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Film and Audio Transfers

  
If you know what you're doing and just want the current price list click here
(This will open an image file on your PC which has the full list of services and prices)

What is this all about?
Essentially, a transfer is something you would (and should) do if you have any images, moving or otherwise, or audio recordings in any old formats that need to be brought up to date and protected for prosperity. 'Old format' means cine film, reel to reel tape, obsolete tape formats, photos (non digital - remember those?!!), negatives, slides, video tape etc. These can all be turned into a universally readable format on a DVD. This can then be copied, backed up, stored or sent round the world at your will, safely, securely and in the knowledge these precious memories are preserved forever.

There's a lot of detail on this page since this is a subject that people, understandably, have a lot of questions on. I hope you'll forgive the volume of text therefore, but I hope equally that by including all the questions we're normally asked we can put your mind at ease. However, don't hesitate to contact us or come on in to the cafes if you think there's something we've missed.

What is the basic summary of services you provide?
The full list is included on the complete price list stored here. To summarise, we can transfer cine film, slides, photos, negatives to DVD. We can also duplicate videos, DVDs, CDs and even transfer old audio recordings to CD or cassette. Recordings can also be made from or to foreign formats such a secam and NTSE.

I have old format films and images, why should I bother transferring them?
Apart from the fact that it's much harder these days to play videos, look at old slide shows, and run cine films, many people are surprised to learn that they actually have a relatively short shelf life in this format and deteriorate after a number of years. Tape perishes and becomes brittle, meaning that one day it will simply crumble and break and whatever is on there will be lost forever. Cine films in particular are the most endangered. We have successfully saved tapes from periods as early as the 1920's - just - but the rule of thumb is that the older these are, the more urgent the job and the more of whatever is on there will be saved. Even cine from the 70's is now reaching the end of it's designed life expectancy and you should act as quickly as possible.

I don't really understand what you'll do, can you explain in more detail?
The process is simply one of turning and old 'analogue' image (ie one on a cine file, video, old style photo, reel to reel tape or slide) into a 'digital' one. It's a bit like having the same song on a CD (or MP3 player) as well as vinyl. The former is digital, the latter is analogue. The advantages are enormous, immediate and obvious. You could watch your cine films via your DVD player on your TV, or on your computer or hand held device. Since they're your films and you own the copyright, you could also upload some or part of them to YouTube or other similar sites, or email them to people. The possibilities are endless and, because you have an electronic version, you can make as many backups as you wish, meaning your data will be safe for ever. Compare that with trying to send a cine film to someone and it getting lost or damaged in the post. It would be a disaster and your irreplaceable memories would be lost forever. This is a job you do once. Forever. Don't forget, you still get your originals back as well!

What types of cine film can be transferred?
Standard 8, Super 8, 9.5mm and 16mm with or without sound

What types of video can be transferred?
Secam, NTSE, PAL, VHS, Super VHS, most domestic camcorder formats, Betamax, Philips 1500, 1700 and 2000, U-matic, Betacam, Betacam SP, DVCAM, DVCPRO, Micro MV, HD and MINI DVD


Picture: There are a serious number of different formats out there,
most of which we can transfer safely.

What types of audio can be transferred?
Open reel audio, Record, cassette, mini disc, dictaphone, DAT and CD

Can I edit my films afterwards?
Yes, it is possible to arrange to have your files put into MPEG2, Quicktime or WMV formats for editing at home if you prefer.

This sounds REALLY expensive - is it?
Interestingly, people do tend to completely over estimate how much this service will cost and it's usually a pleasant surprise when the quote is put together. Small jobs (eg one cine film) tend to be much less cost efficient that larger jobs due to the set up costs involved. In our view, this is a price worth paying to preserve your memories, of course, and you only ever do it once. The full price list is here.

What about copyright?
If they're your home movies of your life or family or events, then you own the copyright, it's as simple as that. However, to transfer copyrighted material to DVD is not permitted. For example, videos of films. There is one exception to this: If the film you wish to transfer has never been released on DVD or has been deleted, it MAY be possible to transfer. However, this is at the discretion of the processing company.

Do you do this in house?
No. To this well requires very specialist equipment and real skill. We use a long established specialist company who we act as agents for. A word of warning on this one - there are many companies that claim to do very cheap transfers and they are cheap for a reason - the quality will be very poor without the necessary (and very expensive) equipment to do it properly. Make sure you thoroughly research any company who is going to be handling your memories. We did.

I'm paranoid about losing my films - how do you take care of them?
We all are! If there's only one copy, it's a daunting experience handing them over! Don't worry, we ahve been doing this for years and have handled literally thousands of tapes, films and discs and never, ever had a problem. We don't use the post, they are picked up, by hand, by a representative of the processing company and all items are logged. See 'How do I do this?' section below

How do I do this?
It's actually very simple. Just come on it to one of the cafes with the media you want to transfer and we'll help you with the rest. We'll fill in a form, of which you'll get a copy, take payment and the items. Turnaround depends on when you come in - the best day to do it is Wednesday as the items are picked up and delivered back on Thursdays to the cafes. You will be advised of the return date or we can call you if you prefer,

What will the quality of the picture and transfer be like?
It will be as good as the orginal is. Due to the very high standard of equipment being used, AFX (the processing company) will produce the best possible result for you. This is something they are renowned for and Quarks is proud to be associated with. Hundreds of very satisfied customers attest to this.

Can I do this as a gift?
This is one of the best gifts you could ever give someone. Can you imagine giving your mum/dad/nan/grandad a DVD of their wedding day? Or a family holiday? They will probably not have seen them for years and they will love it. Or perhaps you're a parent and would like to give your son or daughter some footage of them as a kid? Either way, these memories are priceless and should be preserved forever, especially when you consider there is usually only ever one copy in the entire world - yours.

Can I get discounts if I have a lot of stuff to transfer?
If you have a large transfer job (eg large number of cine films or videos) it is sometimes possible to negotiate a discount with the processing company. Email us here with a detailed list of what it is you'd like to do and we'll secure the best deal we can. You must include the details shown on the price list, ie number of films, lengths of each and how many DVDs you'd like, for us to do this effectively. It is not normally possible to get discounts on large volumes of slides or photographs however as each item still has to be manually cleaned and processed, one by one, by hand. We'll respond as quickly as we can, but if we need to speak to the head honcho at the processing company, it may take us a day or two to get you the best price.

Can you help me decide what to do?
If you're not sure about what you want to do or how much it could cost, simply email us here and we'll do the best we can to help you. Even if you just want to ask a general question, please do so as getting your memories onto a format that will preserve them forever is critically important. Alternatively, you can come into one of the cafes and ask our staff. In most cases though, it's easier than you think. The processing company will do the hard work, you just tell us what you want.

But remember, whether you chose us or someone else, it's essential to protect your memories as urgently as you can.