Frequently Asked Questions
- General Questions
- Old Movie Film Transfer Questions
- Video and Video Tape Transfer Questions
- Slide and Photo Scanning Questions
- Post Production Questions
- Shipping Questions
- Groupon Questions
Post Production Questions
- Can you put my project on a CD?
- Can I make copies of my DVD's or Blu-ray Discs at Home?
- Can I get my files on a hard drive so I can edit them myself?
- 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 you?
- What order will my files be on a hard drive?
- What file type will my files be on a hard drive?
- Can I edit my DVD's or Blu-ray Discs at Home?
- How much Film/Video can fit on a DVD?
- How much film/Video can fit on a Blu-ray?
- Can you put my data files/project on a USB stick/USB thumb drive/Data stick/SD card/etc?
- If I get the files on a hard drive how large will my files be?
- Can I put my DVD onto YouTube?
- How do I upload a file onto YouTube?
Can you put my project on a CD?
A CD (compact disk) is a technology designed for music data and small files up to 650MB. Since the movie files we make are much larger than this we put your home movies onto DVD, Blu-ray, or hard drive.
However, there are occassions when we can accommodate this kind of disc, primarily a small slide or photo scanning order.
Can I make copies of my DVD's or Blu-ray discs at home?
Unlike some of our competitors, the answer is yes. There is no copy protection on the discs and you are free to make copies of them on your computer.
Can I get my files on a hard drive so I can edit them myself?
Yes, you can conveniently order one from us using our order form and we will put the project on it at no extra charge. The files provided on the hard drive are raw and un-edited. This means that sprocket holes will be present on the left hand side of the screen. These can easily be cropped with most any editing program. Please check this option on either our offline or online order forms.
Can I provide my own external hard drive?
You have the option of providing your own hard drive for a fee of $20.00 which covers formatting for PC or Mac and data upload.
It is important to note that hard drives formatted in FAT32 file system have a file size limit of 4.5 GB. If the drive that you send is formatted in FAT32, we will need to reformat. If you have information on the drive that you would like to keep, we can back it up for an additional charge.
If I do choose to provide my own hard drive, how do I know what size to send you?
| Hard Drive Size | Film | Video Tapes | Slides and Photos |
| 320 GB | Up to 3,700 ft | Up to 22 hours | Up to 17,400 slides and photos |
| 500 GB | Up to 5,900 ft | Up to 35 hours | Up to 28,800 slides and photos |
| 1 TB | Up to 12,500 ft | Up to 75 hours | Up to 58,800 slides and photos |
| 2 TB | Up to 23,000 ft | Up to 130 hours | Up to 102,000 slides and photos |
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.
If you are unsure of the size of your film, you can use the Reel Size Form, which will give you the size, length, and approximate run time of your film.
What sequence will my files be on a hard drive?
We will transfer your project in the sequence specified on your reels or tapes. The files will have your last name followed by the number of your reel or tape. If you do not number your reels or tapes we will randomly assign a number to your reel or tape.
What file type will my files be on a hard drive?
By default, we put your files into avi blackmagic codec. We can put them in virtually any codec you wish however, for an extra fee. For more information please see our DIY editing page.
Can I edit my DVD's or Blu-ray discs at home?
You can, however it is not recommended to rip the data off the DVD's for a hard drive copy or computer copy (and edit it yourself). This is because in doing so, you would lose quality. In this instance we would recommend also getting a "Hard Drive Copy" which is the best way to future proof your project. By getting the files on the hard drive you insure the best quality for future editing and future outputs.
How much film/video can fit on a DVD?
About 1,200 feet of film or 2 hours of videotape can fit onto a DVD. Technically, we could compress the data to fit more but it would degrade the quality of your DVD.
How much film/video can fit on a Blu-ray?
About 1,600 feet of film or 12 hours of videotape can fit onto a Blu-ray. Technically, we could compress the data to fit more but it would degrade the quality of your Blu-ray.
Can you put my data files/project on a USB stick/USB thumb drive/Data stick/SD card/etc?
Unfortunately these kinds of media are not large enough to store most, if not all projects. This is why we need to store your project or data files on a high capacity hard drive.
If I get the files on a hard drive how large will my files be?
8mm film will use about 2-3 GB’s (gigabytes) per fifty foot reel. Super 8mm and 16mm film will use about 700 mb - 2 GB’s per fifty foot reel. Videotape will use about 12.5 GB’s per hour of video.
Can I put my DVD onto YouTube?
YouTube needs files to be converted into certain file formats in order for it to be accepted for upload.
Supported YouTube file formatsYouTube supports a wide variety of the range of video and audio formats in use. You can get a quick overview of what may be an issue with your video's formatting by taking a look at the warnings and error messages that we communicate to you while you're uploading your video.Here's a list of some well-known formats that YouTube supports:
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How do I upload a file onto YouTube?
Once you have the right file format (please see the previous question, (link: #Can I put my DVD onto YouTube?), it is easy to upload. Please watch this video for instructions on how to upload your file: YouTube Demo.