I discovered Legacybox via an ad while I was on the internet looking for the top companies to convert VHS digital. I contacted Legacybox to inquire about their pricing and services. They advised me that I had to use their equipment in order to submit my tapes. When I talked to Cassandra an agent for customer service she explained that I could not utilize my own packaging; I needed to use the box that I was responsible for paying for.
On their site, I noticed that legacybox reviews did not allow me to send my own USB drives or DVDs and I was required to purchase the drives from Legacybox. I used a coupon, “GLORY,” which decreased my bill by 20 percent. However, I needed to pay $9.99 for thumb drives even though it typically costs $4.99 in the stores. In addition, I was required to shell out $9.99 in shipping. In all, I paid about $50 for the conversion of two set of tapes, not including the shipping.
Price: What’s the Cost? Have I paid
I owned two VHS tapes; one was the anniversary of our wedding and the second was my spouse’s birthday. To convert them all at Legacybox I shelled out $49.99. It comprised $9.99 to ship, $3.99 in taxes, plus an additional shipping cost. I thought that shipping was free, but that was not the case.
Comparing this with Costco which I also examined the cost of conversion the cost was just $20 for each tape. At Costco, I didn’t have to pay for shipping costs or any other charges. Without the coupon code offered by Legacybox, the prices don’t seem to be worth it for me.
Due to the high cost due to cost, I believe that Legacybox is in a disadvantage when compared to Costco.
My Order Is: The LegacyBox Package
A couple of days after I ordered my Legacybox kit was delivered. It came with directions on how to package the two tapes, and then send them to me. Legacybox claimed it would take between 6 and 8 weeks for them to be converted, which is more than Costco’s estimate of 7-12 working days. We, my wife and I put the tapes in a box for delivery to a UPS store.
I followed the box’s progress across California from California to Tennessee. It took three days for it to arrive at the manufacturing facility. In truth, my wife and I were concerned about the shipment getting lost, but we were content when it got to its final destination. We received an email from them to verify that they had provided two VHS tapes for conversion.
Timing of Turnaround: Waiting for the Conversion
In order to give an indication of the time it took to complete, I made my purchase on March 8th. I received my package and returned it before March 10. They began work on it around March 20 and by the 2nd of April, I received all my digital files and my originals returned.
After only 12 days of waiting, I got the Legacybox package. It was quicker than the six to eight weeks they claimed that it could take. The box was professionally packed with bubble wrap in the. I noticed that they had the latest box, and didn’t use the box I sent along with the VHS tapes from my original.
In the Legacybox I discovered both the original tapes and the ones I converted. I was surprised to find that some of my converted tapes had an orange sticker that said they were unable to convert because of mold or broken tape.
I brought the tapes to a local shop located in Fontana, California, and I used an ordinary Panasonic VCR that had clean heads to check the tapes. It was surprising that tape #2 which was labeled as non-convertible performed perfectly when digitally transferred.
However, there were some static issues, which are typical in these transfers. Overall, we had clear images on the disks. I was able to get them converted in the store for only $20.
Examining the Digitized Files
I watched the re-converted file on my laptop by using VLC media player, and was very unhappy. The video is constantly moving and doesn’t seem to be stable. The website says that they utilize modern techniques to process these cassettes however, the quality of the video is shaky and unsteady and doesn’t prove that they have any knowledge of high-tech technology.
I’m not satisfied with the way the tapes I had converted were handled. The process was sluggish and the quality of the video was not good enough. The conversion resulted in a low bit rate, and I’m dissatisfied with the end outcome.
I had planned to upload the video and share it to my sibling, however the two platforms YouTube and Vimeo did not like it due to the fluctuating frame rate. In addition the video was not worthy of sharing and uploading with friends due to the haky quality. I tried other video editors to test if I could achieve better results however, I didn’t have any success.
I also found other users on YouTube with similar issues with the VHS tapes that they purchased from Legacybox. Their videos were unstable or unsteady, as well as often the audio was not in line with the video. This means that it appears I’m not alone who has these issues.
In the end, I’m planning seek an immediate refund and look into other options, including making it my own or going to an in-store video store.
Refund Process
I reached out to them for a refund. After some time the company contacted me and offered me an entire refund. I had a desire to work with them, but as you will see, I did not appreciate their product quality.
Conclusion
From my personal experience, I was not satisfied and will probably not recommend their services to anyone else. Instead, check out local shops or digital converters available on Amazon. If you are using mail-order services make copies of the tapes instead of originals, particularly for tapes with high value. Try less critical tapes first to determine the quality. Beware of advertisements on websites for conversion of video tapes to mail order and do some research via YouTube and other sites prior to making a decision.