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Top Questions About Our Film Services

1. How do you transfer film (the process)?
2. How much does it cost
3. Will I be able to edit my movies?
4. Will my new DVD play on my DVD player?
5. I have very specific needs for my menu, chapters, editing, etc. Can you help?
6. How long does it take?
7. What tapes or films do you convert?
8. Is it safe, will you return my originals?
9. Do you guarantee your work, what if I'm not satisfied?
10. What is the best way to preserve my home movies?
11. How many DVDs, miniDVs, or hard drives will I get?
12. How many feet of film will fit on one DVD, miniDV, or hard drive?
13. Can I edit my new DVD on my home computer?
14. How do I order more copies?
15. How do I order, how should I send my movies?
16. How many minutes of footage are on my film reels?
17. Do you have any restrictions regarding the content of the 8mm, Super8, or 16mm film reels?
18. What is the difference between your three transfer methods?

1. How do you transfer film. What is the process for transferring film?

We feel you should know what you are paying for and give a How it Works in a Nutshell as well as a detailed technical description.

2. How much does it cost?

Pricing varies depending on the amount of film and the services you order. Our pricing calculator can be found here

3. Will I be able to edit my movies?

Film customers can edit their movies in one of two ways.

After all of your original order is shipped back to you, you'll be prompted, via e-mail, to visit the on line editor. During your 30 days of free access to our on line editor, you can explore our music and background library, as well as add titles, change order, and select video thumbnail images for each reel. As soon as you personalize your new DVD, you can purchase these additional customized DVDs from the editor.
Edited copies are available for $20 or 10% of the transfer cost, which ever is greater. Ground shipping is free on all copy orders.

For customers with very specific editing capabilities, we suggest ordering a MiniDV or Digital8 tape, which you may edit at home using your digital camcorder.

4. Will my new DVD play on my DVD player?

We use brand name DVD-R which has been shown to be the most compatible general use media. We also print your title directly on to the disc rather than using stickers. Our discs have been found to be compatible with over 95% of home DVD players made in the past three years.

5. I have very specific needs for my menu, chapters, editing, etc. Can you help?

Most of our film to DVD customers find our online editing and removal of blank film during the transfer sufficient. It is best to email us with as much information as possible prior to placing your order. Custom work usually requires you to be present and is charged at an hourly rate in addition to any transfer fees.
Each reel of film we receive will be a separate chapter on your dvd. If you have spliced small reels onto larger reels we can make a separate chapter for each small reel. You must make this request when you send in your film and the individual reels must be separated by at least 12 inches of leader.

6. How long does it take?

In most cases, once your order arrives in our office it will take 48-72 hours to process. *Due to our current high volume, please allow 4-5 business days to process. Depending on your return shipping method, Continental US shipping can take anywhere from 1-5 business days. International shipping runs between 1-2 weeks. Rush service and expedited shipping are always available.

During the holiday season, the turnaround time will be closer to 3-4 weeks.

7. What tapes or films do you convert?

We specialize in 8mm film, Super8 film, and 16mm film. Optical and magnetic sound will transfer with the footage.

8. Is it safe?

We receive orders from around the world on a daily basis. Movies are not destroyed or damaged in the process. We return everything that you send to us- film, boxes, reels, cans. An operator is with your movie during every step of the process. You can read about some of our efforts to ensure the safety of your movies. Visit our 8mm film history and preservation pages for more information on film.

9. Do you guarantee your work, what if I'm not satisfied?

We have our policies posted here.

10. What is the best way to preserve my home movies?

We recommend that you transfer your film to a DVD plus a digital tape, such as a MiniDV or Digital8. A digital tape would serve as an archival digital master of the transfer.

We strongly recommend visiting The Association of Moving Image Archivists for expert advice on how to preserve the actual film.

11. How many DVDs, miniDVs, or hard drives will I get? How many DVDs will it take to complete my order?

As many as it takes! You do not have to calculate how many DVDs, miniDVs, or hard drives will be needed to complete your order. We only need to know how many complete copies of your movies you’d like to receive. If your order takes 10 DVDs to create a complete copy, that is what we deliver. The cost of your media is calculated when you place an order - so the number of DVDs needed will not further affect your price.

12. How many feet of film will fit on one DVD, miniDV, or hard drive?

We can put roughly 1500 feet of film on one DVD. This can vary due to the sizes of your reels and other factors.

