FAQ - Transfers

Video Tapes and Cine Films

• I want to transfer to digital, what does this mean? - Digital could mean a number of things, so you need to give this some thought. A DVD is digital and we can still convert to DVD. We can also transfer to digital file which can be put on to a USB stick or hard drive but there are different sorts of digital files ...
• If you wish to edit your footage then you would probably want a .mov file (or QuickTime), most editing software works with .mov files nowadays. However, these can be large files, so some editing programmes (especially free ones) and computers may struggle. These files are generally used with editing software so will not necessarily play on software supplied with your computer. However, in addition to .mov files we can also create MP4 files ...
• MP4 files will play across several platforms including computers, iPads, phones and Smart TVs. They are compressed files, so they are smaller in size to a .mov file but they are convenient and easy to use.
• Help! I don't know what I want - don't worry, we can advise.

  Video Tapes

  • How much does it cost to have one video tape transferred? - Minimum charges apply - the minimum, minimum charge is £48
  • I don't know what format my videos are - Don't worry, give us a call and we can usually work out what type of videos you have.
  • My video tapes aren't very long, can I put more than one onto a DVD? - Yes, you can and this is usually a cheaper option. We usually put up to 2 hours onto a DVD.
  • There's probably all sorts of rubbish on my tapes, can you edit it out? - Yes, up to a point but a transfer is not the same as an edit. If there are some very obvious things that you don't want transferred, we can leave them out (such as television programmes). However, you would need to tell us this in advance.
  • How long will it take? - Video tapes are transferred in real time, so it will depend on how many you bring and our workload at the time. Having said that, we can usually accommodate requests for a certain date.
  • Will I be able to play my DVD on my computer? - Yes, as long as you have a disc drive and a DVD player installed.
  • Can I edit my DVDs? - No, not unless you have the software to rip the content from the DVD.
  • Can I have my videos on a memory stick/flash drive? Yes.
  • Do I have to have a DVD? No, you don't, however, it is still a good option for large quantites of video (rather than short clips). We have been working in video for a long time and believe, from an archiving point of view, that it is a good idea to have something physical. You can always have MP4 files as well from your DVDs.
  • I don't want a DVD, can I have a file? Yes, we can create .mov and mp4 files.
  • What's the difference between .mov and MP4? .mov files are large files suitable for use with editing software, MP4 files are smaller and will play across many different platforms.
  • Can I have extra copies of DVDs? - Yes, you can.
  • Do you watch the videos? - We keep an eye on them although we don't watch every minute.
  • Can you transfer/repair faulty tapes? - We prefer not to although we can deal with some faults. We do not transfer mouldy tapes as these could damage our machines. There is an additional charge for faulty tapes as we have to spend time trying to fix them.
  • Do BVP transfer NTSC videos (videos from America and Japan) - no, we don't.
  • What's the difference between the Economy, Deluxe and Luxury file conversions? Very simply quality (and price). However, we do recognise not every one needs the biggest and best video conversions. The price differences also reflect the amount of time we need to spend creating your files. Probably the Deluxe package will suit most, in addition to encoding the files to MP4 we will rename them for you to help with your archiving, we will also keep a copy of the files for one month in case you accidentally delete them! The Economy package will produce smaller files and the picture and sound quality will not be so good, we also will not keep copies, nor will we rename the files for you. Luxury conversions are for those requiring logging and capturing with a view to editing and the best possible quality.

  8mm Cine Films

  • Is it worth getting cine films transferred? - yes, is the simple answer to this question.
  • My films are really old, I'm not sure what the quality will be like - films from as far back as the late 1950s and 60s can still give excellent results. Yes, the enamel may have cracked a bit and the picture may be a little grainy but this all adds to their charm. We have only ever had one set of films that were not worth transferring and this was because they had suffered water damage.
  • Should I just bring in one film to try it out? - well you can if you wish but we wouldn't recommend it. We have a set-up charge of £58 which includes up to 200ft on a larger reel or 2 small 50ft reels. If you bring your films in individually you will be charged this each time.
  • I don't know what is on the films, I'm not sure if it's worth transferring them - cine films were expensive and the original reels were only a few minutes long, therefore, most people were selective about what they filmed, consequently the quality of filming is often very good.
  • Can we edit our films - if you wish but more often than not people are happy with the films as they are. You can, however, do a little homework which will save a lot of time editing, simply put your films in the order you would like them transferred or bundle them up as you would like them to appear in a file or DVD chapter. (If your films are not dated/titled BVP can, up to a point, work out the order by packaging/reels.)
  • Can my films be supplied on a USB stick? Yes. The cost includes either a DVD or MP4 files on USB.