8mm, Super8, and 16mm Movie Film Transfer to DVD
& Video
| We provide
one of the best quality methods for transferring 8mm and 16mm home movie film to DVD and video available.
Your films are handled with the utmost care. Sunray Video Productions is the ONLY
home movie film transfer service that combines "film to video synchronization"
for reduced flicker, 3 chip digital video camera element featuring 1/2 inch CCD's with 800
lines of resolution, and a true digital video master tape. Ask
about putting your memories on Archival Gold DVDs.
Sunray has transferred over
2.4 million feet
of film  to DVD  and video  ! |
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Frequently
Asked Questions on Film Transfers
|
How
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Order a Gold Archival DVD of your film
transfer and receive a regular DVD FREE!
Offer expires July 31, 2010. Offer not valid on previous
orders. May not be combined with any other offers.
(This story was also featured on 
)
How
do you know if it's too late to transfer your 8mm, Super8, and 16mm
films
to DVD?
We’ve
been transferring 8mm, Super8, and 16mm films for our customers for over 12 years now and
we’ve been noticing some problems we think you should be aware of. If you have any important
home movies that have not
been transferred to DVD or video yet, you may want to get them out and check them.
We’ve
been noticing a fair number of 16mm reels coming in that have a very strong vinegar-like
smell to them. It’s very common for this
to happen with 16mm film stored in metal cans. If
you happen to notice this smell coming from your films, it’s time to get them
transferred to DVD or video right away. In
some cases we’ve found that it’s already too late and the film was brittle and
had already begun to warp and curl to a point that we couldn’t transfer it. Don’t wait any longer on these.
Some
of the 8mm reels we’ve been transferring have faded to a point where the colors were
dull or the image is hard to make out. Some
climates can be particularly hard on film. Areas
near bodies of saltwater like the ocean are higher risk zones due to the salt in the
moisture in the air from the sea spray that converts the water to a form of aerosol-like
mist that dissolves into the moist air. Climates
that are high in humidity or hot temperature areas can also be hard on film.
The
film to DVD transfer technology we have available to us now is better than ever before. We can achieve a level of picture quality with
more than twice the resolution of the VHS transfers that were done as recent as 5 years
ago. Did you know that many companies are still
transferring film with VHS quality, even today?
In addition,
we have the ability to preserve home movies on DVD, Gold DVD, and a digital videotape
master that can be used to put them onto future technologies without losing any quality.
Do you have any old home movies
that were transferred to video more than 5 years ago?
Many
of our clients had their 8mm, Super8, or 16mm films transferred to VHS more than 5 years
ago. We’ve been letting them know that
by having their films transferred to digital video, they will notice a dramatic
improvement in the quality of the picture. Why
is this?
The
picture quality of video is often rated in terms of the number of horizontal lines that
make up the image for each frame. In the case
of VHS, the image has only 240 lines of picture resolution.
Our current film transfer process provides more than double the resolution and a
much clearer picture than previous transfers. And
we put them onto a digital master tape and DVD without the quality loss of VHS.
Advantages of a backup DVD copy
We know how easily discs can be scratched and damaged, sometimes just by accidentally
dropping them on the floor. So we recommend getting a 2nd set of DVDs that can be
stored away in a safe place. If any of your discs should become damaged beyond the
ability to be played, you'll be able to make another copy for a fraction of the cost of
having your videos transferred all over again, assuming you still have them.
Many victims of the fires in California who have lost their priceless filmed
memories, could have saved them if they had placed a backup DVD in an off-site
safe-deposit box or alternative location.
Can I make my own DVD copies?
You may be wondering if it's possible to make
your own DVD copies from the disc we provide you. Yes, you can. But,
before you do, you may want to read our DVD FAQ page
to learn about the precautions and consequences.
