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Reborn Audio/Video
2370 S Colorado Blvd
Denver, CO 80222
Uber
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About Us
Just Convert It!
About Us
Preserving and Protecting the Best Times of Your Life
One Stop Shopping for all Audio/Video Conversion Needs
Serving the greater Denver area, Colorado, and Nationwide
VHS to DVD
VHS to DVD; miniDV to DVD, Camcorder to DVD, Hi8 to DVD, Digital 8 to DVD, BetaCam to DVD, U-Matic to DVD, PAL to DVD
Film to DVD
8mm to DVD, 16mm to DVD, Super 8 to DVD
Audio to CD
Cassettes to CD, Records to CD, Reel to Reel to CD, DAT to CD, microcassette to CD, minicassette to CD
Slides to DVD
Scan 35mm slides to DVD, Large format slides, Slide restoration
Negatives to DVD
35mm negatives to DVD, large format negatives to DVD
Photos to DVD
up to 8 1/2 by 11 Photos to DVD, Photo restoration
Much Much More
Floppy to CD, iPhone to DVD, Zip Drive to CD, voicemail to CD
CD and DVD Duplication
From 1 to 200 copies - often while you wait!
Video Editing
Create custom slide shows for memorials, athletic highlights, scholarship applications and more
MiniDV to DVD
Convert miniDV to DVD - along with most camcorder tapes
Hi8 to DVD
HI8 to DVD, Video8 to DVD, Digital 8 to DVD
BetaCam to DVD
U-Matic to DVD
DVCam to DVD
Laser Disc to DVD
Audio/Video Convert and Transfer to CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray Services, Denver
Local and Owner Operated
Reborn Audio/Video is owner operated, convenient to the Denver area and nationwide. Stop by and talk to the Jamey, the owner, or give him a call.
Preserve your Video, Film, Cassettes, Records, Slides, Negatives, Photos, and More
Tape degradation and the dwindling supply of viable projectors, video players, etc threaten your memories for future generations - Just Convert it!
Why Choose Reborn Audio/Video
Owner Operated, Studio Grade Equipment, One Stop Shopping - these are the primary reasons to use Reborn Audio/Video for your all of your media conversion needs.
Transfer AUDIO to CD
The Audio Cassette, Record, and Reel-to-Reel Transfer to CD Process
The first step of transferring your cassette tapes, records, or reel-to-reel memories to CD is for one of our audio transfer specialists to inspect your media for any inconsistencies or damages. We then repair and prepare your tape for step 2, the capture process. We occasionally find physically damaged tape due to moisture on the media, partially crinkled tape, poorly rewound tape, and even breaks. With records, the most common issues are solved by a very thorough cleaning. Once prepared, we then capture your audio media to computer through studio grade equipment in order to get the very most quality sound from your recordings, leading us to step 3 which is fine tune editing. Through very specialized software, we are able to improve the sound in old media by eliminating noise, removing scratches and pops where possible, and adjusting for errors in the original recording media, background noise, and minor damage.
Track Splitting
We will gladly use “track splits” so that your songs on your record or obvious breaks in your cassette recordings can serve as the places to skip to directly.
Basic Audio Editing
Through our basic audio editing services, minor problems that may be found in your audio recordings can be corrected. Our audio technicians employ a wide variety of techniques to solve many audio issues common to aging media. Slow down or speed up your audio. It is known that aged audio recordings were frequently capable of being recorded at variety of speeds. This problem is very commonly found in old vinyl records and reel-to-reel audio. If your recording is either too fast or if it is too slow, there is nothing to worry about. We can fix this through digital adjustment of the playback speed to its most suitable level. Clean up unwanted sounds from audio – when there are random blips of noise or static, we can easily remove them and clean them up. This is one benefit you can get if you had ever wanted to remove whole chunks of audio or any unwanted noise.
Reel-to-Reel
Why convert to digital?
Reel to reel tape machines were well known in the 70s and into the 80s as being a high quality option for recorded audio and music. However, reel to reel tapes are based on magnetic materials and ultimately break down over time. Thus, it is important to convert reel to reel recordings to digital to ensure that the content can be preserved indefinitely.
Sample - Digital post-processing and noise reduction
The following example is an old Beatles clip taken off of a reel-to-reel tape. It demonstrates the effects of our post-processing and digital noise reduction techniques.
Types of tape
Most reel to reel machines would use 7 inch or 10 inch reels of 1/4" magnetic tape and operate at speeds of 7.5 (7½) or 3.75 (3¾) inches per second. At the high end some tapes would run at 15 inches per second (or even 30 inches per second in some cases) whereas at the low end (such as with personal voice recorders) tapes may run at 1.875 (1?) inches per second. Most reel-to-reel tapes will be either 2 track or 4 track recordings. A 2 track tape can have one stereo recording, but there is no "other side" of the tape for a second recording. A 4 track tape has the ability to hold a stereo recording played back in one direction, and then another stereo recording with the tape played back in the other direction. Two Squares uses studio grade reel to reel equipment that will play back all these modes and we professionally maintain and tune our equipment to ensure the highest quality capture possible.
Audio tape aging
Reel to reel tape, audio cassette tapes, and other forms of magnetic tape degrade over time. The tape will curl and stick onto itself as it spools off the the reels causing hiss, pops, warbles and other unwanted noises in the playback. It is best to rejuvenate the tape before digitization to maximize the sound quality. The Two Squares magnetic tape rejuvenation process will significantly improve many older tape reels to ensure the best quality digitization possible. For a more detailed description of what is called "sticky shed syndrome" and the process Two Squares uses to eliminate the problem prior to conversion.
Audio equipment
The design and manufacturing of quality reel to reel machines are a thing of the past. The best quality decks were made in the 80's and can be hard to come by these days. If you happen to one still in storage, it would likely need some work to make it sound like new again. Magnetic heads need to be properly maintained and drive belts will stretch out on older decks which cause a variety of issues. To the right is a snapshot of one of the Two Squares studio-grade reel-to-reel machines and capture equipment.
Audio digitization
Using your computer's line inputs on your sound card or motherboard sound interface for audio capture can affect quality as well. Computers have a lot of "electronic noise" from switching circuits and fans that will bleed into your capture that will cause unwanted noise and hiss. Even for a non-audiophile listener, this can be a very noticeable. The best quality comes from properly grounded, external (from the computer) studio grade digital conversion devices. Two squares uses only studio grade audio equipment from companies such as Tascam, Otari, and Harmon Kardon. Our equipment is also professionally maintained and tuned to ensure the best digitization quality possible.
Digital post-processing
The next step in producing a quality conversion/transfer of your digitized reel is in the post processing. There are many cheap software programs available that claim to improve the quality of you digital recording by removing pops and hisses. But when it comes to purchasing post processing software, you definitely get what you pay for. Cheap and free programs will remove some of the noises that you want removed, but will also remove noises, features and quality of the music that you don't want and actually make your recording sound worse than the unprocessed recording. Two Squares has the experience and professional grade software tools to provide you with the best possible conversion.
Converting to iPod, MP3, or a hard drive / flash drive
Two Squares can convert the audio from a reel-to-reel tape to a set of MP3 files which can be copied to an iPod, hard drive, or flash drive.
Resources
Audio Noise Reduction and Filtering Techniques.
Pricing for our reel-to-reel to CD conversion services
No setup charge; Flat price not dependent on reel length; Tape baking and rejuvenation included; Noise reduction, level correction, and other post-processing included; CD tracks included; $20/reel up to 7 inches; $30/reel over 7 inches; $5 per CD or hard drive transfer.
Records - 33/45/78
Why convert to digital?
Over time records will warp and build up scratches which deteriorates sound quality. It is a good idea to convert them to a digital format such as a CD to preserve the quality and make the recordings more convenient to listen to.
Vinyl record handling
Proper handling of old vinyl records is very important as vinyl is relatively easy to scratch and the vinyl itself builds up a static charge that attracts dust over time. The technicians at Two Squares are trained to properly handle old vinyl records. All records are inspected and then cleaned with a special solution to clean and prepare the vinyl for the transfer process. The image to the right shows a Two Squares technician using a special brush to apply the cleaning solution. This will minimize the pops and clicks in the final audio as well as reduces the chance of the needle skipping.
