Convert Your Videos To DVDs

Don’t let your videos and films slip into the dustbin of history, never to be watched again. Get them converted to DVDs or other digital formats. Then have multiple copies made to send to as many people as you wish.

Videotapes and Camcorder Tapes to DVD

Replace your clunky videotapes with sleek DVDs. Not only do videotapes take up lots of space, but there is usually only one copy available. If you possess all the videotapes, other interested parties are missing out. With DVDs, you can easily distribute copies. Moreover, the quality of videotapes degrades over time. Not DVDs.

The same holds true for camcorder cassettes. If they’re converted to DVD, not only can multiple copies easily be made, but watching them is simpler because you don't have to plug your camcorder into your TV every time. And with a DVD you can seamlessly skip forward, skip backward, or jump from place to place throughout the video.

Movie Projector Film to DVD

Do you have home movies or other films stored away, which no one can ever watch because of the need for an ancient movie projector? Prevent your movie memories from being lost forever - before it’s too late, because film degrades over time. Have us put them on a DVD so that you can easily watch them on your TV.

Formats Accepted

Each DVD can contain up to about an hour and a half of video. We convert the following formats to DVD:

• VHS, VHS-C, S-VHS, Mini-digital (MiniDV), 8mm (Video8, Hi-8 or Digital8), Betamax, Betacam SP, standard-sized DVCAM tapes, and PAL (non-North American format) VHS and Video8.
• 8mm, Super 8mm, or 16mm movie projector film.
• Slides (to DVD or CD).
• Prints (to DVD or CD).
• Cassette and reel-to-reel audio tapes (to CD, WAV, or MP3).

In addition to DVD, we can also convert your video to formats suitable for Web streaming, PowerPoint presentations, archiving, or other uses. Such formats include MPEG-4, WMV, Quicktime, MP4, PSP, and Real.

Customized DVDs

Get a colorful introductory menu with background music, with a title describing what's on the DVD. It would include a scene-selection menu (including written descriptions, if desired), so that you can start viewing from a particular scene. See below for an example. Upbeat music plays in the background unless you request otherwise. Click here to hear a snippet.

Title menu	Scene selection menu

You can opt for DVD discs with printed-on titles, dates and locations, and descriptions of the contents, as well as a DVD case with a custom label. (See examples at left.) And your DVD disc and/or case can have a background image, which could be a custom image such as a particular photo.

For silent film, consider having us insert background music. Previous customers have concluded that such an option is highly desirable because with DVDs, something is needed to replace the familiar-sounding hum of the movie projector. Otherwise, watching in total silence can be difficult to get used to. Click here to listen to snippets of our standard background music.

Click here to view a list of the various other options and pricing. And if you would like multiple copies of DVDs, see our rate chart for duplication.)

Snazzy Intros

How about a Hollywood classic-style menu and introduction? Click on the link below to view the 45-second introduction that you can choose to have inserted at the beginning of your home movies. With this option, your menu pages would be Hollywood-themed as well.

Hollywood Classic:
Windows Media Player format (click to view)
QuickTime format

For your wedding video - whether you're just married or decades married - wow your spouse with the following wedding introduction (click link to view). The menu pages would be wedding-themed, with your photos as backgrounds if desired.

Stylish Wedding Intro:
Windows Media Player format (click to view)
QuickTime format

Video Editing

Our video editing and enhancement options include:

* creating chapter points corresponding to certain locations in the video (scene selection)
* inserting transitions between scenes (such as fade in/fade out)
* rearranging footage
* deleting or appending footage
* adding titles
* cropping scenes
* adjusting the color, contrast, or brightness of scenes
* adding music or other audio
* creating slideshows
* creating still shots

Also, a common phenomenon is where video of a vacation or other special event begins in the middle or near the end of one videotape or camcorder tape, and then continues onto another tape. This can be awkward. In the DVD conversion process, if you desire we can put the entire special event onto one DVD.

How to Contact Us

To get a price estimate or if you have any questions, e-mail us or call 866-805-2425 or 703-378-0202.

How to Place Your Order

To get started, gather up your videotapes, camcorder cassettes, film reels and/or other material, and label them as best you can - particularly on the tape shell itself as opposed to the case. If you would like them put onto DVDs in a particular order, number them.

Download and fill out the order form, and e-mail it back to us and/or include it with your materials to be converted.

For camcorder cassettes, if there is a certain place where you'd like a new "chapter" to begin, or a certain section you'd like to delete, etc., write down the timecode(s) corresponding to that location, along with instructions for us, and chapter titles if desired.
When sending us the material, use a service that offers tracking such as FedEx or UPS, unless you have back-up copies of the material. Or consider using US Priority Mail (which has a reputation for reliability). And for movie reels, use a box because metal reels have been known to slice through envelopes during shipment.

If you are local you can drop off your material here at our Chantilly, Virginia location. Or, we will pick them up for a fee (typically a 10-mile radius).

Once your order is complete, we will ship you your materials via Priority Mail - or FedEx or UPS ground or overnight if you prefer. Or, if you are local you can either pick up your materials, or have us (for a fee) send or deliver them to you.

In addition to checks, we accept credit cards.