Preserving Special Memories
I remember, when I was growing
up, our family had several reels of 8mm movie film I used to thread through our projector
and watch. There were many special memories including Christmas time in the house I
grew up in. My poor Dad, he received so many "ugly" ties but, he always
smiled anyway. Then there were the various vacations they took, going to
Yellowstone, Flintstone Village, and numerous camping and fishing trips. Since, I
was the youngest, there weren't as many films with me in them but they were still fun to
watch.
A few years ago, I came up with this
wonderful idea. Wouldn't it be great to transfer those precious memories to DVD and
give them to each member of my family as a Christmas present? I'm sure they haven't
watched any of those films in probably over 20 years. You would think that after
transferring hundreds of thousands of feet of other people's 8mm and 16mm films, over the
last 10 years, that I would have wanted to do this sooner. Well, the truth is I was
waiting for the right time when I could achieve the best possible quality of transfer and
be able to archive them onto a digital medium. Our company has been offering the
digital master concept for over 7 years but, it was only a few years ago that I was able
to find the best method for transferring my films to video. I'm also happy that I'll
be able to preserve those special moments on DVD for my family's future generations to be
able to enjoy as well. I'm very pleased to be able to offer this quality of transfer
to our valued customers.
While I was transferring my family
heirlooms, I discovered how badly the film had deteriorated. I didn't remember them
looking that way. I must admit, I was very pleased with how they turned out.
Some of them came out better than they looked on the actual film. Some of the
objects in the film that used to be white, had turned yellow. But after transferring
them to video, they became white again. I didn't realize that transferring some of
them would actually make the picture look better than it was on the film.
Unfortunately, most of the footage could not be improved, but it was nice that some of it
turned out great. My family was ecstatic to receive the DVDs. It may have been
the best gift I've ever given them.
You
never know when a disaster will happen
Over the past 6 years there have been many
different types of natural disasters that have happened around the world from
hurricanes to wildfires. In the fall of 2003 and 2007, wildfires destroyed thousands of homes
in southern California and the victims lost most of their
possessions. When the media interviewed many of the victims, one of the most common
sentiments expressed was the sadness of losing their precious memories captured
on photos, films, and videos. Some were thankful that they were able to retrieve these
items before they had to evacuate while others were not so fortunate.
Having been so close to both of the
major wildfires that occurred in the San Diego area over the past 4 years, the importance
of preserving these memories has become a significantly higher priority in our
lives. This is the reason that Sunray Video has dramatically increased our efforts
to help others preserve and protect their precious memories. Several years ago we
introduced the concept of creating a digital master tape for archiving films. The
digital videotape master could be stored in a safe place in or away from people's homes
(like a safe-deposit box, for example) in the event something should happen to their DVDs
or videotapes, like a house fire.
We recently added another method
for preserving films and videotapes, Gold Archival DVDs. They are rated
to last at least 100 years. For more information about the Gold Archival DVDs, see the
Gold Archival DVD section below.
Time is running out for
transferring 8mm home movies to DVD or video.
There are two major factors we
are up against in the effort to convert 8mm and Super8mm films to DVD or video. The
first is the film itself. As film ages, it continues to fade and become
brittle. The picture quality will get worse the longer you wait to transfer them,
assuming the film remains in tact. One of the easiest early warning signs to notice
that your film is going bad is when it starts to emit a vinegar-like smell. Also
look to see if the film has begun to warp or shrivel up. If you notice any of these
conditions, it could be too late. If you're not sure of the condition of the film,
bring it in and we'd be happy to take a look at it for you.
Old 8mm film is turning into dust and projectors
that still work are becoming scarce.
The second factor is that
manufacturers quit making 8mm and Super8 projectors over 20 years ago. Several years
ago, they discontinued manufacturing the parts to repair most projectors. As each
projector breaks down and cannot be fixed, that's one less projector available for
performing film to video transfers. Look around you, how many people do you know
have a projector in working condition? In the not-too-distant future, it may become
impossible to ever view these films again, let alone attempt to transfer them to
video. With the quality of today's digital technology, now is the best time
to for transferring film to DVD!