Audio equipment
There are low cost USB turntables available to consumers that connect to your computer that will yield a low quality capture, but a high quality conversion requires a high end turn table with a pressure controlled (weight balanced) armature and the appropriate needle selection for the album speed considering that not all record grooves are the same. In the image to the right a Two Squares technician balances the weight of the needle on the surface of the record. This will minimize skips caused from scratches as well as the hissing and warbles that are common with older warped records. The weight balance will also ensure that, along with the proper needle, the needle will sit properly in the groove and optimally pick up the desired audio. It is important to note that the stylus for a 78rpm record is different (larger) than the stylus for a 33rpm or 45rpm record because the grooves for the 78 records were wider than the 33/45 records. This means that if you use a stylus designed for a 78 record on a 33/45 record, the stylus may skim across the record because it doesn't fit properly into the groove. Conversely, if you use a stylus designed for a 33/45 record on a 78 record, the needle will sit at the bottom of the groove and pick up additional noise.
Audio digitization
Using your computer's line inputs on your sound card or motherboard sound interface for audio capture can affect quality as well. Computers have a lot of "electronic noise" from switching circuits and fans that will bleed into your capture that will cause unwanted noise and hiss. Even for a non-audiophile listener, this can be a very noticeable. The best quality comes from properly grounded, external (from the computer) studio grade digital conversion devices. Two squares uses only studio grade audio equipment that is professionally maintained and tuned to ensure the best possible digitization quality.
Digital post-processing
The next step in producing a quality conversion/transfer of your digitized record is in the post processing. There are many cheap software programs available that claim to improve the quality of you digital recording by removing pops and hisses. But when it comes to purchasing post processing software, you definitely get what you pay for. Cheap and free programs will remove some of the noises that you want removed, but will also remove noises, features and quality of the music that you don't want and actually make your recording sound worse than the unprocessed recording. Two Squares has the experience and professional grade software tools to provide you with the best possible conversion.
Converting to iPod, MP3, or a hard drive / flash drive
Two Squares can convert the audio from a vinyl record to a set of MP3 files which can be copied to an iPod, hard drive, or flash drive.
Resources
Tricks for Capturing and Fixing Skips on a Scratched Record. Audio Noise Reduction and Filtering Techniques.
Pricing for our record to CD conversion services
No setup charge; Flat price not dependent on record length, Record cleaning included, Basic noise reduction included, CD tracks included; $15/record plus; $5 per CD (CDs hold up to 80 minutes of audio); or $4 per record to convert to MP3 and copy to your hard drive.
Cassettes & DAT to CD
Why convert to digital?
Audio DAT & cassette tapes are made with magnetic materials that are subject to degradation over time. These audio recordings need to be saved away before they are lost, damaged or degrade to a point in which they cannot be saved. In the past people would "dub" their tapes (copying to another tape) to preserve them, but these copies would also be subject to degredation due to the analog-to-analog copy process and would still break down over time. Thus, it is important to convert old magnetic media to a digital format so that identical copies can be made indefinitely.
Sample - No digital post-processing or digital noise reduction
The following example is a voice recording taken from a 30-year-old audio cassette. It demonstrates a very low noise floor achieved through pre-process baking, a studio grade deck, power conditioning, shielded cabling, etc. In this example we did not apply any digital noise reduction or any other digital post-processing.
Sample - Digital post-processing and noise reduction
The following example is an instrumental recording taken from a 40-year-old audio cassette. It demonstrates the effects of our post-processing and digital noise reduction techniques.
Audio tape aging
Audio cassette tapes, reel to reel tape and other forms of magnetic tape degrade over time. The tape will curl and stick onto itself causing hiss, pops, warbles and other unwanted noises in the playback. It is best to rejuvenate the tape before digitization to maximize the sound quality. The Two Squares magnetic tape rejuvenation process will significantly improve older tapes to ensure the best quality digitization possible. For a more detailed description of what is called "sticky shed syndrome" and the process Two Squares uses to eliminate the problem prior to conversion.
Audio equipment
The design and manufacturing of quality cassette decks are a thing of the past. The best quality decks were made in the 80's and can be hard to come by these days. If you happen to have one still in storage, it would likely need some work to make it sound like new again. Magnetic heads need to be properly maintained and drive belts will stretch out on older tape decks which cause a variety of issues. To the right is a snapshot of one of the Two Squares racks containing studio grade audio tape decks and capture equipment.
Audio digitization
Using your computer's line inputs on your sound card or on-motherboard sound interface for audio capture can affect quality as well. Computers have a lot of "electronic noise" from switching circuits and fans that will bleed into your capture that will cause unwanted noise and hiss. Even for a non-audiophile listener, this can be a very noticeable. The best quality comes from properly grounded, external (from the computer) studio grade digital conversion devices. Two squares uses only studio grade audio equipment from companies such as Tascam, Otari, and Harmon Kardon. Our equipment is also professionally maintained and tuned to ensure the best possible digitization quality.
Digital post-processing
The next step in producing a quality conversion/transfer of your digitized tape is in the post processing. There are many cheap software programs available that claim to improve the quality of you digital recording by removing pops and hisses. But when it comes to purchasing post processing software, you definitely get what you pay for. Cheap and free programs will remove some of the noises that you want removed, but will also remove noises, features and quality of the music that you don't want and actually make your recording sound worse than the unprocessed recording. Two Squares has the experience and professional grade software tools to provide you with the best possible conversion.
Converting to iPod, MP3, or a hard drive / flash drive
Two Squares can convert the audio from a cassette tape to a set of MP3 files which can be copied to an iPod, hard drive, or flash drive.
Resources
Audio Noise Reduction and Filtering Techniques.
Pricing for our audio cassette to CD conversion services
No setup charge. Flat price not dependent on cassette length; Tape baking and rejuvenation included; Noise reduction, level correction, and other post-processing included; CD tracks included; Cassette tapes $15/tape plus $5 per transfer to CD, iPhone, Hard Drive, email, etc.; DAT tapes $20/tape plus $5 per transfer to CD, iPhone, Hard Drive, email, etc.
Microcassette Tapes
Microcassette Transfer
Microcassettes are audio storage cassettes smaller than the standard compact cassette that most of us are used to. It is a magnetic tape that is thinner, but its length is the same as the standard audiocassette used for recording voice and music. These cassettes were commonly used in early answering and dictation machines. Their speed is also adjustable - either 2.4 or 1.2 cm/s. Microcasettes are not typically used these days, having been displaced by digital technology. However, many of us have recordings on these cassettes that we wish to keep. There are two reasons for converting this type of recording to a digital format (CD or hard disc) as soon as possible: 1) the number of playback devices is very limited and wearing out not being replaced by new machines and 2) the actual tapes themselves decay over time through simple decomposition as well as moisture invasion.
The Process
Although it is a complicated process to transfer microcassettes into CD’s, our specialized technicians do an amazing job at preserving and clarifying older microcassette tapes. 1. Inspection Our technician will carefully examine the tapes. Microcassettes are thoroughly inspected for inconsistencies and damages. They are also checked to see if it is still transferrable or not. Whatever the condition, it will be immediately be reported to the owner. Some tapes that are extremely damaged may not be transferred anymore.; 2. Cleaning the media The most common cause of tape wear and tear is moisture. This typically causes a gummy residue to appear on magnetic tapes. This can frequently cause permanent damage to the tape. If it is not cleaned, there will be squeaking sound when you playback. Our technicians will commonly have to remove the moisture through magnetic tape rejuvenation or tape dehydration. The tapes will be dried in a specialized oven.; 3. Capturing the audio content After inspection and cleaning, all your files will be saved in our in-house computers. We only use high-end machines that will prevent losing data and details and will only assure your files’ greatest quality.; 4. Playback The files will then be run-through our audio editing software to check for quality problems. These are recorded and will be addressed immediately.; 5. Basic Audio Clean-up For older analog tapes, errors in recording cannot be prevented so it has to be cleaned. Our technicians will fix all the detected errors like noise and unwanted clicks.; 6. Transfer After our technicians have cleaned the audio file to reach optimum quality, the files will be transferred to a 100 year archival audio CD. In this way, your files will be safe and preserved. This way you can listen to it as much as you want. You can also have it copied to multiple CDs for distribution.; 7. Labeling You can custom label your CD so that it best fits your story.
