Betamax to DVD transfers from video99.co.uk  



The UK's most affordable and flexible Betamax to DVD transfers.

A personal service by an engineer with 20 years of video experience.

Costs just £12 for up to 2:30 hours, extra copies £3.50 or less.  Discounts for quantity.  Lowest prices in the UK but the highest quality.

Beta (Betamax / Betacord / Betamovie)

A typical Beta (Betamax) tape

You may have seen my Beta video pages already.  From that arose a steady stream of requests to transfer Beta (Betamax) tapes to DVD.  Many early portable recorders with cameras were Beta.  The world's first camcorders were all of the Beta format, so there are a wealth of precious memories on Beta tapes.  For some six years now, since the earliest DVD recording equipment was available, I've been making people happy by carrying out the highest quality Betamax to DVD transfers.  Beta can give significantly better results than VHS, and my equipment gets the very best from your tapes.  Video99.co.uk has a wealth of expertise in Betamax to DVD transfers and has the very best equipment.

 The world's first camcorders were Beta.

I can transfer all normal domestic Beta (Betamax) tapes to DVD, with the best possible picture quality.  If your Beta tapes may be recorded with HiFi stereo BetaHiFi sound, let me know and I'll be able to use this to get brilliant sound quality too.  As well as UK recorded tapes, I can do NTSC and SECAM television system transfers for Beta tapes recorded on equipment from anywhere in the world.

I offer two levels of service: 

Basic Menu, £12: Up to 2:30 hours on one DVD, with top quality pictures and sound.  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 £18:  Up to 1:30 hours on one DVD, with top quality pictures and sound.  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.

Also available, Betamax to MPEG files for your own computer editing.  The price is small quantities is the same as Deluxe Menu.  For larger quantities of tapes there are good discounts possible.  In particular, if you would like to transfer Betamax to hard disk, the price can be as low as £7 per hour.  Just email me for details.

You might find this useful, it gives you a guide of how long each type of Beta (Betamax) tape runs for.

Betamax to DVD transfer; the highest quality service in the UK.

How to request a Betamax video to DVD transfer.

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.  I will then confirm the price, or best guess at the price, and let you know the address to send the tapes.

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.  In which case, assume that the tapes are fairly full and send payment accordingly, I will refund any surplus by means of a cheque sent with your finished recordings.  Some models of Betamax machine may be taken as part or full payment for Beta to DVD transfers, so if you have one to dispose of, do mention it to me.

If recorded on equipment from another country, see the Television systems explained.  The only Betamax we don't yet do are the very rare and ancient BetaI speed American recordings, but we do handle the much more popular BetaII and BetaIII speeds.  This would only affect recordings made on USA machines of around 1976 vintage.

If you want your tapes back after you have the DVD copies (recommended):

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.

When you receive your tapes back, you may notice that the record tabs have been removed. The first thing I do with a tape is make sure that it cannot be recorded on, so protecting your important recordings.

Please read our Terms and Conditions, which form part of the agreement.

Back to the main www.video99.co.uk page.

Also see the video99.co.uk Questions and Answers (FAQ)

** For sale:  Sony L500 Pro-X ultra high grade Beta tapes, new and sealed.  Just £5 each plus UK post.  Limiting these to one or two per customer so everyone has a chance, only a very limited quantity.  Email me for details. **  October 2006 (few left now in late 2007).

More interesting reading on the Beta (Betamax) format.  

See my main Beta in the UK web page too.

I now have a useful page on how to service Sanyo Beta video recorders, fitting reel idlers and belts to them, and where to source parts.  I have also scanned in the entire service manual (28MB download) for the Sanyo VTC-NX100 front-loading Beta video recorder, and this is helpful for servicing most Sanyo models.

Urban myths, true or false.

