The Basics

It’s important to understand how digitizing film works in the first place. Similar to if one ran the film on a projector and played it on a screen, film conversion uses equipment that literally plays the film so that its images can be recorded digitally. As the film produces its content, the images are captured frame by frame with a High-Definition digital sensors and translated into computer bytes representing the collection of color and change information happening from one panel to the next. This is an intensive process, generally utilizing a heavy processor to do the work. Then, all that data is simultaneously transferred as it is created to a storage medium.

Usually, this is some kind of high-density hard drive that can run at high speeds or, today, a flash memory drive which can operate even faster. Then, the data file in components or an entire file, is transferred to a portable storage device for delivery. Probably the slowest, most time-consuming part of the job is the actual playing of the film, monitoring it for mistakes or errors, and confirming the images are being transferred correctly.

Given the above, it would seem natural that all one needs to do is just bundle up the film and take it over to the service, drop it off, and then wait to be called when it’s ready. That, of course, is how many digital services want customers to think as well. The easier it is to get started, the more likely a customer is to engage and hire a conversion service order.

However, there are some tips everyone should follow with their old film before handing it off to an unknown service provider to handle, operate with, and possibly end up handling in a risky manner.

Do a Bit of Research

When converting, it’s not so simple to just take a film reel and let it rip. In fact, there’s a big difference between a small reel film, a big reel film and many other choices. A number of digital services only work with one machine, the one that addresses the most common consumer film or video people have today. Talk to the service provider and ask what film formats they can digitize, if that includes audio, cleaning, and what file standards they use. Can they repair and recover damaged film and video tapes? Unfortunately, some services outsource their production to another contractor possibly in another country and charge a markup on top. Had a bit of research been done, a customer could have made sure the work would be done professionally in house. Speak to a person at the company first.

Don’t Request Editing, Wait Until Digitized and Reviewed

It’s a temptation for people to want to combine videos together, even if they are different formats. This is a mistake. Typically, there is no way for you to view all of the old material. Wait until it is digitized so that editing decisions can be made and material properly organized. If, one makes the mistake of trying to do it all up front, get ready to pay through the nose for a product that uses an editor’s best guess.

Organize Your Content

Organization helps prioritize what you want to digitize first. It also helps sort items from what is easy to do or makes sense to the more difficult items that might need extra care and cost more to work on. For instance, 8mm films from the 1940s-1970s have a long life if stored properly while VHS tapes from the 1980s are breaking down and becoming unplayable. So do a bit of extra work, organize up front, and that way you know what’s worth working on first. If you do not have the ability to play the media, check to see if the digitizing service will work with you. They should be able to review the film and video footage and remove any non-family recording such as Tv shows for no extra fee. A bit of elbow grease will pay off in the long run, so do your homework.

The Temptation of Do-it-Yourself

Yes, it is quite possible to get equipment online and convert your movies yourself. There are a lot of options on big retail sites that might seem affordable. But what’s not being mentioned is the experience as well as the quality such discounted machines provide. Professional services use professional grade machines. They are high speed and high-quality in capabilities. They should provide High Definition 1920×1080 files at a minimum. Consumer machines don’t compare, take much longer, and run the risk of rookie mistakes. And, with memories, once damaged, you may never get them back.

Physical Care with Old Film

Be very careful with old films. Not only does it become very fragile with age, if stacked in large numbers of quantities, it can be dangerous to handle. Old film tends to have Vinegar Syndrome, a chemical reaction when the film breaks down. Open in a well-ventilated area and digitize ASAP to be safe. Additionally, some old film can be highly flammable. Keep it always stored in a and cool but dry place.

Anticipate Digital Storage Needs

Videos and films converted to digital format are going to produce very, very big files. If you want to store them properly, they should be in 3 locations for disaster recovery. You’re going to need a robust storage drive as well as backups. The digitizing service should include one Flash Drive or External Hard Drive with your order and keep a backup for no extra fee. It will be up to you to securely store a third copy preferably in a fireproof safe or safety deposit box. 

Secondly, don’t anticipate once things are digital, that’s it. Even the digital world evolves. A professional service will have a migration plan and standards set by organization such as the Society of American Archivists and the National Library of Congress.  

Help is Available

ARS Video, Inc. has worked with film and video conversion for over 35 years, handling all format types. We are a family owned and operated national company located in Ohio. We are members of the Society of American Archivists. We answer our phones and will talk to you about your project when you call. We review all the material before we start and provide an estimate with quantity discounts. We can help you with preparation before migration as well as how to plan for afterwards and long-term digital storage as well. Contact us! Give us a call or email to discuss what you have in mind. We’d be happy to discuss it and help your digitization start off on the right path.

