Digitisation is the process of converting the analogue video signal on your old tapes into a digital video file — usually MP4 — that can be played on any modern device, shared with family, and preserved indefinitely. We play your tape through professional equipment and capture the footage in high quality as it plays in real time.

Modern televisions and computers no longer have the inputs required for VHS, camcorder, or other tape formats. The players themselves are increasingly rare, and even when you find one, the internal components — belts, heads, capacitors — deteriorate with age and can damage your tapes during playback. Digitising removes the dependency on ageing hardware entirely.

We capture your footage at the best quality the tape itself can deliver. We can't restore footage that was never recorded in high definition, but we use professional-grade capture equipment that faithfully reproduces every frame, colour, and detail that's still present on the tape. The result will look as good as — or better than — playing the original on original equipment.

Here are the formats we currently digitise, and how to tell them apart:

• VHS — Large rectangular cassette, roughly the size of a paperback book. The most common format from the 1980s–2000s.
• VHS-C — A compact version of VHS used in smaller camcorders. About a third the size of standard VHS. Requires an adapter to play in a VHS player.
• Hi8 / Video8 — Small cassettes roughly the size of an audio cassette. Used in Sony Handycam camcorders from the late 1980s through the 2000s.
• Audio Cassette — The familiar compact cassette used for music and voice recording. We digitise these to high-quality audio files.

We're adding support for more formats soon. If you have something not listed here — such as Betamax, MiniDV, Digital8, or Super 8 film reels — get in touch and we'll let you know when we can help.

Not sure what you've got? Send us a photo of your tape and we'll identify it for you — no charge.

We currently handle VHS, VHS-C, Hi8, Video8, and audio cassettes. More formats are coming soon — if you have something not listed here, get in touch and we'll let you know when we can help.

We can work with most tapes, including those that haven't been played in decades. Some tapes may show signs of age — picture noise, colour fading, or brief dropout — which is a normal characteristic of the original recording, not something introduced during digitisation. Heavily damaged or mouldy tapes may require assessment before we can commit to digitising them. If you're concerned, just ask before sending.

Magnetic tape degrades whether it's played or not. Heat, humidity, and the passage of time break down the binder that holds the magnetic particles to the tape. Most tapes from the 1980s and 1990s are already approaching or past their reliable lifespan. The footage on them exists nowhere else. Once it's gone, it's gone permanently. Digitising now, while the tape is still playable, is the only way to preserve it.

Under ideal storage conditions — cool, dry, dark, away from magnetic fields — VHS and similar tapes were designed to last 10–25 years. Most tapes were not stored under ideal conditions. Tapes from the 1980s are now 40+ years old. Deterioration is often invisible until playback, at which point sections may already be unrecoverable. There is no safe time to wait.

Several failure modes can occur: sticky shed syndrome (the tape binder breaks down and sticks to itself), mould growth in humid environments, physical brittleness, print-through (magnetic signals bleeding between adjacent layers), and complete demagnetisation. Any of these can render footage permanently unrecoverable.

In our experience, this is often the most powerful reason of all. Children grow up not knowing what their grandparents looked like when they were young. Relatives who have passed on exist only in fading photographs. The voices, movements, and everyday moments on tape are irreplaceable. Families who have had tapes digitised consistently tell us the same thing: they wish they had done it sooner.

1. Send us your tapes — by post, courier, or local drop-off if you're in the Perth/Fremantle area.
2. We assess and catalogue your tapes, then confirm your order before we begin.
3. We digitise each tape using professional capture equipment.
4. We deliver your files via USB drive or secure download link — your choice.
5. We return your original tapes to you.

For most orders, we aim to have your files ready within a few days to a week of receiving your tapes. We don't rush the process — real-time capture means a two-hour tape takes two hours to digitise properly. We'll always keep you informed of progress.

We deliver MP4 files as standard — the most universally compatible format for computers, phones, smart TVs, and streaming. MP4 files are easy to share with family, upload to cloud storage, and play on any modern device without special software.

