General FAQs

• Why should I transfer my tapes to DVD? They look fine to me.

  • Great! That’s means we will get a great copy onto DVD before they get worse. The fact is, all tape fades gradually over time (whether you play them or not). The longer you wait, the worse they get… You will see a noticeable difference between newly created tapes and tapes that are as little as ten years old. So don’t let your memories fade another day, save them for generations to come on DVD.

• What formats can you accept?

  • We can except the following formats:
    
     

• How much can fit on a DVD?

  • We recommend 60 minutes of video per DVD. This insures the maximum quality possible. However, roughly 120 minutes can fit. For photo montages, thousands of pictures with music will fit; for film 60 minutes is about 800 feet of 8mm film (16 - 3 inch reels or 2 - 7 inch reels).

• DVD recorders are commercially available now. Why shouldn't I just do it myself?

  • Consumer level equipment can’t do the high quality transfer, editing and special effects that our professional video equipment & software is capable of. Additionally, many people have large quantities of photos and videos that they have saved over the years, often in different formats – do you want to undertake the tedious and often technically frustrating task of transferring your media? We do this for a living… our experience enables us to create the best production possible from your video source. It could take you years to get to the same level. You’re creating family heirlooms – get it done by a professional.

• How long do DVD's last?

  • The life span of a recorded disc depends upon such things as the properties of the materials used in the disc's construction, its manufactured quality, how well it is recorded and its physical handling and storage. The disc manufacturer we use carried out an accelerated age testing by subjecting samples of its discs to environments that are beyond those experienced under normal storage conditions. Based on their extensive age testing, they believe their disks will last about 100 years. By comparison, VHS tape deterioration starts on day 1, and becomes very noticeable in 10 years or less.

• I heard that DVD copies do not work with all DVD players. How do I know if your DVD's will work with my player?

  • If you bought your DVD player within the last three years, chances are excellent the DVD we create will work. The DVD format we use is the most compatible with DVD players. Check this compatibility site to see if your DVD player has been identified as incompatible with recorded DVD media. However, not being on this list is no guarantee of compatibility. If you have an older DVD player, consider a new one, they are very inexpensive and have lots of new capabilities. Or, Beacon Digital Video can purchase and install a new DVD player for you, ask us about pricing.

• I'm overwhelmed with this project; can someone at Beacon Digital Video help me?

  • Of course we can! We can provide as much help as you need. Project Preparation Consulting is priced separately – less than our Custom Editing charge, see our price list for details.

• What else can be done to enhance my DVD video?

  • The possibilities are endless! Take a look at our price list packages and custom editing/additional services for some ideas, or talk to us about ideas you may have - we will be happy to give you a custom quote. This DVD is going to last for 100 years… get it just the way you want it the first time.

• Do you offer a guarantee?

  • Yes, we guarantee you'll be happy with the final production we do for you. Why? Because we put our heart and soul into every job we do and we collaborate with you at the start, and if necessary, during the process. Since you've been an active participant along the way, we'd be surprised if you're not happy with our work, but if you're not and you let us know within 3 days of receiving it, we'll re-do it for you! We want happy customers!

• What forms of payment do you accept?

  • Currently we accept cash or check. We will be accepting Visa and MasterCard in the near future.

• When is payment expected?

  • Unless other arrangements are made, we require 50% of the estimated project cost before we begin the project and the balance when the project is complete.

VHS to DVD FAQs

• What video formats can you accept?

  • We accept VHS, S-VHS, VHS-C, DV, mini-DV, DVD, VCD and most digital formats (AVI, RM, MOV, etc.). If you don’t see your video format here, give us a call, we are adding new capabilities all the time.

• How much video footage can fit on a DVD?

  • We recommend 60 minutes of video per DVD. This insures the maximum quality possible. However, roughly 120 minutes can fit.

• Can I combine multiple video tapes to create a single DVD?

  • Yes, you may combine VHS tapes to create a single DVD.

• What are scene selection buttons?

  • These buttons appear on DVD menus which allow you to navigate to a particular scene within your video. For example, if you have a DVD of your Hawaiian vacation, one menu may say “Maui”, and on that menu there could be scene selection buttons of “Helicopter Tour”, “Road to Hana” and “Exploring Lahaina”. Scene selection buttons can be text, a graphic, or a photo (including a still image of one of the scenes from the video clip). We can even create a “video button” that shows a motion video preview of the clip the button points to.

• What is an opening menu?

  • When you first insert your DVD into the player, an opening screen comes up that introduces your video. This is the DVD opening menu and contains the title of the DVD. You click on this screen to begin playing your video. The screen may also have buttons (such as scene selection buttons) that you could select - in addition to a “play” button. This screen can contain text, photos, background photos and even motion video backgrounds.

• What is a closing screen?

  • This screen signals the end of the video, or the end of a section of the video. Closing screens can be as simple as “The End”, or could be just like the end of a Hollywood feature film… with music and scrolling credits – with you as the star!

• How do I specify what I want to capture from the video tape?

  • You have two options besides saying to capture everything on the tape. You may sit down with us in our studio and we can go through it together, or you can fill out an “Edit Decision List” that will tell us what to transfer.

• I'm overwhelmed with this project; can someone at Beacon Digital Video help me?

  • Of course we can! We can provide as much help as you need. Project Preparation Consulting is priced separately – less than our Custom Editing charge, see our price list for details.

• What else can be done to enhance my DVD video?

  • The possibilities are endless! Take a look at our price list packages and custom editing/additional services for some ideas, or talk to us about ideas you may have. This DVD is going to last for 100 years… get it just the way you want it the first time.

Photo Montage FAQs

• What size pictures can you work with?

  • We can work with any size picture.

• How many photos do I need to create a DVD?

  • Minimum charge is based on 50 photos or slides. But if you don’t have at least 50 photos of one subject, it’s OK to create another photo montage subject on the same DVD.

• What criteria should I use when selecting the photos to include in my photo montage?

  • It will probably be very apparent to you what photos/slides you should include: meaningful pictures - shows character and personality - photos that are candid - a mix of close-ups as well as photos that have groups - more horizontal shots than vertical shots. (The reason for this is that TV screens are wider than they are high, so horizontal shots fill the screen and look much better. Vertical shots will appear on the TV screen with black borders on each side because of the cropping needed - too many vertical shots one after the other won't be as pleasing to look at as horizontal ones) – avoid too many photos without people – avoid photos that are too similar.

• How should I choose the order for my photos?