The Fix and Customization
Slow down or Speed Up For microcasettes that have errors in speed (either running too fast or slow), our technicians can moderate the speed of the audio file to a perfect level. You will never be annoyed by the unstable speed of you audio. It will run smoothly throughout.; Unwanted Sounds or Noise Removal Due to aging, there arises hisses, hums, blips, static and noise that could ruin the sound quality. Our technician can clean the sound up to its utmost quality.; Popping and Clicking Removal Dust and dirt can produce popping and clicking sounds that could ruin the whole recorded music or audio. A basic cleaning of the file can remove most of these. The quality of the finished CD will depend on the initial quality of the tape. If it’s extremely damaged, some details might be lost, but our technicians will do their best to preserve as much as possible.; Track Splitting For convenience, some people prefer having their audio partitioned. This enables you to skip and listen from one track to another. Switching songs will be easier, just like albums that you buy on CD today. The Two Squares magnetic tape rejuvenation process will significantly improve older tapes to ensure the best quality digitization possible. For a more detailed description of what is called "sticky shed syndrome" and the process Two Squares uses to eliminate the problem prior to conversion.
Choice of Format
For people who want the transfer to be of a different format such as an MP3, we can also customize that for you. You can choose from a wide range of formats. Just ask out technicians for the list. You can also specify your preferred bit rate, number of channels and hertz. Our customers can also choose from transferring to a CD or to a storage device like a hard drive or a flash drive. You can either purchase these storage devices from us or you can bring your own.
Pricing for our audio cassette to CD conversion services
No setup charge; Flat price not dependent on cassette length; Tape baking and rejuvenation included; Noise reduction, level correction, and other post-processing included; CD tracks included. $15/tape plus; $5 per Transfer to CD, Hard Drive, USB drive, email, etc.
Transfer FILM to DVD
Preserving Film Memories on DVD
Our memories are so important to us - even to the point of helping to define who we are. Memories help to ground our kids and grandkids in a story begun long before they were born - and will continue long after your own life. They also remind us of what is important, what shaped our very lives, and the long term purposes that we have embraced. The films we have taken and that have been taken of us are one of the best ways for us to keep these memories alive. The best way to insure that these memories continue to shape our lives and those around us is to preserve them on long-term media. DVDs can preserve those memories for several generations. Not only can you save your memories with high quality, but DVDs are also both reliable and affordable. One of the core business strengths is to transfer film reels to DVD. This preserves priceless video from the never ceasing film decay over time, not to mention the disappearing projectors on which to play them. Film reels are already relegated to a very small following who actually use the film on intended projectors. In order to preserve these memories, they must be transferred so that the data recorded in these films is preserved in a format that can endure time as well as be enjoyed today. This is also the most efficient and usable method for passing memories on to the next generation. Let them experience what you did, by preserving these memories on a high quality DVD designed to last for years to come.
How Do We Do It
Quality - that is the major concern of Two Squares Media. Other companies do not clean film reels thoroughly, leaving customers unsatisfied with the transfer. We make sure that dirt and dust are completely cleaned inch by inch. The actual cleaning process and visual inspection takes significant time to accomplish, longer than the actual film. That is how meticulous our transfer technicians are. Additionally, not all films are the same. They actually differ on age, condition and type of film stock. The cleaning process depends on these factors. Deteriorating splices will also be re-spliced for the film to have a smoother transfer.
Our Advantage
In our shop here in Denver, we have the highest quality of film transfer. We can restore color and brightness scene by scene. Our transfer technicians watch all film on a waveform monitor and also on a standard monitor. This process includes the backlight brightness adjustment, one example of the company’s technology leadership. Our custom built film capture equipement can manually adjusts brightness scene by scene. It repairs and fixes over and underexposed scenes.
Color Correction
Scene by scene, our transfer technicians also correct the colors of your film. These colors actually change over time - mostly to blue or to red. For discolored scenes, we also offer correction of discolored scenes. Although this process is time consuming, we will not hasten the process just to get the job done. As stated earlier, quality is our first priority. Remember, for extreme darkness and severe discoloration, it is impossible to bring back the original color vibrancy, but we can assure our customers that we will do our best to get as close to the original quality of the film as possible. Do not worry. We will do the best that we can to serve you better.
Film Length
Most of the film reels are 3 inches diameter which is approximately 50 feet in length. To determine the length of your films here are some approximations: (Diameter of the reel = Length of the reel). 3 inches = 50 feet, 4 inches = 100 feet, 5 inches = 200 feet, 6 inches = 300 feet, 7 inches = 400 feet.
Chapter Titles
Like the modern films we see today, we can also apply titles and labels to our converted films. Dividers, or titles, make the film easier to view and to distinguish scenes. This will also add order to scenes of your film the previously had no labeled transition. You have the freedom to choose where to put the scene titles, which can actually be inserted in any location on the film. You can also request for breaks between scenes and add descriptions to each title if you wish. This customization adds production value to the transfer. This feature is recommended to holiday videos, birthday videos, etc.
Put Music In!
You can also add a variety of music to your films. Obviously you have the choice if you want to add music to your films. Our company has a stock music that you can use for a 2 hour film. Choose from our available tracks. Just ask our transfer technician to assist you with this. If you really wanted the film to be personalized, you can bring your own tracks or music and we will be able to put it in sync with the film.
8mm Film
Why convert to digital?
Old film formats such as 8mm and Super8 film deteriorate significantly over time due to cracking, fading, and scratching which all eliminate detail that cannot be recovered. For irreplaceable film footage it is important to convert these to digital formats so that the video can be preserved indefinitely. Two Squares is a professional grade film conversion shop that can convert these 8mm films to DVDs that can be played on your home DVD player.
Why not convert the film myself?
People often try to convert film at home or with consumer grade equipment by simply projecting the footage onto a display and recording it with a digital video recorder. There are a number of problems with this approach that will drastically affect the quality of the conversion. First of all, perfect alignment between a projected image and a digital video recorder is impossible without a mirroring/lensing system which can be difficult to set up, and exposure settings will need to be variable based on the projection system and the film itself. Even if these two issues are addressed, the most important issue is an effect called "aliasing" which is created due to the difference in frame rates and manifests itself as lines running vertically through the final video. Exposure times can be increased to "smooth" out the aliasing effects, but that will in turn blur the image. In the end, you cannot obtain a high quality reproduction of film by any kind of project-and-record method.
Pre-processing Film
It is critical that old 8mm/Super8 film be handled properly as it often becomes brittle after years of storage and can crack when placed into standard projection systems. Two Squares has professional film experts that know how to properly handle film and fix damaged film so that it can be run through our equipment. Using protective gloves, all film is carefully prepared for capture by splicing existing breaks and cleaned with special solution to not only ensure a clear image but to minimize the possibility of breakage in our conversion equipment.
Frame-by-frame scanning
The only way to get a high quality reproduction of your film without the issues discussed above is by scanning the film frame by frame. Two Squares has professional grade frame by frame scanning equipment that captures a digital image of each frame in the film. Once each frame is captured, specialized software is used to reproduce the images at 30 frames per second as required by the NTSC standard using digital interpolation methods. If you digitize film using a frame by frame scanning method and capture the same film by some sort of "project and record" method, you will notice a drastic difference in quality. When the final video is paused and a particular image is analyzed on the screen, you will notice the frame scanning image will be very crisp, clean, and clear. Two Squares is a professional grade studio that uses very high end equipment for film scanning. This is a picture of one of our conversion devices that performs the frame scanning. What you see is only a part of the system that uses a lens to direct each image into the capture device. Equipment such as this runs in a special room that is kept dark during the capture process to eliminate any outside light or anything else that could interfere with the image being captured.
Digital post-processing
Once film has been properly captured, it must be post processed digitally to correct for color fades and other defects common in old film. Very often film color will fade to green or red, and this can even happen to black and white film. Two Squares uses professional grade editing software that can correct defects due to color fading, contrast, levels, etc. The end product will have much more natural colors with proper white balancing, and although the final quality will be limited by what is on the original film, the reproduction of the final video will be of maximum quality.
Converting to iPod, hard drive, or flash drive
Two Squares can convert the video from your 8mm film to a set of AVI or MPEG files which can be copied to an iPod, hard drive, or flash drive.
Pricing for our 8mm / Super 8 film to DVD conversion services
No setup charge, Cleaning and splice repair included, Color and image correction included, Scenes menu on DVD included. $0.24 per foot of film plus; $5 per DVD copy or hard drive transfer; plus a single $50 mastering charge (one DVD holds up to 2,000 feet).
16mm Film
Why convert to digital?
