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Four decades. One standard.

From the atticto the TV.

Home movies, videotapes, slides and photos, transferred to digital by hand in Bemus Point, NY. Your originals stay in Chautauqua County, and one person handles them from pickup to delivery.

Call or text (716) 281-0005 Ask for the price list

Free pickup and delivery around Chautauqua Lake, by appointment.

  • Free pickup around Chautauqua Lake
  • Your originals never leave the county
  • One person, start to finish

What's in the box?

Here's what I transfer. Not sure what you have? Send me a photo of the tapes or reels and I'll tell you.

Videotapes

  • VHS
  • VHS-C
  • S-VHS
  • Video8
  • Hi8
  • Digital8
  • MiniDV

Played on professional decks and saved as MP4 files at the tape's full original quality. Any length, including long-play recordings.

Movie film

  • 8mm
  • Super 8
  • 16mm
  • 35mm

Inspected, cleaned and scanned frame by frame in HD, color corrected and set to the right speed. Silent and sound film.

1440 x 1080 HD scan. 4K on request for 16mm and 35mm.

Slides and negatives

  • 35mm slides
  • 35mm negatives
  • 110
  • 126
  • 127
  • Disc
  • APS
  • 120/220
  • Sheet film

Scanned with a high-resolution camera, cropped and color corrected.

35mm at 4000 dpi.

Photos and albums

  • Prints
  • Album pages
  • Mounted photos

Scanned, cropped, straightened and color corrected, ready to share with the family.

600 dpi JPEG. TIFF on request.

Home DVDs and CDs

  • DVD
  • Mini-DVD
  • CD
  • SD card

Home-recorded discs copied to USB before they fail, finalized or not.

Pro and vintage tape

  • HDV
  • DVCAM
  • Betamax
  • 3/4-inch U-matic

Including sticky-shed baking for old tapes that need it. Betacam SP and PAL tapes: just ask.

Repair and recovery

Snapped tapes re-spliced, broken shells replaced, scratched or failing discs recovered. I show you the problem before any extra work, and there's no charge if nothing can be saved.

Photo restoration

Torn, faded, stained or silvered photos repaired by a professional photographer. Quoted per photo.

A gloved hand holding a home-burned DVD in front of a box of DVD cases

Were your tapes put on DVD years ago?

Home-burned DVDs don't last forever either. The dye layer breaks down over time, and plenty of discs from the 2000s already skip or won't play. I can copy yours to a USB drive before that happens.

Camcorder mini-DVDs too, finalized or not. Send them along with your tapes and everything comes back on the same drive.

Ask about your DVDs

How it works

You get a price before any work starts, and the price you approve is the price you pay.

  1. Get in touch

    Call, text or message me with what you have and roughly how many. I'll send you the price list.

  2. Free pickup

    I come to you anywhere around Chautauqua Lake, by appointment. We count everything together, and you get a written estimate and a signed receipt for your originals.

  3. Inspection and quote

    Within two business days I inspect every item and send your quote. Nothing is added without your OK, and anything that can't be recovered isn't charged.

  4. Back to you on USB

    Your originals come back with a USB flash drive that's yours to keep. Bring it back next time and I'll add your next order to it at no charge.

Most orders take two to three weeks. Need it sooner? Rush service in under a week is available.

Every frame, done right

Handled like it's the only copy. Because it usually is.

Handled by one person

Your tapes, film and photos are handled by me and never shipped anywhere. You know exactly who has them and where they are.

The care is included

Film cleaning, splice repair, color correction and the correct playback speed are part of every price, not add-ons.

Files you can find

Sensible file names, kept in the original order by tape, reel, box or carousel. Want the names and dates written on your slides and boxes included too? I can add those.

One price per item

No extra charge for long tapes and no volume games. Your twentieth tape gets the same time and care as the first, so the price is the same too.

Meet Dave

I'm Dave Anderson. I fell in love with photography and the darkroom in fourth grade, and it's been my life ever since.

In 1985 I owned a retail camera shop, where we copied and restored old photos and sent home movies out for transfer. After that came more than 30 years as a commercial studio photographer and CGI artist.

Today I do the transfers myself, by hand, right here in Bemus Point. Your tapes, reels and photos never leave Chautauqua County, and you deal with me directly, from the first call to delivery.

Digital Preserves runs alongside my commercial photography, which you'll still find at DavidAnderson.tv.

Dave Anderson

Dave Anderson seated beside his film scanner, with videotapes, film reels and a vintage movie camera on the shelf behind him
At the film scanner, where every reel is scanned.

Questions people ask

How much does it cost?

Prices are flat and per item. Tapes and discs are priced per piece no matter how long they run, film by the foot, and photos and slides per image. There are no volume tiers and no surprise charges.

Call, text or use the form below and I'll send you the full price list.

How long does it take?

Two to three weeks from pickup. For Christmas, have your order in by December 5. Rush service in under a week is available for an added charge.

What do I get back?

Your originals, plus a USB flash drive with everything on it. The drives I use have both a standard USB plug and a USB-C plug, so they work with computers, newer phones and tablets, and most smart TVs.

Video comes as MP4 files. Photos and slides come as JPEGs, with TIFF available on request. Extra drives for family members are available.

What if a tape is broken or moldy?

Snapped tapes and broken shells can usually be repaired, though a few seconds at the splice may be lost. Moldy tapes need special handling, so I quote those separately. Either way, I show you the problem before doing any extra work, and if nothing can be recovered, there's no charge.

Why no volume discounts?

Your 20th tape or 100th photo takes as long as the first and gets the same care, so prices and quality are consistent for everyone. Every price already includes film cleaning, color correction and file names that make sense. More importantly, your originals are handled by one person and never shipped anywhere.

Can I mail my things in?

Not yet. Mail-in service starts in January 2027. For now it's free pickup and delivery around Chautauqua Lake, by appointment.

I don't know what format my tapes are.

That's normal. Text me a photo of a tape, reel or slide box at (716) 281-0005 and I'll tell you what it is and what it takes to transfer.

Got a box of old tapes in the closet?

Tell me what you have and roughly how many, and I'll send you the price list.

Call or text
(716) 281-0005
Mail
Digital Preserves, PO Box 169, Greenhurst, NY 14742
Hours and area
By appointment. Serving Chautauqua County, with free pickup around Chautauqua Lake.

Ask for the price list

I'll reply with the price list and answer any questions.

What do you have? Check all that apply