Video Conversion Experts

Yes, we can transfer Super 8 and 8mm film to DVD. There are many different ways to transfer film to DVD. We have a real-time, frame by frame and a professional film scanner to transfer your film to DVD.

In general, most film can last up to 70 to 80 years if stored properly. If you can play the film in a projector is can be transferred without any problem. If you can’t, you still might be able to run the film through our professional film scanner. It is roller based and does not touch the film to move it forward or during the scanning.

Most film to DVD companies today still use a real-time based transfer system. This is similar to using a project and camcorder to record the film. They normally charge around 10-12 cents/ft. With this type of film to DVD transfer, the film will look about 50% better than the video. Some companies now use a frame by frame film to DVD process. It still uses a projector and camcorder but it able to get a 20-30% better video. Frame by Frame film to DVD process usually costs around 20 to 30 cents/ft. The best film to DVD process uses a professional film scanner. A professional film scanner will create video as good as the film. There are only a few companies using a professional film scanner. They normally charge around 40 to 60 cents/ft.

This is a good question and one that comes up often. 8mm film can last up to 70 or 80 years if stored properly. It should be stored in a cool dry place. Today they recommend storing your 8mm film in vented cans to allow the gases that build up over time to escape. This can make your 8mm film last longer.

There are two tests you want to perform to see if you can transfer your 8mm film to DVD today. The first test is to take the first 3-4 feet off the 8mm film reel. Try to lay it flat on the table. If the 8mm film lays flat or relatively flat then you pass this test. If the 8mm film is warped and doesn’t want to lay flat, it may just be the first 20-25 feet of the reel. Unroll 20-25 feet and then perform the test again. If it passes the test, then at least some or the majority of 8mm film can be transferred.

The next 8mm film to DVD test is to see how fragile the 8mm film is. If you take about 6 inches of film and hold one end with your left hand and the right end with your right hand. Now, move you hands together pushing the film in the middle up into a loop. This will show how flexible the film is. When you do this, look for any cracking or breaking film and watch the sprocket holes to see if they crack or break as you do this as well. If none of this happens then you pass this test.

If your film passes both tests, then you can transfer your 8mm film to DVD and may proceed with a 8mm film to DVD order.

Today, there are about 3 different types of 8mm film to DVD film transfer machines. At the low-end we have the real-time 8mm film to DVD machine. It uses a 8mm film projector and a camcorder. As the film plays, the images are bounced off a mirror and recorded by the camcorder. As you can imagine, this is the best way to capture all the details from your film.

At the middle-end we have a frame by frame 8mm film to DVD process. In this type of process, the same projector and camcorder are used but the camcorder is pointed right at the film in the projector. As a new frame enters the gate, a sync signal is sent to the camcorder and computer to take a picture of the frame. In this type of 8mm film to DVD process, the results are about 20-30% better than a real-time process.

The best 8mm film to DVD film transfer process uses a professional 8mm film scanner. There are older professional scanners like Rank Cintel but these scanners use technology from the 1980s and can only scan at standard definition resolution. There are a handful of new high definition professional 8mm film scanners. These scanners typically cost over $100,000 each. These professional high definition film scanners provide the best possible 8mm film to DVD quality available.

So, the best 8mm film to DVD company will be using a professional high definition 8mm film scanner for you 8mm film transfer.

In general, if you’ve had a 8mm film to DVD transfer done, no, ,you can’t post it on the web or utube. A DVD can only really be viewed or copied. So, instead of doing a 8mm film to DVD transfer, transfer your 8mm film to a format like AVI files. Then you can edit the AVI files and generate a web friendly format like Mpeg4.

In addition, when you transfer your 8mm film to DVD, the DVD comes out at a resolution of 480×720. It is a fixed resolution that can’t be changed. Alternatively, when you transfer your 8mm film to AVI and edit it, you can resize the resolution when you encode it to a format like Mpeg4.

So, if you are interested in a portable or online video of your film, instead of doing a film transfer of your 8mm film to DVD, transfer your 8mm film to AVI so you can edit and produce your own web friendly video. For posting video tape material, we recommend 8mm to AVI or 8mm to DVD if you don’t plan on posting it.

8mm film has the equivalent of 800 to 1000 digital horizontal lines of resolution. The number of actual lines of resolution is dependant on the camera, lens, lighting and focus when it was recorded. On average, the 8mm film we see is around 700 to 900 lines.

Today, there are 480 (standard definition) and 1080 (high definition) line 8mm film to DVD transfer processes. Most companies use a 480 line video capture or frame by frame 8mm film to DVD system. This will get about 60% (480/800) of the details on the 8mm film.

The only way to get 100% of the details from a 8mm to DVD transfer is to capture or scan the film at 1080 lines. This is the only way to archive the 8mm film in a digital format.

So, if you are interested in truly archiving your 8mm film to DVD, choose a 8mm film transfer using a 1080 line 8mm film scanning process.

Transferring 8mm film from the 1920s to 1950s requires special attention. There are several issues to examine before we can determine if we can convert your 8mm film to DVD. There are other articles on transferring 8mm to DVD that you may want to explore also.

8mm film has been around since the late 1920s. Converting 8mm film to DVD requires that the 8mm film be flat (instead of warped) and is pliable (not fragile) to enable it to move through the scanner. To test this, unroll some of the 8mm film and see if it will lay flat on a table. Also, as you unroll it, see if it breaks at all. If the film passes these two tests then we can convert your 8mm film to DVD.

One other thing you might want to look at is the images on the 8mm film. You can use a magnifying glass with a light source (or window) behind the film. 8mm film from the 1920s to the 1940s will be black and white. So, don’t expect to see any color on 8mm films from this period.

Lastly, 8mm film this old can have mold on the outside edge. When you lay the film reel down flat, you might see some white looking powder on the 8mm film. This is mold. We automatically clean all 8mm film when it comes in. In most cases, the mold gets removed and presents no problem is converting your 8mm film to DVD.

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