Do you have shelves full of old VHS tapes collecting dust in your home? Maybe they contain priceless home videos from your childhood, footage of relatives who have passed away, or recordings of your favorite TV shows. While those tapes hold precious memories, the problem is, VHS players are now nearly obsolete. Many households don‘t even own a VCR anymore.
Luckily, there‘s an easy solution – you can convert your old VHS footage to DVDs! And one convenient place to get it done is at your local Walmart. In this post, we‘ll tell you everything you need to know about Walmart‘s VHS to DVD conversion service. We‘ll cover:
- How the service works
- Pricing and accepted tape formats
- Turnaround time and the ordering process
- Answers to common questions
- How it compares to other options
By the end, you‘ll be ready to box up those old tapes and convert them to a digital format you can actually watch and enjoy again. Let‘s dive in!
How Walmart‘s VHS to DVD Conversion Service Works
Walmart makes it easy to convert your VHS tapes to DVD via their Photo Department. There are two ways to use the service:
1. Order Online and Mail in Your Tapes
The first option is to place your order online at DVDWalmart.com. Here‘s how it works:
- Go to DVDWalmart.com and select "Start My Order"
- Choose the type of media you want to send in (VHS tapes)
- Select "Send and Receive by Mail" as your delivery method
- Print your order form and include it when you pack up and mail your tapes
- Your tapes will be converted to DVD and mailed back to you in 3-4 weeks
- You‘ll get email updates when your order is received, in progress, and complete
2. Bring Your Tapes to a Local Walmart Photo Center
The second option is to bring your VHS tapes to your nearest Walmart store‘s Photo Department. Here‘s how that process works:
- Go to DVDWalmart.com and select "Start My Order"
- Choose VHS tapes as your media type
- Select "In-Store Pickup" as your delivery method and choose your local Walmart store
- Print your order form and bring it and your VHS tapes to the Walmart Photo Center
- Your tapes will be sent out for conversion and you‘ll get an email when they‘re ready for pickup (typically in 3-4 weeks)
- Pay for your order when you pick up the completed DVDs containing your footage
Both options are simple and convenient. If you don‘t live near a Walmart, the mail-in option lets you use the service from anywhere in the country. If you do have a local Walmart, being able to drop off and pick up your order in person may be preferable.
Pricing, Accepted Formats, and What You Get Back
Now that you know the basics of how Walmart‘s VHS to DVD service works, let‘s get into some specifics you‘ll want to know before placing an order.
VHS to DVD Conversion Pricing
Walmart‘s pricing for converting VHS to DVD depends on the amount of footage you have. They charge by the half hour, with any footage less than 30 minutes costing a flat rate. Here‘s the full pricing breakdown:
- ≤ 30 minutes: $12.96
- 31 – 60 minutes: $18.42
- 61 – 90 minutes: $23.88
- 91 – 120 minutes: $29.34
- Each additional 30 minutes: +$7.46
So for example, if you had a VHS tape with 2 hours and 15 minutes of footage, your total would be $36.80 ($29.34 for the first 2 hours plus $7.46 for the extra 30 minute bloc).
Tape Formats Accepted for Conversion
In addition to standard VHS tapes, Walmart can convert many other tape formats to DVD, including:
- Betamax
- VCD & VCAM
- Hi-8 & Video8
- MiniDV
- S-VHS, S-VHS-C, VHS-C
- Foreign formats like NTSC and PAL
So even if you have some really old or obscure tapes, chances are Walmart can digitize them for you.
Your Original Tapes Are Returned to You
Don‘t worry – you‘ll get your original VHS tapes back in addition to the new DVDs. Walmart will return all the tapes and cases you send in once the conversion is complete. For mail orders, they‘ll ship it all back to you. For in-store orders, you‘ll be able to pick up the tapes and DVDs at the same time.
Digital Copies and Cloud Storage Included
In addition to DVDs, your order comes with digital copies of the converted footage. Walmart will send you a link where you can access and download the files. They also provide free cloud storage, so you can stream the videos from anywhere. For an extra fee, you can add a USB thumb drive to your order as well.