Old film formats such as 16mm film deteriorate significantly over time due to cracking, fading, and scratching which all eliminate detail that cannot be recovered. For irreplaceable film footage it is important to convert these to digital formats so that the video can be preserved indefinitely. Two Squares is a professional grade film conversion shop that can convert these 16mm films to DVDs that can be played on your home DVD player.
Why not convert the film myself?
People often try to convert film at home or with consumer grade equipment by simply projecting the footage onto a display and recording it with a digital video recorder. There are a number of problems with this approach that will drastically affect the quality of the conversion. First of all, perfect alignment between a projected image and a digital video recorder is impossible without a mirroring/lensing system which can be difficult to set up, and exposure settings will need to be variable based on the projection system and the film itself. Even if these two issues are addressed, the most important issue is an effect called "aliasing" which is created due to the difference in frame rates and manifests itself as lines running vertically through the final video. Exposure times can be increased to "smooth" out the aliasing effects, but that will in turn blur the image. In the end, you cannot obtain a high quality reproduction of film by any kind of project-and-record method.
Pre-processing Film
It is critical that old 16mm film be handled properly as it often becomes brittle after years of storage and can crack when placed into standard projection systems. Two Squares has professional film experts that know how to properly handle film and fix damaged film so that it can be run through our equipment. Using protective gloves, all film is carefully prepared for capture by splicing existing breaks and cleaned with special solution to not only ensure a clear image but to minimize the possibility of breakage in our conversion equipment.
Frame-by-frame scanning
The only way to get a high quality reproduction of your film without the issues discussed above is by scanning the film frame by frame. Two Squares has professional grade frame by frame scanning equipment that captures a digital image of each frame in the film. Once each frame is captured, specialized software is used to reproduce the images at 30 frames per second as required by the NTSC standard using digital interpolation methods. If you digitize film using a frame by frame scanning method and capture the same film by some sort of "project and record" method, you will notice a drastic difference in quality. When the final video is paused and a particular image is analyzed on the screen, you will notice the frame scanning image will be very crisp, clean, and clear. Two Squares is a professional grade studio that uses very high end equipment for film scanning.
Digital post-processing
Once film has been properly captured, it must be post processed digitally to correct for color fades and other defects common in old film. Very often film color will fade to green or red, and this can even happen to black and white film. Two Squares uses professional grade editing software that can correct defects due to color fading, contrast, levels, etc. The end product will have much more natural colors with proper white balancing, and although the final quality will be limited by what is on the original film, the reproduction of the final video will be of maximum quality.
Converting to iPod, hard drive, or flash drive
Two Squares can convert the video from your 16mm film to a set of AVI or MPEG files which can be copied to an iPod, hard drive, or flash drive.
Pricing for our 16mm film to DVD conversion services
No setup charge, Cleaning and splice repair included, Color and image correction included, Scenes menu on DVD included. $0.24 per foot of film plus; $5 per DVD or Hard Drive Transfer; $50 per DVD editing (one DVD holds up to 2,000 feet of film).
Transfer VIDEO Tape to DVD
Capture Video Memories on DVD
People love recording their most memorable moments. These can include a child’s first birthday, your wedding day, awards, or just simple family gatherings. These are precious moments that we record for future viewing with our children and grandchildren. But, as the years pass, these recorded memories can fade as the technology on which they are preserved also ages and deteriorates. Fortunately, preservation technology is vastly improved over the past few years. For video film like VHS, this ongoing improvement in technology now enables us to transfer memories from outdated VHS video onto higher quality DVD storage. Unlike video tapes, DVDs will last generations into the future. Digital technology does not deteriorate over time or when played often - and it takes up substantially less space in your home!
Combine Multiple tapes into one DVD
In addition to preserving your memories for a long time to come, converting your old videos to a DVD format will help in cleaning up your collection. Having a lot of short video tapes scattered all over can be a hassle. By combing your videos into condensed DVDs you can remove some of the clutter with extra tapes around your house. This will help you organize your videos and be able to sort them according to your preference. This is also advisable for those videos that have similar topic matter. For example, you can combine all your baby’s birthday videos into one single DVD entitled “Birthday Videos”. In the future, this will save you time looking for single video from all your video collection.
Mark your Chapters
One of the other benefits of transferring your videos to DVDs is the ability to organize your videos via chapters on your DVDs. You can jump from chapter to chapter. These divisions will depend on you. You can customize it in whichever way you want. You can set the sequence in any scene and in whatever length you want.
Compatibility
We are proud to tell our customers that our DVDs are compatible with any devices. Because of this, you will not have to worry about having errors such as disc read errors. You will enjoy a full video experience every time!
Options beyond DVD
Customers with the skills and software to edit their own video can do so by transferring captured video on a hard drive rather than have it encoded to a DVD. The file type would be NSTC DV AVI, a standard editing format for all platforms of editing. Keep in mind that these can be very large files! So, make sure your external drive has enough free space or you have the option of buying a brand new external drive from us along with your transfer project.
VHS & Betamax
Why convert to digital?
VHS and Betamax tapes are built with magnetic media which breaks down and degrades the video quality over time. Thus, it is important to have these tapes converted to a digital format such as a DVD or Blueray disc so that the video is preserved. Simply dubbing a tape is not good enough to preserve a tape since the copy is also subject to the same degradation of magnetic media. By transferring the analog VHS/Betamax format to digital means it can be preserved indefinitely and identical copies can be made and distributed.
What happens when video tapes age?
Over the course of time moisture from the air is absorbed by the binder material in the magnetic tape and can make it "sticky". The sticky surface may not allow the tape to be played back properly and the playback itself can permanently damage the information encoded on the tape. Even a small amount of moisture can affect the auto-tracking features and degrade the quality of the conversion. The gummy substance on the surface of the tape can also build up inside your VHS player and damage your equipment. It is critical to to pre-process a magnetic tape to eliminate the moisture and reduce the possibility that the content and playback equipment is protected. Two Squares has a magnetic tape rejuvenation process that includes a "baking" stage to reduce moisture content and avoid these problems. The gummy tape is also called "sticky shed syndrome"
Video equipment
It is important to use high quality playback devices with well built drive systems and head mechanisms. Two Squares uses studio grade playback decks and has in house expertise to properly maintain the magnetic heads and drive belts. The image to the right is one of the Two Squares video rack systems containing VHS capture equipment.
Digitizing video
Capturing video on your home PC with a consumer grade video capture card will produce poor results for a number of reasons. PCs have a lot of electronic noise from the electromechanical components that create noise which is picked up at the analog-to-digital interface. The analog playback and capture devices need to be isolated from the computing equipment to eliminate noise. In addition, conditioning the power and using highly shielded cables are needed to minimize the noise in the captured video. Two Squares uses only studio grade equipment, power conditioners, cabling, and post processing software to ensure the highest quality conversion possible.
Video tape formats
Two Squares accepts tapes in all of the major formats including: VHS (NTSC-North American Standard); VHS (PAL which is used in Europe and many other countries); VHS (PAL-M which is used mainly in Brazil); VHS (SECAM, MESECAM which is used in France, the former Soviet countries, and several African countries); Super-VHS; Compact VHS (cVHS or VHS-C); Betamax; Super Betamax; Betacam, Betacam-SP; U-Matic; Hi8, Video8, Digital8; miniDV; DVCAM.
Information on transferring tapes at home
Converting to iPod, hard drive, or flash drive
Two Squares can convert the video from your VHS tapes to a set of AVI or MPEG files which can be copied to an iPod, hard drive, or flash drive.
Pricing for our VHS/Betamax to DVD conversion services
No setup charge, Flat price not dependent on tape length, Tape baking and rejuvenation included, Time base correction included, Color and image correction included, Scene menus on DVD included, Standard VHS/Betamax tapes: $20/tape, Studio tapes (Betacam and DVCAM): $30/tape plus $5 per transfer to DVD or hard drive (DVDs hold up to 2 hours of video).
Digital8
Sony’s 8mm Video formats
The success of Sony’s 8mm video format, released in 1985, resulted in the reversal of the VHS tape domination in the consumer camcorder and home movie market. Most consumers prefer handheld devices to be smaller; affording much more mobility. Sony met that desire, resulting in their great success in monopolizing the market. Sony released three versions of this, over time. Of the three versions of the 8mm video format that were released, two were analog and one was digital. The 8mm, or the video 8 and the Hi8 were the first two of this series. Hi8 was smaller than the 12mm Betamax format produced by VHS, while video 8 brought with it better resolution. With the advent of video 8 devices Sony introduced a new feature to the handheld video recording market. Regardless of the fact that they were analog there were provisions made for storing additional, digital P.C.M. sound. The analog versions came with a storage space range of 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. Then came the Digital 8 version, which was a completely digital format, and offered 30 or 60 minutes of storage space. With this, Sony introduced the use of recording using only the digital D.V. format.
