Orders are picked up and dropped off by our Media Specialist, Michael, every Wednesday. Typically, orders are completed within a week, however, bigger projects may require more time.

Estimated space used when digitizing film or video to USB:

From 8mm/Super 8mm Film:

• 480p: ~1.4 GB per 100 ft

• 720p: ~5.7 GB per 100 ft

• 1080p: ~7.2 GB per 100 ft

From 16mm Film:

• 480p: ~2.5 GB per 100 ft

• 720p: ~10 GB per 100 ft

• 1080p: ~13.5 GB per 100 ft

From Analog Video Tapes (VHS, BetaMax, Video-8, Hi-8):

• ~1.4 GB per hour

From Digital Video Tapes (Digital-8, Mini-DV, DVCam, DVC-Pro):

• Up to 2 GB per hour depending on HD quality

Digitizing analog media is not a fast, one-click process. One hour of footage requires at least one hour of real-time digitizing, plus additional time for file conversion into your chosen format—MOV, MP4, AVI, M4V, or any of over 120 playback codecs. Depending on the footage and format, this can take two or more hours per hour of material. The process involves dedicated operator time and specialized software, making analog-to-digital conversion both time-intensive and precise—not automated or high-speed.

All 8mm and 16mm film is scanned frame-by-frame using a high-resolution scanner with sprocketless transport, allowing us to digitize even film with damaged or missing sprockets. We’ve used this method exclusively since 2004.

The transfer is unedited, meaning any original blank frames or exposure issues will appear in the final footage. A 50-foot reel contains over 4,000 frames, each processed by proprietary software that locks approximately 18 frames at a time. These are compiled into motion sequences and saved as high-resolution AVCHD files.

From there, the footage is converted again for delivery—either to a DVD (in VOB format) or USB (in MOV, MP4, H264, or H265). This multi-step process is delicate and time-consuming. For example, a 100-foot reel (about 6 minutes of footage) may take 2 to 3 hours to complete.

Optional Add-Ons:
Customers can choose:

• MOV, H264, or H265 formats for Smart TVs and computers

• One movie file with all reels combined and labeled by reel number

Video tapes are digitized using an oscilloscope, monitoring signal wavelengths without displaying the image, ensuring full customer privacy. No editing is done during this process—whatever is on the tape will appear on your final DVD or USB.

The transfer is real-time, with additional steps depending on the chosen output:

• For DVD: Tapes are digitized and burned using special software into VOB format (can add 30+ minutes per hour of footage).

• For USB: The footage must be converted again into a compatible file format like MOV or MP4.

Unlike film, videos are measured in minutes and file size (GB), not frames. Nearly all analog video contains audio, which often requires additional syncing with specialized software to align lip movement and sound correctly.

Typical File Sizes:

• 1 hour of VHS, Hi-8, or similar: ~1.4 GB

• 1 hour of Digital-8 or Mini-DV: ~2 GB (or more), depending on encoding

Final projects can be delivered in several storage options:

• Standard DVD: $15.00

• Stone Layer Archival DVD: $30.00

• USB Flash Drive: $15.00

• QR Video Vault (Online Streaming + Storage):

  • $79.00 for 1 year

  • $199.00 for 3 years

  • $299.00 for 5 years

  • Includes automatic renewal at the end of each term

Each format has its own use case—DVDs for traditional playback, USBs for computer/TV use, and QR Vault for easy online access and long-term storage.Final projects can be delivered in several storage options:

• Standard DVD: $15.00

• Stone Layer Archival DVD: $30.00

• USB Flash Drive: $15.00

• QR Video Vault (Online Streaming + Storage):

  • $79.00 for 1 year

  • $199.00 for 3 years

  • $299.00 for 5 years

  • Includes automatic renewal at the end of each term

Each format has its own use case—DVDs for traditional playback, USBs for computer/TV use, and QR Vault for easy online access and long-term storage.