October 19, 2023
iMemories vs Capture: Which Digitization Service is Right for You?
With so much demand for preserving memories, Capture has lots of competition. One of our more popular competitors is iMemories, another digitization service for videos, film reels, and photos. Both companies seek to preserve your most precious memories and convert analog formats into digital copies for future generations to enjoy and share.
While there are many similarities between iMemories vs. Capture, there are some distinct differences in pricing, services offered, security for your memories, and more. Keep reading to learn about both digitization services, see an overview of reviews, and compare with a direct feature-to-feature rundown.
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-> iMemories vs Capture Feature Comparison
Overview of iMemories.com
iMemories began in 2005. For the last 15+ years, they have converted old videos, photos, and film reels into digital format for over 1 million customers.
They are proud to offer digitization for almost any analog format including:
- Videotapes: Betamax, VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, Digital 8, MiniDV, and MicroMini.
- Movie film: 8 mm, 16 mm, and Super 8 film reels.
- Photos: Print photos, negatives, and slides.
- Digital formats: DVDs and MiniDVD.
When you choose iMemories to convert your home movies and analog gadgets into high-quality digital files, you also get access to the iMemories app available through their official website. This saves space on your Apple or Android smartphone by keeping all your digital memories within the iMemories cloud. This also makes it easy to share with other family members and loved ones. In addition, you can access your digital copies with the app in as little as 1-2 weeks, making this one of their biggest selling points.
However, it will still take around 4 weeks to receive your original media and the optional DVD or USB copies you can add for an additional fee.
iMemories Pricing
Pricing is probably one of your biggest concerns when choosing between iMemories vs. Capture. Here is the basic pricing structure for iMemories whether you have camcorder memories, old family photos, or old film reels.
- Videotape pricing: For videotapes, iMemories charges by the tape. Whether it contains two hours of home video footage or 2 minutes, you will pay $29.99.
- Film pricing: $29.99 per 50 feet of film.
- Photos: $0.99 per photo, slide, or negative.
- iMemories Cloud Storage Access: $7.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
- USB Thumb Drive: $39.99 for 8GB thumb drive.
- DVD: $19.99 per DVD (or Blu-Ray if you prefer).
iMemories also offers a SafeShip kit (similar to the kit that LegacyBox offers) that includes a specially designed crush-proof box, waterproof bags, shock resistant bubble cushions, and free shipping via FedEx. You can add this kit for $29.99.
Quality and User Experience
With over 1 million customers and numerous positive reviews, there’s a lot to indicate that iMemories offers high-quality digitization services. Positive iMemories reviews praise the easy process, fast turnaround time, useful app, and high-quality results.
However, their overall Yelp rating is 4 Stars with negative iMemories reviews highlighting issues including longer-than-normal processing times (up to 6 weeks or longer), poor customer service, and lost or unreturned memories. In addition, people who have lots of old VHS tapes, family photos, and other memories complain about the expensive pricing without the possibility of any discounts for larger orders.
Overview of Capture.com
Capture started in 1999 and claims over 12 million satisfied customers and offers a satisfaction guarantee for your memories. We spent a fortune on a state-of-the-art tracking and security system, all so we can protect your fortune the best way possible.
Capture offers a wide range of digitization services including:
- Videotapes: Betamax, VHS, VHS-C, S-VHS, S-VHS-C, Video 8, Hi-8, Digital 8, DV, DVCAM, DVC, and MiniDV.
- Movie film: 8 mm, 16 mm, and Super 8 film reels.
- Photos: Photo albums, print photos, negatives (35mm, APS film, 110 film, 110/220 film, 126 Instamatic film, large negatives), and slides (25 mm, Super 35 mm, 110/220, 126, 127, 127 Superslide).
- Digital formats: SD, SM, MMC, CD, xD-Picture Card, and Sony MemoryStick memory cards, Data CDs, MiniDVD, DVD, and USB Drives.
Capture has also developed the first-ever touchless photo album scanning service. You can send your photo albums and scrapbook, as is, with your photos in place. Our photo scanning experts will create separate digital images of each photo without anyone ever having to remove them from the albums.
Plus, Capture boasts a fantastic turnaround time of less than 30 days, including shipping. That means you get your digital download as well as original media, DVD copies, and USB containing your entire order in less than 30 days, guaranteed.
Capture Pricing
Capture’s pricing structure is both simple and comprehensive and lower overall than many competitors, including iMemories.
- Videotape pricing: For videotapes, you will pay $28.99 for the first two hours of each tape and $28.99 for each additional 2 hours or videotape.
- Film pricing: $28.99 for the first 100 feet of film and only $0.25 for each additional foot.
- Photos: $28.99 for the first 50 prints, slides, or negatives and only $0.50 for each additional image.
- Touchless Photo Album Scanning: $28.99 for the first 35 photos of each album and $0.70 for each additional photo scanned.
- Digital Media: $28.99 for the first 90 minutes of each digital device and $28.99 for each additional 90 minutes or device. If your digital devices contain images, the pricing can be calculated by using 7 seconds for each photo.
- USB Flash Drive: $14.99 for your entire order.
- DVD: $6.99 per DVD that holds approximately 2 hours of video, 1,600 feet of film, or 500 images.
