8mm Film to DVD Buyer's Guide™ --
8mm Film to DVD, Super 8 Film to DVD and 16mm Movie Film to DVD
 

16mm / 8mm Film Transfer Buyers Guide™

To ALARM YOU and then ARM YOU 
with Dirty Little Trade Secrets™ and Reel-to-Life™ Trade Secrets of
Super 8, 8mm, and 16mm film transfer  

Bruce Mayfield MBA, MSPsy, BSCS Computer Scientist and Digital Archivist doing business as (d.b.a.) Film-to-DVD.com & Film-to-Video.com Film-to-Blu-ray.com

Film-to-Video Buyers Guide™ will help you  understand
8mm film transfer, Super 8 film transfer, and16mm film transfer.

Even if you do NOT use my services, please read my Guide.
Let me know what you think and what I have missed -- or any errors or omissions.

"Super 8mm Film Transfer mills™", as I call them, do NOT want you to know
about topics like:

"David and Goliath formats"™ -- 8mm to HDTV -- "a match NOT made in Heaven..."™
DAI  -vs- telecine projectors -vs- scanners (do they even exist?!).
How to "Best-Fit™ YOUR"film format"™ "to match YOUR "video format""™ of YOUR digital masters.
"FAKE" Blu-rays (and how to spot them).
Choosing "Master-File™" formats: DV, DVCam, DVPro, Apple Intermediate, and Apple ProRes, etc.
AVI or QuickTime "container files" -- for viewing and editing; and
Duplicate&Play™ formats: MPEG-2, MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 / MPEG4, H.264 HD
DVD, Blu-ray, and the Internet "Cloud"
"Where did all the CDs go? Where all the DVDs and Blu-rays are going!"™ -- .
Social-Media™ video for iPod, Sony PS Portable, Apple TV, iPhone, facebook, YouTube, etc.

We "ARM YOU" with
1) Digital-Film™ Primal Master-Files™  that U-Edit&Archive&Copy™ --
the digital equivalent of your original film -- only better; and,
2) Social-Media™ Master-Files™ that U-Edit&Play&Upload™ --
in H.264/MPEG-4: -- for YouTube, Facebook, etc.:and,
3) DVD DISC-Image™ Master-Disc™ that U-Play&Copy&Burn™ -
a virtual disc -- for ANY computer or HDTV; and,
4) Blu-ray DISC-Image™ Master-Disc™ that U-Play&Copy&Burn™ -
for HDTV - a True H.264HD; and,
5) Digital Video Primal-Master™Tape (MiniDV) that U-Edit&Archive&Copy™ (optional) --
Hard drives "go fast". Digital tapes "go the distance".™ 
6) Blu-ray Physical-DISC™ & DVD Physical-DISC™; that U-Play&Copy™ -
"Rendered NOT Ripped!"™
7) Media-Player™ Drive to play your videos -- from your video storage device.

Now, let me  "ALARM YOU" with a Dirty Little Trade Secret™ -- that "transfer mills" do NOT want you to know
at least, before taking your money -- for an 8mm film to "DVD" film transfer.

PUBLIC NOTICE: IBM and the Library of Congress  announced -- 7 years ago -- that CD/DVD disc technologies are NOT archive worthy.
DVD discs are only good -- 2 years for data -- 5 years for digital images -- before they WILL  begin to fail.  We have confirmed this.
They stated that the ONLY "archive worthy" medium was still "evaporated metal tape" (i.e., digital tape). We have confirmed this.
To date this notice has not been rescinded -- especially with the new explosion of "solid state technology".

The only problem is, "digital tape" -- MiniDV, Digital8 (D8), HDV tape -- has been displaced
by "solid state" technology -- flash drives, memory cards, and SSD.
These are extremely vulnerable technologies -- to static discharge.

For someone like you, who wants
1) a "digital medium" -- so you can watch your film transfer, AND
2) a "digital archive" -- to preserver your film transfer images --
there are NO EASY SOLUTIONS.

