Convert Home Movies For A Unique Fathers Day Gift

A Creative Way To Show Dad You Care

Every Father’s Day, we have an opportunity show our dads just how much we appreciate everything they do for us. But finding the right gift can be hard – that electric necktie organizer you bought last year is probably still in the box – so this year maybe it’s time to think outside the box, when it comes to choosing the perfect gift for Dad.

Dads and home movies go together like steak and potatoes, and if you want to spend a small fortune, a digital camcorder can be a great gift, and a great way to capture your memories. But if you’re looking for something a bit more affordable (and perhaps even more meaningful), think about all those memories you’ve already captured on old film or tape-based home movies from generations past. Chances are, you’ve got a dusty pile of VHS tapes at the back of a closet, or even a box full of reel-to-reel film up the attic. Don’t let these forgotten formats become forgotten memories! ScanDigital can convert home movies to digital so that they can be preserved and shared for generations to come.

 To many dads, the camcorder is just below just below underwear and sunscreen on the vacation packing list. But how often do you ever watch those old video tapes from your trip to Disneyland 15 years ago? From piano recitals to soccer games to weddings, dad’s love shooting video. But too often these precious memories just get stored away, never to be seen again.

In years past, when nearly all video was shot directly onto VHS tapes using enormous camcorders the size of refrigerators, watching home movies was a piece of cake. You just popped the tape into your VCR and pressed play. These days, everything is digital, and in many ways it’s a big improvement. Camcorders can fit in your pocket, and Hollywood movies look better than ever at home thanks to digital formats like DVD and Blu-ray. But home movies got a bit lost in the mix, because very few digital camcorders are designed to record onto DVD’s that you can use with your current home theater setup.

That’s where ScanDigital comes in. ScanDigital can transfer VHS tape to DVD, and digitize all your old home movies so watching them is as easy as ever. Whether your home movies are on film, VHS tapes, Beta Max, or some other format, ScanDigital can convert your home movies to digital so the family can enjoy them again and make Dad proud. If you’re a more advanced gift-giver, you can even choose to receive Dad’s home movies as digital files on a hard drive instead of DVD’s. This gives you the opportunity to edit and organize your home movies scene-by-scene. Either way, Dad will be thrilled to get the family together to relive memories of years past.

Videotapes were developed as an alternative to movie film. They work by recording images and sound on to magnetic tape. Video tapes are consideder a linear method of storing information and because these days everything is becoming digital, video tapes have gradually lost their significance.

On November 11, 1951, Bing Crosby Enterprises introduced the world’s first demonstration of a videotape recording. It produced “blurred and indistinct” images using an Ampex 200 tape recorder and standard quarter-inch audio tape moving at 360 inches per second. A year later, they released an improved version of one-inch tape that was much higher quality but was still grainy and looked like a worn out motion-picture. In February of 1955 they released a color version.

 The first practical professional videortape, called the Quadruplex, was introduced by Ampex on April 14, 1956. The first widespread video cassette, called the composite U-matic system, was created by Sony in 1969. Sony then developed the 1/2″ Betacam family tape in 1982, which is still used today.

Next came the digital revolution. Sony’s D-1 tapes where among the first uncompressed digital recordings. These tapes were very expensive so the D-2 and D-3 tapes were intorduced soon after the D-1 tapes. Panasonic outdid the D-1 with its D-5 format, which was uncompressed, but a much more affordable video recording option.

In 1996, editable DV videos were introduced, in the form of Sony’s DVCAM and Panasonic’s DVCPRO tapes. These tapes had a lack of copy protection and therefore MiniDV cassettes later become the most common type, and DV’s were used mainly for professional video.

In 1997, Sony introduced its HD Betacam tapes called HDCAM for storing high-resolution video information. 

In 1971, the first consumer videocasette recorders were launched, but it wasn’t until JVC’s VHS that videotapes were introduced to the mass market. Videocassettes finally made it possible for consumers to buy or rent a complete film and watch it at home at any time they wished, instead of having to go to a movie theatre at a specific time, or having to wait until it was played on TV. It also created the possible for a VCR owner to record films and other television programs “off the air”.

Eventually, video tapes began to be replaced by the DVD in the late 1990’s. DVD disks are more durable for repeated viewings than the VHS and also can not be erased by contact with a magnetic field like VHS.

These days, with the creation of digital camcorders with built in hard drives or flash memory, videotape camcorders have almost been completely removed from the North American market.

The technology of videotapes progressed at a very rapid pace. People began transfering their tapes to digital years ago, but now it’s more important than ever to preserve your video recorded memories, as they are becoming more and more obsolete. Don’t make the mistake of losing your precious footage, and check out our high-quality video-to-digital transfer services today!

 It’s always hard finding that perfect present to give Dad for the Holidays. Instead of racking your brain and shopping a thousand stores, how about giving him a gift that’s sentimental and sure to stand out?

Convert your Dad’s collection of video tapes and reel-to-reel film to DVD! You’ll be preserving a piece of your family’s history and he’ll love reliving those special memories with you.

