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Hobson's Digital Media
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Video Transfer to DVD
Photo Restoration
DVD Slide Show
Document Archiving
CD & DVD Media
Miscellaneous
If you have another question you would like to see answered here, please send us an email at info@hobsonsdigitalmedia.com.
Video Transfer to DVD Answers
This section is designed to help you find quick answers to common video transfer questions. If you still can't find what you're looking for, please feel free to contact us for assistance.
What type of video can be transferred?
We can transfer most types of video, including 8mm, Super 8, VHS, VHS-C, Hi8 and Mini DV to DVD, VHS, or CD.
What type of media is my video transferred to?
You have the following choices:
| DVD | DVDs are excellent quality. We only use archival quality discs, and it's the easiest to view since there is no fast forwarding or rewinding. Duplication is simple and VHS copies can easily be made from a DVD. These can also be used as back up. |
| VHS | VHS is still quite common, but is not a very durable medium. The cassettes wear out quickly, especially if you actually use them, and the quality is nowhere near DVD and Mini DV. It is strongly recommended to have a back up of Mini DV or DVD on hand, in case your VHS gets devoured by your VCR. |
| CD | CDs are available, but the quality of video is extremely low. We do not recommend CDs for video, unless it's for insurance purposes. |
Note: Some older models of DVD players will not recognize certain CDs and DVDs. Please see How do I know if the discs are compatible with my DVD player? Also, in order to play DVDs in a computer, a DVD-Rom drive is required.
What are the benefits of digital video?
Video quality is measured by horizontal lines of resolution (basically, the more horizontal lines used to display the image, the better). DVD has over 480, and VHS only has about 250 horizontal lines of resolution. The difference between digital ( DVD) and analog (VHS) is very visible.
Digital video lasts longer than analog. DVD is considered archival quality, it's shelf life is far superior to that of VHS. VHS typically only lasts 20 years or so before it starts to degrade, and the more you use it, the faster it wears out.
Aside from image quality, there are other benefits to digital video. DVD is the most convenient way to watch your home movies. There is no need to rewind when you're done, and skipping from one section to another is quick and easy. Just have an extra copy on hand as a back up, and if your disc gets scratched, you haven't lost everything.
DVD is an excellent format to use as a back up, especially if your home movies
are on VHS. In the event that your VCR eats your VHS tape, you can send the
DVD back to us
and we can make new VHS copies for you.
Can I have still photos included in my video?
Yes, we can intermingle video with still photo slide shows. What you'll end up with is a slide show inside of a video clip, creating wonderful atmosphere and visual appeal.
Photo Restoration Answers
This section
is designed to help you find quick answers to common photo restoration questions.
If you still can't find what you're looking for, please feel free to contact
us for assistance.
How is my photograph restored?
Each photo is scanned (like a photocopy, but at a much higher quality) and saved into our computer. Changes are made to the duplicate, which is then printed on high quality photo paper, in the finish of your choice. The original is used as a reference for repairs and adjustments, then returned to you, unchanged, with your order.
What can be done to my photograph to restore it?
How large can my photo be printed?
When enlarging a photograph, we strongly advise not to enlarge photos more than two to three times the original size. Any more and the photo will likely start to appear grainy and out of focus. Obviously, the clearer the original photograph, the larger it can be printed. Please request an estimate for prints larger than 8 x 10 inches.
Also,
when having a photograph restored, it's important to tell us how large you
would like it printed before we start working on it. We may have to scan it
at a higher resolution than normal in order to get adequate prints.
Can I send you my photos by email?
Yes, but only
for an estimate. Emails must be kept small in order to facilitate sending
them in a timely manner. Typically ISPs (Internet Service Providers) limit
the amount of data that can be sent via email so as not to overload their
systems. This means that the file size would not be a high enough quality
to work from and obtain adequate prints. You may, however, scan your photo
and send us a disc, if you prefer not to send your originals by post. Please
contact us before you scan your photos, so that we can help you choose the
appropriate resolution. If you'd like us to provide you with an estimate,
scan your photo using your scanner's default settings and send it by email
to info@HobsonsDigitalMedia.com.