As a rule of the thumb we can get 24-27 three inch reels on one DVD. We can typically get 3 seven inch reels on one DVD.

MiniDV hold slightly less than a DVD. The tapes hold one hour of footage or approximately 1000 feet of film.

Hard drives will hold anywhere from 1300-2000 feet of film. Larger drives may be ordered on a case-by-case basis.

13. I want to edit my new DVD on my home computer. Can I simply drag and drop my DVD files onto my computer?

It is possible to edit your new DVD footage on your home computer. However, like a commercial DVD, it requires a good deal more than just dragging and dropping the files to your hard drive. Although our DVDs are not encrypted, editing your new DVD would require DVD authoring software which we do not provide and cannot support.
If you want to edit your films on your computer, we highly recommend getting a transfer to MiniDV or Digital8. You can then create your own DVD from the digital tape footage. Getting a transfer to MiniDV or Digital8 gives you three great advantages:

• Superior image quality: Digital tape provides a higher resolution source to work from for editing at home (the video files would be double compressed if you edited from the DVDs we create).
• Ease of use: Just plug your MiniDV or Digital8 camcorder into your home computer (commonly through a FireWire connection) and capture the digital footage with your preferred capture software - no need to rip or convert confusing file types.
• A more durable and archival copy of your films: Digital tape cassettes are less likely to be snapped or scratched like DVD.

14. How do I order more copies?

To ensure that we can accommodate your copy order, please place your copy order with 30 days after receiving your shipment.
Basic Copies:
You can purchase Basic Copies, the copies that are identical to your screening DVD, by logging into your account and choosing the "Online Editor & Order Copies." Proceed directly to the "Finalize" tab and click the "Order Additional Copies" button. Enter the number of copies that you'd like and we'll send them to you. Your copies will be charged to the same credit card and mailed to the same address that you supplied us with in your most recent order.

Customized Copies:
Once you've had a chance to use our editing tools, you can order more customized copies from the editor. Log into your account and choosing the "Online Editor & Order Copies." Once in the editor, you can use the tools to add titles, music, and reel sequence. When you are finished, choose the "Finalize" tab and click the "Order Additional Copies" button. Your copies will be charged to the same credit card and mailed to the same address that you supplied us with in your most recent order.

15. How do I order, how should I send my film?

The Order Process:

Step 1: Let us know what you are sending and what you want as your finished product. Calculate your transfer estimate with our Pricing Calculator.
Step 2: Please visit our Shipping Instructions page to learn how to safely package your films.
Step 3: Keep a copy of any information that is written on the outside of each reel. Film customers may need this information when creating the titles during online editing. Reels will appear online in the sequence you have indicated with our printable barcodes
Step 4: Send your reels and the checkout confirmation to:

Home Movie Depot
101 West Broadway
Ashland, Missouri 65010

We prefer FedEX shipping.

Step 5: We will email you and confirm your quote once we have received your movies.
Step 6: You will receive an email with your tracking number when the original film along with all of your basic copies have been shipped.
Step 7: For film customers, movies are available online for viewing and editing at your personal private web page. Your customized copies may be ordered any time during the next 30 days.
Film customers can also place their films in the Home Movie Depot Archive! The archive is a place to share home movies with friends and family. Click here to learn more about theHome Movie Depot Archive.

16. How many minutes of footage are on my film reels?

The running time for 8mm film, Super8 film are approximately:
3" reel (50 feet) 2-3 minutes
4" reel (100 feet) 5-6 minutes
5" reel (200 feet) 12-14 minutes
6" reel (300 feet) 19-22 minutes
7" reel (400 feet) 26-29 minutes

16mm film running time will be approximately half of 8mm film or super8 film.

17. Do you have any restrictions regarding the content of the 8mm, Super8, or 16mm film reels?

There are several instances where your film reel will be returned without being converted to DVD. If we do not transfer the home movie for any of the following reasons, the associated transfer costs will be refunded to your card:

• Blank or undeveloped film or video
• Non-supported Format (such as PAL or 35mm Film)
• Objectionable Material
• Copy Protection
• Copyright
• Film or video with too much physical damage

18. What is the difference between your three transfer methods?

Memories3 Smart Transfer technology provides you with three wonderful methods for preserving your memories- Standard, Frame by Frame, and Premium. A comparison of these methods can be found here