Looking for where to get VHS tapes digitised in Prague? This page has everything you need to know up front – where to hand the tapes over, what the transfer costs, how long it takes and what you get back. No enquiry form as the only route to a price.
- Where
- Our premises at Přímětická 10, 140 00 Prague 4 – Krč, by telephone arrangement. Outside Prague, via Balíkovna anywhere in Czechia.
- Price
- 250 CZK per hour of actual footage · minimum order 300 CZK
- Turnaround
- Up to 5 tapes, usually 7 working days from handover
- Output
- MP4 (H.264) on a USB drive, in cloud storage or on DVD
- Payment
- No deposit up front; you pay after checking the finished result
- Contact
- +420 607 828 970, Mon–Fri 8:00–16:30
Where to hand the tapes over in Prague
Handover in person takes place at our premises at Přímětická 10, 140 00 Prague 4 – Krč. Visits are by prior arrangement rather than drop-in – call or write and we will find a time that suits you. At handover we go through what is on the tapes, estimate the length of the footage and confirm the price and turnaround. It all goes on a Handover Receipt, so you have it in writing what you handed over and when it will be ready.
If you would rather not travel to Krč, or you live outside Prague, there is no need to go anywhere. You can send the tapes via Balíkovna from anywhere in the country. Return shipping costs 69 CZK, is free on larger orders, and the parcel is insured up to 50,000 CZK.
What VHS digitising costs in Prague
The rate is 250 CZK per hour of actual footage, the same for full-size VHS and for small VHS-C camcorder tapes. You are not paying per cassette but for what is actually recorded on it – a blank end of tape, static or a film taped off the television are not counted and get cut out.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Digitising 60 minutes of footage | 250 CZK |
| Minimum order value | 300 CZK |
| Cropping, noise reduction, audio normalisation, colour balancing | free |
| Saving to your own USB drive | free |
| New Kingston USB drive, 64 GB (USB 3.2) | 250 CZK |
| Saving to cloud storage | 50 CZK |
| Saving to DVD | 50 CZK / disc |
| Tape repair, splicing and cleaning | 300 CZK / tape |
| Returning your tapes via Balíkovna | 69 CZK |
The hourly rate drops with larger orders: 240 CZK/h for 6–10 hours of footage, 220 CZK/h for 11–15 hours, 210 CZK/h for 16–20 hours and 199 CZK/h from 21 hours up. The price list is valid from 1 January 2026 and prices are final – we are not VAT registered. You can work out an indicative figure in the calculator on the home page; the exact price is always agreed with you in advance.
We do not ask for a deposit. You pay once the work is done and you have checked the result. In person by card, cash or QR code; for postal orders by bank transfer or cash on delivery.
What the tapes are played on
With old tape, the equipment matters more than anything else. For VHS and VHS-C we use a Panasonic NV-HS1000 video recorder with TBC (Time Base Correction), which straightens out the signal's time base and stops the picture jittering and waving. The analogue signal then passes through a professional Canopus ADVC 300converter, also with TBC. That is what keeps the picture from drifting out of sync with the sound, which is the usual failing of cheap USB grabbers.
Small VHS-C cassettes from family camcorders go into a mechanical adapter and play through the same chain, so you need neither your own camera nor an adapter. There is more on this in our article on digitising VHS-C tapes, and a comparison with the DIY approach in our article on cheap USB capture devices.
How the whole thing works
- You get in touch. By phone, by email or through the form. We establish how many tapes you have and what type they are.
- You hand the tapes over. In person in Prague 4 – Krč by arrangement, or send them via Balíkovna. You receive a Handover Receipt stating the turnaround.
- The tapes are digitised. The transfer runs in real time, so an hour of footage means an hour of work. Basic picture and sound treatment is included.
- You check the result and pay. Only then. Your tapes come back to you as they were.
We keep a backup copy for 12 months in case you lose the USB drive, then delete it permanently. We do not pass the content of your tapes to anyone.
Damaged and mouldy tapes
Do not throw away a snapped, chewed-up or mouldy tape, and above all do not try to play it in a home video recorder. Splicing and cleaning is a separate service at 300 CZK per tape. Never repair tape with sticky tape – the adhesive spreads inside the mechanism and ruins both the cassette and the player. More in our article on repairing damaged tapes.
Not just VHS?
Besides classic VHS and VHS-C we also digitise Hi8 and Video8 from Sony Handycam camcorders, Mini DV and old DVD discs. The hourly rate is the same for every format, so you are welcome to bring a mixed box of tapes all at once.
Who runs the service
Záloha vzpomínek is run by a sole trader (a self-employed natural person), Company ID 66375274, not VAT registered. You can verify the details in the public register ARES. The registered address is Za Zelenou liškou 1586/2a, 140 00 Prague 4; tapes are handed over at the premises in Přímětická 10. The terms of business are set out in our General Terms and Conditions, and the handling of personal data in our Privacy Policy.