What's the oldest videotape you've successfully converted?

[yoda313]

So how old is your oldest videotape that you've converted to vcd/svcd/dvd? Beta?

I think my oldest that I did was from the early 90s. I don't think I kept many tapes from before then. Though some may be late 80's. (the oldest turned out pretty well aside from tracking glitches, I don't have a tbc)

How about you?

[Marvingj]

8mm & 16mm are the ones I coverterd to DVD. But I still have a 1 inch tape I need to converter but no luck on a deck yet!.............

[mazinz]

a highly played 25 year old beta tape.

But if you want to count old 8mm film, then yeah some of those are 40 plus years old

[lordsmurf]

My 1970s VHS tapes .... what, no option?

[mazinz]

Lord Smurf wrote:
My 1970s VHS tapes .... what, no option?

I would love to see what was on some of those tapes of yours. Wish I still had some of those earlier ones (I specifically recall taping the star wars holiday special, god knows whatever became of it).

[yoda313]

My 1970s VHS tapes .... what, no option?

Sorry I couldn't remember how old vhs is

[Bodyslide]

Most of my families home movies are 70's and 80's VHS. Some reel to reel as well..

[lordsmurf]

My 1970s VHS tapes .... what, no option?

Sorry I couldn't remember how old vhs is

1976

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vhs

[mazinz]

Hey Lord Smurf,
thanks for that link, I had no idea vhs went back that far ( I had always thought it was around 78 or 79, not 76)

[SatStorm]

My first VHS tape ever: A 1979 VHS tape

Actually, I fully restored it: I corrected the colours (it was the first colour transmissions on Greek TV, just imagine how they looked - and yes, it was ...SECAM) and the reception problems. So, what end up on DVD looked better the original tape.... (visually)

[ronnylov]

I think the oldest I have done yet is late 80's so I answered early 90's. I bought my first own VCR 1988 and does not have many tapes earlier than that.

[lordsmurf]

1970s and 1980s VHS tapes always lack contrast and sharpness. Proc amps and detailers are invaluable tools for the more ancient era of VHS.

[oldfart13]

No 70's Beta either. I've done a couple of those. They come out okay but the graininess from those old tapes is unbelieveable. Old VHS tapes I have from that time have all flaked however and are now unplayable. The formulations of those old tapes were never meant to last 25 - 30 years...

[dun4cheap]

Colorized version of Its a Wonderful Life, limited versions are available.

It came out pretty good, used a sony vhs player with my ADS Pyro AV Link.

[PMorton]

I just converted my wedding video from 1986. Considering it was filmed by a 14 year old at SLP, it turned out pretty well.

[yoda313]

My first VHS tape ever: A 1979 VHS tape

Actually, I fully restored it: I corrected the colours (it was the first colour transmissions on Greek TV, just imagine how they looked - and yes, it was ...SECAM) and the reception problems. So, what end up on DVD looked better the original tape.... (visually)

Very impressive.

[SatStorm]

It turned like a hobby of mine, after a while!
There was a specific woody woodpecker show segment, I loved as a kid and I wanted to have it "as is" forever in a digital form...
It must be the first colour cartoon series ever transmitted in Hellas. I had to

- Correct the colour bleed
- Correct the colour situration
- Correct the reception "ghost" noise
- Enchance the sharpness
- Stablise the picture
- Remove the analogue noise

It was fan... And when I actually made it, I got a copy of the same woody woodpecker show from the Columbia House DVD release that simply looked much better...

Oh, whatever... I least I have this segment with a big fat proud logo "EPT 2" at the upper left of the picture, just for the memories....
Oh, yeah and wonderfull greek subtitles. Now that I actually know english, I realised that what they use to translate has nothing to do with the real show...
Seems to me, someone wrote a new script, probably because he didn't know english....

[yoda313]

It was fan... And when I actually made it, I got a copy of the same woody woodpecker show from the Columbia House DVD release that simply looked much better...

Isn't that always the case? You finally get around to doing something to save it and they come out with an "enhanced, digitally restored" version of it

But half the fun is seeing if you can do it yourself