Umatic 3/4 Inch FAQ

How can I transfer video from my Umatic tapes over to DVD?

The easiest way to transfer video from Umatic tape to DVD is to use a transfer service that specializes in exactly that process. A quick Google search for "Umatic Transfer" will bring up several companies that specialize in transferring video from Umatic tape to DVD.

I believe I have about 100 - 3/4 inch video tape, 30 minutes in length, and I want to know if they will fit in any advertized 3/4 inch player/recorder. I recall SP I think and that is a smaller size. Which Sony or Panasonic player do I need?

In regards to digitizing, especially with these older formats, we always recommend consulting a professional. In many cases, by the time you invest in the equipment and media to do the job yourself, you will spend more (not only in $$, but also stress and time) than if you just send them off to be transferred for you. A professional could put your footage on a hard drive, for example, and you could have that available to burn to DVD, or watch directly on your computer, or whatever you want to do.

However, if you want to invest in equipment, these Sony part numbers will work for you: VO-5800, VO-9600, VO-5600, VO-5800, VO-5800TC, VO-9800TC. From here, we recommend doing research with the vendor you choose to make sure you have maintenance history for the machines. Just make sure they still have enough life to get you through your project before making a buying decision. Our resident expert has used the Sony 5800, and 9000 series (with and without timecode, which is the TC part of the above referenced part numbers). Just depends on the purpose of your digitizing. Are you bringing the files in to edit, make color corrections etc? Or, do you need access to the original timecode? Answering that question will get you closer to the machine that's right for you.