Turnaround Time and Payment Process
The typical turnaround time for a VHS to DVD conversion order at Walmart is 3-4 weeks from when they receive your tapes. This applies to both mail-in and in-store orders. You‘ll get email notifications when your order is received, in progress, and complete so you can track its status.
Paying for Your Order
If you place a mail-in order, you‘ll pay 50% of the estimated cost upfront on the DVDWalmart.com website when you place your order. If the final cost ends up being different (if you have more or less footage than originally quoted), you‘ll be charged or refunded the difference and notified in your shipping confirmation email.
For in-store orders, you won‘t have to pay anything when you drop off your tapes at the Walmart Photo Center. Instead, you‘ll pay the full amount when you return to the store to pick up the completed order 3-4 weeks later.
How Much Footage Fits on a DVD?
A single DVD can typically hold about 2 hours of VHS footage at standard resolution. However, if you choose a lower resolution option, you may be able to fit up to 4 hours on one DVD.
The staff at the Walmart Photo Center will be able to help you determine the best solution for your tapes. They can help you decide how many DVDs you‘ll need and what resolution to use to ensure your footage looks good while minimizing the number of discs required.
How Does Walmart Compare to Other VHS to DVD Services?
Walmart isn‘t the only place that converts VHS to DVD. Many other retailers and pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS, and Costco offer similar services, as do online companies like Legacybox and Southtree.
From our research, Walmart‘s prices tend to be very competitive, especially compared to the online options. Their turnaround time is about average – 3-4 weeks is standard. Where Walmart really stands out is its convenience – being able to drop off tapes at your local store is a big perk.
One potential downside compared to the online services is that Walmart doesn‘t have a lot of add-on options. Some VHS digitizing websites let you add custom labels, cases, or edited DVDs for an extra fee, which Walmart doesn‘t seem to offer based on their website.
But overall, if you have a Walmart near you, their VHS to DVD service is a solid, affordable choice for converting your tapes. Getting a digital copy and free cloud storage is a nice bonus on top of the DVDs themselves.
Walmart‘s Other Media Conversion and Photo Services
In addition to converting VHS to DVD, Walmart‘s Photo Department offers a variety of other useful services, including:
- Converting other old media formats to digital, like film reels, slides, negatives, camcorders, and photographs
- Photo printing, enlargements, and custom photo products like canvases, blankets, and mugs
- Developing disposable cameras and 35mm film
- Printing passport photos
- Selling digital cameras and photography equipment
So beyond digitizing your tapes, Walmart can help with a lot of other photographic memory needs. Be sure to explore everything the Photo Department offers next time you‘re in the store.
Ready to Convert Your VHS Tapes to DVD?
We hope this post has told you everything you need to know about Walmart‘s VHS to DVD conversion service! To recap, here are the key facts to know:
- Walmart can convert most VHS and camcorder tapes to DVD through their Photo Department
- You can order online and mail in your tapes, or bring them to your local Walmart Photo Center
- Pricing depends on the length of tape, starting at $12.96 for under 30 minutes of footage
- Orders typically take 3-4 weeks to complete and you get your original tapes back at the end
- You get a digital copy and cloud storage with your order, with an option to add a USB drive
- Up to 2 hours of footage can fit on one DVD at standard resolution
If you‘ve been holding onto old VHS tapes but no longer have a way to watch them, converting them to DVD is a no-brainer. And with Walmart‘s affordable, convenient service, there‘s no reason to put it off any longer.
Those tapes may contain priceless family memories, hilarious moments from your childhood, or important footage you thought you‘d lost forever. Why let them continue to gather dust when you could be reliving those memories any time you want by popping in a DVD?
Take a few minutes to gather up the VHS tapes you want to convert, head to DVDWalmart.com to start your order, and let Walmart take care of the rest. In just a few weeks, you‘ll have crystal clear digital versions of your footage to enjoy for years to come. Don‘t let those precious taped memories fade away – convert them to DVD today!
