Transfer Film or Slides To Video/DVD Call: (704) 947-0331 or 996-5937

Do you own old 8mm or Super8 movies?  Do you have a projector that can still show those old treasurers? 

Digital Memories has the solution...  Transfer your old movies and slides to DVD!  Preserve its current quality for generations to come.

VIEW SAMPLE VIDEO

Celluloid Film Deteriorates - Protect It Now and Forever...
Think about putting your newly edited video on DVD!

Once your old films are transferred to a digital medium, they can now be edited (with no further degradation in quality).  Digital Memories offers complete, editing services that will turn your library of family home movies into high quality video productions.  Or if you prefer, you can do your own editing.  See out tips below.

Completed videos can be delivered on DVD or the following tape formats: miniDV, Digital8 or VHS.
Allow 2-4 weeks for delivery.

PRICING
FILM QUANTITY
(in linear feet)		 PRICE PER FOOT
WITH EDITING * NO EDITING
 LESS THAN 1000 FEET $0.19 * $0.22
 1001-2500 FEET $0.19 * $0.21
 MORE THAN 2500 FEET $0.19 * $0.20

CALCULATING YOUR FOOTAGE
 * Plus $50.00/hour editing fee
Movie film was returned from the photo labs usually on small, 50 foot reels. Sometimes, ardent enthusiasts spliced these films together onto larger reels, some holding 200 or more feet.  Below is a list of the most common reel sizes you may have and the number of feet associated with those reels.  Reels, larger than 3 inches, usually have a graduated scale on the side which can also be used as a way to determine footage on a reel.
  • 3" reel - 50 feet - 3 minutes approx.
  • 4" reel - 100 feet - 6 minutes approx.
  • 5" reel - 200 feet - 12 minutes approx.
  • 7" reel - 400 feet - 24 minutes approx.

LEARN ABOUT THE FILM TO VIDEO TRANSFER PROCESS

Attention... Do It Yourself Editors...

Editing video is a tough job.  The intent of an editor is to manipulate emotion while holding the viewers attention.  What was once hours of seamlessly, never-ending home movies, can now be turned into short mini epics.  To do this, you need the right computer and software.  I presume you already have the time.

MINIMUM COMPUTER SPECS

  • Processor: 2.4 ghz, Pentium 4

  • Memory: 512mb to 1 gb

  • System Hard Drive: 80gb drive, exclusive  for your operating system and software

  • Video Media Hard Drive: 160-200 gb drive.  NOTE: for each hour of video captured for editing, 13 gb of hard drive space is required. 

  • Video Card: 128 mb.  Check for compatibility based on the editing software you use.

  • DVD Burner: 4x minimum speed.  Avoid the new dual layer burners.  Although you can put more video content on them, the cost of the media is too high.  Its better to make shorter, more concise videos.

  • Video Capture Card:  If you have a digital camcorder, you will need a capture card (Firewire or IEEE-1394) capable of connecting to your camcorder.  If you have analog sources, you will need a capture card capable of connecting to those devices, (i.e. composite video/audio and/or S-Video).

SOFTWARE CONSIDERATIONS

  • Price Range: Look for software solutions that are priced in the $90-150 range.

  • Video Capture: If you do not have a video capture card in your computer, look for a software product that includes such a device.

Recommended Vendors

  • Pinnacle Studio 10

  • Ulead Video Studio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Film to Video Transfer Process

Step 1: Cleaning and Prep. Before 8mm Transfer

Your film is cleaned, restored, and repaired if necessary. We usually find regular 8 and super 8mm home movie film to be in good condition. You will be contacted if the film is in poor condition and cannot be converted. Three inch film reels may be spliced on to larger reels with leader material left on to separate individual movies.

Step 2: Digitizing During 8mm Film Transfer

A trained operator uses custom engineered "telecine" equipment which passes the light image of the movie film directly into a professional video camera, hence the term "film to video". No screen or frosted glass is used in the conversion (such as the consumer film to video box from the 1970's). The entire frame of film is visible during the conversion. The standard film gate of an 8mm or super 8mm film projector would cut out some of the image, but we capture out to the edge of the sprocket holes. Only professional, 3CCD cameras from the Sony DXC series use Fujinon lens, thereby insuring the highest degree of quality.  This setup is optimized for recording very small images such as 8mm film frames.

Elmo Transvideo telecine projector or Goko telecine projectors designed over 20 years ago, are not used in this process.  Likewise, we do not use consumer level DV camcorders.

Our DXC camera with 1,140,000 pixels, offers 40% higher resolution than any miniDV or DV camcorder. We are capable of focusing on the individual grains of film which makeup each frame. Because the grains of film are visible we can know that the resolution of the transfer is limited only by the film itself and not the camera or transfer process.

Step 3: Color Adjustments During Film to Video Conversion

The projected light image is separated into the three primary colors and digitally processed. The DXC cameras have large 1/2" CCD's and unique PowerHad technology which help with low light situations and great colors. An auto white tracing feature constantly adjusts and corrects many blue and red color shifts. For example, if your teeth and the clouds and everything else that should be white are actually blue from a color shift the digital processor in the camera adjusts these back to white and removes the excess blue from the rest of the 8mm film frame as much as possible. The results are outstanding for many 8mm film movies which were improperly exposed or super 8mm film which often has blue and red color shifts. Of course, there are limitations to this technology (extreme color shifts may be impossible to correct) but such attempts at improving you movies are a must.

An operator constantly monitors and adjusts during the film to video transfer. Each frame of film is saved as a frame of digital video. During this process the frame rate of the 8mm movie is adjusted and synchronized so it can be displayed with no flicker. The cameras digital processor adjusts the colors, taking out the human guesswork and delayed reaction to constant changes. The operator is able to adjust the amount of light required to optimize your movie depending on its exposure level. Relying solely on a camera iris for exposure adjustments is insufficient, we are actually adjusting the amount of light used in the film transfer process. The many adjustments we are able to make during the transfer is unique to Home Movie Depot and is much more sophisticated than simple brightness control.

Step 4: Direct Transfer 8mm to tape...

If Digital Memories is going to edit your footage, the film content will be transferred directly to digital tape.  Mini-DV and Digital8 film conversion orders are simultaneously captured directly to digital tape and hard drive. Digital tape transfers are the raw digital master of the movie film and promote efficient and high quality editing (post production).  If you will be editing your own footage, we strongly recommend output to digital tape as opposed to VHS or DVD.  VHS and other analog tapes are acceptable for viewing but their resolution is far lower digital tape.

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