vx 1000

Put up a sign offering video transfers and you will get lots of requests for formats you mighht not expect. When I don’t have the format a transfer customer needs, I usually ask the customer if they still have the camcorder that shot this footage. Often they do. I recently had a bunch of HDV tapes to transfer. These tapes on on Mini DV tape, but none of my 3 Mini DV cameras could play them. Looking closer I finally discovered that the tapes were in the HDV format. So I asked if he still had the camcorder. Fortunately he did. He also had the essential AC supply and cable. I borrowed them and made the transfers to MP4 on a USB as he requested. I thought I would offer him some money for his camcorder, but realized this was the only request for an HDV transfer I have ever received. The HDV format did not last long because HD video was easily recorded on SD cards. So I decided I did not need another format with such little demand.

It’s always a good idea to mention to a customer you are always on the lookout for obsolete gear. This helps keep a video transfer business going when you can no longer buy new equipment in a particular format. Often times a customer will just give me their old video gear. They don’t want to throw it away nor do they want the hassle of selling on eBay or Craigslist. For more information on running a video transfer business Click Here.