8mm "film" to DVD

[wado66]

I have a bunch of old 8mm reel home movies. I very much want to convert them to DVD. I have been reading posts on the subject. And it seems the only answer I can find, is to use a camcorder to record the movies.
I really don't want to do that. I feel I could lose too much video quality.
Is there some projector out there that has some way to output the video to computer or DVD recorder?
Seems to me with all of the professional services out there. There must be some better way to convert them.
I have so many I would be willing to pay upwards $ for a projector that would do that.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[mike_atomicsitup_com]

There are a number of places that can do this for you (google "8mm film to dvd"). I've done a fair amount of research on this topic in the past and found it to be more economical to send this out to a company to perform the conversion. The things that I looked for were specifically:

1. the company's ability to clean, restore, and preserve the negatives film.
2. the company's flexiability of formats to return the video (DVD9, AVI, MPEG, etc).
3. professionalism of the staff and their williness to cover the conversion process with you.
4. someplace local or close by is a plus (do you really want to ship your stuff across the nation for this?).

[mike_atomicsitup_com]

Sorry, I forgot to mention the company that I ended up picking.

http://www.movies-2-dvd.com/

I don't work for them, however, I was impressed with the process they used, the transfer performed, and their attention to detail.

[Dubinvero]

Following is a copy of my post which describes my experience getting my Super 8 films converted to video by Cinepost. I chose DV as the master format to get the best quality master. I intend to convert the edited DV video to DVD while retaining the quality masters on mini-DV tapes.

I recommend that you review the entire thread which was very helpful to me. The thread is in the Advanced Conversion forum and is titled "Top quality professional transfer of 8mm and Super 8mm film"


Posted: Feb 09, 2005 19:51

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Using the ideas and information I got on this thread, I gathered up my Super 8 films, which were originally shot between 1972 and 1983 and mailed them off to Cinepost/Posthouse in Atlanta. I chose Cinepost based upon the samples on their website, a review in PC magazine and a couple of discussions with Myron at Posthouse.

I sent my films via Fedex priority overnight. I had been told that the faster the method the less the likelyhood of a lost package. Based upon my discussions with Myron I understood the effort/cost required and on the workorder form chose a solution they call "Best Light" which they estimate requires 2-3 times the film running time. I sent them 21 rolls totalling 3200 feet. I requested that the masters be sent back to me on mini-DV tapes.

I got my DV tapes back in 2 weeks. At this stage I communicated with Clifford who told me their standard procedure is to hold onto the film untill the customer has a chance to review the quality of the transfer.

I was very pleased with the transfers. I just wish I had been a better cameraman. I had a few questions about individual 50 foot section transfers that I discussed with John who did the transfer work on my films. I was satisfied with his answers. He also looked again at one roll to ensure that a flare problem was on the film and not the result of the transfer.

About 10 years ago I had these same films transferred to Super VHS by an indivual who videoed the projected image. There is no comparison in the quality of the Cinepost transfers and the previous effort. As John explained to me the Kodachrome stock has held up very well and allows for excellent transfers. The newer Ektachrome does not do as well. Luckily for me I had very little Ektachrome.

Upon receiving my DV tapes I immediately made a backup tape copy. I will edit the tapes on my PC using either Vegas Movie Studio or Vegas. I will burn edited DVD'S now and again at a higher quality when the HD DVD recorders become available

In summary, I am very pleased with the transfer to video. Although many might think it expensive, I thought it was a reasonable cost to get a top-notch transfer of my family movie treasures.

I was very pleased with all of my dealings with Cinepost. Myron, Clifford and John were easy to talk to and were always available if I had a question.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread, which prompted me to do something about my Super 8 Films before they were lost or deteriorated.

Derek

[tgheen]

HELLO!

I'd like to transfer my parents' 8mm reel film to digital format - preferably DVD. I'd like decent quality, but no fancy restoration.

A quick estimate indicates it might be worthwhile to rent a WorkPrinter XP or (Cinemate?) other reel to DVD transfer/conversion machine.

I'd like advice on options:
- recommendations on which machine
- any links to rentals of these machines
- would anyone be interested in "sharing" the machine? (Purchase together, share for a month or two on each end, then either continue this sharing or sell used to recoup money)
- maybe a few newbies out there like me cannot afford to buy a machine, but would spend a few hundred dollars for use.

It would probably be worthwhile to do this myself, but purchasing a Workprinter XP for use for only a few weeks is something I cannot afford. If we could get a few people interested in pooling funds, then it could be worthwhile for everyone.

Terri

[lordsmurf]

It would be far more cost effective to send this work to www.wood-land.com and let them do it.
No relation, but they have a great reputation.

[tgheen]

I did a quick estimate and it would cost minimum $2000 for me to have a professional do it even at 12 cents per foot. Hence, I'm trying to get the cost down to a fraction thereof to make it affordable.

Thanks for the link, though.

[Marvingj]

You get what you pay for. A Good reminder is that always pick a company that has a good rep. also you can see their work & customers who dealt with them.

[lordsmurf]

I did a quick estimate and it would cost minimum $2000 for me to have a professional do it even at 12 cents per foot. Hence, I'm trying to get the cost down to a fraction thereof to make it affordable.
Thanks for the link, though.

It's still a bargain. Buying good equipment is still more expensive.
Not to mention lots of time, both learning AND doing.

[dunamis]

viewpixmedia.com just handled 11,900 feet of film for a major Orlando client.

[glorybeme]

Have you tried ScanCafe? I have heard their prices are pretty good.

[filmboss80]

Have you tried ScanCafe? I have heard their prices are pretty good.

Gee, thanks for resurrecting an old thread and offering useless info. From what I can see, your beloved ScanCafe only works with still images, not motion picture footage.

[16mmJunkie]

Have you tried ScanCafe? I have heard their prices are pretty good.

Hi and welcome to the forum...It's a good idea to look at post dates prior to posting your first time.





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