- What problems can you repair?
- Specific tape issues that we repair can be found
on the What We Will Fix page.
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- How likely is it that my tape can be repaired?
- Our specialty is the repair of physically damaged videotapes and our experience enables us to fix many problems that other companies cannot or do not work with. Of the thousands of tapes that we have received since 2003, 98.4% have been successfully repaired to our standards. The overwhelming majority of the unrepairable tapes were found to have issues with the original recording itself, not a physical problem that can actually be fixed.
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- What if my tape can't be salvaged?
- Unfortunately some badly damaged tapes are beyond repair.
Usually this only happens when a great deal of the tape itself has been crunched, stretched, or otherwise maimed. There is no foolproof way for us to be certain that a tape
can be salvaged until we have seen it. To guarantee your satisfaction, if we decide that your tape is damaged beyond
repair we will ship it and your payment back at no cost to you.
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- How do I send a tape to be repaired?
- Sending in a tape is very easy. Simply fill out the Order Form that matches the service you want. You will be sent an email that will include an order reference number, our mailing address, and your contact information. All you need to do is include a printout of the email with your tape and payment (if you aren't using PayPal).
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- Should I be concerned about sending my private tape?
- Absolutely not. Unless your footage is being edited there is no need for us to view your footage. While we
have many different tools and machines at our disposal, at no point is your video tape ever inserted into a device that is attached to a T.V. while in our care if it is being repaired or being transferred to DVD unedited.
We respect your privacy, and it simply isn't necessary to watch a tape that has been or will be repaired.
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- What will be different about my tape after you fix it?
- That depends on what was
wrong with it when we received it. If the shell was damaged in any way, your tape will be in a clean, new shell. We can
usually transfer any labels from the old shell to the new but if we can't we will relabel it for you. If the tape itself needed
repairing, you may notice two things when you play it in your VCR or camcorder. First, we will have trimmed the damaged portion of
the tape so that the rest could be saved. This will cause the image on your screen to jump a little at the area of the splice. Also,
on many VCRs, when the splice is reached you may have a small amount of static or noise on your T.V. This is normal and
due to the fact that your VCR is trying to adjust the tracking, which will be slightly different before and after the splice.
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- What is your mailing address?
- Pacific Video Repair
19689 7th Ave NE #362
Poulsbo, WA 98370
Please, do not send your tape to us without placing an order and including a copy of the confirmation email in the package. Our ordering system alerts us to tapes that we should expect to arrive and allows us to track our customers' tapes while they are in our care; we will have to return your tape to you without repairing it if you send it without placing an order first.
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- How long will it take for my tape to get back to me?
- Generally, it takes one business week for a tape to get back from the day you send it to us; two to three days to get to us, one to two days to fulfill your order, and two to three days to get back.
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- Will my new DVD work in my player?
- We use Region One discs in either the DVD-R or DVD+R format. In the last few years many DVD players have been made available that are compatible with both the DVD-R and DVD+R formats. However, most older players and some new models are likely to be compatible with only one or the other, and a DVD-R disc will not play in a DVD+R only player and vice-versa. An easy way to verify that you will be able to play your new disc is to use Google to look up your DVD player's brand and model; chances are that you will find a page with the specifications for your device. If you aren't sure what this means or can't figure out which format to order, please contact us
with the brand and model of your DVD player, we can look it up for you!
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- Can you duplicate PAL format tapes?
- We can transfer your PAL format footage from miniDV or miniDV HDV videotapes to a Region One, NTSC format DVD. DVD transfers are not available for PAL VHS, VHS-C 8mm, Hi8 or Digital8 tapes at this time but they can still be repaired.
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- Is it absolutely necessary to have you make a copy of the repaired cassette?
- Other video tape repair service providers will tell you that you must make a copy because the fixed tape won't be as good as new and that their
splice could simply fall apart. We are confident in our workmanship and ability. Confident enough to guarantee our repairs for a lifetime of use. It is not necessary to make copies of tapes that we have repaired, but we offer our duplication service as a convenience for you, in case you would like copies to give to friends and family, or want to convert your tapes to DVD.
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- How should I package and ship my tape?
- We've found that the best way to ship a tape is in a slightly oversized "bubble mailer" or padded envelope.
If you will be sending the reels of a cassette by themselves make sure that they will not shift around in the package as the tape might be crinkled.
Based on the size and weight of the average package we receive, you will probably find that the Post Office is the best and least expensive service to use to send your tape.
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- How do I pay for the service?
- You may send a personal check or money order with your tape, or we will send you an invoice via PayPal so you can pay with a credit card once we have completed your order.
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- I need to get my repaired tape back soon, what are my options?
- Our shipping method of choice is USPS First-Class Mail, which is included in the price of the service.
Your tape should take three business days or less to get back to you after we have sent it out. Should you need your tape back sooner, please use an Alternate
Shipping Order Form. We will calculate the revised cost and contact you with an email before the close of business on the day we receive your order.
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- Do you repair any other formats?
- Specializing in the repair of VHS, 8mm, Hi8, VHS-C, Digital8, miniDV and miniDV HDV tapes alone allows us to offer our service to you with our fast turnaround and low price.
Adding other formats would drive up cost and service time, so we feel that it is best to stay with the aforementioned for now and the foreseeable future.
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- What happens if the repair does fail?
- Our lifetime guarantee ensures that once we restore your video tape it will continue to work for as long as you need it and we will be here to ensure your satisfaction. In the unlikely event of a repair failure, we will reimburse you for your shipping costs and will amend or correct anything that went wrong.
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- Are you affiliated with any other businesses?
- No. We are an independent firm with one office located in Pouslbo, WA. This information can be confirmed in our BBB listing. Some out-dated web pages that we cannot edit may list our previous address in Santa Rosa, CA so please make sure you use our Poulsbo address when sending your package. We are aware of two businesses with similar names: "Pacific Video" in Escondido, CA and "pacificvideorepair(s).com", operating out of the United Kingdom; neither company has any association with us and in no way are they a representation of our standards and practices.
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Any other questions? Please, let us know.
We will be happy to hear from you!
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