For many people, photos, negatives, videos, and films of their loved ones are where all their memories are held. The idea of losing those memories is unthinkable. Fortunately, technological advances mean that these items can easily be digitized, preserving them in a convenient, safe, and shareable way.

The availability of devices that can convert film, negatives, and photographs to a digital medium may have some people thinking that this is a project they can tackle themselves. But there are several reasons why working with a reputable conversion service is ideal. Consider some benefits of using a professional company to safeguard your precious memories by making them digital.

Size Matters

Professionals use highly technical and precise equipment to convert documents, photos, negatives, film, and video to digital files. The devices available to the layman to convert digital files may be more affordable, but they may compress the size of files during conversion. This can lead to a lower resolution, fuzzier images, or – in the case of moving pictures – loss of clarity while playing. With photos, the higher the resolution, the better quality for any prints wanted in the future. Remember that sharing files will often cause further compression, so beginning with the best quality digital file possible is essential.

Staying Neat and Clean

Let’s face it, many items that need to be converted to digital files have not been kept in optimal conditions. Photographs may have tears or watermarks, and films or videos have likely not been kept in archival vaults. Add to this the problem with many video tapes — those plastic covers used by so many can contribute to causing more moisture to accumulate on the tapes. This can cause a gummy situation known as “sticky shed” that, if not handled properly, will make conversion impossible. Not only can sticky shed ruin videos, but it can also destroy any VCR used for conversion. Professional services, like ARS Video, understand how to deal with this issue. We have the proper equipment, materials, and expertise to deal with sticky shed and save memories on videotape.

The Out of the Ordinary

Film and video come in many different formats. Finding equipment to convert less popular film formats can take time and effort. Still, ARS Video can convert whatever format holds a family’s memories, including VHS, VHS-C, Hi-8, MicroMV and Betamax, MiniDV, DVCAM, HDV, Betacam SP, U-Matic Tape, and DVC Pro.

Color Us Happy

The chemicals used to show color in photographs, negatives, videos, and film can fade over time. The older the item being converted, the more likely that some form of color correction will be needed. If the plan is to convert files to digital and save the best version of each image, working with a professional video services company like ARS Video is essential. Professional color correction is nearly impossible to duplicate in a do-it-yourself effort.

Sounding Off

Just as preserving or enhancing color on converted items is a specialized skill, so is optimizing the sound for any film or video. Work with a professional who understands that memories should be seen and heard.

Staying Organized

Even the most organized do-it-yourselfer could get lost in a large digital conversion project. Working with a professional allows them to take their best practices and collaborate with each customer to develop a system that will allow for fast, easy retrieval of files once they are digitized. Since most programs that organize digital files have search capabilities, finding digitized pictures becomes much easier than searching through boxes in the back of a closet!

Memories In, Memories Out

In the process of digitizing, there are opportunities to edit and reuse those files. ARS Video can preserve the video of a child’s recital and edit out the reruns of Doogie Howser, MD, at the end of that tape. Plus, ARS Video’s expertise allows editing many memory files into one high-quality presentation that can be used to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, or other significant family milestones.

Why Digitizing is Important

Digitizing family memories has so many benefits. Years of accumulated photos, films, and videos can all be stored on a device as small as a flash drive. For additional safety, saving these files on the cloud means you’ll never have to worry about a fire, natural disaster, or de-cluttering to compromise your memories. Plus, you’ll be able to view and share these files from anywhere with an internet connection. Sharing family history becomes much easier on ancestry sites and social media. And with high-quality images, like those digitally preserved by ARS Video, anyone with access to these files can easily make their own prints in the size that works for them.

Memories are too significant and precious to trust to unqualified hands. Just because your uncle watched a few videos on YouTube about preservation doesn’t mean he can handle the scope of digitizing the most important memories for your family.

Why ARS Video?

Since we began preserving memories over 35 years ago, ARS Video has been a family-owned, high-tech company. Because of our experience, expertise, and focus on customer service, we understand the importance of every project entrusted to us. We stay current on the latest technology and use it to provide a quality product. Excellent customer service is a priority; our pricing is upfront and fair, with no hidden costs.

ARS Video

Since 1987, the ARS Video team has been preserving precious memories and valuable archival footage through video transfer, film digitization and more media services for customers across the USA. Our team is always watching for new technology trends and is proud to have been at the forefront of analog media conversions for many years. Committed to customer service excellence and to delivering a great final product for our customers – many of whom are repeat partners over the years – we blog about trends in digitization,  high tech vs low tech, culture milestones, and tips for getting the most out of your valuable recorded media. Thanks for reading!

The post Should You Do Your Own Film Conversion or Let ARS Video Convert It? 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.