U-matic Videotape Digitisation - DAMsmart

A new age of technology

Having been introduced in 1971, nearly two decades worth of valuable content has been recorded on U-matic analogue videocassette tapes. Responsible for ushering in an era of electronic news gathering (ENG), they haven’t been widely used since the late 1980s. Given the potential age of these tapes, preserving their content in the digital world is an increasingly pressing concern for those that hold the U-matic format in their archive.

Breathe new life into your content

The broadcast and production industry that once relied on U-matic tapes has long since moved on from them, but the content they contain still matters. Although some videotapes may be over forty years old, plenty of quality footage is still recoverable. At DAMsmart, we clean, repair and digitise all varieties of U-matic tapes including U-matic SP and the smaller U-matic S.

From tapes that are are in tip top condition all the way through to those that have seen better days, we use best practice techniques to clean and refresh aging media. Using professional equipment operated by digitisation professionals, we can encode your content and deliver multiple digital file formats to address your needs for preservation, production and access.

At the end of your U-matic digitisation project, you can focus on using your content and stop worrying about its future.

Why DAMsmart?

“DAMsmart have done amazing work for the people of Fiji! They have salvaged and digitised over 2000 hours of audio visual heritage, which is having a real impact on Fijians. This footage holds important cultural practices, some of which have passed from everyday life and is now being utilised by the Ministry of Taukei (Indigenous) Affairs to “revitalise” and promote such observances at the community level, and at the national level. In this very real way DAMsmart are guardians of Pacific culture. In addition, they are always looking at helping out. They stick around, and we know we can always count on them.”

Opeta Alefaio Director, National Archives of Fiji & President of the Pacific Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives

A reliable partner

Don’t risk it when it comes to digitising your U-matic tapes. Put your trust in DAMsmart, the most experienced video digitisation provider in Australia and a preferred digitisation supplier for the National Archives of Australia and the National Film and Sound Archive. Our track record is unparalleled, safely and successfully digitising archives of all shapes and sizes: we have digitised five tapes for Richmond Library, hundreds of tapes for the State Library of WA, and thousands of tapes for PRIME Media and the National Archives of Fiji.

Ready to save your U-matic collection?

Call us to today and start planning for the future of your content.

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