But the last thing you NEED, is your 8mm film, super 8, or 16mm film on a DVD ONLY. 
What is more, Blu-ray discs are "chemically" similar to DVDs and "longevity tests" are evasive - if not just a mute point -- no matter what their conclusion.
Blu-rays discs are now a dying technology -- just like Music CD discs -- due to video on demand via the Internet "cloud".
Yes, I am still selling LOTS AND LOTS of Blu-ray disc and Blu-ray DISC-Images™, but I do NOT sell them as an ARCHIVE!

Dirty Little Trade Secret™: "Disk image" technology is swamping the physical DVD disc and physical Blu-ray disc industry -- just like it did the CD "music" discs -- in the form of Digital Movie Cards™ (DMC™). Wal-Mart recent made a huge DMC™ commitment involving the VUDO products (more later).
Making "Disc Images" is an expensive process for companies who just "dump" video to discs.

Dirty Little Trade Secret™: DVD disc and Blu-ray disc are going "bye-bye" -- like Music CD Discs, like VHS tape!
Yet, "Super 8mm Film Transfer mills™" are still selling DVD disc -- as "archives" -- for Regular 8mm, Super 8 film, and 16mm film -- as a primary product.

Dirty Little Trade Secret™: "16mm Film Transfer mills™", are "over-selling" digital video formats -- to compensate for this "technology and market shift".
 What they do NOT tell you, is there is ONLY so much "image information" in a "frame" of early century 16mm film -- with "mechanically ground" silver-halide. 
Miss-matching the "film frame" to the "video format" actually introduces "artifacts" -- not in the original film. 
This MOST especially applies to Regular 8mm and Super 8mm film transfers.

Remember - from your film 101 classes -- the "diameter" of a gain of silver in movie film has NO "image information",  It is only a "black mass".  ONLY "the edge" of each grain and the "space between grains" -- allows light to pass through the film -- to create information about the original object exposed.
A video format CODEC -- OVER-SIZED to the original film -- creates "garbage data" regarding the "black mass" "surface area" data -- which is exponential in proportion to TRUE PICTORIAL DATA -- "the edge", "circumference only" data plus  "empty space" data. 
As a result, "transfer mills" (selling over-sized formats) MUST use "smoothing filters" -- to hide these gross artifacts. Smoothing filters not only "smooth away artifacts", but they "smooth away" original "grain patterns" in your film.
This "kills" much of the "post-production" POTENTIAL of the MASTER VIDEO FILE -- say nothing of
creating an INFERIOR DIGITAL VIDEO MASTER -- compared to the original film -- giving the image a "flat" look. 

"IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION" claims that "ultra-high resolution" film transfers improve EVERYTHING --
from "color shift" to "resolution" -- beyond physical specification "limitations" of the original "small format film" --
are just lies, if not "darn" lies -- using deceptive photos and examples.
I can honestly say, "in my PROFESSIONAL opinion", because i have both "seen" and "re-done" the work of some of these studios.  More next page.

We sell THOUSANDS OF DVDS AND BLU-RAYS EACH YEAR -- but
we also "protect our clients" FROM DVDs and Blu-rays and "video format inflation"
using a diversity of 1)Master file Formats, and 2)"Disc-Image" products.

For the safety of your Regular 8mm, Super 8, and 16mm film transfer -- over the centuries -- keep reading...