Sean McCreary

The post 6 Tips on Converting Home Film to Digital appeared first on A.R.S. Video.

Is Legacybox Owned by Kodak?

In a word, no. Kodak actually competes with Legacybox for the same services. Yes, the famous camera and film company is still around. In fact, it got a huge infusion of funding with government support to produce chemicals needed for COVID vaccine development. However, the company still plays in the photography business. While you won’t see yellow Kodak film boxes everywhere these days, Kodak is still available for mail-in photography development services. In fact, the company was in the business courier development long before the Internet. They just retooled their operations to go the other way, converting existing prints, film, and negatives to digital copies now. They handle everything from audio tapes to medium format film and prints. All you need to do is order a pre-paid container, fill it to the brim, ship it out to Kodak’s receipt address, and the work begins converting the whole collection to digital.

Kodak provides a very competitive job too. They cover the gamut in helping with shipping, including packaging materials, and they deal with all major film and tape formats. They even deal with VHS and Betamax. The turnaround on an order is usually a month to two months, depending on the work, which is directly comparative to Legacybox. And, to add a competitive edge, Kodak is slightly cheaper in cost for its prepaid development service. Not by much, but it’s enough to wrinkle Legacybox’s marketing nose.

Is Southtree the Same as Legacy Box?

Another in the market of digitizing family photos, Southtree could easily be compared to Legacybox in terms of service type. The company generally offers multiple format conversions from physical form to digital files. Similar to Legacybox, Southtree also arranges for the shipping after the order is confirmed and paid for by the consumer. That comes in the form of a shipping box with lots of marketing pizzazz and plenty of website content support. That said, every order and package sent in goes to one place, the main processing plant in Tennessee. To compete with other players like Legacybox and Kodak, Southtree tries to play the price war and offer its services at a cheaper price point than the competitors. However, they really do end up supporting the old phrase, “you get what you pay for.” Their profile on Yelp somewhat speaks for itself in terms of a high number of less-than-stellar ratings. Their locations, web sites, and DVD labeling look uncommonly similar.

Is iMemories legitimate?

The company does operate legitimately, and iMemories goes a bit further than other competitors by combining digitizing services with image repair as well. Folks will realize as they go through old photographs, many are faded or they are damaged physically by folding, tears, stains, or physical damage. This repair service is also extended to film and video resources to be converted to digital as well. That’s not something other services automatically offer.

The company has a bit of a performance record under its belt. Some 35 million images have been processed and digitized by iMemories, and users have a significant amount of flexibility with the service to review, watch and share their images via the Internet with others through the service as well. The company also touts its safety record in never having lost an image or damaged one either. That’s not something other competitors can immediately compare to, like above.

IMemories made a point of partnering with FedEx for all of its incoming and outgoing shipping right from the start, as well as using a high-density box design that provides incredibly sturdy protection in shipping. Instead of stories with packages crushed, banging or damaged, all iMemories shipments have been fully tracked from send to destination as well as arrived in solid, top condition as well. And the end product is provided in Blu-Ray disc, DVD, and similar high-storage digital formats for convenient archiving and transfer.

How Much Does It Cost to Use Legacybox?

A single order for Legacybox will cost a prepaid charge of about $50 in most marketing messages. However, that’s only the base cost to get started. It generally pays for two items, which are either one film, one video, or a small package of 25 photo prints. This price is normally $59.99 for the processing, but the company is discounting it to $30. Sounds like a deal, but then there is the fee for how you want to access the product. That’s right, you only pay for the processing; a customer actually has to pay extra for the actual access. An additional $6 charge is applied for every option of one-time download, an annual access download, a thumb drive, or a CD disc set. By the time one is done with a robust conversion, the cost is more like $200-$600 for a full collection conversion, which most families typically have. Budget-conscious consumers end up having to filter their memories for just the particular photographs and video or two they want to convert at a time.

ARS Video, Inc Digital Conversion Service

First off, ARS Video is family-owned, so there’s a perspective in the company that matches the nature of the customer. You’re digitizing images to save memories for your family and to share them with future generations. ARS management fundamentally builds and maintains its business model around this important premise.

