Why convert your camcorder tapes to digital files?

Were you one of those people who always filmed family holidays, birthdays, and Christmases in the 80s, 90s or early 2000s? If so, chances are you have boxes of camcorder tapes under your bed or in the loft, but no longer have the correct camera or other equipment to watch them back with. Those tapes will contain your precious family history and it is important to digitize them. Here’s why.

Deterioration, degradation and mould

Old media formats such as VHS tapes are not very reliable. Over time, the images on the tapes can degrade and deteriorate. Or worse still, mould can develop inside the tape housing and your family memories will be lost forever. If your tapes have been stored in direct sunlight, or somewhere that is prone to damp, your tapes most certainly will show some signs of mould and deterioration. 

Where to store your tapes

The first thing to do with your tapes if you have found mould on them, is to move them to a safer storage space. So, if they are in your shed or garage, move them! Keep them inside your house, in a cupboard or drawer, out of sunlight and away from sources of humidity or magnets. This will decrease the chances of further mould or deterioration occurring.

Why not do it myself?

Of course, it is possible to preserve and digitize your camcorder tapes at home, but this can be a long process. Not only do you need to find and possibly purchase the correct equipment, you will also need to sit through each tape in real time during the process. Most importantly, by attempting to digitize your precious family memories at home, you run the risk of damaging or worse still destroying the tapes accidentally. Sending your tapes to a professional service provider will safeguard your precious videos and save you time and money.

Why digital files?

To digitize your tapes means to make your memories safe and protected for the future. Not only that, but the quality will be much better and will not deteriorate any further. Digital files on a USB stick are very versatile. You can share them with friends and family much easier, and they can be played back on multiple devices, such as your phone or tablet. Lastly, you can store hundreds of hours of footage on just 1 small USB stick, saving you all that space in your house! So don’t wait any longer. Save those precious memories and get them digitized now.

July Partial Closure.

Our studios will be on a partial closure for 1 week from July the 10th. A skeleton staff will ensure orders are safely taken in to the office however, there will be a delay to orders being logged in and no orders will be shipped during that week.

Easter Closure

Please note that in addition to the Bank Holidays we will be closed on the 15th, 16th ,17th and  18th.

 

Orders posted in to us will be safely taken in and stored but we will not be sending any completed orders out during that time and service times will be extended accordingly.

Reliving the Romance With VHS to DVD Transfer

There are some things that are too precious to be lost, particularly when there are things we can do to prevent that happening. One such thing is your old wedding videos.

If you tied the knot during the time when camcorders ruled, you probably either had the video shoot done by a professional or a friend. Now, you have a dusty VHS tape sitting on a shelf or in a box somewhere, untouched for years.

Why not remind yourselves of the magic of your wedding day by transferring that VHS to DVD?

Christmas Opening Hours

Our offices will close on the 24th of December at 12am  and reopen on January 4th at 8.30am

 

 

Nickelodeon Nostalgia: The Splat

If there was a degree in nostalgia, then we’d be top of the class! Possibly the student that brings in a shiny apple for the teacher… we get a great kick out of being able to transfer your pockets of nostalgia; be that VHS or Betamax to DVD, we treat it with the same level of passion. So when it comes to advances in the world of TV related to appreciating TV or films of ‘yore’, we can’t help but listen in.

Film of the Year 2015: And the Winner Is…

It’s that exciting time of the year where we set down our Mini DV to DVD transferring and take note as some of the industry’s top minds and critics gather together and decide the best film from the last year of releases. It’s a prestigious offer which, in recent years, has been claimed by some of, not only the best films of their generation, but some of the most innovative.

Address Label, website problem.

Royal Mail are experiencing some problems with their webpage for producing the FREE Tracked label. Please be patient and try the link again over the weekend and on Monday morning.

Film School 101: Practical Effects

Do you think you’ve mastered the basics of keeping the camera steady and framing your shots? Maybe you’re looking for something a little more ambitious to try out in your next home movie? If that’s the case, then welcome to the world of practical special effects – effects that are actually created physically on-set (or at home), and not added digitally after the event.

Easter Holidays.

Please note that we will be closed for the Easter weekend from 12.00 on Thursday 2nd of April.   Back to normal on the Tuesday..

 

Happy Easter everyone!