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Converting Old Media to Digital

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Many of us don’t have enough space in our homes or offices for an extensive collection of old media like vinyl, CD’s, photos, and even VHS and DVDs. There are a few things you can do if this is you.

If you have no room, the first thing to do is to throw them away and then buy them all over again. This can lead to the loss of classic items that may have sentimental or future monetary value. For example, imagine having the Beatles’ first vinyl and then throwing it away. Ouch!

There are better options if you don’t want your items to go to waste. First, we recommend that you store your items. Self-storage can be cheaper than buying a home, so it might be worth the small cost.

You should digitize your items before you put them in storage. You can save space in your home by storing all your media on your computer, or in the cloud.

We will be discussing some of the best methods to transform your existing media into new media.
Vinyl to Digital

It is easy to convert your vinyl records to digital if you have the right tools. However, it can seem difficult at first. These are the tools you will need to convert vinyl records into digital copies.

A turntable, phono stage, and an analogue-to-digit converter are all required. Editing software is required to edit and capture your music. Once you have connected your turntable to your computer, it is as easy as turning on the turntable and then capturing the music to your computer.

Then, you can store or move your vinyl records out of your home. This will allow more space in your home and allows your records to age and possibly increase in value.
Photos to Digital

It is simple to convert photos to digital. All you need is a scanner and photo editing software like Photoshop. On their website, you can download a free trial version of Photoshop.

Photoshop is a learning process so take your time. Converting them yourself is cheaper.

Digital from VHS

Converting old movies into digital copies will not only help you save space but also allow you to keep your memories longer. Many old movies, such as weddings and christenings were recorded on VHS tapes. These tapes are easily damaged.

For minidv to mp4 conversion head on over to Tapes to Digital.

It is very similar to transferring VHS tapes from analog to digital. You will need both a device that can play and a device that can capture the media.

You will need a VHS recorder, an old movie, a USB device, and a computer to convert VHS tapes to digital. You probably don’t own the USB capture device. However, these can be easily purchased on Amazon.

The USB capture device will come with the scart leads that plug into your VHS player, and the USB connector which plugs into the computer. You can then play the VHS video and install your screen recording software on your computer.

Although it takes a lot more time, this is the most cost-effective option. This may be too slow if you have many tapes that you need to convert. If this is the case, you might consider hiring a company to convert your VHS tapes digitally for you.

Conclusion

Converting old media to new media will allow you to free up space in your office or home, and will prolong the media’s life. You can also convert your files to digital copies and add them to multiple storage locations to preserve your most important memories.

It is safer to have a photo stored on a hard disk, a laptop or in the cloud than to just keep the original copy. We recommend backing up your family photos and videos digitally if they are important to you.