When films are released worldwide, the money that is made from people going to watch them in the cinema is added together. When the film has finished at the cinema, the total amount of money made from box office tickets around the world is calculated, and the film is ranked on a list.

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There’s nothing more important than your memories, right? Your daughter’s first birthday, that New Year disco you wish you could remember better, the long, hot summer of 1976… Arguably, it’s the memories that make the person. Those little experiences, those memories – however fragmented – make a life worth livin’.

It’s because of that that we always-always-always treasure the memories of our customers. They’re as important to us as they are to you, and we treat them as if they were our own. That’s why we do what we do. Well, that and we’re massive technology fiends – which makes sense, when you consider what we do, and how we do it. The care we take with which we treat your tapes starts right at the beginning of the transfer process.

Transfer Powers

There are certain ways to transfer video footage on to DVD, but without professional equipment the results are going to be as hazy as your memories of Claire and Matt’s wedding reception (Yes, you danced. A lot). That’s where we come in – ok, we can’t teach you how to dance, but we do have an extensive range of professional VHS to DVD transferring equipment, for the very best results.

We’ve previously spoke about why it is that video transfers have to happen in real time. It’s all thanks to the helical scan – and, if you’re looking to get all technical, you can read about it right here. But did you also know that all those lovely ol’ video formats that we have stashed around our home (just waiting to be transferred on to a modern media format) have a noble and distinguished history, having been used professionally in the broadcast industry for many years?

Yep, those humble VHS tapes have been widely used in the world of commercial videography and broadcasting, as have their next-generation successors. When Mini DV and its bigger brother, DV, entered the scene they weren’t just limited to slotting into your old Samsung camcorder or Sony HandyCam; these tape formats were also taken into the bosom of professional broadcasting, thanks to their digital capabilities and quality over standard VHS.

The Meaning of Memories

Ok, so what does this all mean for your memories? After all, that’s the most important factor. Well, we like to consider ourselves the professionals when it comes to VHS transfers – for the 30 years that we’ve been working with videos in the industry, we’ve kept a seriously keen eye on the changing technologies. Yes, we remember Beta, S-VHS, and the whole family of 8mm tapes: Video8, Hi8, Digital 8.

Each and every time, we’ve invested in the best quality equipment for each format; typically this is high-end, professional equipment, except when a particular format caters for the amateur market. In these cases, we ensure that we obtain the very best equipment in that field. Pretty cool, huh?

And you know what that means? It means your memories can be preserved and transferred to the digital DVD format, no matter how you originally filmed them. So get ready to relive that awesome holiday to Majorca, Debbie’s prom night or, well, any other event that you never wish to forget!

Fully Equipped

There are three things that make our task possible – our passion, our experience, and our equipment. Getting the best playback from your tapes is absolutely vital, which is why we don’t only use the top equipment, but also keep it in tip-top shape. Sure, you could attempt to transfer video tapes such as Hi8 to DVD at home, or choose a new-comer to transfer them for you, but the real issue with this is that they tend to use cheap, mass-produced players that are second-hand.

Our own studio is fully equipped with quality equipment that simply cannot be found these days. And man, are we experts at using it to get the best results for you. It’s kind of a pride thing – we want to do justice to your videoed memories.

Ok, let’s whizz across to the other end of the process, where the technology available for digitising, authoring DVDs and optimising the captured video is continually improving. So we invest accordingly. Our Teranex processors, from Black Magic Designs, is used on our direct to digital services, and makes use of technology that’s actually been developed by the military. Yep, we take VHS to DVD transfers that seriously! Other suppliers also include Apple, Panasonic and Pioneer.

So if you believe that your memories deserve the very best care, attention and transfer technology, you’ve come to the right place. Simply contact our friendly crew on 0800 592 433, and we’ll be absolutely delighted to bring your memories to life.

We’re always excited at the prospect of being able to preserve your memories from Video 8 to DVD because we know just what those moments mean to you. In the modern world there can be something of a throwaway attitude towards videos and pictures, where the loss of a phone is followed by little more than a shrug and a subsequent trip to the shop. With this all too commonplace in the 21^st century, it always warms our cockles to hear of nostalgia being given a well-deserved pat on the Penny Black.

This week, the British Film Institute released around 10,000 digitised films from their National Archive, including never before seen films of Britain throughout the twentieth century. The collection boasts an array of video which captures the zeitgeist of the time perfectly, including attitudes towards a range of topics, from fashion to race relations.

A 1970 film titled Models Showcase the Latest Fashion in Truro captures the attitudes towards the revealing dresses from John Lumley-Savile’s new boutique as he takes three young women around the Cornish high-street. The figure hugging dresses wouldn’t necessarily be uncommon today, but in the 1970’s film the women are met with a combination of leering eyes and disapproving tutts.

The release of the collection is summarised perfectly by The Daily Telegraph’s film critic, Robbie Collin who says of the era and the footage, “Events were only worth filming if they were extraordinary. But it’s the absolute ordinariness of much of the footage in Britain on Film that makes it so incredibly powerful.”

We couldn’t agree more. The glimpse into the life and attitude of the times can take even the youngest of film enthusiasts back, on a trip down someone else’s Memory Lane. The sheer vastness of the footage means it could be used in school classes of all subjects, giving such a fantastic pseudo-practical insight into what occurred, when it occurred and what the environment within which it occurred.

If nothing else, the grainy footage stands to give you a warm, fuzzy sense of national identity and puts a very real face on the movements that have gone before. In 1957’s To the Four Corners viewers are treated to rare colour footage of Britain of yore and an early display of product placement as the camera crew visit a multi-racial Cardiff.

Other footage frozen in time, as if a Damien Hirst exhibit, comes in the form of the Bathing Beauty Contest, which offers a beauty contest from post-war Britain in 1946. The footage was captured by businessman, William King, who was an amateur film maker. He captured campers participating in fun and frolics at the Butlin’s camp, where his films were subsequently shown.

Another example of wonderful footage uncovered and available to watch includes footage captured in Chesterfield in 1935. The footage is essentially CCTV and is the first film used as evidence in a court of law, used to record an illegal betting ring. Whilst the film manages to capture town life of pre-war England, it inadvertently captures a parade of three elephants, tail in trunk, strolling past. How’s that for right place, right time?

A camera never forgets, so the notion that such amazing snapshots of times-gone-by can be recaptured and reborn on such a large scale is outstanding. Much like the service we provide at Video2DVD Transfer, the BFI have made otherwise forgotten footage readily available. If, like the BFI, you have footage you would like to be given a new lease of life and be reborn in the form of watchable DVDs, contact us on 01296 461505 and one of our friendly team will be more than happy to help with any queries you may have.

In the UK there are nearly 700 films released to cinemas every single year! That’s nearly 2 every single day! Now most of these films simply stand alone and fade into the past; a small percentage get a sequel but some of them manage to hit the holy grail of a trilogy!

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