Here’s why he’ll love it:

-       Preserve Dad’s childhood memories and let him share his history with you. You’ve likely heard endless stories about “When I was a kid…” but probably haven’t seen the proof. Let Dad relive his childhood, while sharing your family’s history together.

-       Allow Dad to easily watch and enjoy his home movies on DVD. Let Dad curl up is his favorite chair and enjoy the old footage of his past.

-       Organize and transform his bulky video tapes and unwatchable reels of film to very accessible DVDs. Part of your Dad’s life is likely recorded on reel-to-reel film, meaning unless he has a working projector, he’s unable to watch these moments. So forget about digging out the projector, allow him to access his memories at the click of a mouse or ‘play’ button!

-       Give your Dad a way to easily edit your family memories. If your Dad is techy like mine, he’ll appreciate having the ability to use his favorite programs to edit and condense the footage of his favorite moments.

Deadlines vary by format, so plan ahead to assure your order is complete in time for the holidays!

Materials must be received by:

December 1^st: 16mm Film, Super 8 with Sound, All Expert Transfers, Beta Video Cassettes

December 9^th: 8mm Film, Super 8 Film without Sound, Premium Video Cassettes (VHS, VHS-C, Hi8, MiniDV)

Other Gifts Your Dad Will Love:

Photo Preservation: Your Dad will love sharing old photos together and knowing those memories are preserved forever. Deadline: December 10^th

Digital Photo Frame: Give your Dad a pre-loaded Digital Photo Frame and remind him of new fond memories every day! Deadline: December 14^th

 Holiday Slideshow: Surprise your Dad with a custom Holiday Slideshow this year. He’ll love reliving past memories together as a family Deadline: December 14^th

ScanDigital Gift Card: Let your Dad choose from ScanDigital’s list of sentimental products and services! Deadline: December 18^th

If you have any questions about ordering any of the gift ideas above for your Dad, our friendly team is here to help. Just call us at 888.333.2808 or email us at info@scandigital.com. You can also always find us on Twitter at @ScanDigital, me personally at @PamelaSD, or you can become a fan on Facebook. Hope to hear from you soon!

Today marks the 40th anniversary of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 mission, which landed a man on the moon for the first time.  Over the years the footage of Neil Armstrong putting his foot down on the lunar surface has been played over and over.  I personally have probably seen it at least 100 times.  That is why I was surprised and even shocked this weekend when I learned that the original footage of this historic moment no longer exists.  According to NASA the tape containing the footage of the mission was accidentally reused, recording something else over the historic footage and losing it forever.

This type of accidental re-recording is something we see at ScanDigital fairly regularly when processing our video to DVD orders.  The dance recital with 5 minutes of Michael Jordan in the NBA Playoffs or worse, the wedding footage with half the tape gone because someone’s husband hastily recorded the Superbowl over the second half of the reception video.  But I never expected a similar goof could have destroyed footage with such historical significance.

Luckily, not all footage has been lost.  On the day of the Apollo 11 landing, more than 600 million people around the world watched as the United States landed a man on the moon and listened to Neil Armstrong’s famous words: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”  Due to 1960s quality, the footage fed back to NASA lost about 30-40% of its quality during the process to distribute it out to the news and media.  Because the moment was so spectacular and mesmerizing, no one really knew what they were missing.  Today, the remaining footage is from news stations or from people at NASA who filmed the footage as it played on a television screen creating a copy, but the original, crisper version seems to have been lost forever.

It is truly unfortunate that the higher quality version is gone and this is another reminder of how vulnerable film and video is to loss.  Even though your own personal footage may not carry the same historic relevance as the moon landing, they’re important and need to be preserved for future generations.  As always, we encourage people avoid the same fate of those NASA tapes by digging out those old reels and videotapes and have them converted to digital.

Here is some of the existing footage:

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We all have them somewhere…boxes and boxes full of old photos and home movies…simply sitting in a dark closet or attic, gathering dust, cluttering the room and, perhaps worst of all, not being enjoyed by everyone.  The beauty of the digital age is that old memories no longer need to be relegated to some messy box.  Converting the materials to digital is not only a space saver, but also ensures that those precious moments will be preserved for future generations!

Here are five reasons why you need help preserving those memories:

1. Goodbye Color, Hello Faded Memories – The longer photographic materials and home movies are sitting, the more the color is fading.  Unfortunately, the materials in their original state do not last forever, it is simply a natural part of the aging process- the color is bound to fade and shift with time.  Storing the materials in a dark place at a moderate temperature may slow this process, but won’t stop it.  Add some sunlight in the mix and the fading can occur even more dramatically. Your photos and home movies are deteriorating for a number of reasons and there’s only one thing you can do about it.  To guarantee your family’s archived memories are preserved, they need to be converted to a digital format.

2. Mother Nature Takes No Pity on Precious Memories – Your archive of photos and home movies may be seemingly safe in the shoeboxes in a closet or basement, but chances are they won’t be for long.  Accidents and unforeseeable things, such as floods, fires and other uncontrollable forces of Mother Nature, pose a threat to photos and home movies.  The originals of can never be replaced.  Once the original captured memory is lost, it’s gone forever.  I also encourage a duplicate backup of all digital photos and home movies. Unlike the physical material, digital copies do last forever.