How to Identify, Date, and Speed-rate Your Movie Film:: Above are examples of "small format" movie films -- 16mm movie film, Regular 8mm film (also called Standard 8mm film) and Super 8 movie film. Rough Dating of Movie Film: 16mm film - silent -- 1923 to Early 1960's. 16mm film - sound - 1935 to present. Regular 8mm film -- Late 1932 thru 1965. Super 8 film -- Introduced in 1965 to present. Correct Film Transfer Speeds: Silent 16mm film - silent -15 fps or 16 fps (with exceptions) Regular 8mm film - silent -15 fps or 16 fps. NOTE: "transfer mills" transfer this at 20 fps Introducing a 20% "real-time" distortion - 12 minutes lost per hr. Super 8 Film was "shot " usually 18 fps; commercially 24 fps.. Super 8 Movie cameras and projectors had "variable speeds". Correct Film Transfer Speeds: Super 8 film "silent", 18 fps Super 8 film "sound", 18 fps OR 24 fps. NOTE: "transfer mills" transfer this at 20 fps Introducing a 10% "real-time" distortion - 6 minutes lost per hour. NOTE: Super 8 Sound Film has "magnetic" sound tracks glued on both edges of the "under-side" of the film which looks like 2 copper colored stripes (see to left).   Commercial Film: Super 8 Sound and 16mm Sound: Usually "optical" sound tracks. Both 16mm movie film and Super 8 movie film, were "shot and run" at 24 fps - ONLY. Most domestic clients, with rare exceptions, do NOT have "commercial films" with "optical sound tracks". Holes Along the Edge of the Film (see above): The size of the holes are the same for both 16mm film and 8mm film. Some 16mm has only one set of holes -- like Regular 8 film.  Spacing of the holes in 16mm movie film is different than Regular 8mm film -- also called  Standard 8 film. Super 8 movie film has smaller holes - less than half the size of Regular 8mm movie film. Spacing is different. Hole in Center of Reel or Spool: Early 16mm and Regular 8mm film: the hole in a spool was 1) the size of a number 2 pencil  -- on one side of the spool -- and 2) square and roughly the same size -- on the other side of the spool. Later, 16mm spools standardized with a square hole. Later, Regular 8mm spools standardized with a round hole. Super 8 spool: The hole in the spool was the size of your "pinky finger" and round on both sides of the spool. Reels or Spools: Standard 8mm movie film, 95 percent of the time, is on a grey plastic, 3 inch spool and came in a Yellow cardboard box -- for mailing. Double 8 movie film came in a yellow box roughly 1 inch thick. Single 8 also called Standard 8 came in a yellow box roughly 1/2 inch thick. Both types of  films -- collectively -- are called Regular 8mm film or 8mm film and, before 1965, usually fond on little grey plastic reels -- with excepts around 1942  (see history below), and 1965 (more follows).. Super 8 movie film (introduced in 1965) was sold and processed on 50 foot spools -- which were usually a blue cover with a white plastic spool.. Rarely covers were also red, yellow, green, black, and white. About that same  time (1965), Regular 8mm film began to appear spooled onto white plastic reels with blue covers, too.. The hole in those spools was the size of a number 2 pencil or standard pen. Most easily confused with Super 8 film. ATTENTION:: It is very common for Regular 8mm film to be on a Super 8 spool and Super 8, on a Regular 8mm spool -- by mistake of family members. When in doubt, look at the film itself and the size of the holes in the film -- not the spool. HISTORICAL NOTE - TO HELP DATE AND IDENTIFY: Earliest Regular 8mm or Standard 8  film was called Double 8, because it was sold as 25 feet of 16mm film. It was called a "25 foot Double 8". The "tell-tell" oversized, yellow box contained a tiny back metal canister -- sealed with black cotton tape -- to protect the brown, unexposed 16mm film inside.  The 16mm film was "double exposed" -- in 2 passes. Each pass -- exposing the entire length of the 16mm wide film -- but only exposed an 8mm wide strip along the length of the16mm film. The cameraman would shoot one pass and then flip the 16mm film in the camera -- to shoot the second pass. This accounts for the "flashes of yellow light" half-way through early Regular 8mm films. At the time of film processing, the 16mm film was developed and then split down the center -- thus creating 2 strips of 8mm film.. The two ends of the (now 8mm) film was glued together in the center and spooled onto 1) a black metal reel (pre-WWII), or  2) a cardboard reel (WWII), or 3) a grey plastic reel (post-WWII) as a 50 foot spool of 8mm film. This is nice to know if you need to date reels of film. The "Double 8: Standard 8mm reel of film was shipped back to owner in the same oversize yellow box -- now twice the width of the Standard 8mm reel of film inside. NOTE: Many times the cameraman would forget that the film had already been exposed and flipped -- and would expose the same edge twice.  Thus "double exposures" were created on "Double 8 film".

