Start by matching the delivered files to your tape list, then open each video and check picture, sound and the beginning and ending. A few spot checks can reveal obvious problems, but they cannot prove that every moment was captured. If something appears missing, keep the files unchanged and ask the transfer provider to investigate against the original tape.
Does one tape always mean one video file?
Do not assume so. Ask how the delivered files relate to your originals and whether any recording has been divided into parts. File count alone is not a completeness test.
Make a simple record for each tape: its label or inventory number, the corresponding filename or filenames, and any questions. Keep the original cassette labels so the provider can identify the recording you mean.
What should I watch and listen for?
Use a computer or another device confirmed to play the delivered format. For each file:
1. Open it and confirm that the contents match the expected tape or event. 2. Watch and listen near the beginning, middle and end. 3. Note an abrupt cutoff, unexpected missing event, silent section or apparent mismatch between picture and speech. 4. Review important passages in full, rather than relying only on a thumbnail or opening frame.
An archival quality-control workflow shared by WiLS uses beginning, middle and end checks and compares content with identifying information. It also cautions that an abrupt ending may already exist in the original recording. Treat a suspected fault as a question, not proof of a failed transfer.
These are useful household checks, not a guarantee of completeness or a statement that Rewind Digital follows that institution’s technical workflow.
What if the download or copied file will not open?
Keep the supplied version and your original tapes. Record the filename, device, app and exact error before deleting or changing anything.
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia recommends checking files after copying or moving them, watching for unusual file sizes, error messages and files that will not open. It also identifies truncated downloads as a risk.
If a file opens from one location but not another, that is useful information to report. Do not overwrite your only working version while troubleshooting.
How should I report something that seems missing?
Send a concise description such as: “Tape 04, file Tape04-Part2, around 00:18:30: the birthday scene ends mid-sentence. Was there more recorded after this?”
Include what you expected and why—for example, a cassette label or your recollection. Avoid trimming, joining or re-encoding the supplied file before the issue is understood. Do not repeatedly play a fragile original to investigate it yourself.
What should I do after checking?
Keep more than one copy in separate places. The Library of Congress recommends multiple copies of important videos and checking saved files at least annually. Our backup guide explains the next step.
For a new VHS-to-digital transfer, check current prices and request an estimate. Rewind Digital offers local drop-off and return of originals by appointment in Tadcaster, with download or optional USB delivery. The form saves a request, not an online payment; format, condition, availability and the final quote are agreed before work.
