Camcorder home movies

Don't lose those memories
generations to follow will thank you for it.

I NEVER use a camera to transfer video material, they really are very poor at transfering tape, the quality you can obtain is rather low, I only use dedicated professional Video Decks from Sony, JVC-Pro and Panasonic. Please give me a call on 01793-495733 or 07940-810733 if you have any questions or to go through your exact requirements and we can look at the options open to you. (All prices quoted below are exclusive of VAT)

Due to some very clever new equipment I can now upsacle Standard definition to High Definition if you want your archive in the HD format. This can be output as Blu-Ray discs or as HD files on your hard drive. See the HD section in each service level for prices

I can accept your job in any the following formats in either PAL or NTSC...

VHS SVHS VHS-C SVHS-C
Beta (Betamax, Betacord or Betamovie)
Video 2000 (V2000 or Video Compact Cassette)
Hi8 Video8 Digital8
MiniDV DV DVCAM (mini or large tape)
MicroMV
Umatic (lo-and, hi-band, Umatic SP)
Betacam / Betacam SP
Laserdisc CDVideo
Mini DVD (8cm camcorder DVD)
Hard Drive Camera (HDD)

I can output your files however you want them returned (PAL or NTSC) If you want something else then just ask, it can probably be done.

DVD (printed & laminated)
DVD-Rom (self edit .mpg)
Your Hard-Drive as any Standard Definition (SD) file format from DV-AVI, .mov, .wmv etc.
MiniDV
DV (Standard size)
DVCAM (mini or standard size)

If you have anything unusual.....call me on 01793-495733 you never know I might have forgotten to list it!

There are four levels of service to meet your needs, they are:

Self-edit - SD - £20 for the first hour then £16 per hour of material (Now Available - HD upscaling service £30 first hour and £26 for subsequent hours)

Want to do your own editing on your own system but either can't get the footage into your PC? This service is for you. Films are supplied on a DVD-Rom as individual .mpgs or onto your own USB hard-drive as .avi or .mov.

If you want your archives turned from Standard Definition tapes to upscaled High Definition computer files then you would need to supply your own Hard Drive as the files run at 30GB per hour and are full 1920 x 1080.

If you want your archives turned from Standard Definition tapes to Standard Definition computer files then you would need to supply your own Hard Drive as the files run at 13GB per hour and are 720 x 576

If you want Or if it works out easier for you I have PCWorld / Staples and Maplins all in a row less than a mile from me and I will happily get a passport drive and charge you just what it costs me. If you want we can also output to DV: Mini DV & Standard DV or DVCAM: Mini & standard DVCAM.

Bronze - SD DVD - (£20 for the first hour then £16 per hour of material), HD Blu-Ray - (£40 for first hour then £30 for subsequent hours)

All tapes are recorded onto a hard drive in the order that the tapes are supplied by you, the tapes are topped and tailed so you only save what is on the video. They are then named and recorded onto Verbatim printable DVDs which will have a menu to select the recordings from. Each printed DVD is then laminated and will include family name, tape number, date of film etc or any information you can supply along with three photographs from the footage on that disc - This is the most cost effective way of getting your memories off tape and onto DVD.

Silver - SD DVD - (£30 for the first hour then £26 per hour of material), HD Blu-Ray - (£50 for first hour then £40 for subsequent hours)

All tapes are recorded onto a hard drive and put into the correct chronological order. I edit out all the bits that are not wanted such as fuzzy or blue screens and the bits where you put the camera down for 10 minutes but left it running. Then I chop the film into titles , such as March 1998 - July 1998 - Sarah's 3rd birthday etc. This is so that you can see what events are on that DVD, then each title has moveable chapters added at main scene changes. Only then is your archive recorded to Verbatim printable DVDs or Blu-Rays. The label will have your overall title such as "The Smith Family - Home Movies 1998 to 2005", It will also tell you which disc number it is in your archive. I then print the information about the individual titles as listed above. For example

March 1998 - Easter Egg Hunt.

July 1998 - Holiday to Egypt

August 1998 - Sarah's 3rd birthday

Christmas 1998 - Sarah's 1st nativity

February 1999 - Grandad's 70th birthday party

June 1999 - Day-out to Roves Farm

When you put the DVD / Blu-Ray in to the player each of the above titles (1 to 6) would be instantly available to you with a photograph from each scene up on screen along with the title. So if you just want to see "Grandad's 70th birthday party" you can just click on "5" and you will go straight to that title.

Finally I print at least two face stills from the events above to show your family as they were at that time. The disc is then laminated to make it water and scratch resistant. Lamination also stops the ink from fading so it will look great for many, many years

I always try to think at least 20 years in advance which is why I try to save as much information about the tapes / films as possible.

My JVC-Pro DVD recorders have the ability to put moveable chapter points which we place at scene changes so the DVD will be very user friendly and you won't join a scene half way through.

Silver Service transfer features overview:

All film put in chronological order

Simple Editing is included to cut out blue screen or lens cap errors.

Each event will have it’s own title i.e. "Christmas 1998" or "Rory's 3rd birthday"

Chapters placed sympathetically to the material (NOT automatic 5 minute chapters)

Full on disc labelling with titles of your choice and screenshots printed on to DVD

Each DVD is laminated to make it water and Scratch-proof

Gold - £100 per half hour of DVD

Over the last few years I have been asked to make many "This Is Your Life" DVDs. Where multi-formats are mixed from any of the following (capture charges will apply)

Cinefilm

Slides

Photographs

Camcorder video

Audio cassettes

DVDs

documents

This service is ideal for major birthdays or Wedding Anniversaries where you want to put something special up on screen to show how much your family mean to you. It can incorporate your own personal soundtrack to go with the images.

This service is only limited by your imagination

Gold Archive extras overview:

Full professional PC based non linear editing to 1 / 25th of a second

Full professional DVD authoring with music / motion menu from your footage

Replacement of any unwanted audio soundtracks

Replacement of unwanted titles

smooth multiformat editing

Covers - £12

A bespoke designed cover is available for both Silver and Gold services. The cover will include all the main details of the DVDs, 12 good quality screen-shots across the front and back, a screen-shot on the spine with all of the DVD details so that it can be seen clearly when on a shelf. For large collections I put up to six DVDs per case so you do not need to purchase a cover for each disc. I only use good close up people shots for screen-shots so you can see what your family looked like from your footage.

Copies - £10

You can order multiple copies of your films so friends and family can have them or to keep a back-up copy safe and out of Children’s hands. There is a discount for anything over 6 duplicates, so the more you need the more you save. Copies are identically laminated and printed with information and screen-shots like the original.

Please contact us by phone or email if you wish to have an individual quote (recommended) or if you have any special requests or circumstances, I will always do my best to accommodate you. Please call me if any of the above price structures need clarification

After a quote has been accepted and the work completed payment can be made by

Credit or debit card

cheque to "SaveThoseMemories"

A direct Electronic Bank Transfer

Paypal (for overseas customers only).

If using PayPal please contact me for further details

Any over-payment will be returned with your order.

Postage

I recommend that you use a minimum of Recorded Delivery to send me your tapes / discs. We will return them by First Class recorded delivery. Price of return postage will depend on the amount of material being sent.

Please remember to include with your package:

Your contact details, Name, Address, Telephone number, email address and level of service required, what you want the archive to be called and any information you have about the material you want saved.