SERVING NORTHERN VIRGINIA FAMILIES SINCE 1987
Home movie & tape digitizing in Fairfax County
Local digitizing service in Fairfax, VA by Emmy award-winning filmmaker and photographer Mike Gillette, proudly serving families throughout Northern Virginia.
safely and securely digitized in-house
i digitize All home movies & photos
- VIDEOTAPE FORMATS: VHS, VHS-C, MiniDV, Hi8, Digital8, Beta
- DVD FORMATS: Standard DVD, Blu-Ray, Mini-DVD
- MOVIE FILM REEL FORMATS: 8mm film, Super 8 film
- AUDIO FORMATS: Cassette, Reel-to-Reel, 8-track
- PHOTOS: Printed Photos, 35mm Slides, 35mm negatives
- INTERNATIONAL FORMATS ACCEPTED: PAL and SECAM
simple, Transparent Pricing
$20 per videotape, dvd AND AUDIO CASSETTE
$20 per 50' film reel, $40 for 200' reel, $60 for 400' reel
$1 per photo, 35mm slide or 35 negative (per frame)
$10 per usb DRIVE OF DIGITIZED FILES
FREE CLOUD-BASED BACKUPS
Preserving Your Past is Easier Than Ever
Preserving your memories doesn’t have to be complicated. Families in Fairfax, Vienna, and throughout Northern Virginia trust a simple, secure process to safeguard their most precious moments, with peace of mind knowing they’ll last for generations.
schedule your drop-off
After you've collected your media, book a time to visit my Chantilly, VA studio.
we digitize your items
Your memories are in good hands. My standard turnaround time for digitization is 1-2 weeks.
pick up your digital files
Once everything is digitized, schedule a time to pick up your new digital memories and original media.
ready to drop off?
Your most important moments professionally preserved and protected for the future.
quick question?
Your videos converted to easy-to-watch digital files for phones, TVs, tablets, and computers.
schedule a call?
Two flash drives and two private online galleries give you secure backups and access anywhere.
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Projects Complete
preserve your FAMILY legacy locally, safely and permanently
| VHS tapes and film weren’t made to last forever. They degrade over time, even in storage. Digitizing now is the safest way to protect your memories before they’re gone. |
“I believe every family’s story deserves to be told for generations. It is my honor to preserve these irreplaceable moments before they fade away forever.”
Trusted for over
years
by families and organizations
testimonials
what nova families are saying
What you should know
Where are the transfers actually done?
Every transfer is done right here in Northern Virginia. Your irreplaceable items never get shipped to a warehouse across the country. You drop them off directly with me, I do the work myself and I return them directly to you.
What experience do you have?
I’m an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and archivist with more than four decades of professional video and film production experience. I’ve worked with every format imaginable over my career and have the technical knowledge to handle even damaged or unusual media that other services can’t deal with.
I already had my home movies converted to DVD years ago. Do I really need to do this again?
This is one of the most important questions I get, and I’m glad you asked it. A lot of families did the right thing years ago and had their tapes put onto DVD. That was a smart move at the time, and you should feel good that you were thinking ahead.
Here’s the thing though. DVD manufacturers told the public that DVDs would last 100 years. That turned out not to be true. DVDs are vulnerable to something called disc rot, where the layers that make up the disc slowly separate and deteriorate over time. Once that happens, the disc becomes partially or completely unreadable. It can happen faster than anyone expected, and there is often no visible warning. The disc looks fine on the outside, but the data is gone.
So if your home movies are currently living only on DVDs, those memories are quietly at risk again, through no fault of your own. You were working with the best information available at the time.
The good news is that converting from DVD to a true digital format is straightforward, and once it’s done properly with multiple backups, you really won’t have to worry about it again. Digital files stored correctly don’t rot, don’t degrade, and don’t depend on physical media that can fail.
If you have DVDs of your home movies, I’d encourage you to go ahead and have them transferred to a true digital format now while they’re still in good shape. The tricky thing about disc rot is that a DVD can look perfectly fine on the outside while the data inside is already deteriorating. By the time you notice a problem, it may be too late. Getting them converted now while they’re healthy is the simplest way to make sure those memories are protected for good.
What are the benefits of having this done locally?
Beyond the safety of keeping your items nearby, working with a local specialist means you get a real conversation about your project. I can assess unusual or damaged items in person before quoting you, you can ask questions along the way, and you get to know exactly who is handling your family’s memories. You’re also supporting a local business rather than a national chain.
Do you have a money-back guarantee?
I stand behind my work completely. If I’m unable to successfully transfer a tape due to damage, you won’t be charged for that item. If you’re not satisfied with the quality of a transfer I said would work, I’ll make it right. Because I only take a few projects at a time, I have the ability to give every item the attention it deserves.
A big digitizing company already rejected my items. Can you try?
Absolutely, and that’s actually a specialty of mine. Warehouse services reject anything outside their standard automated workflow. Broken tapes, damaged cassettes, unusual formats, mold, or anything requiring individual attention gets turned away. I evaluate each item personally and have successfully transferred media that others gave up on. Bring it in and let me take a look.
What if I don't know what's on my tapes? What if they're blank?
That’s very common. Most families have tapes with little or no labeling. I only charge for tapes that have content on them. If a tape turns out to be blank or unrecoverable, you will not be charged for it. I’ll let you know what I find.
Privacy is important to me. How do you protect it?
Your privacy is taken seriously. Your files are handled only by me, never shared, never reviewed for content beyond what’s necessary to ensure quality, and never used for any other purpose. Your memories are yours alone.
