Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | TapeSave | Costco Next / Capture |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $9.99 per video | set on the Costco Next listing — check the listing for the current member rate |
| Turnaround | Same day — about 10 minutes per hour of footage | posted on the Costco Next listing — Capture quotes 2–3 weeks for its own orders |
| Digitizes physical tapes | No | Yes |
| Requires membership | No | Yes — Costco member |
| Default output | Organized, dated clips | One long recording per tape; digital copy included, discs extra |
| Splits into individual clips | Yes — one per recording | No |
| Recovers camcorder dates | When the camcorder burned a date on screen — otherwise tagged "Unknown date", editable | No |
| Cloud-photo-library ready | Dated clips ready to import — where a burned-in date was readable | No |
| Where you order | tapesave.com | Costco Next, online — warehouse counters no longer take tapes |
Competitor prices and turnaround checked September 2026 from each company's own published pages. All of these services discount frequently and re-quote by project — confirm your total at checkout.
The Costco tape service explained
Costco doesn't digitize tapes itself, and the warehouse photo counter no longer takes them. The service is sold through Costco Next, Costco's online members' marketplace, and the work is done by Capture, formerly YesVideo. You ship your tapes to Capture and the files come back to you. Price: set on the Costco Next listing — check the listing for the current member rate. Turnaround: posted on the Costco Next listing — Capture quotes 2–3 weeks for its own orders.
A digital copy is included, with DVD or USB copies priced separately. Either way, each tape comes back as one long continuous recording. Two hours of VHS = one two-hour file. No chapters, no labels, no searchable clips.
That's where TapeSave comes in. After you pick up your files from Costco, upload them to TapeSave. Our AI splits each tape into individual dated clips, reads your camcorder's burned-in dates, and gives you clean files ready for Google Photos, Apple Photos, or iCloud.
The hard part is digitizing. The useful part is organizing.
Already have a digitized file? Upload it and get reviewable, dated clips ready for Google Photos, Apple Photos, or iCloud. Processing time varies with footage length. Starting at $9.99 per video.
Start preserving — $9.99The right workflow
- Order the transfer through Costco Next (or pick any local transfer service).
- Ask for MP4 files, not DVDs.
- When the files come back, upload them to TapeSave.
- Download organized, dated clips without hours of manual editing.
- Upload the clips to Google Photos or Apple Photos — they land in the right year automatically.
Frequently asked
Does Costco digitize my tapes itself?
No — and the warehouse photo counter no longer takes tapes at all. Costco's tape transfer is sold through Costco Next, its online members' marketplace, and the work is done by Capture, formerly YesVideo. You ship the tapes to Capture and the files come back to you. Turnaround: posted on the Costco Next listing — Capture quotes 2–3 weeks for its own orders.
Should I ask for DVDs or MP4 files?
Ask for MP4 files on a thumb drive, not DVDs. MP4 files are easier to watch on modern devices, back up, share, and — importantly — upload to TapeSave so you can split them into organized, dated clips.
Can I use TapeSave on files I got back from Costco?
Yes. TapeSave accepts MP4, MOV, AVI, and MKV, so any format Capture returns through Costco Next will work. Upload the files and after processing, each tape becomes individual dated clips ready for Google Photos or Apple Photos.
How long does Costco's VHS transfer take?
Costco doesn't publish a window of its own — the order is fulfilled by Capture, which quotes about 2–3 weeks processing for its own orders, with shipping each way on top. Confirm the current estimate on the Costco Next listing before you ship. TapeSave finishes the organization step online once you have the files; timing varies with footage length.
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