DVD Slide Show Answers
This section is designed to help you find quick answers to common DVD slide show questions. If you still can't find what you're looking for, please feel free to contact us for assistance.
Can I have a DVD slide show made from printed photos?
Yes, we can create a slide show on DVD or VHS from printed photos, slides or negatives. The term slide show is only used to imply that images will be displayed consecutively on your television screen.
Will multiple slide shows play consecutively?
Not necessarily, it depends on your DVD player. When you first turn on your DVD player, you'll see (and hear) a menu page, with numbered "thumbnail" sized photos, representing each slide show. By using the arrow keys on your remote to select a thumbnail, and then pressing "enter" or "play" you'll start that particular slide show. Most often, if you do not select a slide show after a period of time, they will start to play in order. Also, many DVD players are able to play all slide shows (and video clips) in random order. See your DVD player manual for instructions to enable this feature.
How long will the photos display on screen?
We typically will let the music determine the length of each slide show. We recommend having each photo display for 4 to 6 seconds, depending on the mood of the slide show, and the tempo of the music. Upbeat music works well with shorter display times, whereas slower music seems to work better if we slow the photos down as well. Regardless of how long the photos display, add 2 seconds to each photo for transition time (fade in/out). If you use an upbeat song that is 2 min 20 secs, and you want to display the photos for 4 secs (+ 2 secs for transitions), you could fit 23 or 24 photos. The math doesn't have to work out exactly, since we can compensate by adjusting the timing of each individual photo, but it gives us a starting point. When music has lyrics it's best to time it so that the photos are done at the same time as the music, since it would be more noticeable if the song is cut in the middle.
Alternately, if you use instrumental music, we can fit as many photos as you like in each slide show. We'll just loop the music so that it repeats until all the photos have all displayed, then fades out. This is very effective if you're organizing your photos according to subject, theme or year, and you have a very specific number of photos you want to include in each show.
How many slide shows can I have on one DVD or VHS?
You can have any number of slide shows on one DVD or VHS. You're only limited by the amount of space on a DVD, since all slide shows are put onto a DVD first, then VHS copies are made if necessary.
Can I have text pages between photos?
Yes, as many as you like. One or more title pages are included in the main package price, and additional title pages will be charged the per page fee. You can even choose the font, as well as the background and text colors if you wish.
What if I want the names of the photos to appear on the screen?
Descriptive text can be manually added to some or all photos individually (see slide show price chart for fees). Text can be manipulated on an individual basis, which means it will be exactly as you want it to read ("Mom's 50th Birthday") and we can choose where to place it on each photo.
A menu page is the first screen you see when you insert your slide show disc into your DVD player or computer. The menu page will have "thumbnails" (miniature photos) representing each slide show on the disc.
What if I don't have a DVD player?
We highly recommend that you have your slide show put onto a DVD, even if no one in your family has a DVD player. All of our CDs and DVDs are archival quality, and are guaranteed by the manufacturer to last 100 years or more if stored correctly. Your DVD will serve as your archival quality back up, and in the event that your VHS copy is "eaten" by your VCR, you can easily make new VHS copies yourself (or send the disc back to us and we'll be happy to make them for you). Also, if you do buy a DVD player in the future, you'll be able to enjoy all the best features that DVDs have to offer, like menu pages.
Absolutely, but please be sure to contact us before you begin so that we can send you our scanning guidelines, which could save you a lot of time in the long run.
Should I resize my photos or change the ppi?
Not if it can be avoided. The less they are manipulated, the better. If they are unusually large, and you want to save disc space, we recommend you reduce them in size by no more than half, and only once. Do not alter the ppi (pixels per inch, sometimes confused with dpi, or dots per inch). Each time you adjust the size or resolution, the quality of the photo is reduced.
Can I use photos from my digital camera?
Yes, of course. Leave them in their original format, but if the file size is too big you may reduce it once. See previous question.
What if I don't have a computer (or scanner)?
