Q: Can you work with video footage that I have stored on Vimeo, Youtube, etc.?
A: Absolutely. We can easily download those files for you in order to work on your video file projects.
Q: I have lots of slides and photos that I want scanned, and then I want them to appear in a certain order in a photo slideshow. How do you know the order I want the pictures to appear?
A: Simple. Just use a dull pencil and mark the backs of the photos and the white cardboard frames on the slides to number them in order: 001, 002, 003, etc.
Q: Will the DVD you create for me look better than my original tapes?
A: In most cases your DVD will look exactly the way the videotape looks when playing it on your television or computer. If you opt for our video editing service, we can clear up lighting issues, remove bad footage, etc. but the actual video footage will look the same. The good news is that once your video project is on DVD or made into a video file, it will not degrade any further.
Q: My videotapes are really old. Can these tapes still be transferred?
A: In the vast majority of cases--YES. Some of the colors and audio may be faded, but there is usually enough still there for us to do the transfer. If your tapes have been water damaged, we cannot transfer those tapes.
Q: How long does video editing take?
A: It depends on the length of the video you want edited, and what options you choose. For example, if an entire 2 hour tape was recorded in very low light and you want it lightened up, it will take a few hours. If you have smaller needs such as removing blank areas, the video editing time is significantly reduced.
Q: I have a wedding videotape and also wedding pictures. Can you put all of that on DVD?
A: Yes. Many brides choose to show the video footage of getting ready for the wedding, then the photos of getting ready, then the video of the ceremony, then photos of the ceremony, etc. It's your choice what order the video footage and photos will appear on your DVD or video file.
Q: For photo slideshows, how fast will the photos appear and how long will each photo stay on the screen?
A: For most photo slideshows, we recommend medium speed. It's long enough to see each photo for a few seconds, but not long enough for your audience to get bored. We can do your slideshow much slower or much faster depending on your specific needs.
Q: We need a sports recruiting DVD and video file for my kid that plays high school sports so we can send it to college scouts and college recruiters. Can you "point" to him at the beginning of each play so that the coaches can easily pick him out when watching the video?
A: Absolutely. We normally use an arrow to point to the player, but other shapes are available.
Q: We have a videotape that we need to put on our website. How do we do this?
A: Send us the videotape and we'll digitize a video file from as much or as little of the tape as you need for your website. We can then either send you the video file and you can have your webmaster put it on your website for you, we can send it to your over the internet, or we can upload it to your website for you using your credentials.
Q: If we want to do fundraising DVDs, is there a minimum number of DVDs that we need to order?
A: No. We recommend starting with a lower number, and you can always order more if needed. You can receive significant discounts for larger orders. Many organizations take orders first, and then order the exact amount of DVDs that they need.
Q: We want to do a fundraising project, but instead of DVDs we would like the final video file put on to USB flash drives. Is that OK?
A: Yes. We will procure the flash drives, you will need to pay for your project up front.
Q: We have a wedding DVD that was made for us years ago. Can we send it and have you make extra copies?
A: Yes.
Q: How many pictures do I need for a photo slideshow DVD?
A: We recommend a minimum of 100 pictures or more for a nice slideshow, but you can use less.
Q: I have a mixture of videotapes, photos, negatives, slides and some video files--can you work with that?
A: Yes. We will work with you to figure out exactly what you want to appear and in what order.
Q: I do lots of digital photography and I want some of the digital photos on a DVD slideshow with music. Do I email you the photos, or do I put them on a drive and send them to you?
A: If you email service allows for large files sizes, you can email them. You can also send the files on a USB flash drive or external USB hard drive, or use the free internet service Filemail.
Q: Why don't I pay for my project up front?
A: We want to make sure that you are 100% satisfied before paying for your project. All projects are different, so instead of using “one price fits all” we want to give you an accurate price for the size of your project. The bill/remittance envelope will be shipped in with your new DVDs and original materials. Large projects may require pre-payment or a deposit.
Q: Will the DVD you make play on my DVD player?
A: We burn all DVDs on DVD-R discs which are compatible with the vast majority of consumer DVD players and Blu-ray DVD players. You can also watch the DVD on your computer using the free program VLC Media Player. We have only ever had one customer who could not play our DVDs, and the customer was not charged for their project.
Q: Why are your prices cheaper than other similar services?
A: Instead of leasing office space and having a storefront, we have all equipment in a home studio. We pass the savings on to you. If you choose a service that charges $20 per tape but your tapes are very short, you aren’t getting your money’s worth.
Q: How do you ship my project?
A: All projects are shipped via USPS Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation. The service is quick, the prices are cheaper than UPS or FedEx, and we can confirm that your project was delivered.
Q: What if my package gets lost in the mail?
A: This has never happened. However, we do keep a digital backup of your project for a short time as a precaution. In the unlikely event that your package never arrives, we can recreate the DVDs at our expense as long as the file on our computer systems does not become corrupted.
Q: Can you customize my DVD case?
A: Yes. You can email us digital photos for the DVD case or disc, or you can ship physical photos that we can scan and use on your project. There is an extra charge for this service.
Q: Do you label the DVD itself?
A: We used to label every DVD until we found out that the glue from the back of the labels can eat into the DVD over time. We no longer do this as a standard practice so that your DVD projects will last for many years to come.
Q: What’s the best way to ship my project to you?
A: Far and away we’ve had the best service from the U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail. When you go to the Post Office, go up to the counter and request a FREE Priority Mail box to fit your tapes. Don’t be fooled by the boxes in the front of the post office that say “Ready-Post”—you will be charged for them. We also recommend Delivery Confirmation so that you get a tracking number. Many customers choose to purchase insurance on their package–-it’s really up to you.
Q: Can you make a DVD of a purchased videotape or something I taped from television?
A: No. We will not make copies of copyrighted material.
Q: What if I want more copies of my DVD?
A: If you make this decision a day or so after receiving your project, call or email us and we'll get more copies made and shipped right away. If you need extra copies in weeks or months later, you will need to ship the original DVD back to us to copy.
Q: Can I use music from a purchased CD?
A: Yes, you can send along a PURCHASED cd to use the music in your project. You cannot send a cd that you have burned on your computer (due to copyright issues). If you order the music from us, we pay for the download of the songs that you have requested.
Q: How long will it take to complete my project?
A: Most projects ship the first two days after we receive them. If they are large projects or projects with editing, it will take a few days. From October through December, it’s best to give us at least a week.
Q: Does it cost extra to use a credit card?
A: No. You can pay for your project using a credit card through Paypal.
Q: Can you work with PAL (European) videotapes to DVD?
A: No.
Q: Can you do projects for Canadian customers?
A: Yes. The Canadian DVD format of NTSC is the same as the United States. Depending on the size of your project we may request that you pay for the project up front.
Q: My tape is broken. Can you fix it?
A: It depends. If the VHS tape is wrinkled or has come off of the spool inside the case, most times yes. If the case is broken in any way, it depends on whether or not the tape inside was damaged.
Q: Can you transfer old film projector reel films to DVD?
A: Sorry, we do not offer this service. However, many customers that still have their movie projectors have projected their films on to flat white walls while videotaping them. Afterwards, they shipped the new videotapes to us and we made DVDs from the videotapes. They turn out great.
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