Converting your videos to DVD
Even though time has changed, and with that comes the evolution of technology, your memories still remain precious. Because of this it’s a good idea to convert your old videos from the 8mm format to DVD. We can help you do this. We can even place more than one video on a single DVD. So instead of having multiple DVDs, with short recordings, our DVDs can store up to a maximum of two hours of recording. When you bring your videos to us, we can guarantee that our DVDs will be compatible with your DVD player, at home. Additionally, we offer you a compatibility guarantee on all of our conversions from video to DVD.
Hard Drive transfer versus DVDTransfer
You may want to transfer your videos to your Hard Drive. This is not a problem at all. Actually, if you would like your videos edited it is often the preferred formatting method. Furthermore, editing from DVD format will require much more processing power. The requirement of increased processing power can be resolved by converting the recording to a format that is not so compressed, such as A.V.I. The recording, when compressed and restored to DVD format, will demonstrate a very noticeable loss of detail. It is much easier as well as safer to edit your recordings on your Hard Drive, than it would be if you decide to try and edit the DVD version. Many people will tell you that it is not possible to edit a recording in the DVD format. However, for a computer savvy professional, almost anything is possible. The fact is that, when the video is transferred to the DVD format, it becomes very compressed, and as such, any editing would result in the loss of quality. However, as it relates to editing from a hard drive, formatting a hard drive is often a more reasonable approach to take. Hard Drives can be formatted for PC or Mac. The file format is DV AVI, allowing for each hour of video footage to take up 13 gigabytes. The most standard form of video editing is the file type of NTSC DV AVI. We recommend you bring in a new hard drive for this process. This is due to the fact that, should there be any already existing data on your hard drive, you would be risking the loss of this data. We have never lost someone’s data, but because the possibility exists we require a waiver to be signed before working with a used hard drive.
Editing
We offer you a variety of editing options, for your old videos. You may want to: Remove any blank or unwanted footage at any section of your video, allowing you to only keep that which is important to you. For example, should there be any blank footage at the beginning, or even the end of a recording, we can remove that- leaving you with a more professional feel to your footage. Also, if you had recorded old television programs, we can remove the commercial breaks, so that you can enjoy your old movies, smoothly. Combine your many short clips into one consolidated DVD. In this way you need not be bothered with the continuous changing of discs when you decide to watch your videos. Combine your old videos with other media, such as photos, negatives, slides and films. In this way, you are given the opportunity to add a personal touch, or a uniqueness of the sort, to your original videos. This can also enhance how professional the video appears.
Camcorder tape formats
Two squares converts all common formats for camcorder tapes including: Video8, Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV, VHS-C.
Pricing for our camcorder tape to DVD conversion services
No setup charge; Flat price not dependent on tape length; Tape baking and rejuvenation included, Time base correction included; Color and image correction included; Scene menus on DVD included; Hi8, Digital8, and Video8 tapes: $20/tape plus $5 per DVD (DVDs hold up to 2 hours of video) or $4 to convert to AVI/MPEG/etc and copy to your hard drive.
U-matic & Betacam
U-Matic to DVD and Betacam to DVD Tape Transfer
U-Matic and Betacam video tapes are 3/4 inch analog videocassettes, an used for recording videos primarily in professional venues. It’s magnetic media allows recording as well as playback much like its smaller cousin - VHS - though much larger. Videographers used to appreciate this type of video recording medium because it was a relatively cheap, clear and has a long lasting format. However, due to ongoing technological advancements in digital video recording, ¾ U-Matic and Betacam tapes are not typically used anymore. Like most magnetic tape media, we recommend that tapes be transferred quickly to DVDs and Blue Ray discs. The converted content makes for convenient viewing, archiving and copy distribution. If you also desire to preserve physical tapes after conversion, we recommend that you store them in a pressure sealed silica gel after Tape Baking to avoid further loss in quality and usability.
The Major Challenges with Magnetic Tape
As time goes by, these studio quality tapes absorbs moisture from the open air creating sticky and gummy residue that settles on the magnetic tapes surface, even inside. It is called the sticky shed syndrome. This degrades the quality of the tapes. Dubbing on the other hand is another form of the restoration process, but it is not enough to preserve the optimum quality of the tape. The copy will also experience the same degradation process as the original copy. Plus it is a copy – much like a copier, the copy is never as good as the original with analog video. Other problems that your tapes might be experiencing include: Prolonged friction of the spinning tape while paused will damage magnetic tape. Wrinkled texture often happens through multiple playbacks over time, especially if many forward and reverse playbacks have happened in the middle of the tape. If the tape has already been damaged, horizontal lines often appear on your screen when viewing. Color can also be a problem. It may have image distortion and the details may not be reflected properly. Audio distortions may occur, including static noise.
The Solution
The only solution for these tapes to be perfectly preserved is through transferring it to a DVD to capture the video while it is still usable. We specialize in this kind of transfer. Well-trained professional technicians prepare, capture, and transfer your u-matic video into a format that can withstand both time, repeated playback, and the elements.
The Process
1. Pre-Transfe: Before anything else happens, the technicians will check the tapes thoroughly for problems. After the examination, all the observations will be recorded and reported to the owner as soon as the exam is finished. The technicians will also determine if the tapes are still transferrable or not. 2. Cleaning: Moisture problems are often the major reason for the degradation of magnetic tapes and should be addressed immediately. Before it is transferred to a DVD, the technician carefully removes the gummy substance from the tapes through the process of tape dehydration. The image to the right is one of the Two Squares video rack systems containing Betacam and U-matic capture equipment.
Tape Dehydration Process or Tape Baking
It is not always possible to determine if a tape has ‘sticky shed’ syndrome or not. It occurs when moisture is absorbed in the surface and inside of the magnetic tapes. If you do not remove this residue, playing it before correcting it will ruin the tape as well as the playback machine. When played, the magnetic surface is actually pulled from the tape, permanently damaging the tape and corrupting the machine with its loose residue. It is best that you not ‘try to see what is on the tape before you transfer it’ because that is how many people discover sticky shed syndrome – as they ruin their tapes by playing them back after years of storage, peeling off the surface as it passes the machine’s rollers. One form of treatment tape baking or tape dehydration. It improves the quality of the tapes and avoids the damaging effects that could occur due to the moisture. Just like baking, tapes are placed into a specialized oven that raises the temperature above room temperature, but not approaching a temperature that damages the tape’s magnetic properties. This cannot be done in home ovens! They do not control the temperature well and risk damaging the tapes. Keep in mind that dehydration is only a temporary process designed to enable digital transfer of the media before it is lost permanently. 3. Playback Once prepared, U-matic and Betacam tapes are played through a studio quality player to check for recording problems. The audio and video quality is thoroughly examined. Damage to video tapes often occurs when the combination of old tapes and poor quality playback machines together increase the risk. 4. Transfer To minimize and totally remove internal and external noise during the transfer, our technicians use high shielded playback equipment. The power is also 100% well conditioned for high quality conversion. Our technicians do everything to achieve the video’s optimum quality. Please contact us to discuss your individual situation with our experts.
Video tape formats
Two Squares accepts tapes in all of the major formats including: VHS (NTSC-North American Standard); VHS (PAL which is used in Europe and many other countries); VHS (PAL-M which is used mainly in Brazil); VHS (SECAM, MESECAM which is used in France, the former Soviet countries, and several African countries); Super-VHS; Compact VHS (cVHS or VHS-C); Betamax; Super Betamax; Betacam, Betacam-SP; U-Matic; DVCAM.
Information on transferring tapes at home
Two Squares can convert your video tapes to a set of AVI or MPEG files which can be copied to an iPod, hard drive, or flash drive.
