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.