With Capture, automatic upload to your Google Photos account is included with the basic price. Plus, with the included MemoryCloud storage you can easily transfer to an external hard drive, computer, or smartphone.
In addition, we offer minor repairs and enhancements by fixing broken cassettes, repairing ribbon damage, cleaning mold off videotapes and original audio, cleaning, splicing, enhanced colors, and scratch reduction for film.
Quality and User Experience
With over 12 million customers and numerous positive reviews, Capture boasts some great reviews that consistently highlight the premium quality and expertise we offer. Not only that, but reviews also love the care and security that Capture offers for their memories and the easy process and good customer service.
The rare negative reviews on Yelp often stem from issues outside of Capture’s control like additional costs for content that the customer didn’t want to convert. To avoid extra costs for converted media that you didn’t want to digitize, please make sure you tell Capture if there is any footage on videotapes or portions of film reels that you do not want converted to digital format.
Another aspect of Capture’s history that indicates our high-quality services is the fact that we are trusted by many reputable brands. Throughout the years we have established partnerships with major companies including Costco, CVS, Sam’s Club, Walmart, and Google Photos.
iMemories vs Capture Feature Comparison
Now that we’ve provided an overview of both iMemories and Capture, it’s important to go into detail with a head-to-head comparison of many features like pricing, supported media, reviews, security, and turnaround time.
Supported Media
The media that these two companies convert are very comparable. The main differences are found in videotapes and digital media. While iMemories can convert MicroMini videotapes unlisted on Capture’s website, Capture lists several formats not found with iMemories including S-VHS, S-VHS-C, DVCAM, DVC, and Video 8. Capture also offers more digital format conversion including memory cards, USB flash drives, and Data CDs.
In addition, Capture’s patented touchless photo album scanning service is not available from any competitor. This service allows you to send your photo albums and scrapbooks in without removing photos and Capture will scan, crop, and color correct separate digital images without anyone ever touching or removing the individual old photos.
Advantage: Capture
Pricing
If you have just one videotape or film reel or a few photos to convert, then the prices are comparable. That’s because iMemories charges per film reel, photo, or videotape starting at $29.99 (or 99 cents for photos). However, iMemories prices this way consistently without any discounts for larger orders. So, you will continue to pay nearly $30 for every single video tape, home movie, or movie film they digitize, whether they contain 2 hours or 2 minutes of footage. You will also pay $0.99 for every photo no matter how many you have.
Capture, on the other hand, starts slightly cheaper at $28.99 per 2 hours of videotape and each 2 hours after. This video transfer price ends up being quite similar overall. However, with film, Capture only charges for film that contains content and after the first 100 feet for $28.99 we only charge $0.25 per foot. That way, you aren’t paying extra for small film reels or film that doesn’t contain memories.
With photos, the pricing is significantly different. Capture only charges $28.99 for the first 50 photo prints, slides, or negatives, which would cost nearly $50 with iMemories. After that, we only charge 50 cents per photo, 49 cents less than iMemories charges overall.
There is a major price difference with USB and DVD copies as well. While Capture only charges $14.99 for a USB copy of your entire order, a USB version costs $39.99 at iMemories. DVD copies cost $6.99 each with Capture and $19.99 each with iMemories. iMemories does offer Blu-Ray copies, which is unavailable with Capture.
Advantage: Capture
Turnaround Time
Both iMemories and Capture are ahead of the game when it comes to turnaround time. iMemories cloud storage and app offers access to your memories as soon as 1 to 2 weeks. However, Capture is faster when it comes to returning your original media and DVD or USB copies in less than 30 days including shipping. Plus, even though iMemories can give you digital access in as little as 1 or 2 weeks, this cloud storage is only available for an additional charge of $7.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
Advantage: Tie
Security
iMemories offers tracking and order status updates, but not a whole lot more to protect your memories. If you use their SafeShip kit for an additional $29.99, you also get some protective features for shipping with the crush-proof box, waterproof bags, shock resistant bubble cushions, and free shipping via FedEx.
Capture spent millions of dollars on a state-of-the-art tracking and security system that does much more than provide simple status updates. With 24-hour monitoring, barcodes, tracking, and more, we track your memories every step of the way, through every hand, and right back to your doorstep. Plus, we offer a complimentary 60-day backup for your memories.
Advantage: Capture
Reviews and Experience
Both iMemories and Capture have lots of digitization experience starting in 2005 and 1999, respectively. However, iMemories boasts only 1 million customers while Capture hit 12 million satisfied customers in 2019 with many more happy families now. Plus, Capture offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee and partnerships with several major brands like CVS and Walmart.
When it comes to customer reviews, both companies have more positive reviews than negative. However, the negative aspects found on Yelp and other third-party sites with iMemories include more glaring issues than with Capture like poor customer service and lost media.
Advantage: Capture
Conclusion
When comparing iMemories vs. Capture as digitization providers, we see that both offer premium quality results, special features, and a wide range of accepted media formats. iMemories also offers an app for faster access to memories while Capture offers the first-ever touchless photo album scanning service.
While we may be biased, we feel that Capture offers better, fairer pricing, superior protection for your memories, and more experience. Still, we recommend researching all your options before deciding on a certain vendor. If you want to learn more about Capture, please contact us today!
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