In terms of initial delivery and review, there is no mail-only relationship. They answer their phones. ARS Video can receive collections in person or via courier, including tracking and updating on when the materials are received and when they will be shipped back. There is no prepay nonsense; ARS reviews the package and then contacts the customer with a real quote what it will take to produce a high-quality digital conversion. This customizes pricing to the customer specifically. The customer only pays at pickup or when complete and ready to ship back without any surprises.

All film and video content are converted to high definition 1920×1080 digital files to match modern displays and computer viewers. The storage format of either a flash drive that plays on your TV and PC or DVD is included in the price. There is no extra ala carte charges or surprise fees. The digital files are also backed up onsite for future copies at no additional cost. Videos are costed by the hour, and physical film by the foot. ARS also provides discounted pricing for bulk orders as well, providing additional savings for big collections.

ARS is not a fly-by-night either. The company has been dealing with film transfer work since the late 1980s, naturally migrating to digital conversion as it became the primary mode of storage. Based in the Ohio Valley, ARS continues to serve customers and memories faithfully, providing a very viable alternative to unknown shipping companies and poor-quality digitization. They are also members of the Society of American Archivists and can provide archive level quality. When your memories matter, ARS is ready to help. Call them, they will pick up the phone. 

Sean McCreary

The post Is There Another Company Like Legacybox? appeared first on A.R.S. Video.

• Ease of use: You should be able to upload and manage your videos using the service efficiently.
• Storage space: Make sure the service offers enough storage space for all of your videos.
• Backup options: Look for a service that offers multiple backup options, such as cloud storage and physical media.
• File format support: The service should support all standard video file formats.
• Pricing: Compare the pricing plans of different video archive services to find one that fits your budget.

What is Video Archiving?

Video archiving is the process of storing digital video files for video conversion and long-term preservation. This is done on physical media, such as DVDs, hard drives, or the cloud. Video archiving solutions is essential for businesses and individuals who want to keep their videos safe and accessible for years to come.

Many video archiving services can help you store and manage your videos. These services typically offer a variety of features, such as storage space, backup options, and file format support. Some video archive services are free, while others charge a monthly or yearly fee.

When choosing a video archive service, it’s essential to consider your needs and budget. You’ll need a service with plenty of storage space if you have many videos to store. And if you want to be able to access your videos from anywhere, look for a service that offers cloud storage.

What are the Benefits of Video Archiving?

There are many benefits of video archiving and film conversion, such as:

1. Preserving memories: Videos are a great way to preserve memories. By archiving your videos, you can ensure they’ll be safe and accessible for years.
2. Sharing memories: With video archiving, you can easily share your videos with friends and family. This is especially helpful if you have videos that are hard to find or format.
3. Organizing files: Video archiving can help you organize your video files in a central location. This makes it easy to find and view your videos and helps to keep your video collection organized.
4. Saving space: If you have many videos, archiving them can save space on your hard drive or other storage devices.

What are the Different Types of Video Archiving?

There are two main types of video archiving: physical and cloud-based.

Physical video archiving involves storing video files on physical media, such as DVDs or hard drives. This is a good option if you want to keep your videos offline or if you have many videos to store. However, it’s important to note that physical media can be damaged or lost.

Cloud-based video archiving involves storing video files in the cloud. This is a good option if you want to be able to access your videos from anywhere. However, choosing a reputable and reliable cloud storage service is crucial. 

How Do You Preserve a Video?

There are several ways to preserve a video. The best way to preserve a video depends on the type of video, its format, and your personal preferences.

Here are some tips for preserving videos:

• Convert video files to a universal format: If you have video files in multiple formats, consider converting them to a universal format, such as MP4. This will make it easier to view and share your videos.
• Store video files in the cloud: Cloud storage is an excellent option for preserving videos. With cloud storage, you can access your videos from anywhere and be sure they’re backed up in case of data loss.
• Store video files on physical media: If you want to keep your videos offline, you can store them on physical media, such as DVDs or hard drives. Just be sure to store them in a safe place where they won’t be damaged or lost.
• Back up video files: It’s always a good idea to back up your videos. This way, you’ll have a copy if anything happens to the original file.

There are a few things to keep in mind when archiving videos:

• File format: Make sure your video files are in a standard format, such as MPEG-4 or H.264. This will ensure that they can play on different devices and platforms.
• File size: Large video files can take up much space. You may consider compressing your video files if you have limited storage space.
• Resolution: The resolution of your video files will determine how clear they look when played back. If you want to preserve the quality of your videos, choose a high-resolution format.

What is the Best Way to Archive Data?

