VIDEO TAPE TRANSCRIPTION SERVICES

Our transcribers are experienced in providing a video tape transcription service catering for European PAL format videos. Over the years we've transcribed video tapes for interviews, group discussions, seminars, conferences, annual general meetings, as well as movie trailers, voiceovers for films, adverts, documentaries, corporate workshops and events. We can also offer time-stamped video tape transcription. We believe our Testimonials page bears witness to the high quality of service we provide.

Although the vast majority of video recordings today are made on digital owing to the high quality results, standard video tapes are still used by some clients. We are pleased to continue to provide a video tape transcription service for as long as our clients need it. All video tapes need to be converted into digital audio files in order to be transcribed. No video transcription equipment has been manufactured, so it can't be dealt with in any other way. We are happy to provide this conversion service but clients should be aware of the extra time involved - it takes 'real' time for the transfer. We can transfer from video tape to audio format but obviously we're not equipped with the same sophisticated equipment as a fully equipped studio, so the original needs to be of high quality.

After the audio transcript has been typed, it is then checked against the video version to ensure that all speakers have been captured. A video recorder doesn't have transcription-style playback controls (i.e. automatically rewinding a few seconds when stopped to ensure that no words are chopped off), so this can be time consuming. If your filming unit can provide an audio track at the same time as they provide you with the video, then that would be ideal and save time. We can work from this audio recording and check against the video version afterwards.

However, is your filming really necessary? This may seem an odd question to ask on this page, but if you're planning to make a recording soley for it can be transcribed, consider carefully whether you really need video as opposed to audio. As discussed above, the transcription will take considerably longer than a straightforward audio recording. We recognise that there are circumstances where it's essential to record on video, such as TV or film footage, or training sessions, but if the only reason you're videoing a meeting is so that the transcriber can recognise participants, we urge you to think again! It doesn't actually help - for reasons we discuss on our Guidelines pages, where you'll find advice on how to make your video tape recording and transcription as trouble free as possible.

To enable the transcriber to identify individual speakers, it's important to provide a list of speakers' names, a seating plan, and ensure that each speaker is clearly identified on the video at the beginning. This is the only way that the transcriber will be able to match voices to names. Even then, if speakers have their backs to the camera for some of the recording, it may not always be obvious who's actually doing the talking. Remember we won't have heard their voices before! You need to consider carefully how best to set up the cameras or the effort may be entirely wasted.

Transcription times are dealt with in more detail elsewhere but, briefly, if you provide a clear quality video tape recording, it will take between 7 to 8 hours to transcribe ONE hour of recording, and this assumes the recording to be clear and containing no more than three participants. Meetings, focus groups or interviews with multiple participants will always be longer, between 8 to 10 hours to transcribe ONE hour of recording. The above estimates take into account the extra time needed to transfer the video tape to an audio recording.

Video Tape Transcription Services	Price Per Minute
Interview video tape transcription services (up to three participants)	£2.00
Interview video tape transcription services (multiple participants)	£2.50
Conferences, focus groups, vox pops, meetings video transcription	£2.50
Time-stamped video tape transcription services Every five minutes Every minute	£3.00 £3.50
Please note: All prices are in £ Sterling and VAT is NOT applicable. Discounts are available for universities, students and charities but this applies only to digital recordings.

ALL RECORDINGS are listened to a second time, Internet research is carried out to identify names or terminology, and all transcripts are proofread before being sent to clients. There is no extra charge for this service. Not all transcription companies do this, some don't even proofread, so make sure you ask the right questions before choosing a service.

If you have not yet decided on equipment for filming, consider using a digital video format. This not only provides a superior quality of recording but is more easily converted to audio files - far more easily than coaxing a VCR to cooperate! You need to ensure that you choose a digital video format that is convertible to a digital audio format that is, in turn, compatible with digital transcription software. We are able to provide a per audio minute price for all digital video recordings. Take a look at our comparison between digital and analogue recordings.

We would recommend giving as much advance notice of your video tape transcription requirements as possible. This allows us to reserve space in our schedule. Most established, professional transcription companies have a long list of regular customers and to suddenly find a block of free space can be difficult. So book your transcription company in advance, the same way you would an event venue.

Free Digital Recording - we convert all video tapes to digital audio files for ease of transcription. This is only possible with a clear quality recording. As part of our service, we offer our clients the digital version of their recording free of charge, sent to them via a secure file transfer service, provided the client has Broadband. However, this will only work IF your original tape is of good quality. We will advise you whether we believe your recording is clear enough for us to do this. Digital recordings are deleted from our system a week after the transcripts are completed, unless requested earlier by our clients - thus safeguarding our clients' confidentiality.

Our default transcript style is Intelligent Verbatim as that is the most cost effective method of transcription. Please read our definitions of Complete Verbatim, Intelligent Verbatim and Edited Transcript to choose which format is most suitable for your needs. We have a standard page layout for all transcripts but are happy to work in your house style if you wish. As with all our transcriptions, we provide a Transcript Code for each document to signify areas which are inaudible or unclear. If your tapes are the only originals, then we strongly advise you to send them using a traceable method, such as Registered Post, but please only send us the originals. Copies will be of a much poorer quality and will increase transcription time and, therefore, costs.

We hope this provides a thorough overview of our video tape transcription services. Please email or contact us on 01485 543746 for a detailed quote and turnaround times based on our current schedule, or browse our Overview or FAQ pages.

Our VIDEO TAPE TRANSCRIPTION SERVICES includes university research interviews, oral history transcriptions, conferences, lectures and focus groups. Analogue tape transcription services are also referred to as video tape transcribing, transcribe video tapes, video tape transcription. Different transcription styles are available including Intelligent Verbatim Transcription, Complete Verbatim Transcription, Edited Transcription and customised transcription styles for Oral History projects and Focus Groups.

We are pleased to offer free Advice Pages: Equipment FAQs Overview Transcription Times and free Guidelines for facilitating and recording: Conferences Dictation Digital Audio / Minidiscs Focus Groups / Forums Interviews Lectures / Speeches / Presentations Market Research Vox Pops Oral History Interview Projects Podcasts Audio Tapes Teleconferences / Telephone Interviews Digital DVD / Video Tapes Webcasts Workshops. Our Home Page provides an overview of the wide range of transcription services we provide.