• Beta is better than VHS:  TRUE.  Due to a higher video write speed on Beta, it is true that a good Beta video recorder will outperform any VHS machine in certain respects, particularly bandwidth (often quoted as vertical lines, nothing to do with 625 lines on the UK PAL TV system), and video noise.  Some VHS models made a real effort to overcome these weaknesses but were always struggling with a fundamentally simpler and cheaper format.  On the other hand a good SVHS recorder will outperform any normal Beta recorder in all important aspects.  The only advantages of VHS over Beta are a slightly higher linear tape speed which gives a marginally better mono sound track on VHS, and a slightly longer playing time using similar tape technology of 4 hours as opposed to 3 hours and 35 minutes on Beta.  (I know 5 hour VHS tapes exist, and if the same tape were loaded in a Beta tape, you would get a tape which should run for around 4 hours 30 mins.)  As well as improved picture quality, another advantage of Beta over VHS is much smaller cassettes.  A minor technical advantage is also that the autostop system used for Beta is a very reliable magnetic sensor, whereas VHS used a cumbersome optical tape-end sensor system which caused a great many breakdowns is early days and still causes some breakdowns and erratic behavoir today.
• There used to be a Beta to VHS adaptor:  FALSE.  This is a magnificent gadget that you load a Beta tape into, then pop into a VHS recorder and you can play the tape.  I like this myth because people still write to tell me that it is true, and that I don't know what I'm talking about when I say: NO SUCH ADAPTOR COULD EVER HAVE EXISTED!  I'm glad we've cleared that up.
• Sony lost a fortune on the Beta format.  FALSE.   Millions of Beta format machines were sold and the professional Betacam version has been a huge success in TV studios the world over.  In economic terms, Sony will consider the Beta format to be one of their biggest ever product lines.
• Sanyo and Sony are the same company.  FALSE.   Though the two companies have often co-operated technically, and both backed the Beta format.  The Sanyo Betamovie camcorders where rebadged Sony units, but this is probably the only occasion Sanyo used Sony equipment.  A look inside a Sanyo VTC-M40 Beta Hifi video recorder will show a large amount of the Hifi electronics are sourced by Sony.  Sanyo also backed Video8 rather than VHS-C in the later analogue camcorder days, but as time went on, virtually all other manufacturers dropped VHS-C in favour of Video8 too.  The two companies have backed differing high density DVD formats, which is a sign that they may be growing apart.  Sanyo and Fisher ARE the same company.
• Beta came out before VHS:  NOT REALLY.  In the UK, both formats arrived at pretty well the same time, and unlike in the USA, they both had similar running times from the start.
• Beta was more expensive than VHS: NOT REALLY.  Sony machines tended to be more expensive than Sanyo.  The VTC5150 from Sanyo was £239.95 in Comet in 1984, a price which compared favourably with any VHS models of the time, and making it a best-seller.
• Beta tapes are smaller than VHS:  TRUE. Beta tapes are significantly smaller in length and width, but are exactly the same depth as VHS tapes.
• Beta tapes run for less time than VHS because the tape runs faster to get a better picture:  FALSE.  I've seen this drivel written on a web site which is supposed to be a encyclopedia.  The only reason the longest Beta tapes run for less slightly time than equivalent VHS because they have a lot less tape loaded in them, hence they are much smaller and lighter.  In fact Beta tape runs much SLOWER than VHS and gets a higher resolution of picture.  How?  It's complicated, but the video writing speed is faster on Beta due to a carefully designed head wrap system.  In effect the Beta format packs more information onto less tape.
• Beta machines are larger than VHS:  FALSE.  Some early Beta machines were larger than similar vintage VHS models, but later models were of similar size or even smaller than typical VHS equipment of the same vintage.  The Sony SL-F30 for example, is just 8cm deep.  Sony Beta  machines are usually heavier than other makes of either format.
• TV studios use Betamax.  FALSE.  They use Betacam which is not the same as domestic Beta (Betamax).  The blank tapes are sometimes compatible though.  You CANNOT play domestic Beta tapes on Betacam equipment, even though they will physically fit, you will get fast sound and no picture.  I know, I've tried it!  I can also transfer Betacam and BetacamSP studio tapes to DVD.

