I think it’s safe to say most people have family memories stored on VHS tapes, in photo albums, and maybe some decades-old film strips.
Maybe no one has seen those priceless memories in years. With a little time and tech gadgets, you can surprise your family with a fresh look at the past.
For video tapes, the Pinnacle Dazzle gadget will re-record those memories to store on a computer. The Dazzle is an oddly-shaped gadget that connects a VCR to any computer. The included software captures the video as it plays and saves it as a computer file. You can capture other tape formats but you’ll need something to play them on, such as an old camera.
For old films, I recommend the Wolverine Film Converter. Thread the original film and slide it through a capture slot. As the film plays, the Wolverine Converter captures each frame and stitches them together to create a video that’s saved on an SD card.
No one in my family has seen these films for 40 years. I’d suggest uploading any video you capture from VHS tapes or film strips to YouTube where you can add music. Then, share the links with your family members.
Now, dust off old photo albums. You can take pictures of pictures, but I suggest using the Google Photo Scan app because it detects the corners, and removes any glare. The photos are saved in Google Photos that you can either print, create a photo album, or use in a digital picture frame.
If you plan to use these devices for the DIY project, I suggest getting started now. The tapes and film strips are captured in real-time. So a two-hour videotape will take two hours to convert but it is a great trip down memory lane.