• USB drive — Files copied to a USB drive, returned with your tapes. Small additional charge applies.
• BYO USB drive — Send us your own USB drive and we'll load your files onto it. $5 handling fee.
• DVD — Standard DVD authored for playback on DVD players. Best as a backup copy; note that DVDs are standard definition. Small additional charge applies.

Yes, always. We return your original tapes with every order. We never keep, copy, or share your personal footage. Your memories belong to your family.

Our pricing is per tape, regardless of tape length or condition. The more tapes you send, the less you pay per tape:

• 1–9 tapes: $35 per tape
• 10–19 tapes: $32 per tape
• 20–29 tapes: $29 per tape
• 30+ tapes: $25 per tape

All prices include GST. Delivery media (USB drives, DVDs) are charged separately — see our order page for details. The price we quote is the price you pay, no surprises.

Every order includes professional digitisation of your tapes to MP4, file delivery via your chosen method, and return of your original tapes. Every tape gets the same care and quality regardless of which pricing tier you're on.

You can order directly through our website, or contact us by email and we'll walk you through it. We're happy to answer questions before you commit to anything.

We accept all major credit and debit cards, bank transfer, and PayPal. Payment is processed securely online. We invoice before work begins so there are no surprises.

We accept tapes by post or courier from anywhere in Australia — and internationally. Pack your tapes securely in a padded satchel or box, include your name and order number, and send to our address. We recommend using a tracked service so you can monitor delivery.

No special preparation needed. Just make sure tapes are protected from crushing — a few sheets of bubble wrap go a long way. Don't use rubber bands around the tapes as these can damage the cassette housing over time.

Tapes travel in the post every day without issue, provided they're packed sensibly. Keep them away from heavy items in the same parcel. Standard tracked post gives you peace of mind and is perfectly suitable for most orders.

Local customers are welcome to arrange a direct drop-off and collection. Contact us to organise a convenient time — this is the quickest option and avoids postage entirely.

We accept international orders. Tapes can be sent via standard international post or courier. You're responsible for postage to us; we'll return your tapes and files at no additional cost. Please declare the contents accurately on customs forms — they're personal family recordings, not commercial goods.

Return postage is included in your order price. We return your tapes and USB drive (if ordered) via standard post at our cost. If you'd prefer express or tracked return shipping, a small surcharge applies.

Only the person digitising your tapes — which is us. We check the first and last few seconds of each tape to trim static and ensure the capture is clean, but beyond that, we don't watch your footage. Once digitisation begins, our display screens are turned off. Your family's private moments stay private. We do not share, copy, publish, or retain your personal footage for any purpose. Your files are transferred to you and then deleted from our systems.

Temporarily, during processing and while your download link is active (30 days). After that, your files are removed from our systems. We strongly recommend downloading your files and backing them up in at least two places as soon as you receive them.

The 3-2-1 rule is the gold standard: three copies of your files, on two different types of storage, with one copy offsite. For most families this means a copy on your computer, a copy on an external hard drive, and a copy in cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, or similar). USB drives alone are not recommended as a sole backup — they can fail without warning.

We'll let you know during assessment. Some damage — minor dropout, brief static — is normal for aged tapes and will appear in the digital file as it was on the tape. If a tape is severely damaged and significant footage is unrecoverable, we'll contact you before proceeding. We don't charge for footage we genuinely cannot recover.

Absolutely. Many of our customers don't know what's on their tapes — and discovering the footage is often the best part. We'll treat every tape with the same care regardless.

We're focused on tape digitisation for now, but we're expanding. If you have a collection that includes photographs, slides, or documents alongside your tapes, get in touch and we can discuss what's possible.

Visit yesterdaymemories.com to place an order, or contact us at hello@yesterdaymemories.com. We're happy to answer questions before you commit to anything. There's no obligation and no rush. We'll be here when you're ready.