TESTIMONIALS  

Some previous testimonials for www.video99.co.uk Beta video transfers

• "Extremely fast and very helpful service. Picture and sound qaulity on the finished DVD are both excellent."  PAL Betamax DVD but onto both PAL and NTSC DVDs.  30.03.08.
• "Thank You Colin, for transferring my 25 year old Betamax wedding vidoe onto DVD for me . It plays oustandingly well on my upscaling DVD player & HD tv. The turn around time was great & pricing very reasonable . Geoff."  27/03/08.
• "Disk has arrived and all is working. Hours of fun ahead me thinks. Thank you for the excellent work. David"  Betamax and VHS tapes to DV-AVI files on hard disk.  18.03.08
• "All is well, thanks very much for an excellent service. Yours Joan"  09.03.08 Several Beta tapes to DVD.
• "Sincerest thanks to Colin for helping us transfer some old 1980s home movies from betamax to DVD. These tapes hadn't been played in almost 20 years and were in something of a state. Colin's efforts were above and beyond the call of duty." DC, Cork, Feb 2008."  Beta to DVD 29.02.08
• "Colin Apologies for the delay in getting in touch, it all got a bit hectic over Christmas. Just to let you know that the DVDs of our 1980 and 1981 school plays which you transferred from the Betamax tape arrived safely. More importantly for me is that - unlike many of the on-line "corporate" retailers - you managed to get them to me well in time for Christmas despite a very tight timescale. It was brilliant watching the plays and I think you did a brilliant job with a very very old and neglected betamax tape which for posterity I'd like to keep if possible. Thanks again for such an excellent service and for the effort you put into creating the DVDs for us. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you to family, friends and colleagues. Kind regards Kevin" Beta to DVD  03.01.08
• "Just wanted to say thank you for the fantastic job you did of transferring the Saturday Show from Betamax to DVD for me. It was a birthday present for my brother and he loved it, the quality and the value for money was really outstanding and if I need any others doing, I'll be straight back. I will also recommend your service to anyone else I know needing the same.  Lisa."  Beta to DVD.  04/01/08
• "Hi Colin Many thanks for this – I’m really surprised at just how good the copies are. Once again thanks very much. All the Best for Christmas & the New Year Don".  4 Beta tapes copied to hard disk in AVI format.  10.12.07
• "Colin, I have received the dvds from you. From Beta to dvd. You are a genius all three types work ok. Thank goodness there are people like you out there. A speedy and competent service. Thanks. Mike" Beta to DVD, done on several types of DVD since the customer informed me his DVD player was fussy.  13.11.07
• "Would just like to thank Colin for a particularly difficult transfer from an old Betamax video tape to DVD. The Tape had been used extensively and was badly worn, but a reasonable copy was produced which certainly could be watched although fading to black and white at times but this was because of the damaged tape. I asked Colin to try the tape on all his betamax machines which he did and may I also say that the price was reasonable too."  Completely worn out ex-rental Beta tape copied to DVD.  11.09.07
• "Hi Colin Just a quick note to say the DVDs arrived this morning. They look great. Thanks very much for turning them around so quickly – I’ll definitely be recommending you.  Thanks again. Ceri"  Two VHS tapes (short) put to DVD with multiple copies.  14.08.07
• "Colin My dvd arrived today . I am very impressed with the quality of the copy and your excellent service . Picture quality of the dvd you copied from the betamax tape was absolutely perfect.....Well done and thankyou for being so quick. Roger" Beta to DVD 08/08/07

• "Hi Colin, Just to let you know that I've finally managed to check the DVD's and, as expected, all of them are fine. My thanks to you for the excellent service and quality of the transfers. I have some more to do (from some old Beta tapes) and as soon as I find them (an on-going problem of mine!) I'll contact you again. Best wishes and thanks again, Alan"  Repeat customer, this time for two NTSC VHS tapes plus one PAL Beta Hifi tape, all copied with Hifi stereo sound.  12.05.07

• "Dear Colin Thank you so much for these discs, playback is perfect, if such a description can be applied to the gloriously amateur content. You had to be there, as they say! Your expertise has restored something irreplaceable – which sadly doesn’t include my capacity for high kicks but does provide evidence of what once was possible! Some of the performers are now quite eminent psychiatrists, others I suspect may no longer be with us. Your work has restored and preserved that unique event so that I can bother anyone with it who stands still long enough well into my dotage! Many, many thanks. Suzanne"  Beta to DVD (too long for the Deluxe service but created a "Basic Menu" DVD with carefully chosen chapter markers instead).  No charge for looking through the first tape the customer sent, which proved to be the wrong one.  06/05/07