The best way to archive data is to use a combination of physical and cloud-based storage. This will ensure that your information is safe and accessible, no matter where you are.

If you have a lot of data to store, you may want to consider using an external hard drive or SSD for physical storage. For cloud-based storage, look for a service that offers unlimited storage space and robust security features.

Why Video Archiving Makes the Best Gift?

Video archiving is the perfect way to preserve your memories. You can keep your videos safe and secure and access them from anywhere with video archiving. Video archiving makes it easy to share your videos with friends and family.

There are several reasons why video archiving makes the best gift:

• It’s easy to use: Video archiving is easy to use, even for beginners. With just a few clicks, you can archive your videos and start sharing them with loved ones.
• It’s affordable: Video archiving is an affordable way to preserve your memories. You can find many video archive services that offer free or low-cost plans.
• It’s convenient: You can access your videos from anywhere with video archiving. This means you can watch them on your computer, phone, or tablet, even if you’re not at home.
• It’s secure: Video archiving is a way to store your videos. With video archive services, you can password-protect your videos and ensure they’re safe from prying eyes.

Let ARS Video Handle Your Archiving Solutions

Times have changed since the old VHS tapes that recorded videos through the lens of a video camera. Imagine sitting with the family, reminiscing on old memories captured on video. Don’t you wish those old-time videos would last forever? Now you can have the video archiving solutions that bring today’s technology to your screen as you watch your memories play over and over again.

At A.R.S. Video, we have a video archive service that can help you preserve your memories. We offer a variety of video archiving solutions, including cloud storage and physical media. Plus, we can help you share your videos with loved ones and can make all the copies you need.

Thanks for choosing A.R.S. Video! If you’re looking for a video archive service, we invite you to check our website and contact us today. We would be happy to answer any questions you have about our services.

Sean McCreary

The post What’s the Best Way to Archive Videos? appeared first on A.R.S. Video.

An Interesting, Unknown Beginning

What was the first VHS movie? The VHS phenomenon started a bit earlier, and most people have no idea when or where it occurred either. If asked where the first VHS movie was ever released, most folks will assume it was in California and probably learn L.A. since Hollywood pretty much dominates the movie and TV industry. Neither of those answers is correct.

Instead, the very first VHS movie made commercially available for consumers to buy was produced in South Korea of all places. And it happened even earlier than most people think: 1976. Today, this information can be looked up in a few seconds via an online search engine, starting with the capital letter G, for example.

However, even well into the 1980s, 1 out of 10,000 people probably still would not have guessed the answer right. The movie itself, The Young Teacher, never won an Oscar, much less gained any recognition in any museum dedicated to film history. However, the Asian movie was, in fact, the first production recorded and distributed on VHS format just before the big movie hit of the decade, Star Wars, hit the box office back in the U.S.

The Real Kickstart to the VHS Market

If, on the other hand, one wanted to know the first VHS movie that was made available in U.S. markets, it would be a different title. That honor goes to some very familiar titles that were sold all at the same time. MASH, Patton, and The Sound of Music were among the first of about 50 different movies that Magnetic Video released based on licensing it purchased from 20th Century Fox and permission to re-release the titles.

It was a smart move as the classic titles immediately got people’s attention, especially the MASH episodes and the ability to reminisce while watching old movies and TV shows all over again instead of waiting for them to come up in re-run cycles on TV. Soon enough, demand started pushing for the release of anything made 30 years before, and box VHS sets became a thing as well.

VHS is Long Gone, Along with Sony Walkman and Big Box Mac Desktops

Today, it’s probably a bit of a challenge to find VHS movies still intact and playable. Most have been overplayed and destroyed, or they’ve been replaced with DVD versions, which are much more durable. Many tapes were lost to poor storage and temperature damage, particularly heat. And those that survived all those risks and remained intact probably don’t play well, as many of the machines that did play them have fallen apart as well. Like the Sony Walkman, VHS tapes have essentially come and gone.

That last big bastion was news stations that used VHS tapes extensively for quick recordings and archiving of various stories, broadcasts, and reporting changeouts. However, all of that can be traced back to Magnetic Video’s “Hail Mary” move to generate an additional revenue stream selling take-home movies of classic titles. And before that, the credit goes to an unheard-of South Korean flick that made the VHS format pop up and be noticed, even if it took a while to get to the U.S. coast.

Restoring VHS Movies

It is a good idea to have movies transferred over to a digital version for your viewing pleasure. You can still hang on to your now vintage copy of The Young Teacher and save this for prosperity’s sake. After all, there will never be another movie made on VHS by a movie studio.