The following also applies to 16mm Silent film, originally shot at 16fps: and
16mm SOUND film, originally shot at 18fps.  Until I can re-write this section,
you will have to "connect the dots"... sorry. 

NOTE: EARLY CENTURY 16MM FILM (sound and silent) are considered "small format" films for 2 reasons"
1) the "speed" -- 16fps silent, 18fps sound; and,
2) the sized of the silver-halide grain - which was "mechanically milled" back then.

NOTE: If you have modern "synthetic 16mm sound", then we are the wrong service for you. 

NOTE: Domestic 16mm SOUND was shot at 18fps -- just like Super 8.  Commercial 16mm SOUND was shot at 24fps.  We can produce BOTH, however, MOST 16mm SOUND we get is "early century" SOUND (optical and magnetic) shot at 18fps. As we use DAI -- not "pull-down" methods -- we give clients a "digitally superior" version of both. Assume 16mm SOUND -- on this website -- refers to the "harder" to capture 18fps sound -- but keep in mind, we do both -- without irregular mechanical "pull-down" methods.

Dirty Little Trade Secret™: "Super 8mm Film Transfer mills™" do NOT want you to know they transfer Regular 8mm film and Super 8mm -- at the same speed -- 20 fps -- on the same "telecine machine" (Ditto for 16mm film - silent and sound): It saves "Super 8mm Film Transfer mills™" time and money.  See the chart to the left -- for correct speeds.

What they do NOT tell you --  this "speed distortion" is almost 20% faster than the Regular 8mm film was originally designed to be viewed. That means that for every HOUR of your Regular 8 film, you loose 12 minutes of "real time" viewing time.  Say nothing of your images "moving too fast"
(Ditto for 16mm film - silent).

Dirty Little Trade Secret™: "Super 8mm Film Transfer mills™" transfer Super 8 film at 20 fps.  But Super 8 was meant to be "watched" at 18fps.  What they do not tell you, is for every HOUR of Super 8 film you own, they rob you of about 6 minutes of "real time" viewing time. If you send them 4 hours of Super 8 film (240 minutes), you will only get back 3.6 hours (216 minutes) back! Say nothing about your film running 10% too fast (Ditto for 16mm film - sound)..

THIS IS CALLED "REAL-TIME DISTORTION" OR "REAL-TIME ERROR".
More on this later...

A Super 8 film transfer and a Regular 8mm film transfer are
(Ditto for 16mm film - silent and sound)
1) two very different film types AND
2) they require very different film transfers.
3) Most "Super 8mm Film Transfer mills™" process as if they were "the same"!
More about what you need to know - later.

Dirty Little Trade Secret™:
IIf you send 30 minutes of "film" -- for film transfer, you should get 30 minutes of "video" back!

Dirty Little Trade Secret™: Because they send you LESS VIDEO back -- "Super 8mm Film Transfer mills™" charge you for the "length of your FILM" NOT the "length of your video"
(Ditto for 16mm film - silent and sound)..

GENERAL RULE (to spot them): A "film transfer mill" NEVER quotes prices in "real time" or "finished hours". They quote "by the foot". 
All our quotes are in "real time" (hours) of your finished video.

Nice Little Trade Secret™:
Thanks to "state-of-the-art" Digital Algorithmic Interpolation (DAI),
for the first time in the history of "small format film", you can now view VIDEO
of your Super 8 and Regular 8mm movie film ((Ditto for 16mm film - silent and sound)
1) At the same speed at which it was originally shot; and,
2) With the same "fluid motion"--  as a projector with a "synchronized motor".
No more "judder"; No more "real-time distortion"
from "telecine projectors" or "2:3 pull-down film scanners"!