• "Colin, I received with pleasure the 2 DVDs and I am very satisfied. thanks again. Charles."  Single Betamax tape transfer for a customer in Malta (I've had a number of Beta customers from Malta).  14/04/07

• "For your website: Thank you so much for transferring my old Betamax video to DVD. It has sat in a drawer for 20 years holding fond memories of the Pantomimes I made with my work colleagues back in the mid 1980s. Never thought I'd relive those moments again. You've done a grand job. I sent one of the copies to a colleague whose grandson has watched it about 8 times and can't stop laughing at his grandad. Prompt and efficient service. You are a real star Colin! Margaret"  14.03.07

• "I have a very precious betamax tape of my son that I wanted to have transferred to DVD. It is 27 years old and is irreplaceable so I have hesitated to send it away. I found Colin's web site and was encouraged by the comments of previous customers so I decided to take the plunge! I gave Colin an indication of the contents of this tape and two others that I wanted transferred and within a couple of days we were emailing to confirm the details. Within a week I received the DVDs and my wife and I were thrilled with the results. I cannot thank Colin enough for enabling us to see the tape again and would recommend anyone to make use of his service.  C.H."  Beta to DVD 13.03.07

• "This is just to thank you once again for such excellent service, and a job well done. There are so many people nowadays, who are very quick to rip you off, at the same time as providing a poor standard of service. I will certainly recommend you to my friends. Kind Regards Alan"  10/03/07 Beta to DVD-Rom.

• "Hi, Colin, Received the 2 sets of DVD's of old Motor Racing today. Very pleased with the result, thought I'd never see those pictures ever again. Very quick turnaround, and I thoroughly recommend your services. Kind regards, Alan".  Betamax L750 went on two DVDs because of length.  06.03.07.

• "Colin I've just recieved the dvds, (they've been forwarded to me in London). What can I say other than absolutely fantastic! It was wonderful to see both dramas again. The quality is fine, and I hardly notice the lines that were on the tape. You have done a wonderful, thoughtful and caring job restoring the video to DVD and it looks so professional. Many thanks again and I will undoubtedly recommend your service John"  04/.03.07  Some rather worn Betamax tapes copied to DVD Deluxe Menu.

• "Hi Colin, thanks for returning the original tapes and for providing such a good service. The dvd transfers were exactly as I wanted and the quality remarkably good for such old tapes. regards and thanks again Laurence"  04/03/07  Beta-DVD
• "Hi Colin, The DVD's arrived safely today and they play well. Thanks very much for the excellent service. My Dad's very pleased! Liz" Beta to DVD 27.02.07
• "Thanks Colin, Received the DVD's everything's ok. I knew the quality might not be brilliant, but I am so happy to be able to watch these again after 20 years! They have brought back some very happy memories of times gone by. (When working for the NHS was fun!) Sorry I haven't kept my old betamax machine for you. It did sit in a cupboard for many years but alas I dumped it a few years ago. I will pass the copies around my work mates and I'm sure they too will get a lot of pleasure out of these recordings.  Once again, thank you and I will express my gratitude on your site. Margaret"  Beta - DVD 24.02.07

• "Colin - I got the disk earlier this week, the quality is superb and it will make a great Christmas present - thanks for your time." Two Beta tapes to DVD.  Refunded half the payment since they both fitted onto one DVD (less than 2:30 hours).  14.12.06

• "Brilliant, absolutely fantastic !! As I said, I was unsure of the contents of the tape, but your transfer and the associated indexing and title pages really surpassed what I was expecting. I cannot express how happy I am with the quality of service that you have provided. Regards, Ian"  Beta to DVD (Deluxe Menu option) transfers for the family of wrestler Count Bartelli (Geoff Condliffe), names used with permission.  05.11.06

If you have any questions, just email me and I'll reply promptly.   Also see the video99.co.uk Questions and Answers (FAQ)  All material on this web site is copyright www.video99.co.uk and www.colin99.co.uk though trade marks remain with the manufacturers.

See my Beta (Betamax) web page.  

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