If you need film restoration or conversion services, we do it all at A.R.S. Video, so contact us in Tallmadge, OH today!

Sean McCreary

The post What Was the First VHS Movie? appeared first on A.R.S. Video.

That said, lots of folks are finding themselves stuck with old film reels, especially when it comes time to clean out an old closet or go through the estate of a loved one. And believe it or not, those 8mm films can be converted to a digital format to enjoy on today’s devices. You won’t need to scrounge around and look for the film projector as well (with technology that old, would it still work anyway?)

How to Convert 8mm Movie Film

It is technically possible to convert 8mm film yourself, but it is not recommended! Aside from the investment in time and equipment needed to make this happen, video quality can be lost in the process. 

The easiest and most convenient way to convert 8mm films into a digital format is to utilize a service like A.R.S. Video. With state-of-the-art film conversion equipment, A.R.S. Video can even up-convert your film to a high-definiton format, ideal for playing on a modern TV.  

Why Go with a Service Versus Home Equipment?

Yes, technically, a lot of home conversions can be self-done. However, doing the job really well only comes with experience, and the quality of the conversion equipment. Specialists who regularly develop and convert film do so a hundred times every week, working with the right equipment and knowing exactly how to adjust the settings for the right result. A.R.S. Video, for instance, has 35+ years of experience in video conversion. 

If you have never worked on such equipment, you’re going to make a lot of mistakes at first, learning by trial and error. Would you really take the chance of makingDo you want  your mistakes to be based on home movies that might be priceless family treasures? This is the risk. Where it really matters, going with a service may be the better choice, even if it does cost a bit more.

Think About Storage

Today, home movies are almost all made on mobile devices, most of which can fit in your pocket. Not only is the movie-making equipment smaller, but the amount of data that can be held on a phone far out-sizes anything 8mm reels could record in one session. In contrast, storing film reels can require lots of space on the shelf or in the closet. 

From this perspective, converting film reels to digital is a smart idea and will help preserve the memories contained inside. However, once your film is converted to digital, it becomes important not to lose it! You’ll need to store the files on a computer, in your home storage, or on the cloud. 

To provide you with peace of mind, A.R.S. Video backs up and archives your footage should you lose it or run into any issues. There is also “up-convert” footage which is done to fit on large screens without losing image quality. Either way, movies take up a lot of data converted to digital. If you don’t have the storage path figured out ahead of time, this could be a bit of a surprise. Anticipate that for every 8mm reel, you will need at least 5 gigabytes for every 800 feet of film (around 48 minutes.) For high definition, double that number, and for high resolution, Apple type conversions, triple the figure to almost 30 gigabytes. 

8mm movies can be saved and developed with a bit of planning and choosing the path that makes the best sense for your realistic situation, time, and money. And you can always alternate. For museums, archivists, or others who have a large collection of films, you will save significant time and ensure quality and peace of mind by using a service like A.R.S. Video. 

Or, if you want to learn how to develop your own, use some 8mm film that you’re not worried about damaging and can practice with. However, considering the time needed and the necessary investment in home equipment, is it worth the difference in quality? 

The friendly team at A.R.S. Video is standing by to help with advice to help you get your film ready for conversion or recovery. If you would like to learn more about how we can carefully convert your film while preserving the original footage, please contact us in Tallmadge, OH today!

Sean McCreary

The post How to Develop an 8mm Movie Film appeared first on A.R.S. Video.

If you are an owner or collector of VHS tapes and movies, you want to protect your own investment in this area of entertainment.

Here is something to consider. There have not been any new VHS tapes produced in more than a decade. In fact, no movies are made onto VHS tapes at all anymore.

Do you know the name of the last movie that went on a VHS tape cassette?

We have that answer and more here at ARS Video.

Find out what that final film was to be put out on VHS and see if you have it in your VHS library and movie collection. 

What is the Name of the Last Movie on VHS

Without any further suspense, the final movie that was put out on a VHS tape cassette for the general public was titled A History of Violence.

What a shocking name for a movie to hold such a record!

Why did they choose this movie to be the last one to go to the VHS version of film production?

It really does make you wonder about why they chose this particular movie, considering the context and gravity of not producing VHS movies anymore.

However, that is the name of the movie and it was produced and released by David Cronenberg.

The movie was based on a book, a graphic novel with the same title. The book version was authored by Josh Olson.

