Frequently Asked Questions
How are you able to offer such low prices?

We don't have a storefront in a strip mall requiring you to pay our lease.

We have no employees, so you aren't paying their salaries while they aren't actively working on a project.

Do you allow customers to ship media to you?

While we certainly prefer to work locally and avoid the additional costs and dangers of shipping such valuable media, we absolutely will accept shipped media! However, we cannot be held responsible for what happens to the media when being shipped.

Why do you charge 'per tape', and not 'per minute of video' like others do?

A few reasons -

You may have a few tapes that have only 15 or 30 minutes on them, but we'll also get some with 4 or 6 hours on them. It all seems to even out in the long run.

We've found that by charging 'per minute of video', the cost per tape will usually be substantially more than $12.

By charging 'per minute of video', we are unable to give you a definite cost until AFTER the job is done. A 'per tape' charge allows us to give an immediate EXACT COST for the job.

How do you capture film?

We don’t use typical methods to preserve your film memories. We use a frame-by-frame film scanner that captures each individual frame of your video.

Here’s how it works:

Your film is inspected for stability and viability and then loaded into our film scanner. Once the scanner is started, a sensor captures each frame of the film, which is backlit by LED and projected onto the sensor. Each captured frame is sent to a computer and converted to an image file. The individual image files are then combined to create an “image sequence”. Using this image sequence, we output your film to an MP4 video. Because of this process, the end result is a high-quality motion picture, without any of the skipping, flickering, or other bothersome problems of a projected film. The LED light on the scanner ensures that the film cannot be burned, even if the reels were to suddenly stop spinning for any reason. The reels are turned by motor, ensuring that they are consistently in sync, so that your film is never in danger of being torn or scratched by the process.

How do I place an order?

First, if you are in the Raleigh, NC area, you can bring your material to our studio or arrange for us to pick it up. We will discuss with you, the in's and out's of your materials and provide you with a cost to transfer your media. If any additional costs are needed(tape repair, etc.) we will let you know before we perform them to get your approval.

Second, you may ship your media to us. Make a count of your media types and ship them to us. We will contact you when we receive your package to confirm your order.

Please note: you are responsible for the cost of shipping your materials. We recommend using UPS or USPS when shipping your media to us. We aren't responsible for damage or loss that occurs during shipping.

What is the typical turnaround time?

Normal in-studio turnaround is 3 to 7 working days, possibly a bit longer during the holidays. Allow extra time for shipping.

Do you recreate the menu on a DVD?

Normally, no. When transferring from a DVD, I will create a single MP4 file for each video with the videos placed in the same order that they were on the disc. If you wish to have the videos broken into separate MP4 files for each menu item, I can do that at an extra charge due to the time involved.

Do you do any editing on the videos you're transferring?

The only 'editing' that is included with the base transfer price is the cutting out of -

  • Dead space(blue screens).
  • 'Grounding', which is when you forgot to stop recording and walked around shooting beautiful video of the ground.
  • Large areas of damaged tape.
What is your policy on nudity or pornography?

We will NOT work with any nude or pornographic videos or photos, artistic or not. We reserve the right to refuse to process any video or photo based solely on our opinion that it is not in good taste, lewd, racial, or otherwise despicable. If the video has already been digitized before we notice it, we may at our discretion either delete the image or simply refuse to do any editing on the images depending on the situation. Exceptions will be made for medical universities, hospitals, and physicians. This policy is in place to protect us from any potential liability.

What is your policy on copyrighted material?

Basically, when you submit your items to us, you are indicating that you are not acting in violation of any copyright laws by having the work duplicated and/or that you have obtained permission from the copyright holder to have it digitized. For more information, please see our Terms and Conditions.

What payment methods do you accept?

We will send you an invoice outlining exactly what we did and the cost for each service. We can accept Visa, MasterCard, Amex, and Discover through our online payment system. We also accept Venmo or Cash App. If you have any questions about our ordering process, or if you have any difficulty, please give us a call, we will be happy to work with you.