Sunray has developed a system for the
transfer of 8mm and Super 8 film to video and DVD that is unequaled anywhere!
There are Different Methods for Transferring Film to
DVD and Video
Currently, there are many different methods
available for transferring 8mm and 16mm film to video. How do you decide which one
to choose? Let's look at each one of them. Before we can begin, there's
something you need to know. Regardless of which method is used, there are two
processes that have to take place to make the transfer happen. First, a light has to
pass through the film in order to illuminate the film and project the visual image.
Second, this visual image needs to go through a photo-reactive computer chip (often
referred to as a CCD chip), just like what you'll find behind the lens of a video camera,
to be converted into electronic "video" information. All of the methods
I'm about to discuss share this basic transfer process. What makes them different is
how this process is performed. Film to video frame rate synchronization and the
quality of the CCD chip can improve the picture quality tremendously.
Film to video synchronization
Synchronizing the frame rates of video and
film are also important to getting a good transfer. Commonly, after film is
transferred to video, the image from the video will cause the TV picture to
"flicker". This is due to the fact that most 8mm and Super 8 film was
exposed at a rate of 16 or 18 frames per second and video records at 29.97 frames per
second. 16mm film was typically shot at 18 or 24 frames per second.
"Frames per second" refers to how many times the camera's shutter opens (to
"take a photo") and closes in one second. Since, the frame rate of the
film doesn't match the frame rate of video, it creates what we call
"flicker". To reduce this "flicker", the speed of the projector
has to be changed to allow the frames of the film to "match up" with the frames
of the video. Usually, this adjustment in speed is practically unnoticeable.
The result is a smooth, easy-to-watch video.
Improving the picture through better CCDs
The picture quality of television is often
represented by the quantity of horizontal lines (drawn across your TV screen) that make up
the picture. To give you an idea of some differences in picture quality, let's
compare some common video sources. A standard VHS videotape, that you've used in
the past, contains 240 lines of picture resolution. DVDs may contain from 500-700
lines of picture resolution. CCD chips contained in professional video cameras are
capable of 400-1,080 lines of resolution. The more resolution the CCD chips have,
the sharper the picture quality. Video cameras that use 3 CCD chips produce a better
quality picture than cameras that use 1.
Projecting films onto a screen
One of the first methods used to transfer
8mm and 16mm film was to simply aim a film projector at a screen and then aim a video
camera at the same part of the screen. Sounds simple. There are several
reasons why this method is not very good. 1) You need to be in a completely dark
room. Otherwise, any ambient light in the room will wash out the screen and you'll
lose contrast in the picture. 2) Most consumer cameras do not have the ability to
match up the frame rates of film to video. (See Film to Video
Synchronization above.) 3) Most consumer cameras only contain one CCD chip.
(See above) 4) It's difficult to get the projected film image to line up exactly
with the video camera. 5) If you don't use a high quality screen, the image will
look bad and you may start to see the texture of the screen in your picture.
Shooting off the wall is even worse.
Using a film transfer box
Various retail stores have sold a plastic
box referred to as a film transfer box where you aim a film projector into one side of the
box and the video camera points into another side of the same box. Inside the box
there's a mirror to reflect the projected image into the video camera's lens. I've
experimented with this method and I can tell you the results were horrifying. You
also encounter many of the same problems discussed in the previous section "shooting
off a screen", including the limitations of the video camera.
Telecine machines
Over 20 years ago, a company by the name of
Elmo began manufacturing a device often referred to as a Telecine projector. It
looks very much like a regular film projector but, instead of projecting the image through
a lens, it would project the film image directly into a video CCD chip contained inside of
the projector directly in front of the film where the lens would normally be
located. Then a vcr could be connect to the Telecine machine to record the video
information received from the CCD chip. The main drawback of this method is that it
uses old, out-dated technology. The CCD chips were made 20 years ago and only
contained about 240-270 lines of picture resolution. Over the past 20 years, the
technological improvements in CCD chips far surpass the chips produced so many years
ago. Look at how much consumer camcorders have improved in just the last 10
years. Many film transfer companies are still using these Elmo Telecine transfer
machines for their transfers even today.