The film adaptation is considered to be an action thriller and stars the popular actor, Viggo Mortensen.

The action thriller was finished a year before it was released on VHS tape, which we will cover in a moment. 

About A History of Violence

A History of Violence is a story about a restaurant owner, played by Mortensen, who lives in Indiana in a rural town.

There Mortensen, who acts as Tom Stall, lives with his wife and their two children.

His wife is played by Maria Bello, and the story gets right into when Stall gets into a situation with some would-be robbers at his restaurant.

It is more like an old-fashioned diner, rather than a restaurant if that helps you any.

The story continues when Stall commits murder out of self-defense against these criminals.

As you can imagine, the story is violent, and the movie maintains this thriller vibe throughout the film.

While not a huge success, the movie features some popular actors and actresses that are interesting to some.

The Year: 2006

When did this movie, A History of Violence, get released onto VHS tape?

The date was March 14, and the year 2006 was when the last film was released on a VHS tape.

Viewers had been watching movies on DVD and Blu-Ray for so long that they were now going to be able to go without new VHS movies and still had plenty of a selection to choose from.

Also, technology was advanced beyond VHS, and VHS tape players and recorders were also becoming obsolete.

As a result, the choice of movie studios was made, and the final VHS movie was produced, A History of Violence.

Restoring a VHS Movie

If you have a copy of A History of Violence on a VHS tape, it is a good investment to have this tape restored.

By restoring your VHS tapes, you can remove any dirt or bacteria, and regain the near-original state of the tape and cassette box.

However, you may still be unable to watch the movie from the VHS tape.

Therefore, it is a good idea to have the movie transferred over to a digital version for your viewing pleasure.

You can still hang on to your now vintage copy of A History of Violence and save this for prosperity’s sake.

After all, there will never be another movie made on VHS by a movie studio.

This is the last one!

If you need film restoration services click here, we do it all!

Sean McCreary

The post What was the Last Movie Released on VHS? appeared first on A.R.S. Video.

This is where drone footage becomes a huge asset with a great payout.

You are able to hone in on exactly the areas where you want to capture aerial footage using the video camera on the drone.

Plus, when you hire a team like ARS Video in the Midwest to do your pre construction phase drone footage shots, you are going to improve the results.

What is the Pre-Construction Phase?

Pre construction phase is the time before a construction project begins. This is when any planning and research goes into the project.

Everything that can be managed with video and photo evidence will greatly speed up this process.

Construction crews are able to digitize information about construction sites, which allows team members to see elements and areas of the site in real time. 

“During the pre-construction phase, a strategic plan must be created, a budget and timeline must be agreed upon, a design for the project is begun and finalized, permitting is acquired, and procurement of both labor and resources occurs,” according to Gilliland Construction Management.

This is highly beneficial for any early phase construction project and is part of the commercial inspection process. Having drone footage available to carry out the pre-construction phase increases accuracy and results. Drone footage in high definition (HD) will provide the visual evidence necessary for making better decisions about construction projects.

Why Choose Pre-Construction Drone Footage

The reason why our customers come to ARS Video for pre-construction drone footage is to take some of the workload off of their crew.

With pre construction phase video footage captured from a drone, everyone on the project has the information they need to better visualize the scope and location of each aspect.

This can improve workplace safety and the foot and car traffic patterns on a construction site.

However, there are many reasons why you need pre-construction video services.

Do I Need Pre-Construction Video Services

When considering what you need to optimize your work zone for a construction project, video services might be on the table.

If you are considering the use of pre-construction video services, these include professional drone footage captured by an HD video camera.

The footage is then digitized into the proper format for your perusal.

Some of the reasons why our customers choose pre-construction video services:

• Provides a video survey that can be used in a court case for forensic video analysis  
• Establishes haul routes for a logging crew
• Identifies the location of an emergency utility line replacement
• Services a contractor searching for a sewer line
• Finding a water source on a rugged backwoods property
• Establish a land survey for a new home build
• Set out the boundaries on a major scale construction zone

The use of pre-construction video services ensures your team has all of the data necessary to make smarter calls.

For example, if you are unable to track down equipment, call ARS Video and have them conduct a survey using drone footage.

This will allow you to identify your equipment and/or inventory or other assets for use and more timely maintenance services.

Choosing ARS Video for Pre-Construction Phase Footage

The ideal solution when managing your pre-construction phase footage is to contact the pros.

Here at ARS Video, we have the high-grade technology you want to take advantage of for your drone footage.