Pricing for our VHS/Betamax to DVD conversion services
No setup charge; Flat price not dependent on tape length; Tape baking and rejuvenation included; Time base correction included; Color and image correction included; Scene menus on DVD included; Standard VHS/Betamax tapes: $20/tape; Studio tapes (Betacam, U-matic and DVCAM): $30/tape plus $5 per DVD (DVDs hold up to 2 hours of video) or $4 to convert to AVI/MPEG/etc and copy to your hard drive.
miniDV and DVCam
Two Squares uses a Studio Quality HDV player for both miniDV and DVCam transfers. miniDV, the most common HDV, or High Definition Video, and DVCam are recorded video on digital videocassettes. You may have used a MiniDV camcorder or used professional DVCam services in the past – the original uses for HDV. Both amateur and professional videographers have preferred this format because it is portable, cheap and it has great image quality for the price range. Today, HDV in general and DVCam & MiniDV in particular are infrequently used because there are very few players except for the cameras themselves. It is also difficult to transfer to other formats and mediums. Using a professional transfer technician is highly recommended in the case of HDV transfers. MicroSDs, DVDs, VCDs, CDs and Blu rays are more popular and more convenient to use than the HDV tapes. So before your tapes are damaged, or before it totally deteriorates, have it transferred to a 100-year archival DVD – a storage device that will protect your memories for life. You will never have to worry about the quality and its compatibility to the DVD players. This DVD will play anywhere.
The Transfer Process
1. First of all, the tapes need to be inspected. The physical condition of the tapes affects their ability to be transferred or not. If there is damage, the technician examines the tape and determines the chances of a successful transfer. Unfortunately, there are some damage that prevent a successful transfer. 2. After a thorough examination, the tapes are cleaned. Any moisture will be removed before the tapes are uploaded to in-house computers. This will prevent further damage. The Two Squares magnetic tape rejuvenation process dramatically reduces the dreaded video tape "sticky" effects and is applied to all magnetic media prior to conversion. 3. The tapes are then played twice. The first one is a general run through and capture onto our editing computers. We then run through the video a second time for a detailed examination. Our technicians will look for video and audio discrepancies. These observations are recorded addressed immediately after the run through. These are also reported to the owner. 4. Color correction and noise reduction are the two major editing that a transfer technician does. This will enhance the quality of both the audio and the video of your tapes. 5. After the tape has reached its optimum level of quality, the technician applies and customization that the client has requested. Some of those customization include adding titles and cropping unwanted scenes. 6. Transferring and labeling: After all is set, the video will be burned onto a 100-year archival DVD and will be labeled according to your request.
Editing Options
Color-correction: Due to aging, the tapes may have lost some detail. Both dust and dirt may also contribute to this degradation. The technician will fix all the color problems necessary for the finished product to reach its highest quality. Noise Reduction: Older tapes have a huge problem with noise elimination. Static and hums may appear on your tapes. Our high-end equipment will solve the problem by helping to identify more noise problems and eliminate them. One of the Two Squares professional grade playback decks for camcorder tapes is shown in the image to the right. Unwanted and empty segments removal: You may not wish to keep commercials, tv shows that have been partially taped over, etc. Our technicians can crop them out for you so that you’ll only see the material you really want to view. Add title slides: If you want to achieve the maximum benefit of transfer and editing, we can also add titles for organizational purposes. Your DVDs will be easier to navigate as you skip from one scene to another. Combining different tapes: If you have a collection of tapes, such as birthday videos, you can have them compressed into one single DVD. This will organize all your videos, and you will not have to worry about missing special moments from each birthday. If the length exceeds two hours, the video will be divided into separate DVDs. Combining with other media: If you want a collection of media from the same event, such as pictures, pictures, and slides, you can combine it into your final DVD as well, like a scrapbook. Different media, same event.
The Option to Transfer to a Hard Drive or a Flash Drive
Some prefer having their videos transferred to a hard drive or a flash drive. You can either purchase a storage device from us or bring your own storage device. It is best if you bring an empty storage device for privacy and capacity issues when it comes time to copy your digitized media.
The Editing after the Transfer
Customers also ask if they will be able to edit their videos after it is transferred to a DVD. You will have the choice. We can either deliver a DVD viewing-ready disc and/or the original video files. Only the original files can be edited – and they tend to be very large files, so be ready! It is important to have the right tools and enough disc space to use the option of editing your digitzed files.
Pricing for our camcorder tape to DVD conversion services
No setup charge, Flat price not dependent on tape length - ask us for capturing custom segments from your video, Tape baking and rejuvenation included, Time base correction included, Color and image correction included, Scene menus on DVD included. miniDV: $20/tape plus $5 per DVD (DVDs hold up to 2 hours of video) or $5 to convert to AVI/MPEG/etc and copy to your hard drive DVCam: $30/tape plus $5 per DVD (DVDs hold up to 2 hours of video) or $5 to convert to AVI/MPEG/etc and copy to your hard drive.
Tape Rejuvenation
Magnetic Tape Rejuvenation, Tape Baking, Tape Dehydration
Most common types of magnetic recording media such as audio cassette tapes, reel-to-reel tapes and video tapes are prone to a problem commonly referred to as “sticky shed syndrome”. This problem is caused by the absorption of moisture into the tape over time and will render the tape almost unusable after an extended period of time. If you have audio or video tapes that have been sitting around for many years, make sure that you don't play back a tape that has not been rejuvenated as it will permanently damage your tape quality and also gum up the heads on your playback equipment.
Technical Details
Magnetic recording audio and video tape is composed of three main parts. The plastic tape itself, the magnetically chargeable iron-oxide and a polyurethane binder that was used to glue the iron-oxide to the tape. The chemistry of the binders used in the 70s and 80s are widely known to have a problem in which they are prone to hydrolysis or the absorption of moisture from the air. Over several years of exposure to normal ambient living conditions, the urethane molecules in the binder will absorb moisture and migrate to the surface of the tape causing a gummy residue on the surface. As you can imagine, this is not good for tape players as this residue will build up on the tape heads and cause problems with the equipment, let alone what it will do to the quality of the playback of the tape. Playing back an old tape can permanently damage the recording which will not be recoverable once the gummy tape is smeared over a recording head.
Rejuvenating your tapes
Luckily, something can be done to improve the quality of the tape and avoid the damaging effects to the playback equipment. The process of “baking” the tapes will remove the moisture from the urethane binder and therefore remove the stickiness of the tape. Baking is a very controlled process in which you need to avoid overly high temperatures and exposure to damaging magnetic fields. In other words, don't just throw your tapes in the oven! Attempting the baking process at home could permanently damage your tapes, so it is important to have them restored by professionals such as Two Squares.
How do I know that I have “sticky shed syndrome”
Even newer tapes are susceptible to moisture, but tape manufacturers have improved their binders greatly over the years. A tape with bad sticky shed syndrome will squeak as it plays back, and it will peel away from the reel as it unrolls. The peeling effect will cause a warble and beat in the playback. You may also notice residue left on the heads of your tape player. Your tape heads can be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol which acts as a solvent, but some tape decks have heads that can be more difficult to access than others. If you are unsure if your tapes have any issues, don't play them to find out if there are issues unless you are willing to sacrifice a tape or two. It is best to be safe and have the tapes baked by a professional before playing it rather than risk ruining your tape and gumming up your tape player.
Is baking my tapes a permanent fix?
Unfortunately, baking a tape is not a permanent fix as the tape will still be susceptible to re-absorb moisture and will do so again much more quickly the second time around . The best thing you can do is bake it once, capture the audio/video using the best equipment available and preserve it in a digital format which will not degrade over time. A baked tape should be playable for a few weeks after baking, but if you desire for some reason to keep the tape for a transfer again in the future, it is best to pressure seal the tape with silica gel to avoid re-exposure to moisture.
Hi8 & Video8
Hi8, Video8, Digital 8 Recorder Formats
In 1985, Sony released 8mm video format in an effort to achieve a foothold inside the consumer camcorder & home movie market which had been primarily dominated by the VHS tape since the late seventies. At the same time, Sony also launched the Handycam which became an enormous success. This was largely due to its substantially smaller size compared to VHS and Betamax camcorders. During that period, a number of formats associated with 8mm tapes were released. The primary format, merely called 8mm, or video 8, was entirely analog. The 8mm tape width seemed to be chosen as a smaller version of the 12mm Betamax format, and used a comparable technology. Hi8 is actually an 8mm cassette with improved resolution. Some of the specialized Hi8 equipment could also store additional digital stereo PCM sound on the special set-aside track, even though it was analog. Digital8 is the most up-to-date format on the 8mm cassette of similar unit. By comparison Digital8 is usually recorded completely in digital DV format, which is very different in comparison with that associated with Video8 or Hi8 tapes. Common capabilities of the tapes varied in nature. Video8 and Hi8 usually came in 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes cassettes. Digital8 tapes usually held any recording competence of either 30 or 60 minutes.
