Your Tapes From the UK, Europe and Australia, Playing Again Here
The tapes came over with you, or with your parents, and they have never played properly here. They are PAL tapes, made for televisions overseas, and a Canadian VCR plays them scrambled, in black and white, or not at all. I play them on machines made for them and turn them into files your whole family can watch.
Fits, but will not play
A PAL tape slides straight into a Canadian VCR. What comes out is scrambled, or black and white, or nothing. The tape is fine. The machine is wrong.
The players are getting old
Shops here sold machines that read NTSC. The PAL ones that came over are decades old now, and every year there are fewer of them.
A file ends the problem
Once a tape is a file, it plays on a phone, a laptop or a smart TV. You get a link the whole family can open, here or back home.
Which Countries Recorded in PAL
The UK, Ireland, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and much of Asia recorded in PAL. Canada, the United States and Japan used NTSC, and a VCR here only reads NTSC. France, Russia and much of Eastern Europe used a third kind, called SECAM.
A box with Canadian tapes mixed in is no trouble. The videotape page covers those.
Which Ones I Can Play
PAL VHS and VHS-C
Most tapes from overseas are VHS. I play them on a deck that reads PAL the way it was recorded. A VHS-C camcorder tape goes in an adapter on the same machine.
PAL Video8, Hi8 and Digital8
Sony's 8mm camcorder tapes were sold all over the world. For the ones recorded overseas I use a camcorder from England, made to read exactly these tapes.
SECAM, MiniDV and the rest
Tapes from France, Russia or Eastern Europe, and PAL MiniDV, I test before I promise anything. You will know whether a tape plays before you pay a thing. Looking is always free.
How It Works
Drop-Off in Colwood
Use my online form to book a private drop-off time. This ensures I can review your items with you personally when you arrive.
Approve Estimate
Once I have your project, I don't just process it. I inspect the condition of every tape and page. If I find something that needs special attention, I’ll call you.
Enjoy and Share
You'll get a private link to everything, and a USB drive to keep if you want one. You can finally watch your memories on your phone, tablet, or TV.
Same price as any tape.
A tape from overseas is $39, the same as a Canadian one, and $33.50 each once you reach 10. Up to two and a half hours a tape. Nothing extra for PAL. I go through the collection here and you get a written figure before any work starts.
A Box From Home
Tapes from overseas usually came over in a suitcase or a shipping crate, and they have not played since. The wedding, the grandparents' garden, the last summer before the move. Nobody here could watch them, so nobody tried.
Dave Phillips. I have been doing this work in Greater Victoria since 1991, from a workshop in Colwood. Your tapes stay with me the whole time, and they come home exactly as they arrived.
Questions People Ask
Can you convert PAL tapes to NTSC?
You probably do not need it. NTSC only matters to a Canadian VCR or DVD player. A digital file plays on any TV, computer or phone here, so I keep your tapes in the format they were recorded in, which keeps the most picture.
How do I know if my tape is PAL?
Think about where it was bought or recorded. A tape from the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa is almost certainly PAL. A VHS label that says E-180 or E-240 is a PAL tape too. If you are not sure, bring it anyway. Sorting that out is part of what I do, and it does not change the price.
My tapes are from France. Will they play?
Often. France used SECAM, and that is the one I test before promising anything. Bring one tape in and you will know before you pay.
Will the files play back home too?
Yes. The files play on a phone, laptop or TV anywhere in the world, so a cousin in Manchester or Melbourne can watch the same link you do.
The tapes from home can play again.
Book a free pick-up and I will come and get them, or bring them to 3420 Metchosin Road (in Colwood). I test every one before anything runs.