We understand how to operate a drone video camera and are fully stocked with video capture capabilities. 

Let our team help you by conducting pre-construction phase drone footage for your construction site.

Whether you are a residential homeowner building your first house, or a commercial contractor who needs regular drone video services, we’ve got the capacity to serve your needs.

Contact ARS Video today and get a quote on your services.

Sean McCreary

The post What is the Pre Construction Phase? appeared first on A.R.S. Video.

Yes, that’s right, you can actually recycle VHS tape. Before you do, though, make sure to convert the film footage into a digital DVD with professional conversion services.

Preserve the memories without gathering dust with stacks of cased VHS tapes, which tend to degrade over time anyway.

How to Recycle VHS Tapes

The simplest answer to “can I recycle VHS tapes” is “yes.” However, there are conditions and the system for recycling VHS tapes varies from recycling newspapers.

Also, many stores will actually take your VHS tapes and pay you for them. Check out used vinyl and game shops, such as the Last Stop CD Shop in South Dakota.

Privately held used media shops will often pay you money to take used tapes, CDs, and other forms of media recordings from you to resell in what they call “vintage” quality.

So don’t discount trying to resell your old VHS movies and television shows—as long as they are not bootleg or recorded from home.

Licensed media is needed if you want to sell old VHS tapes. Amazon is another place to sell used VHS tapes.

If you have a load of licensed VHS movies and TV shows, you can consistently make a small amount of money on the side as an income by posting them on Amazon’s marketplace.

What about those places where you can recycle VHS tapes? Generally, the VHS recyclers differ from your typical recycling centers and bins.

Start by searching on Earth911 and the site’s Recycling Search engine for “CDs & Tapes Recycling” or for “VHS tapes.”

Either one of those terms, along with your city or zip code, will provide you with a list of stores that will accept your used VHS tapes for resell, such as Value Village in Washington.

Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, Sharing and Caring, or thrift stores will most likely take viewable VHS tapes as well.

Most will also take non-viewable ones; Goodwill is reported to recycle old VHS tapes.

Another excellent place to go if you have access to shipping is GreenDisk.

They allow for shipping of e-waste, including VHS tapes, to their disposal center.

You may be surprised at the local recycling places near you that take VHS tapes. In Greater Seattle, for example, stores that take recycled VHS tapes include Recycle Washington, SBK Recycle, Deseret Industries, and A Plus Removal and Recycling.

Ultimately, with any VHS tape that is ready for the recycling bin, choose whether the tape is playable and can be resold to someone with a VHS player, or if it is ready for the dumpster.

If the VHS tape is garbage, then find the closest recycling center that accepts VHS tapes.

Be Sure to Convert Before Recycling    

Prior to recycling VHS tapes, make sure to find a company that offers state-of-the-art VHS conversion services. This will allow you to capture the important data from the VHS tape, and provide you with a digital backup.

If you have a questionable quality of VHS tape, converting the footage to digital may improve the video and audio quality.

There are many reasons why you should opt for VHS Conversion Services with your VHS tapes. If you have home movies that you want to save but lack a VCR player to watch them on your television, opt for VHS conversion services.

This process digitizes the VHS tapes. You can either burn the VHS recorded footage onto new DVDs or watch the digitized version directly using a computer.

This allows for more modernization of your home entertainment system. All of your video footage can be stored in the cloud for even more optimization of your data.

Removing physical VHS tapes when decluttering your home entertainment cabinet sure saves a lot of space for storing other belongings.

Plus, you reduce the amount of dust that is accumulated on VHS tapes and boxes. Make your home a healthier place to breathe by reducing these dusty tapes.

Choose to use VHS conversion services to transfer movies, television shows, or home recordings from VHS tapes so you can toss these tapes in the recycling bin.

Cut down on allergens and prevent the tapes from collecting mold and bacteria.

However, the biggest reason why you want to have a digital backup of memories and recordings from VHS tapes is that these are preserved and protected.

If you have family history recorded on VHS tapes, it is worthwhile to preserve these for the future generations of your family to be able to appreciate and enjoy them.

This will help you protect your family heritage and the roots in your family tree.

Before you recycle VHS tapes, get a digital backup of the tape footage so it is not lost forever.

Contact Us     

ARS Video supports all types of VHS conversion services, no matter what kind of VHS tape you have in storage.

Let us assist you with proper VHS tape conversion services before you recycle your VHS tapes. Contact us today to get started with converting from VHS to DVD digital.

