Video 2000

We will transfer your Video 2000 tapes direct to a computer using a Philips VR2324 via scart connection to ensure you get the best quality from your old videotape. We connect the video recorder directly to a broadcast quality encoder which is the Canopus ADVC3000, this enables us to clean up the video signal by removing chroma (colour) and luma (Mono) noise within the picture. As well as removing noise the white and black threshold is also improved and there is also horizontal and vertical outline enhance to improve the picture before capture. The audio and picture are also locked to ensure that there is no sync issues or audio delay, the signal is then sent to a computer using either Firewire or SDI connections.

When capturing your video footage we use Adobe Premiere Pro which allows us to capture your footage as an AVI file, the file will be captured using the DV codec which gives a file size of around 15GB for every hour of footage captured. When capturing via SDI we capture it as a raw file making it perfect for video editing, a raw AVI has a size of around 70GB per hour. We usually don’t give customers these files as they are the capture files we use to create your final file for DVD, Mpeg 4 (h.264) or other codecs that you may require.

DVD

For the transfer to DVD we typically capture using a firewire connection, once your tape is captured we will then remove overscan from your video footage, overscan is the black space around your video when captured digitally. We will also capture your tape in its native aspect ratio which is 4.3 giving black bars at each side of the picture when viewed on widescreen televisions or monitors. Your DVD comes supplied in a slimline jewel case with a title printed on the disc, you can tell us what title you would like or we will use the title from the label on your videotape.

DVD Extras

We offer a range of services to enhance the presentation and viewing of your DVD, we can supply your DVD in a plastic case with a full-colour cover showing nine photographs taken from your video footage, the disc will also show some of the nine photos along with the title. There is an additional charge of £5 per tape which is paid on top of the standard transfer price. this option is popular when giving the DVD as a gift or for a special occasion.

Another option is to get your tape upscaled to HD and put onto a Blu-Ray disc, we can upscale your footage without causing any additional pixelation, we are also able to change the aspect ratio to 15.9 which gives you a wider picture on your widescreen television, it does, however, crop a little at the top and bottom of the picture.

Digital Files

Mpeg 4 (h.264)

When transferring to Mpeg 4 (h.264) files we transfer your videotape to the computer using a firewire connection, once your videotape is captured we will remove overscan from your video footage, overscan is the black space around your video when captured digitally. We will also capture your tape in its native aspect ratio which is 4.3 giving black bars at each side of the picture when viewed on widescreen televisions or monitors.

For long tapes, we can give you a single file or if preferred can split your footage into several files. We encode your video files at a high bitrate of at least 7Mbps which matches the quality of DVD and as such the files you receive will be large. As a rough estimate every hour of footage takes up approximately 3GB, we can also produce smaller files on request if you’re looking to email or upload your files online. Once your files are ready we can put them on to a USB drive or you can use our online downloading service where your files will be available to download for 28 days. You can supply a USB drive or we can supply one at an additional cost.

Pro-Res or DNx

We can also supply high-quality Apple Pro-Res or Avid DNx files if you’re looking to edit your footage, for capturing these files we capture via SDI connection in conjunction with a Blackmagic Decklink 4K studio capture card. The video footage is captured at 4.2.2 and as a raw AVI file. We are happy to give you the raw files however you will require a large hard drive to store them on as each hour of SD footage will take up about 75GB.

Digital File Extras

Why not have your footage upscaled from SD to HD, when upscaling your footage it gains no additional pixelation during our process, we will also convert the footage from interlaced to progressive. We can also change the aspect ratio from 4.3 to 15.9 which gives you a wider picture on your widescreen televisions and monitors, there is slight cropping at the top and bottom of the picture.