Combining Multiple Video 8 Tapes to DVD
Any time bringing people multiple tapes, you might also need the option of pairing your Hi8 and video8 tapes on to one or several DVDs, without any extra price. Combining various shorter tapes on top of one DVD could save you the hassle of needing several short-duration DVDs lying all around. This can be useful for combining multiple tapes that contain similar footage. For example, transferring a collection of your children’s birthday party videos on top of a special birthday DVD.
DVD Compatibility
We only use the finest DVDs for transferring your valuable videos to DVD. We are so confident that our video to DVD transfers will last that we offer a compatibility warranty on all of our video to DVD transfers! Never again stress about your old DVD player, or any disc read error! Our discs are guaranteed to work for your television as well as your home DVD player.
Transferring to Hard Drive Option
Transferring the video to hard disk drive is advised if you are going to edit the footage. The file kind is NTSC DV AVI, by far the most standard file format across most video modifying platforms. Hard disk drives can be PC or Mac formatted, and the file format is AVI DV with each hour of video taking up 13 gigabytes. If you purchase a hard drive from us we recommend a storing your files on a drive with a larger capacity for the total length of your online video transfer clip. If you are going to bring in a drive, please understand the space requirements and plan accordingly. Also many of us recommend securing your files in a new drive.
Editing
We have basic editing services for all of our video to DVD transfer services. For instance, if we discover any blank footage found before the beginning or after the end of your tapes we’ll typically just crop these sections out. Likewise, with our basic editing service you are able to crop out as much unwanted footage from your tapes as you would like. This is especially helpful for those who have longer tapes with only a few sections you’d like transferred. With basic editing you are able to crop out all the unwanted stuff, which simply leaves you having only the actual footage you desire on the final DVD. If you have several tapes containing short video clips that you would like to combine on each one, you are now able to put all of these clips together onto one DVD movie. Our technicians will assist you in putting together as much footage from your tapes as you would like. We will consolidate all f your Hi8 videos onto any DVD for easy watching. We can also remove commercials out of your recorded television programs. If you’d like to get those annoying old commercial breaks out of your video tapes, we can easily do this and format your new DVD so you can watch old programs seamlessly on your new DVD. This is great for special television programs like sports games, politics, and news specials. Finally, have you ever wanted to combine your old tapes with other types of media? We can in fact take the video tapes and combine them with photos, slides, negatives, and film to offer an extra professional look to your DVD.
Camcorder tape formats
Two squares converts all common formats for camcorder tapes including: Video8, Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV, VHS-C.
Pricing for our camcorder tape to DVD conversion services
No setup charge; Flat price not dependent on tape length; Tape baking and rejuvenation included; Time base correction included; Color and image correction included; Scene menus on DVD included; Hi8, Digital8, and Video8 tapes: $20/tape plus $5 per DVD (DVDs hold up to 2 hours of video) or $4 to convert to AVI/MPEG/etc and copy to your hard drive.
Scan and Convert SLIDES to DVD Denver
Slide scanning
When Two Squares converts your 35mm slides to digital pictures, they can be managed on your computer just like they were taken off of your digital camera. For people that do not want to manage files and want extra simplicity, we can create a slideshow of your pictures that can be played in any home DVD player.
Low cost versus high quality
Trying to convert slides at home can be time consuming, tedious, and in the end you will not end up with optimal picture quality without the proper equipment and expertise. At Two Squares both of our slide conversion processes produce excellent results, but we do offer two options depending on your budget as shown below.
Low cost slide scanning
The standard quality slide scan is equivalent to a picture taken with an 8 megapixel digital camera with a resolution of about 1800 dpi. The standard quality process is very fast and thus can be provided at a lower cost. Additional speed increases can also be achieved if your slides come pre-loaded into Kodak carousels, but this is by no means a requirement. After the slides have been transferred to digital pictures, we use professional grade editing software to correct the colors, contrast, levels, etc. Most customers who have large volumes of slides (thousands) typically chose the standard quality process for archival purposes.
High quality slide scanning
The high quality scanning process produces the highest quality result possible due to individual calibration and Digital ICE technology. The high quality process also scans images at higher resolutions of 3600 dpi or 6400 dpi. At the highest resolution it is roughly equivalent to a picture taken with a 16 megapixel camera whereas the lower resolution would be equivalent to the resolution out of a 8 megapixel camera. In the high quality process the scanner calibrates itself to each slide and the Digital ICE technology eliminates small defects, and thus the run time is much longer than the standard quality process. The digital image goes through a final post processing phase with our professional grade editing software to further refine the colors, contrast, levels, etc.
Slide scanning equipment
Standard quality machine
To the right is an image of one of our standard quality slide scanning machines. This piece of equipment is able to process slides quickly by snapping a digital image of the slide in a controlled lighting environment, and can process slides at a rate of roughly 8 seconds per slide.
High quality machine
To the right is an image of one of our high quality slide scanning machines. This equipment will do an infrared scan of the surface of the slide to detect scratches, dust, and other imperfections and then calibrate itself for the lighting and contrast of the individual slides. This process is relatively time consuming and takes roughly 6 minutes per slide.
Converting to iPod, hard drive, or flash drive
Two Squares can convert the 35mm slides to a set of JPEG files which can be copied to an iPod, hard drive, or flash drive.
Pricing for 35mm slide scanning and transfer
No setup charge; Cropping, rotating, and other post-processing included; Super Economy 1800dpi $0.29 dust cleaning and cropping; Economy 1800dpi $0.59 Super Economy + Digital ICE, basic color editing; Keepsake 3600dpi $0.79 Economy plus hand clean and manual color correction; Heirloom 6400dpi $0.99 Keepsake + basic manual restoration $0.59/slide (1800 dpi); full slide restoration $60/hour; Large Format Slides: $2/slide (1800 dpi Keepsake), $3/slide (3600 dpi Heirloom); Optional: $0.10/slide for custom naming and file organization; $60/hour to custom create a slide show DVD; Note: There is a minimum order of $30 on all slides jobs.
Transfer PHOTOS to CD
Do not trust your precious photo memories to just any transfer service. There are several considerations that you might not be aware of that are critical when transferring paper photos & negatives to digital media. If you want your digital photos to look as good as, or better than the originals, then you need to choose the right transfer service for your digitizing needs very carefully. The first thing to look for in a media transfer service is the method used to scan photos. All photo services scan your photos, but the type of scanner used makes the difference between beautiful images that are true to the originals, or photos that are marked or destroyed due to substandard scanning practices.
Using the Right Scanner for the Job
Make sure that only the highest quality flatbed scanners touch your photos! Flatbed scanners are specifically designed to scan images. Unfortunately, some companies try to cut corners and use a document scanner to scan photos. Using a document scanner reduces image quality and risks destroying your photo when it becomes jammed in the paper feeder. A flatbed scanner keeps your photo memories safe by not using a paper feeder at all.
Document vs. Flatbed Scanners
The number one reason the best companies do not use a document scanner to scan your photos is that a document scanner was created to scan only documents. A document scanner’s main purpose is to scan large amounts of documents in a short amount of time so that businesses can digitize bulky files and free up office space and clutter. Unfortunately, the practice of scanning and digitizing photos with a document scanner became popular when scanning companies saw the potential to make a profit from this “quick and easy” way to digitize photos. This “shoebox” type of scanning is somewhat cheaper than a flatbed scanning service, but ultimately poor quality is not a bargain. The main problem with document scanners is how the scanning process compromises the red, green, blue, or RGB of the photo. Scanning a photo with a document scanner requires that the photo be fed through a document feeder. The feeder then moves the photo over the scanner’s glass surface instead of leaving the photo stationary as with a flatbed scanner. Any dust that is on the surface of the photo is also being scanned with the moving photo, which causes streaks to appear on the photo. Only flatbed scanners produce high quality, archival quality photos. Document scanners cannot reproduce true, rich dark areas of the photo. If you are using a high-resolution monitor, you are going to notice a crisscross pattern in the darker areas of photos scanned by a document scanner. This same pattern is going to be evident in any printed photos. The criss-cross pattern is caused by the high speed at which the photo is pulled through the document feeder. The speed of the document feeder does not allow the image sensor time to record the full detail of the photo, which severely limits the quality of the photo.