Sean McCreary

The post How to Recycle VHS Tapes? appeared first on A.R.S. Video.

FILM

8mm and Super 8 FILM were popular from 1940 to 1980.  The film is on a reel and played back on a projector displayed on a screen.  If you were to hold the film up to a light you would see tiny picture on it.  Each 3 inch reel plays for about 4 minutes.  Often times people spliced the 3 inch reels onto larger reels so they would not have to rewind and reload so often.

VIDEO

Regular8, Hi8 and Digital8 (D8) VIDEO were popular in the 1990 and early 2000s.  The cameras were small and recorded up to 2 hours.  The tapes looked the same for all 3 formats.  If you were to hold it up to a light you would not see tiny pictures.  2 things to know are 

1) You must have a compatible 8mm video player to play them back and not every player/camcorder will play all 3 video formats.  For example, if you play back a D8 in a Regular8 or Hi8 machine you will only see static. 

2) There was never an adapter made to play them in a VHS machine.  You need to connect the yellow, red and white wires that came with the camcorder to the VCR.  There was an adapter made to play a VHS-C video tape in a VHS player but NOT for any of the 8mm formats.

Knowing this will save you a lot of time and frustration if you are trying to convert the tapes to digital files.  

One last thing to know, if it is on a reel that looks like film, but is a brown colored tape without pictures on it, it is an audio reel to reel – no video and requires a special reel to reel player. 

Sean McCreary

The post 8mm Facts, Film vs Video appeared first on A.R.S. Video.

Such a shame all those memories are stuck on audio cassette tapes that are either too fragile to play, or the tape decks on which to play them are so difficult to come by.  

If only there was some way of transferring all old audio from cassette to blank compact discs (CDs) or digital files.

Well, thanks to a range of technological advancements over the years, your wish has just come true!

You will be happy to know that, with the right equipment, it is now very possible to record all your old audio currently trapped in cassette tape land onto CD.

How, you ask? Please, read on.

This offering seeks to explain in SIX easy steps, how to transfer audio from cassette tape to CD – at home:

1. At home, make sure you have a cassette player with a clean head and an audio RCA output; a “Y” stereo adapter with RCA cables at both ends; a desktop computer or laptop with a sound card and sound recording software. 
2. With both your cassette and computer turned off, follow the color code of your RCA cables to connect them to both your cassette player and the line-in of the computer’s sound card.
3. Turn on both your cassette player and computer. Open the computer’s sound recording software and click on the “RECORD” button and, at the same time, also press “PLAY” on the cassette player. Make sure volume is low on both devices.
4. Once the audio cassette player has finished playing, click the “STOP” button of your computer’s sound recording software. Click on “FILE” and then the “SAVE” button to save the audio file to your preferred location on your computer. 
5. If your computer’s sound recording software allows, proceed to edit any unwanted sounds. Once editing is over, your file is ready to transfer to CD.
6. Insert a writable blank CD into your computer’s drive. Click on the saved edited file and click “BURN”. Your computer’s drive should commence copying/burning the file onto the CD in the drive. You can play the CD when burning is complete. 

The Best Way to Transfer the Audio is to Convert 

Although transferring audio from cassette tape to CD by yourself is possible and quite simple, however, for technical and other reasons, we, at ARS, have found the resultant sound quality is not always the best.

For this reason, we recommend converting the audio cassette content by digitizing it to an updated digital media format.   

How, you ask again? By letting ARS Video professionally and proficiently handle the conversion for you, of course!  

Indeed, whilst transferring audio from cassette tape to CD by yourself is a personal accomplishment and enables you to play it for as long as the CD remains unscratched and unbroken, one sure way of preserving your audio cassette content is by digitizing it to an updated digital media format, such as a flash-drive.

By so doing, not only will the audio from the cassette tape be preserved for longer, but it will also be in a more convenient playback format.

In addition, in a digital format, the share-ability of personal recordings is equally increased.  

Without a doubt, converting audio cassette content by digitizing it to an updated digital media format, is and remains the best way to preserve, protect and play all those precious yesteryear voices, sounds and songs.

Contact Us  

Are you ready to convert those precious yesteryear voices, sounds and songs on audio cassette tapes to digital forms for continued use?

Then bring your audio cassette to us for a free quote – contact us by clicking here!

We won’t charge you until the conversion is complete and ready for your listening pleasure.

Sean McCreary

The post How to Transfer Audio From Cassette Tape to CD? appeared first on A.R.S. Video.