Why should I transfer my 8mm and 16mm home movie film to video?  

For most people, it has been a long time since you have seen your old home movie films. Getting the projector and screen set up can be a hassle, and disappointing too, if the projector lamp is burned out or if the projector “eats” your precious movies. Having your films transferred will make viewing them so much easier! Also, film deteriorates over time - and without transferring the film images to another media like DVD or USB, they will be lost.

Is this expensive? How much does it cost and are there any options to choose from?

Transferring your old home movies to video is something that you will likely do only once. It is an investment in your family heritage to ensure that the precious memories captured on your films years ago are preserved. Also video transfer allows you and your family to easily enjoy these films using a DVD player or Computer, instead of relying on obsolete film projectors.  

You can choose to have your films transferred to DVD or a digital media format such as .mp4 or both.

The transfer fee is determined by the amount of film to be transferred. Our pricing is based on a sliding scale so that a greater quantity of film would result in a greater discounting of the transfer fee. For example, the transfer fee for 20 small 50ft reels of film is not double the price for 10 reels - it is less. All film transfers are priced using the same fee schedule whether you have 16mm film, Regular 8mm film or Super 8mm film.  

Which video medium should I have my films transferred to - DVD or USB/Hard Drive?

Transferring your films to DVD enables easy viewing and exceptional audio/video quality. DVD copies are inexpensive, so it is wise to order several extra copies for family and friends - and be sure to keep at least one set of DVDs in a safe place to ensure that more copies can be made if necessary. 

We can also transfer your 8mm & 16mm films to USB/hard drives. The video file that we will put on your device is a standard .mp4 file. We also offer many other computer formats if needed.

You may certainly opt to have your films recorded to both DVD and hard drive.

There is an additional charge of $7.50 to switch back and forth between regular and super 8mm or 16mm films in the same order because each are run on separate equipment. The most economical way to transfer your films is to number them so that all the regular 8mm films, the super 8mm films and 16mm films are grouped together. If you are unsure, we will be glad to do this for you - just write this request on your order form. The most common film reel is made from plastic and measures about three inches in diameter. These reels hold 50 feet of film. Sometimes several of these 50 foot reels would be spliced together onto larger reels. About 95% of our customers have regular or super 8mm films. Only a few clients have the 16mm film format. There are also a few customers that have old films that are in cartridges such Technicolor or Polavison.

Note: The chart assumes that all larger reels are completely full of film. If you have larger reels that are not full, you will only be charged for the actual amount of film that is held on each reel.

What is included in the film transfer fee?

• We Repair any weak splices or broken film.
• We rewind and repair any film that arrives 'upside down', 'backwards', etc.
• We use aerial image technology for high quality image transfer.
• We add a FREE background music sound track. The music we use for the background is 'orchestral' (no vocals) and the mood is nostalgic and sentimental.
  (Note: We do not add music to any order containing a film that has sound unless you specifically request us to do so.)
• We add complementary title screens to the beginning and at the end of your film transfer.  
• We have over 40 years of experience in quality film transfer. We understand that your films are 'priceless' and we treat them with the care that you expect.
• All film transfers are done on-site by caring & experienced staff.

Most families order extra copies so that there are copies for each sibling and for the parents. Being digital, all your copies will be equally high quality originals!  Up to 2 hours of footage (this is about 1700-1800 feet of 8mm film) will fit onto one DVD disk. All of your media can fit on a hard drive.

This sounds great! What should I do and how long does it take?

All you need to do is to:

	1. Number the film reels in the order that you would like them transferred.
	2. Complete the order form.
	3. Send the order form along with your films to the address shown below.

Processing your order normally takes about 2-3 weeks from the time that we receive it. This timing may extend longer based on order backlog. 

Do you have more questions? If so, please visit our FAQ page.

Mail your videotape, specifications and payment to: