Is your loved one’s birthday coming up, and you want to record it for posterity? If your filmmaking skills are a bit lacking and you’re not sure how to make an amazing video, we have a few tips for you. Keeping audiences engaged can be tricky; attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, so how do you get people to stay engaged?
3 Creative Things to do With Your Home Videos
Here at Video2DVD Transfers, we don’t like the idea of your old home movies going to waste. This is why we specialise in converting your old VHS tapes to DVD format. This way, you can relive all your old memories over and over and over…
However, what about the creative people amongst us? Whilst you can’t beat sitting around, watching them on the TV with your loved ones, there are other uses for your home videos for those looking to do something a little different.
Looking for ideas?
Upload Your Videos to YouTube
Many people share videos and pictures every day through their social media, but how many of these share really old home movies? Why don’t you create your own family YouTube channel, where you can upload all your family home videos, new and old! This is not just a fantastic way to store them; it also allows you to share them with all your friends and family! Who knows? It might even reconnect some old family members who haven’t spoken in a while.
Edit Them Together
Remember the TV show “This Is Your Life?” Why don’t you take inspiration from this and create your very own? This would make a unique and touching present for a member of your family. You could edit together random parts of each video, or you could specifically choose a theme such as making a montage of all the Christmases throughout the years.
It would also make a really good gift for your child on a special birthday or occasion such as a wedding.
Comedy Dub
Ever wondered what your dad would sound like as Homer Simpson? Or your grandma as Yoda? Well, with a little bit of creative editing, you could soon have your answer! For those who are looking to do something a little more “out there” with their home videos, why don’t you upload them to your computer and then put a comedy dub over the voices?
Is your mum speaking directly to the camera about your first tooth falling out? Not anymore! She’s now quoting Liam Neeson’s super famous speech from Taken! You can have some real fun with this one – go as wild as you want to!
If comedy isn’t your thing, why don’t you edit your home videos into your very own indie film? You could have the next big thing on your hands – starring you!
We even have a suggestion for your old VHS tapes after you’ve had them converted – they make fantastic door stops!
If you would like to contact our team about getting your old videos converted into DVDs, please give us a call on 800 592 433 and we will be more than happy to provide you with more information.
7 Reasons You Need to Transfer Your Videos to DVD
Look at that pile of old, dusty VHS stored in boxes in your basement. You know you need to do something about it. These boxes contain some of the most important moments of your life: birthday parties, the first time the Fairy Tooth visited you or that day you and your brother decided to dress up as warriors to conquer the neighbour’s garden. You don’t want to get rid of them – we get that – but you need to find a solution, so what about transferring them to DVD? We’ll give you 7 reasons that will definitely convince you to make a move.
What’s the Difference Between PAL and NTSC?
Have you ever heard the terms PAL and NTSC and wondered what they actually mean? NTSC stands for the National Television Standards Committee and PAL stands for Phase Alternating Line, and there are some big differences between the two, which might surprise you, given that outwardly there seems very little difference from one VHS to another.
So why the difference?
It’s all down to the electrical outputs. See, in America the AC current runs at 60Hz; countries using PAL have 50Hz currents. This determines how images are broadcast. Video images need to be transmitted at a corresponding Hz level – 30 ‘fields’ per second for even lines; 30 ‘fields’ for odd lines equals a complete picture running at 30 frames per second on an NTSC video. And, naturally, PAL videos run at 25 frames per second, given its 50Hz electrical output.
In this sense, NTSC is the superior format, since more frames per second means a more natural-looking picture, with less flickering. Having said that, PAL allows a lot more picture detail due to the 625 interlaced lines that make up the overall image (NTSC uses just 525 lines). Pros and cons, swings and roundabouts.
Are there any more differences?
Yep. For starters, there’s the automated colour correction offered by PAL, which is non-existent on NTSC tapes. Back when NTSC was created, in the 1940s, colour TV was sci-fi fantasy stuff, so no-one really took it in to consideration, meaning that once colour TVs were no longer dreamland equipment, NTSC wasn’t quite capable of dealing with it effectively. So when the colour seems off, the broadcast can’t sort it out itself. PAL came after the advent of colour technology, so it was built with this in mind.
And then there’s the differing aspect ratios; PAL operates at 720×576 and NTSC opts for 720×480. And then there’s the variance in sound, with NTSC using 4.5MHz and PAL preferring 5.5MHz for increased sound quality. And then there’s…
Bet you never realised there were so many differences between a single format. But if you’re looking for an easy, PAL-based medium fit for the HD world, why not get your VHS transferred to DVD and see things the way they should be? Just get in contact and let us know what you need – we’d love to help.
History of Film: A Home Movies Timeline
Home video is something that we’re extremely passionate about here at Video2DVD Transfers, and in order to fully appreciate just how far it’s come since the first home video was made, we thought it would be a good idea to head down memory lane and take a look at the rich history of film in a home movies timeline!
The Best of the 2016 BAFTAs
The 69th British Academy Film Awards took place at the Royal Opera House in London on the 14th February, celebrating the very best of British and international talent in films throughout 2015.
When the nominations for the awards were released at the beginning of January, it was clear to us that it was going to be a huge night for popular films such as The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road.
We were right! Both films won a handful of awards, with The Revenant picking up gold for Best Film!
Composers of Famous Movie Scores: Part 1
A lot of things truly make a movie; the techniques used by the director, the choice of cast members and setting. But one thing that really brings movies to life is the music. Some of the most famous movies in the world are recognised by their breathtaking score.
A movie without music lacks life and lustre, but films with beautifully composed music exist as the most memorable, and their composers are recognised through their individual instrumental techniques. Here is a list of the most influential composers in the movie world and their unmistakable sounds that have brought the genre of classical music to the forefront of popular culture.
Movie Flops That Became Culture Classics
There are a lot of movies out there that have flopped on release, and even though these movies still raked in hundreds of thousands of pounds, if not millions in the box office, they still acquired that box-office bust status. But however unsuccessful they were at the time, these films are now considered by many as being cult classics.
Whether a movie flops because of poor marketing or bad timing, judging by the popularity of the following films, they must have made up the numbers that were lost in numerous TV screenings, video and DVD sales.
The Best of Batman: The Greatest Batman Movies Ever Made
As the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice draws even closer, we’ve taken the time to look back at some of our all time favourite Batman movies. These live action movies have been keeping us entertained for years – a couple of them more so than others.
After a lot of thinking, we’ve picked a selection of our personal favourites – are any of these on your list?