Digitized Services
One huge advantage of digitized photos is the ability to repair your photos, as well as to manually adjust image color. You can also create slideshows and organize your photos in ways never before possible with paper photos. Quality services use compressed air to remove any dust from the photo surface before scanning. The photos are then scanned using only a flatbed photo scanner as discussed above. Once scanned, the images are each individually examined to make sure that they are oriented correctly. Once all of the images pass inspection they are transferred to 100-year archival-grade DVDs unless there is a preference for a different storage medium. The archival DVDs are currently the best choice for photo storage.
Should I Scan the Pictures or the Negatives?
Even when you have come to the decision to digitize your memories, you may still not know which option to scan: pictures or negatives. Two ideas to consider are the quality of the pictures and the 'copy of a copy' principle. When you digitize a piece of media, it is not the same as a copy. A digital transfer will make a precise representation through an electronic scan process. If a picture is damaged either by fading, scratching, etc., the digital scan will reproduce it very accurately. If a picture is in very good condition and good quality, then a scan could easily be very acceptable. Also remember that a photo print is a copy of its negative. Scanning a copy of the original risks quality loss in the process. So, if you have the choice, an undamaged negative is usually your best option.
The Manual Color Correction option
Color correction performed by a technician can actually correct the color of your photos and negatives manually. Manual color correction differs from software programs in that a technician reads only the important data and makes adjustments based on relevant information. A technician determines the whitest pixel in the focal point of the picture and then resets the white value at 100% based on that information. The same process is performed for the blacks in the photos. Some pictures develop unwanted color saturation over the entire photo. This unwanted color is neutralized, restoring the original colors. Some service providers may even correct one or two items at no charge so you can see how well the manual correction can improve the look of the digital images.
Image Restoration Service
This service is like no other when it comes to restoring your photos. Are your photos scratched or folded? Even photos that have areas missing can be repaired with Image Restoration. Fungus, color blots and most defects can be corrected this way.
Slide shows
Slide shows are a great way to highlight your photo memories. Your family and friends are sure to love a stroll down memory lane even more, when viewing your unique slideshow presentation. Slideshows are perfect for birthdays, graduations, retirements, baptisms, funerals and other special occasions.
Organize Your Digitized Photos
Once you have safely digitized your photos and negatives, you can place thumbnails on contact sheets - up to 100 thumbnail images! Then quickly find and categorize all your photo memory with these sheets. Thousands of picture images can be stored on contact sheets making them a must-have when organizing large photo transfers.
Pricing for Photo & Negative scanning services: Hand Scanning and Transfer to DVD
No setup charge; Individual Photo and negative cleaning included; Color and image correction included; Cropping, rotating, and other post-processing included; Digital ICE dust and scratch removal included in high quality process; Keepsake - $0.79/photo(600dpi) Air Dust, Digital Exposure Correction, Crop, Manual Color Correction, "Touch Up" Restoration; Heirloom - $0.99/photo(800dpi) Air Dust, Hand Clean, Digital Exposure Correction, Crop, Manual Color Correction,Minor Restoration; Higher resolutions available - ask for quote!; Photo restoration $60/ hr.
Pricing for Negative scanning services: Hand Scanning and Transfer to DVD
No setup charge; Individual Photo and negative cleaning included; Color and image correction included; Cropping, rotating, and other post-processing included; Digital ICE dust and scratch removal included in high quality process; Negative Scanning and transfer to DVD; Economy $.59/per image - 1800dpi Air Dust, Digital Exposure Correction, Crop; Keepsake $.79/per image - 3600dpi Air Dust, Digital Exposure Correction, Crop, Manual Color Correction, "Touch Up" Restoration; Heirloom $.99/per image - 6400dpi Air Dust, Hand Clean, Digital Exposure Correction, Crop, Manual Color Correction,Minor Restoration; Ask for a quote for higher resolutions!
Exciting options for your photos scans
Pictures greater than 8 1/2" by 11"; Custom labeling $.10 per slide; Let us create a DVD slide show from your pictures; We will scan your traditional photo albums into DVDs, slide shows, and more!
Transfer Negatives
Scanning negatives is a delicate and time consuming process that requires great care from our technicians.
The combination of high-tech equipment and patient manual cleaning is the key to high quality images that preserve and protect your memories.
First, the slides are cleaned with the use of compressed air through a specialized compressor, removing any dust without damaging the slides.
To digitize your slides, professional grade slide scanners are used. When used properly, these dedicated units produce high quality results.
Many other companies use flat-bed scanners to scanning the slides. But they do not guarantee the clarity and deep color in their output as good as they can get in a high-end dedicated negative scanner. Those companies will not be able to attain the depth of color or clarity of a more high-end dedicated negative scanner.
Our scanning software will effectively crop and cut the excessive material from your slides.
We also include slide by slide markers to indicate the sequence of the negatives. Additionally, specific folders are used for negatives by assigning a unique folder number according to the organizational structure.
Our checking process is very effective. When all the scanning is complete an inspection is made to check the icons number-by-number to make sure that is everything is correct.
When thorough checking of the image complete, then another technician will look over every image repeatedly to make sure the customer sheet had been properly checked. When the scanning process is completed all the requested DVDs will be burned according to customer specifications.
Scanning Negatives vs. Prints
Typically, scanning from the unique source of your pictures is the best way to improve the quality of negatives. These negatives, which are strips of pictures given to you when the film has been developed, are the original source of the pictures. Photos are not the same as the original negative because they are merely printed copies of the negative. The photocopies contain a fraction of the negative as they have more restricted group of color and luminosity (light/dark) than negatives. Digital ICE technology, the technology which will minimize the presence of dust and scratches on the negative, is allowed to be applied by a devoted negative scanning. Generally most of the 35mm film negatives have the capacity to be scanned at up to 4000dpi which prints much larger than the standard 5×7 photo.
Manual Color Correction Service vs. Image Restoration Service
Manual color correction is sometimes necessary. It is mainly used to fix problems with color fading and improper exposure. For example, if the slide has a yellowish cast to it, in many cases we can neutralize that color and bring back the original colors. We will break for the whitest pixel in the important viewable area of the image and reset that to the 100% white value, and do the same for black. No software program can do this because we are evaluating the image based on the human eye preferences. We do the same for issues with image backlighting from things like windows ect. If your images have a color cast to them or are too drab, simply ask our image scanning technician to use the manual color correction service. We can also develop one or two images so that you can see how fine your slides can be. Our image restoration service is used to restore your slides. If your slides contain any flaws like scratches, folds, color bolts or fungus, you can consult with our image scanning technician to fix them. Even when the image has a missing piece or tear, it is relatively easy for our technicians to reproduce its lost portion onto another slide. This is all done using programs like Photoshop, with extra plug-ins. As you can see our technicians take great care in creating high quality negative scans. While this can be a time intensive process, our professionals can do this highly skilled work in a relatively quick and efficient period of time.
Pricing for our Negative scanning services
No setup charge; Individual negative cleaning included; Color and image correction included; Cropping, rotating, and other post-processing included; Digital ICE dust and scratch removal included in high quality process; High Quality Scanning: $0.59/negative strip (Standard Quality 300 dpi); $0.99/negative strip(High Quality 1800 dpi); $2.99/negative strip (Oversize High Quality 1800 dpi); Ask for a quote for higher resolutions! We are also ready to make prints out of your scanned images - let us create a custom quote for you! Custom labeling: $0.10 per image labeled according to your instructions; Let us create a DVD slide show from your negatives to show at Christmas, family reunions, and anniversaries $50.00; Let us organize you: We will scan your packages of negatives, label them, turn them into a slide show - and more!
CD and DVD Duplication
Do you just need copies of your favorite CDs or DVDs for friends and family? Let us quickly make high quality copies for you one at a time or by the dozen. Each disc is custom labeled and small orders can be filled while you wait! Need to turn your video camera memory (Flash Memory) into a DVD to share with the whole team? Or your photo's into a CD slide show? Look no further. We have even copied old floppy drives to CD for our customers!
CD Copies
- (/disc PLUS great Volume Discounts) $5.00
DVD Copies
- (/disc PLUS great Volume Discounts) $5.00
Convert video formats (i.e. Flash to DVD)
- (plus $5.00/CD or DVD) $20.00
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Monday:
10:00am - 6:00pm
Tuesday:
10:00am - 6:00pm
Wednesday:
10:00am - 6:00pm
Thursday:
10:00am - 6:00pm
Friday:
10:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Sunday:
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VHS to DVD
VHS to DIgital
8mm Film to DVD
8mm Film to Digital
Scan Slides
Cassette to CD
Cassette to Digital