape to test it with. If you have an NTSC BetacamSP (small size only) tape, let me know. If it works as it should, then you can have that transferred to DVD at no charge. May 2008.
We have a new and easy order page, just select what kind of tapes you have and supply your details.
If you prefer, you can instead fill out this form (a Word document). It should answer all of your questions and provides me with all the important details I need, so complete as much of the form as you can and email it back to me. I will then confirm the price, or best guess at the price, and let you know the address to send the tapes. Betacam recordings sometimes require particular personal attention, just let me know of any particular requirements. Usually I transfer to video-DVD but options include transfer to computer file, miniDV tape and more.
If for any reason you get stuck filling out the form, just email me and I'll help you personally. It's a personal service I offer, not like some of the big video editing houses. I understand that in many cases you will not be able to tell how much material is on the original recordings.
If recorded on equipment from another country, see the Television systems explained. Only PAL recordings are accepted for Betacam.
Not everyone
needs their tapes returned once they have the DVDs, but if you do, please remember to include postage costs. For a single video tape in the UK, this is just £2. For larger quantities, and tapes from outside the UK, I will let you know.
Ideally can you ensure you send the tapes in a package which is sufficiently large and robust for me to use to send back your original tapes. Usually I will send the DVDs to you ahead of returning your tapes, then when you've confirmed you are happy with the
DVDs, I will return your tapes. This way I can help you further if necessary - for example you can now see you want a different part of a tape transferred on its own or you want extra copies.
"Hi Colin The tapes arrived safely today. Many thanks again for your speedy and efficient service. All the best, Philip" BetacamSP and Hi8 tapes to DV-AVI files on hard disk. 20.03.08
"I received the 2 discs today and have loaded them onto my computer. Everything is fine with them, thank you very much for your work and speedy conversion. Many thanks Regards Gary" BetacamSP tapes transferred to DVD-Rom disks of DV-AVI files. 11.02.08
"Hi Colin, Received the minidv okay, and the problem has been solved. Thanks for your help, much appreciated. Regards-Jorge" BetaSP to miniDV 05.11.07. What's the problem he refers to? It's another company who let him down, he goes on to say: "The company who let us down, are (or maybe were - who knows!) ******** ***** and are based in Glasgow. They still haven't refunded us the money we paid them, so maybe I should pursue it via the credit card company. It's not a vast amount but they promised to refund it and after all the heart-ache and hassle we've had, ringing them nearly every day for weeks, I would have thought they would have made it a priority!" I'm not naming the company in question of course.
"I want to thank you for such a fantastic service. You've dealt with all my little queries amazingly quickly, and with wonderful clarity. The dozens and dozens of transfers, from VHS and from professional BetaCam, every single one of them, has been of great quality, speedily done, clearly labelled and sensibly packaged. I'm absolutely delighted and have already begun to recommend you to my colleagues. Terriffic! Thank you! Jon" Studio BetacamSP and domestic VHS video tapes transferred to DVD for a renowned programme producer, 30.11.06
"Just to let you know the DVDs have been received and it is ok to send the original tape back to me. Many thanks, the DVDs are excellent as promised, Grant" BetacamSP to DVD 21/09/07
If you have any questions, just email
me and I'll reply promptly. Also see the video99.co.uk Questions
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