Why do reels get put onto VHS and not DVD?
Transferring film reels is a multi-step process. Your film is first cleaned with a special solution, inspected, repaired, and set up for transfer. Going to VHS insures a better quality transfer and a better final product.
Will music be added to my video?
All film reels, unless otherwise noted, will have complimentary audio added to them. All other media can have music added at an additional cost of $25.00
Do you provide rush orders?
Yes, but there will be an additional $25 charge to your order.
How many hours of tape can fit on to a DVD?
A DVD can hold up to 2 hours of tape without any loss of quality.
What kind of DVD do I receive, and will it work in my player?
We use DVD-R media for all of our conversions. DVD-R is the standard format for most DVD players, however, some DVD players and recorders are not compatible with DVD-R. Consult your users manual.
What kind of quality can I expect in my DVD?
The DVD you will receive will reflect the original quality of the media you supplied. If you had a VHS tape transferred, then you can expect about the same quality. However, the DVD quality will be slightly better than your original media.
What are the average turn-around times?
We usually have your completed projects within 2-3 days. However, call us for an estimate for any large orders. We strive to have your order back in less than a week
What if the tape is just over 2 hours in length?
In order to retain full quality, we can only transfer 2 hours of tape per DVD. If you have a tape that is just over 2 hours, the remaining footage will be cut off unless you specify otherwise.
Can additional copies be produced at a later date?
Only if you supply the original DVD that we made for you. We do not archive any footage unless specifically asked to. There is an additional fee for archiving.
Can you transfer or reproduce copyrighted material?
No. We do not make any reproduction of any copyrighted material under any circumstance.
What is NTSC? PAL? SECAM? Will this affect my transfer?
Different regions of the world utilize different video formats, NTSC is the standard format in North America. PAL is the standard format of Europe and some of Asia. SECAM is widely used in Africa and Asia. You cannot, for instance, play a PAL tape in a NTSC player.
Can we transfer PAL and SECAM videos?
Yes. We convert PAL and SECAM to NTSC for an additional fee. We can convert PAL and SECAM to NTSC, or NTSC to either PAL or SECAM.
Can I edit the DVD on a home computer?
Without proper software, you cannot edit your own video. However, we do offer a service which gives you editable data files in .mpeg or.avi files. You can then simply import them in any editing system.
What tapes do you convert?
We specialize in VHS, VHS-C, 8mm Tapes, MiniDV, Digital8, Hi8, and Betamax tapes.
Is it safe?
Absolutely—movies are not destroyed or damaged in the process. An operator is with your movie during every step of the process.
What is the best way to preserve my home movies?
We recommend ordering at least 2 DVD copies of every transfer so that one DVD copy can serve as your archive copy of the transfer.
I am worried about the quality of output movie. Does conversion from VHS to DVD degrade the quality?
Just the opposite! The quality of output movie is usually slightly higher but you should not expect a dramatic improvement. We do not perform any additional movie cleaning but digital quantisation itself brings some noise filtering. Of course the higher original quality, the better final result. When the source movie is on a digital tape, there is no analog to digital conversion and the result is excellent.
Do you view your customers’ home movies?
Your videos are private and we don't view videos sent to us, but we'll spot check the final DVD for quality assurance purposes.
Why should I transfer my media to DVD?
Videotapes begin to degrade immediately and lose quality over time. Your memories are difficult to enjoy when you have to fast-forward and rewind to find the parts you want to watch. Watching movie film reels is inconvenient, because it requires setting up a bulky film projector. When you transfer to DVD, your footage is easy to watch on your DVD player. And under proper storage conditions, DVDs last a lifetime.
Do you return the original tapes?
Yes, we return your original tapes along with the new DVDs.
What if I have two 60 minute tapes? Can you transfer the footage from both tapes to 1 DVD?
Yes, if that is what you would like then absolutely!
What does MPEG mean?
Motion Pictures Expert Group, a joint committee of the International Standards Organization and the International Electrochemical Commission.
What does JPEG mean?
Joint Photographic Experts Group. A standard algorithm for the compression of digital images.
What does “NTSC” mean, and are my tapes in this format?
National Television Standards Committee. The signal type of your VHS or Camcorder tapes should be NTSC to play our media. The European standard is PAL.
What is "DV or Mini DV" tape and recording?
DV (digital video) is the highest quality of consumer camcorders. These record at 500+ lines of resolution and can be used with compact DV-Mini tapes. With the information stored in digital format, copying between two systems can be done with no loss in quality. You can have Mini DV Tapes transferred to DVD so you can watch them on a normal DVD player.
Which is better, scanning slides, negatives, or prints?
Just as your photo developer will give you a better reproduction from your negatives that a print, scanning slides or negatives gives better results than scanning prints. This is especially true if you want to do an "enlargement". The slide or negative film is the "original" image instead of a copy. Film contains much greater detail and has greater dynamic range than prints. That's why you get the negatives with your prints. We can scan prints with very good results. However, scanning the original negative would produce even better results.
What are the benefits of your Slide and Negative Scanning?
We utilize new film scanning technology to automatically remove dust, scratches, and other imperfections on most color films.
What is a Photo Montage DVD?
A Photo Montage DVD is a collection of photographs that can be organized into a video slideshow, with transitions between each image.
What can I put in a Photo Montage DVD?
Any combination of video, pictures, slides, and photo negatives can be used along with any other types of paper media that can be digitized with our scanners. This would include items such as announcements, newspaper articles, brochures, flyers, ticket stubs, cards and letters, licenses or just about anything you can imagine
Can you transfer only a part of my tape to DVD?
We can transfer or edit out any part of your tape if you clearly indicate in seconds the beginning and end of the part you want to be transferred or removed.
What are the disadvantages of VHS tapes?
Will my DVD be copy-protected?
No. DVDs we record are not copy-protected.
When you combine videos to a single DVD, are there any blank screens in between the different videos?
No. When we combine multiple video tapes to a single DVD, the video images are blended together (cross-faded) or the images are faded to black then fade back in to the new image. This is the same process movie studios use when switching from one scene the next. Also, all editing of the video is performed after the transfer which means your original tapes are never tampered with. All original video footage remains original on your video tape.
What if I have 90 minutes of video? How much would that cost to transfer to DVD?
If the video is between an hour interval we round up the number of hours. For example if your footage is 4 hours and 15 minutes we would charge for 5 hours.
What do I receive for the slide scanning service?
Without further instruction, we put the slides on a data disc in .jpg form. However, we can create a viewable slideshow at an additional cost.
What kind of software would I need to edit my DVD of .mpg and .avi videos?
Most computers come with standard video editing software. Some programs include Windows Movie Maker, Pinnacle, Sony Vegas, and Dazzle. The video files we give you integrate directly into the software.
Is there a limit to how many slides you will scan in total?
No, however large orders of over 2000 slides may require additional time and media.
Is there a discount after a certain number of slides?
Yes, for orders of 1000 slides or move a discount will be given.
After transferring film to VHS can you then transfer it to DVD? Is there an extra fee?
Yes, the standard video transfer fees would apply to transfer your VHS tape to DVD.