No problem. Just send us your photos and we'll take care of everything. They can be mailed (see our mailing instructions), dropped off, or picked up if you live within 15 miles of our office in the San Francisco East Bay area.
Document
Archiving Answers
This section is designed to help you find quick answers to common document archiving questions. If you still can't find what you're looking for, please feel free to contact us for assistance.
Basically, it's saving your documents or photos on a CD or DVD, which will preserve them for generations. First your documents or photos are scanned at the appropriate resolution (or quality), then converted to a format that is widely recognized by computers. Anytime you need a copy, one can easily be printed from the disc.
What do I do with my archive discs if I don't have a computer?
You don't need a computer to enjoy the benefits of archiving your family treasures to CD or DVD. Simply put the discs away for safe keeping and when you need any of your photos printed, return the disc to us, or take it to any professional printer to have new prints made.
Why would I want to digitally archive my documents and photos?
Since digital files are stored as information, they don't deteriorate, as opposed to paper which will decompose. That means, no matter what happens to the original, you'll always be able to print off a document or photo that is an exact clone of the original scan. The disc will decompose, but the information will not. That is why we only use archival quality discs, which are guaranteed by the manufacturer to last 100 years or more, when stored properly.
I have so many pictures, where do I start?
We highly recommend archiving your oldest photos and your favorites right away. The important thing is to preserve and protect your photos from further damage, which would add to the cost of repairs later on. Any repairs that need to be made will not get worse once the photo is in a digital format. You can then have the photo repaired directly from the disc, and printed as necessary.
CD & DVD Media Answers
This section is designed to help you find quick answers to common CD and DVD media questions. If you still can't find what you're looking for, please feel free to contact us for assistance.
What is the difference between CDs and DVDs?
CDs
DVDs
This chart
shows approximate numbers and is intended to use as a guide only. Actual amounts
will vary.
|
CDs
|
DVDs
|
|
| Slide Show with music |
500-800
lower quality photos
|
300-500
high quality photos
|
| Video |
1 hour
of low quality |
1 hour
of high quality, up to 3 hours of lower quality
|
| High Resolution
Photos (example: family portraits, for printing) |
100
photos
|
600
photos
|
|
Low Resolution or Compressed Photos (example: for insurance purposes) |
2,000
+ photos
|
12,000
+ photos
|
Can more photos be added to the disc later on?
While
there are CDs and DVDs that can be written to many times, these are meant
for short-term storage. Every time the disc is erased and recorded over again,
it's shelf life is shortened. The type of discs that we use can only be written
to once, but under proper storage conditions, will last 100 years or longer,
as guaranteed by the manufacturer.
How do I know if the discs are compatible with my DVD player?
You'll
need to refer to the user manual to see if your DVD player can play DVD+R
or CD-R discs (which ever the case may be). If you can not find this information
in your manual, you can check for DVD compatibility of your DVD player at
the HP web site. If you're still not sure, please contact us with the name
and model number of your DVD player.
Not all CDs and DVDs are created equal, which is why we prefer to supply them. This assures you will get the highest quality and the longest shelf life. Each archival quality disc is guaranteed by the manufacturer to last 100 years or more.
Miscellaneous Answers
This section is designed to help you find quick answers to common miscellaneous questions. If you still can't find what you're looking for, please feel free to contact us for assistance.
Can I add music to my project?
Yes, music can be added to any project on DVD or VHS. However, in order to avoid copyright infringement, you must provide all music on original retail version CD. We can not accept music downloaded from the internet, or burned to CD with a computer. You must take full responsibility for copyright infringement. We do have a collection of royalty free instrumental music that we can use for your project at no additional cost.
What if I'm not happy with my finished project?
We will make every effort to make sure you are completely satisfied with our work. Once you receive your project, inspect it carefully. If for some reason, you're not completely satisfied, please contact us within 14 days so that we can make every effort to fix the problem.
Contact us for more information or request a free estimate for any of our services to find out what you could expect to pay for a particular project.
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F.A.Q.
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Frequently Asked Questions