Frequently asked questions

General

What quality can I expect my transfer?

At Transfer for Less we only use top of the line equipment to ensure your memories are transferred with bright colors and crystal clear image quality. Depending on what you're going to transfer, final image quality can vary. For example, VHS video tape has limited resolution and will still look VHS video when transferred to DVD. However, old silent movie film is scanned in using High Definition technology and can be viewed in crystal clear HD.



What happens to my original film, photos, video etc.?

Our transfer process is completely non-destructive, so your original media is returned to you along with your transferred content.



What is your turn-around time?

While each project can vary due to size and complexity, our standard turn-around time is typically not more than 30 days from the time we receive your order.



What if my order needs to be rushed?

We offer expedited options for 24 hour or one week turn-around for an additional fee of 100% or 50% respectively of the original purchase price.



Do you keep a copy of my transfer?

We keep backup copies of your transferred content for 90 days at no additional charge. We can also make additional copies from your originals after that period of time has expired.



Can I do my own editing?

Yes! We get this question quite often as many people have video editing software on their computer. Transfer for Less can digitize all of your media and place it on a thumb drive or hard drive in your desired format so you can easily edit at home.



What are your prices?

Click here to see our prices or Click here to get a quote.



Can I see some samples of your work?

We have several different examples located through out the site. We also have samples of our recent customers. Click here to see them.



Video

Photo

Do you color correct and restore my photos?

Yes. Every image is reviewed by one of our photo technicians and is enhanced, restored, adjusted for color and cropped correctly before being delivered back to you.



In what formats do I receive my photos?

The digital format that will be returned to you will be the .jpg file of your photograph. In addition to this, original photographs are returned.



Film

What type of film can you transfer?

We transfer both silent and sound 8mm, Super 8mm and 16mm film to the format of your choice.



Do you transfer film frame by frame?

Absolutely! Every tiny picture on your film is scanned frame by frame into our computers. This allows our professional editing department to review and make enhancements to your film before it is placed on DVD or Blu-ray.



Do you clean my film?

Yes! Ths is an extremely important step prior to transferring you film. It also allows us the opportunity to repair broken sprocket holes and fix bad splices, while conditioning and lubricating you film.



Do you color correct my film?

Always. Every reel is enhanced and adjusted for color before being placed on DVD or Blu-ray.



In what formats do I recieve my film?

We transfer to DVD and Blu-ray Disc. We can also deliver digital files in SD-AVI, HD-AVI or Apple ProRes on either a blank drive that you submit with your order, or on a new drive, purchased through us.



How do I determine the length of my film?

8mm film reels typically come in 5 different sizes, as seen here. 16mm reels also use these sizes, but often utilize reels larger than 400ft.



Does my film have sound?

Regular 8 film was designed to run without sound. This film type is typically silent.

Sound is still rare on Super 8 film, but became popular in the mid 70's. To check your super 8 for sound, inspect the edge of the film on the opposite side of the sprocket holes and look for a copper colored magnetic strip on the underside of the film. The existance of this strip does not guarantee that your film will have sound, but provided it was recorded with sound, it will transfer with the picture. With 16mm film, sound was placed on the film as either a magnetic or optical strip. Optical is easy to spot because it looks like audio waves running down the edge of the film. Similar to Super 8, magnetic sound was recorded on a copper strip. Currently, we are unable to process optical 16mm film, but we can pull the sound from magnetic sources.



Multimedia

What type of tapes can you transfer?

We transfer VHS, VHS-C, Hi-8, 8mm, Mini DV and Umatic tapes to the format of your choice.



My video camera uses small DVD's, SD Cards, or Compact Flash Cards to record my content. Can you transfer those?

Yes! We accept all digital formats. We can even combine multiple items onto a single DVD or Blu-ray Disk.



Do you transfer Betamax tapes?

Unfortunately, we no longer offer this service.



Do you use a DVD Recorder to transfer video tapes?

Definitely not! DVD Recorders often will produce DVDs that won't play back on many DVD players or even some computers. At Transfer for Less, every tape is recorded in full quality to the computer using Hardware Image Stabilizers before being professionally edited and placed on DVD or Blu-ray! A DVD Recorder can never provide that careful consideration of your video tapes.



Can I combine tapes together?

Yes you can! Transfer for Less will place up to 2 hours of content onto a single DVD. If the total running time of your tapes is 2 hours or less, we can combine them!



What kind of editing is included?

We review your video in a fast preview and seek to remove things you dont want. For example, blue screens, accidental shots of the ground or old TV shows. We also adjust the audio levels to get the best sound possible.



Do you color correct my video?

Always. Every video is enhanced and adjusted for color before being placed on DVD or Blu-ray.



In what formats do I reveice my videos?

We transfer all SD content like VHS and Hi-8 to DVD. Mini DV tapes can hold HD content and can be transferred to Blu-ray Disc. We can also provide digital files in SD-AVI, HD-AVI or Apple ProRes on either a blank drive that you submit with your order, or on a new drive, purchased through us. Please note that HD-AVI is for High Definition content only.



Do you repair broken video tapes?

Yes. We can replace any broken parts to get you tape running again and ready for transfer.



Slides

Audio

What type of audio can you transfer?

We transfer Audio Cassette/DAT Tapes and Reel to Reel Audio, as well as 33(LP), 45 and 78 Vinyl Records.



In what formats do I recieve my audio files?

Audio files are transferred to a CD Disc, or an external drive in WAV, MP3 or AIFF formats.



Do you repair broken audio tapes?

Yes. We can get your tape in working condition again!



DVD & CD

How much film or video will fit on a DVD?

A DVD can hold 4.7GB, which is around 2 hours of video.



How much film or video will fit on a Blu-ray?

A Blu-ray Disc can hold 25GB, which is around 10 hours of SD video or 2 hours of HD video.



How much audio can you fit on a CD?

A CD can hold 700MB, which is around 60 minutes of audio.



How many photos or slides can you fit on a CD or DVD?

Approximately 500 photos will fill a CD-rom, and 2500 photos on a DVD-rom in JPG format. DNG files are much larger, and require a hard drive for delivery.



Can I make copies of the CD and DVDs myself?

Yes! Transfer for Less does not block the ability to make as many copies as you'd like. There is no copy-protection on the disks we create. These are your memories, use them as you wish!



How long will your DVD's last?

We only use professional, Grade-A disks. The manufacturer guarantees them for 100 years!



Is the quality of your DVD or CD copies as good as the origional DVD or CD?

CD, DVD and Blu-ray are all digital formats. This means you can copy them without losing any quality. Unlike VHS copies of the past, a digital copy experiences no generational loss, so your copies will always maintain the highest quality and integrity.