Frequently Asked Questions

• How can I tell what type of film I have?
• How can I tell how many feet of film I have?
• Can you transfer film with sound?
• How long does the service take?
• Can I provide my own external hard drive?
• If I do choose to provide my own hard drive, how do I know what size to send?
• What's the difference between Professional Hi-Definition and standard HD?

How can I tell what type of film I have?

Regular 8mm Film
Super 8 Film
16mm Silent Film
16mm Sound Film
Super 8 Reel Hub
Regular 8mm and 16mm Reel Hub

How can I tell how many feet of film I have?

Please use our film to digital Calculator to determine total footage. A 3” diameter reel is 50ft, 4” 100ft, 5” 200ft, and 7” 400ft. To determine footage on larger reels (16mm only), look on the engravings on the reel itself.

Can you transfer film with sound?

Yes, we offer sound syncing with our frame-by-frame transfer. Super 8mm is an additional $.08/ft (magnetic), 16mm is an additional $.05/ft (magnetic or optical).

How long does the service take?

Depending on the amount of film included in your project, we normally finish a project within 5-7 business days.

Can I provide my own external hard drive?

You have the option of providing your own hard drive for a fee of $50.00 which covers formatting for PC or Mac and data transfer.

If I do choose to provide my own hard drive, how do I know what size to send you?

You can use our Calculator to determine how much space you need. You’ll need to know either how many total linear feet or how many hours of film you are transferring to use the calculator.

What's the difference between Professional Hi-Definition and standard HD?

First, Professional HD captures each color channel (RGB) separately, allowing us to color correct a specific channel without affecting all the others, especially useful on aged film where certain dyes have deteriorated faster than others. Secondly, Professional HD shows each frame to be crystal clear, allowing you print a photograph if necessary from a specific desired frame, as opposed to standard HD which produces blended frames during capture. Finally, Professional HD captured at 1080P has more than double the number of pixels than standard HD captured at 720P, ensuring the clearest, most accurate reproduction of a film in a digital form.