Susan -
Would you consider a DVD recorder that can record fronm the tapes? Much cheaper than having it done commercialy, and the tapes don't leave your posession.

Recent ad:
Sharp DVD Recorder/ VCR combe ... $299 (after $50 rebate mail) at Best Buy, model # DVRW34U

That and a pack of DVD-R/RW discs, and some cases for them should do it. Make goofy or sweet cover art on a color printer.

You might also want to post over at the electronics forum, where they discuss such issues at TV's, VCR's, DVD recorders, etc.

Lynne

Gee, I never thought of doing them myself. Didn't realize the equipment was so reasonable. Maybe I should think about buying the recorder for my son for Christmas and let him make the DVDs!

I don't have a great many VHS tapes...my bigger problem is the movie film. That's where the cost really skyrockets, especially with my 8mm sound film. I don't know how many feet I have, but the service is priced by the foot.

Thanks!

S.

You may be able to get an adapter for the 8mm. It would adapt to fit into vhs equipment

DH does our VHS tapes.

I think you'd be better off doing the conversions yourself so you could control the quality. DH's family hired someone to chage the Super 8's. It was poorly done.

I haven't done business with them but I understand from everything I've read and heard that Yes!Video is good.
We consider using them for our slides. Yes, the slides leave your possesion. But they seemed reasonable.

I think knowing how I feel about photos and loosing them - I would pay the price to get them transferred. Instead of doing them as a gift for your kids, why don't you ask your kids for that as a gift. Just a thought.

Ginger

Here is a link that might be useful: yes video

Alisande -
" 8mm sound film, and 16mm film" these are expensive because they have to be done frame by frame .... one way is to project them onto a white wall and film the projected version with a video camera, then do the video to DVD conversion.

You have to do some adjusting of the projector speed until what you are taping doesn't show the black film bars, but it's definitely do-able.

I could have posted this question. I researched it as well and when my dear parents asked dh and I to come up with $100 gift for each of us, we decided to go add to the pot and get a dvd recorder from Walmart for $248.00. I am so excited!

Camarodreamer

Alisande
We had our old 8mm home movies from the 50's & 60's converted to DVD and VHS last year. In total there was about 1000 feet and the cost was about $200 however it was a worthwhile investment that I'm sorry we waited so long for as some of the film had began to deteriorate. If you check in your yellow pages under audio-visual you will probably find a local company who can do this for you saving you the angst of mailing the valuable films. That's how we found the place to do ours. The place we had ours done also had a pricing structure that dropped with the more feet of film you had reprocessed so ask about that.