Can I share my digitized videos with family and friends around the country?
Yes, and that’s one of the best parts of getting this done. Once your memories are in digital format, sharing with family anywhere in the world is simple. You can share files through Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud with relatives no matter where they live. I’ll explain the easiest options for your situation when we wrap up your project.
When do I pay?
Payment is due when you pick up your completed project. For larger orders, I may ask for a deposit when we begin. I’ll be clear about payment expectations upfront before any work starts.
I have a very large collection. Can you handle it?
Yes. Large collections, sometimes hundreds of tapes or thousands of photos, are some of the most rewarding projects I take on. We would work together to prioritize what’s most important and develop a schedule and payment plan that makes sense for your situation.
Why should I do this now instead of waiting?
Magnetic tape deteriorates every single year, even sitting in a closet. The older your tapes are, the more footage is being lost right now to dropouts, mold, and magnetic decay. On top of that, the equipment needed to play and transfer these formats is becoming harder to find and maintain. Waiting doesn’t save anything. It only increases the risk that some of those memories become unrecoverable.
Do you serve Chantilly and other areas?
We’re based in Chantilly, VA, and proudly serve families across Northern Virginia, Vienna, Burke, Ashburn, Reston, McLean, Arlington, Alexandria, and other nearby communities throughout Fairfax and Loudoun Counties.
Who will actually be working on my videos?
Me. Mike Gillette. I personally handle every project myself. Unlike the big warehouse companies where your tapes might be processed by a temporary employee, your family memories get the hands-on attention of an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker with over 40 years of professional experience.
What formats do you transfer?
I handle virtually all consumer and semi-professional formats, including video tapes (VHS, VHS-C, Betamax, Hi8, Video8, Digital8, MiniDV), All DVD formats, film (Super 8, Regular 8mm), audio (cassette tapes and reel-to-reel), and photos and slides (photographs, 35mm slides, and negatives in both color and black and white). Not sure if your format is on the list? Just ask. I’ve seen just about everything.
Is it safer to hand-deliver my items to you than ship them to a warehouse?
Absolutely. When you mail your memories to a large company, they travel through multiple shipping carriers, sit in a busy warehouse, and pass through the hands of strangers. Things get lost, damaged, or delayed, and with irreplaceable originals there is no do-over. When you work with me, you hand your items directly to me and I hand them back directly to you. No shipping. No strangers. No risk.
Why is your price higher than the big warehouse companies?
The warehouse companies process thousands of tapes per day on automated equipment operated by low-wage workers. Their pricing reflects high-volume assembly-line work. My pricing reflects individual professional attention, 40 plus years of expertise, the ability to handle damaged media they would reject, and multiple backup copies of your finished files. You’re also paying for the peace of mind that comes from never shipping your originals. For most families, the difference in cost is minor compared to the value of what’s being preserved.
I have tapes with mold damage. Can you help?
Possibly, yes. Mold damage is one of the most common reasons families are turned away by warehouse services, but it’s not always a death sentence for the tape. I have experience assessing and carefully preparing moldy tapes before attempting a transfer. I can evaluate your tapes and give you an honest assessment of what’s recoverable before we proceed. There is no charge for items that cannot be saved.
Can you repair broken tapes?
In many cases, yes. Broken or damaged tape can often be repaired well enough to allow a successful transfer. I’ll assess the damage and let you know honestly what’s possible before any work begins.
Do you do just one tape, or is there a minimum order?
No minimum at all. If you have a single tape you want transferred, I’m happy to help. Every family’s situation is different, and one tape with irreplaceable footage is just as important as a box of fifty.
How many backup copies will I receive of my digitized files?
You’ll receive multiple copies to make sure your files are never lost. Standard delivery includes two USB flash drives plus a cloud storage upload to Dropbox and Vimeo. Even if something happens to one copy, you have others. I’ll walk you through how to access everything when you pick up your project.
Do you offer a free consultation?
Yes. Before you commit to anything, we can have a conversation about your project. We’ll talk about what you have, what condition it’s in, what you want to do with the files, and how long it will take. This helps me give you an accurate quote and helps you feel confident before handing over your items.
How do I set up an appointment?
The easiest way is to book online at gillettedigitizing.com or send me a text at 703-407-6520. I keep a small number of project slots open at a time, so it’s best to reach out sooner rather than later.
How long will my project take?
Because I only take a small number of projects at a time, most jobs are completed within 2 to 4 weeks depending on volume. When we discuss your project, I’ll give you a realistic timeframe based on how much you have. I’ll keep you informed throughout the process.
How long will my digitized files last?
Properly stored digital files can last indefinitely, which is far better than magnetic tape that degrades every year or film that can fade, shrink, or become brittle over time. The key is maintaining your backups. I’ll advise you on simple best practices to keep your files safe for generations.
+
years of experience
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Satisfied Clients
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lost or damaged items
how can I serve you?
Have questions about your tapes, film reels, or photos? I’m happy to help. Reach out by phone, text, or email — or simply use the form to schedule a drop-off at my Chantilly studio. Most customers are ready to get started in just a few minutes. Prefer to text? That works great. Please text me at 703-407-6520
Northern Virginia’s Expert Digitizing and Video Transfer Company. Licensed and insured.
quick links
Contact Info
- 4451 Brookfield Corp. Dr. Suite 206 Chantilly, VA 20151
- 703-407-6520
- team@mikegillettephotography.com
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