Frame by frame
There are a few companies touting that the
frame by frame method is the best. This is just not true. This method uses a
process similar to that of the Telecine machine except that the film has to stop running
through the projector long enough for each frame to be projected one-at-a-time into a
camera and "photographed" much like taking pictures with a still camera.
There is a risk that the projector bulb could burn the film if it's left on the frame too
long. Most of the cameras used in these systems have one low-resolution CCD chip
containing usually no more than 450 lines of picture resolution.
Consumer ALERT: Some companies are offering
"frame by frame" transfers and claiming that this process offers the best
quality for transferring film. Keep in mind that a camera or camera CCD still has to
be used to convert the film image to a video format. The resolution quality of this
CCD will be the final determining factor as to the quality of the transfer. Sunray
is one of the VERY FEW companies using a $10,000.00, 800-line, 3 CCD video unit.
What
you need to know before you
take your films to large
chain retailers
like Walgreens for transfers
During
the past few years some of the large national chain retailers like WalMart and Walgreens
have started offering film and video transfer services.
We thought you should know that NONE
of these chains actually perform the transfer of film or video to DVD. Instead they ship them
out of state to a large warehouse
firm that handles thousands of projects.
This firm uses the outdated telecine method (described above) for their
process. They
often have quality control issues due to the large volume of work they handle and
it’s much more difficult to have corrections made to any transfer.
And your films are at risk of being lost with all of the people involved with
handling them.
All
of the film and video transfers brought to Sunray are transferred in-house and never
shipped out. We handle each and every film,
videotape, and DVD as if it were our own.
Sunray's method
Using high-contrast imaging, we directly
project the film image into our $10,000 high-resolution 3 CCD chip video capture
device. With our unique process, we're able to transfer more of each frame of film
than most of our competitors. The video information is then recorded onto a
high-quality, professional digital master tape. Our method is the only process
that combines "film to video synchronization" for reduced flicker, 3 chip
digital video camera element featuring 1/2 inch CCD's with 800 lines of resolution, and a
true digital video master tape. Our 3 CCD video capture device offers the
highest resolution of any video capture unit being used for film transfers anywhere.
This ensures the finest picture quality during the transfer process.
To view a sample of a
transfer of regular 8mm film, click here or on the
image directly below.
(Viewable with Windows
Media Player)
Beware of phony digital transfer claims
Many companies are stating that they
transfer to digital. Be VERY careful here. What most companies are doing is
first transferring the film to a VHS tape and THEN putting it on a digital tape (i.e.
miniDV) or DVD. By this method, you are only getting an image quality of 240 lines
of resolution, even though they're putting it on DVD or other digital format. When
we perform a digital transfer, we send the image from the film DIRECTLY to the
high-resolution digital videotape master (DVCAM,
MiniDV, or Digital8), maintaining the higher resolution of 500+ lines. Then, if we
produce a DVD, it will maintain the high resolution we originally obtained.
Digital Videotape Masters
What is a videotape master? Let's use
an analogy using photographs. When you take photos using a film camera, you have to
take the film to a processing lab to be developed. When you receive your pictures
back, the lab also includes the "negatives" that were used to make the
photos. If you decide to get extra copies of a particular photo, you would take the
negative back to the lab and they will make another print. Prints taken from the
negative are usually better quality than if you try to make a copy from the print. A
videotape master works similarly to the "negative" in that it provides the
highest quality source to make a copy from. (The digital master is put onto an
industrial digital videotape that you probably won't be able to play. (If you have a
miniDV or Digital 8 camcorder and you specify that you want a miniDV or Digital 8 master,
then you will be able to play it in your camcorder.)