3. Who Said Memories Need to Be So Bulky? – Digital photos and video take up no extra space or require any extra room. Their analog counterparts on the other hand create quite a cluttered mess.  All those old camcorder tapes occupy valuable closet space.  Stacks of photo albums can occupy entire shelves.  Old slides, negatives and film reels can be messy.  Compare that to digital images and movies which easily fit on discs or on compact hard drives – an instant space saver!

4. VCR? Slide Projector? – Unfortunately terms that were once part of our everyday language have gone to the technology graveyard.  Even if your materials are in pristine condition, there is a good chance that the machine used to view them is either already obsolete or will be in the next five years.  Digital conversion unlocks these memories and brings them into a format where they can easily be viewed.

5. Send, Share, Create! – Digital technologies have opened up so many new possibilities for our prized memories.  Digital photos can be turned into a canvas print or a photobook in a snap.  We can edit and upload our videos to YouTube in minutes.  Relatives from all over the world can access and share their favorite photos with friends.  Gone are the days of those photo albums with sticky plastic pages or the evening slideshow in the living room.  In this new digital age things are far more accessible.  There is no reason those old memories shouldn’t be enjoyed the same way!

‘MommyGoggles’ from the MomDot review team wrote a wonderful review of ScanDigital after trying our service. She described her experience using our service to convert her video tapes of her daughter’s childhood to digital format in detail. Check out what she had to say:

Preserve your VHS memories with ScanDigital

I think we all have those old video tapes stored away in boxes that we are telling ourselves “I swear I am going to have that VHS put on a DVD”, yet time passes and we don’t get it done. Why? Maybe money is an issue. Time? Who knows why we take so long to get something preserved that is so precious to us, but today is a whole new day. 

I had a very special opportunity to work with ScanDigital to have a VHS tape that I have of my 14 year old daughter, in to a DVD that will last a whole lot longer than a VHS tape can last. I have had this tape of “K” and have added on footage of her ultrasound from when I was pregnant with her, the day she was born, and so many years of precious memories that were captured on VHS. My process with ScanDigital was so fast, so easy and I am truly amazed by their customer service and speedy work! 

Here was my process: 

• I registered for an account on www.scandigital.com on 2/8/09
• I went in and told them that I had a VHS tape to transfer, clicked through super fast and printed a shipping label. 
• My VHS tape was shipped on 2/10/09
• ScanDigital received shipment on 2/13/09
• Order was completed on 2/18/09
• I received my finished product on 2/23/09

I received emails all throughout the entire process letting me know they received my shipment, that my order was complete, as well as that my products was shipped. I LOVE being updated that way! I was beyond excited when my finished product arrived! Not only did they send me a nice, keepsake case with the finished DVD in it, but they also customized the cover with screen shots of each chapter that is included in my DVD.

How much was this? To have a VHS put on a DVD was just $19.95! They also do pictures on DVD and so much more. If you have home movies laying around, get them to ScanDigital! You will not regret it!

The quality of my DVD is amazing! Honestly, it is better than the VHS tape was!

Thank you to MomDot Reviews and ScanDigital for a truly heartwarming opportunity!

My original plan was to finalize part 2 of the series I started here a couple of weeks ago, but then I came across this piece on CNBC yesterday and thought it would be interesting for our readers.

David Pogue from the New York Times did a piece on “AFLS” – Analog Format Loss Syndrome. As he mentions in the piece, so much of the equipment out there available for consumers are simply too difficult for the average user’s patience. Not to mention that the resulting quality is lower than expected.

This really reaffirms ScanDigital’s value proposition. We completely remove the leg work from converting your photos, slides and negatives into digital format or transferring your old videos and film into a usable digital format.

To see the video, please click here (CNBC wouldn’t let me embed the video in this post):

Do you suffer from AFLS?

At ScanDigital we have been very pleased with the great response we have had to our new film and video digitization services. We are proud to match our unrivaled quality in photo, slide and negative scanning with great video and film transfer. All video and film is transferred onto DVD which is easy to play in any standard player. The quality is excellent and it brings to life old memories that have been sitting in the back of your closet for years.

But what if you are looking for something more than just a DVD copy of your film or video? ScanDigital is happy to place your film and video avi files onto a hard drive. Once you have the full avi files you have the ability to do so much with your old film. There are a number of programs available to edit your home movies ranging from very basic programs like iMovie to professional level programs such as Final Cut Pro. From transitions and effects to adding music and chapter points, you are given the ability to personally customize your precious memories.

Special Events can be a great way to use your newly digitized film. Seamlessly integrate stills and video together for that big slide show, everyone will love what you have created for the big anniversary, rehearsal dinner, birthday etc. Also, you can now post your videos on the web. This will allow you to share your video with friends and family members all over the country, even all over the world. We have already heard stories of our customers sharing great moments with family members as they watch their old films and videos. And that is really what our process is all about, restoring precious memories so that it can bring family and friends together, no matter how far apart they are.