Transfer 8mm film to DVD?
m...@privacy.net
My Dad took it
I want to send it off and have it xferred to DVD.
Want someone very reputable
And advice on who?
InOverMyHead
<m...@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:phage1huk7iphd1hk...@4ax.com...
I had the same situation. I talked to a couple local shops and picked one -
with only a few of my less-important reels. I found that it is a two step
process: Step 1 transfers movie to (SVHS) video. Step 2 burns it to DVD.
Well, step 1 was perfect for me, because it allowed me to digitize it,
organize it, title it, etc. It worked fine. I took another bundle of reels
(some 8mm but mostly super 8) and again got SVHS just as ordered. I got it
all digitized and half edited (but alas, I let the project get cold and
don't remember where I was when I stopped. Good thing hard drive space is
cheap!!) (Maybe I should have let them do step 2?)
Bob
Bill Van Dyk
or a company using their machines. I can't stress enough the difference
in quality when individual frames are scanned over the projection
methods used by many other companies. If you footage is at all decent,
the results will be gratifying.
I had ours transferred to minidv tapes, which means they are always
available in optimal raw form for editing and further processing. Not
advisable to go to VHS or SVHS-- you're giving up a lot of quality.
eunma
who does decent work (keeping in mind the old saying "You get what you
pay for.")
5-6 years ago, my uncle took all of my grandfather's 8mm films to get
them converted to VHS. After I started authoring DVDs a few years ago,
I borrowed them to transfer them to DVD with nice menus so I could make
nice copies for everyone in the family.
Apparently, the person who transferred them to VHS didn't put much
effort into the project. A lot of footage was just unusable because
the film was fluttering while going through the projector. I got the
impression that the person who transferred them just put a reel on the
projector, got it rolling, and came back five minutes later when the
reel was done playing and slapped the next reel on - and did this over
and over.
Whether it was a problem with the original film, lack of a quality
projector... or whatever the case - I don't know. I can only say it
was very frustrating editing out all of the non-ususable footage
knowing that a lot of it was very unique and historic to our family's
history.
joe
m...@privacy.net
Thanks so much Bill!!
Can the above company xfer them from 8mm straight to a
DVD for me?
>or a company using their machines. I can't stress enough the difference
>in quality when individual frames are scanned over the projection
OK point taken
Bill Van Dyk
to edit and add music and sound effects myself, so I had them put it on
MiniDV.) Here they are (in Canada, but they will handle international
orders):
I wouldn't say they are "cheap", but, as we all know, you generally get
what you pay for. If your film footage is very valuable to you, this is
the way to go.
The guy I contacted, by the way, was courteous, efficient, and reliable.
m...@privacy.net
>to edit and add music and sound effects myself, so I had them put it on
>MiniDV.) Here they are (in Canada, but they will handle international
>orders):
>
>http://www.foreverondvd.com/
Well if I have them just transferred to DVD for
now...cant I always get the digital video FROM the
original DVD if I want to edit? And then burn my own
DVD afterwards?
Basically my dad didn't shoot these family pics in any
rhyme or reason. They jump all over then place! Ha
They do need a bit of editing but all I'm wanting for
now is to "digitize" them as the 8mm tapes are getting
very old and hard to store
hence my thoughts on just having them burned to DVD and
editing FROM that DVD in the future.
Good idea? Bad idea?
Bill Van Dyk
not as good if edited later. They will also probably add some very
bland, non-descript program music to the background (unless you tell
them not to). They definitely will not use copyrighted music or sound
effects.
We're talking relative judgements here, but your quality will definitely
be degraded to some degree if you edit it later from a DVD. But you can
do it, by copying the files to your computer and using appropriate
software (Premiere will handle it, with some effort).
Why not get both? Have them send you a copy on MiniDV tape, and a DVD.
That way if you do want to edit, re-order, extract, put music and
sound effects on, etc., you're all set. You will also then have an
archive copy at optimal quality.
I don't think the additional costs are too great.
Both DVD and MiniDV will be significantly superior to VHS or SVHS.
m...@privacy.net
>
>I wouldn't say they are "cheap", but, as we all know, you generally get
>what you pay for. If your film footage is very valuable to you, this is
>the way to go.
>
>The guy I contacted, by the way, was courteous, efficient, and reliable.
I've emailed them above
Will probably have them do it
Thanks for the advice
m...@privacy.net
> That way if you do want to edit, re-order, extract, put music and
>sound effects on, etc., you're all set. You will also then have an
>archive copy at optimal quality.
>
>I don't think the additional costs are too great.
>
>Both DVD and MiniDV will be significantly superior to VHS or SVHS.
You've talked me into it!!
Thanks so very much Bill!!
I'm not gonna tell my siblings I'm doing this till
after it done. Then I'm giving them DVD copies as
gifts!
That way I will also have multiple copies around in
case something happens to original DVDs
Innocent Bystander
"Bill Van Dyk" <tr...@christian-horizons.org> wrote in message
news:waCdneQatdj...@golden.net...
> If quality is your priority, have it done either by this company
>
> http://www.moviestuff.tv/
>
> or a company using their machines. I can't stress enough the difference
> in quality when individual frames are scanned over the projection methods
> used by many other companies. If you footage is at all decent, the
> results will be gratifying.
>
> I had ours transferred to minidv tapes, which means they are always
> available in optimal raw form for editing and further processing. Not
> advisable to go to VHS or SVHS-- you're giving up a lot of quality.
>
Just because film is transferred to miniDV digital tape format does not
automatically make it better than VHS or SVHS. Should the camera used to
create the miniDV be single CCD and the camera used to transfer to VHS or
SVHS be a professional quality 3 CCD it is more likely the latter would be
the better image - regardlless of end resultant tape. DV is not inherently
better resolution video. BetaCam SP is far better in image quality than a
little inexpensive single CCD Samsung digital camcorder any day of the
week - and the image from the BetaCam SP sent over analog outputs to VHS or
SVHS would still look better than the single CCD Samsung image sent to
miniDV.
All digital sources are not better than all analog sources...
Pheuque
an individual frame sequences on them?
I know that would use a lot more DVD's becuse its compleatly
uncompressed, but it would be a true master with no loss of quality.
David Chien
>>If quality is your priority, have it done either by this company
>>
>>http://www.moviestuff.tv/
>
>
> Thanks so much Bill!!
>
> Can the above company xfer them from 8mm straight to a
> DVD for me?
This and other 'film scanning' companies pretty much do what the BIG
companies do when they're restoring old films:
1) Clean the film frame-by-frame as necessary.
2) Scan them in at 1000-2000 lines of resolution minimum.
3) Do post-processing - fix scratches, correct color.
4) Dump to PC compatible file format (AVI, etc.)
This last step is what's done for the home consumer movies.
5) Then convert to MPEG-2 and archive to DVD.
You will want a quality company to do this, and it will take time,
money and energy to do it right. But results - well, you've seen how
well old movies can be restored...
m...@privacy.net
>money and energy to do it right. But results - well, you've seen how
>well old movies can be restored...
Is MovieStuff a quality company?
m...@privacy.net
>The place I used will transfer directly to DVD if you want. (I wanted
>to edit and add music and sound effects myself, so I had them put it on
>MiniDV.) Here they are (in Canada, but they will handle international
>orders):
>
>http://www.foreverondvd.com/
>
>I wouldn't say they are "cheap", but, as we all know, you generally get
>what you pay for. If your film footage is very valuable to you, this is
>the way to go.
>
>The guy I contacted, by the way, was courteous, efficient, and reliable.
How long ago when you did the above?