Hi8
Hi8 to digital, on decks that still play it.
Hi8 was the sharper camcorder format of the late 1980s and 1990s, and most of the camcorders that shot it stopped working years ago. The tapes did not. Send them in as they are; you do not need the camcorder, and you do not need to know whether they are Hi8, Video8 or Digital8.
Three formats, one cassette.
Video8, Hi8 and Digital8 all use the same small 8mm cassette, about the size of an audio tape, and they look nearly identical from the outside. Video8 and Hi8 are analog; Hi8 records a sharper, higher-resolution picture than Video8 or VHS. Digital8 records a digital signal on the same style of tape, which usually means a cleaner picture again.
We identify each tape by its recording, not its label, so a mixed box is fine. If you want to know before you send, the identification guide covers the telltales.
What is specific to Hi8
Resolution worth keeping
Because Hi8 holds more picture than VHS, a careful low-compression capture matters even more here. Our files take roughly five times the space of a heavily compressed transfer, on purpose.
No camcorder needed
Send the tapes alone. We play and capture them on maintained equipment. Tapes that play badly are tried in more than one deck to get the best signal the tape can give.
Sticky, squealing or mouldy?
Stop playing it at home. Sticky-shed and mould get worse with every pass through the wrong deck. Caught early, most affected tapes still transfer, so send them in sooner rather than later and tell us what you noticed.
What it costs
Hi8 is a consumer format, so it is priced per two-hour tape like everything else on this site. Hi8 cassettes rarely run past two hours, so for most boxes the total is simply the number of tapes times the rate, subject to the $50 minimum order.
Per two-hour tape, any consumer format
$19.95 at the current special
$28.50 at the regular rate. VHS, VHS-C, Video8, Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV, Betamax: same price. A $50.00 minimum order applies. Blank footage and recorded television are edited out and never billed. Published rates as of September 2026; specials move, so ask for a current quote.
Looking for somewhere near you?
If you searched for Hi8 conversion near you, this is a real building you can drive to, with a person who will log your tapes in by hand. If you are further away, shipping is routine: every tape is logged at intake, tracked under chain of custody, and returned in the same shipment as your files.
Drop off in person, or ship
202 W Lincoln Ave, Suite A
Orange, CA 92865
Walk in Mon to Fri, 9:00am to 4:30pm. Call ahead so someone is free to log your tapes in properly. Shipping from anywhere in the country is fine: every tape is logged at intake and returned in the same shipment as your files.
Not sure it is Hi8?
Send a photo of one cassette. We will tell you what it is and what it would involve, with no obligation.