Digital Algorithmic Interpolation (DAI), allows "post-production" options like
1) "true slow-motion",
2) "true fast-motion",
3) "better incorporation of special effects",
4) "digital frame stabilization", and
5) less video generational loss -- when transcoding to  a diverse number of digital products - from a common master file.  
This degree of "professional grade" post-production digital video manipulation has NEVER be available to "small film format" clients. (Ditto for 16mm film - silent and sound)

Dirty Little Trade Secret™:
"Super 8mm Film Transfer mills™" want you to believe that old "telecine equipment" is are "state-of-the-art".

Antique16mm film and 8mm film (shot at 16fps) should NEVER be film transferred with irregular "pull-down patterns", yet many "Super 8mm Film Transfer mills™" sell "pull-down patterns" as part of their "premium" film transfer service.

Why? Because they "modified OLD EQUIPMENT" to accept "small format film" -- which they usually buy "at salvage" -- from "large film format" transfer companies -- who have "ditched them" -- for more modern equipment -- that uses DAI or other "digital technology".

 Most "Super 8mm Film Transfer mills™", on the other hand, mechanically insert "extra frames" -- with "pull-down" methods -- into the video stream -- creating "judder" -- which also "profoundly limits" post-production options. Some actually "brag" about this equipment, give "consumers" a "choice of machines" -- to "hang themselves".

The result is an obvious "judder" motion in the video image -- that is obvious,  can never be removed, and gives some people head-aches and eye strain. "Super 8mm Film Transfer mills™" then tell you "this is normal" -- and "industry wide", it IS! -- But is WRONG!

They do NOT tell you "film scanning" technology -- with 2:3:2:3 interlaced OR 2:2:4 progressive scan "pull-down" technology WERE discarded, "last century" technologies -- which create profound "judder" in slower, small format film images --  which is a gross distortion that is NOT in your original movie film.  What is "judder"? Keep reading!

WHO ARE WE: We are "Small Film Format" Experts
1) 16mm Movie Film -- early "last century" vintage -- (silent or sound movie film -- 16fps,18fps or 24fps)
2) Regular 8mm (Standard 8mm) movie film -- (silent or sound movie film)
3) Super 8 Movie Film -- (silent or sound movie film -- 18fps or 24fps)

We Digitally Re-Mastered some of the great films of last century (see next page).

A large amount of our commercial, subcontractor work is 16mm film -- which has appeared on PBS and other networks.

(click here for ==>)  Dirty Little Trade Secrets™ --
"Super 8mm Film Transfer mills™" do NOT want you to know!

(VERY BORING) You may also read the  tech note below  on semantics on 16mm, Regular 8mm, and Super 8mm film, or read the more interesting cameo on 16mm, Regular 8mm, and Super 8mm film -- which will help you both  identify, date, and evaluate the movie films that you have.

TECHNICAL NOTE (VERY BORING) ON MOVIE FILM SEMANTICS:

Most readers have some "favor" of Regular 8mm film or Super 8 film. Therefore, I do not specifically state the words "16mm film" -- every time I mention Super 8 film or Regular 8mm film -- when talking about film transfers to DVD or Master Files. Instead, I just talk about  Regular 8, and Super 8 "film to video film transfers"  -- with the ASSUMPTION THAT ALL PRINCIPLES APPLY TO 16MM FILM AS WELL.

The same applies to visual and non-visual illustrations -- using  8mm film or Super 8 film.  Illustrations about REGULAR 8MM FILM ALSO APPLIES to SILENT 16MM FILM -- as Regular 8mm film -- (see column to the left) in may cases IS SILENT 16MM FILM -- "CUT IN HALF" literally.

A 16mm film transfer can be much more complex than a 8mm or Super 8 film transfer -- because 16mm film was used domestically, commercially -- as 16mm silent and 16mm sound -- and shot at 1 of 3 speeds -- even early century 1900s. Also 16mm movie film is OLDER and "usually" is in some stage of "vinegar syndrome".   After you get a quote, you are advised to call me about your 16mm film for a free 16mm film transfer "evaluation and consult".

I use Regular 8mm or Super 8 terms generically -- for example:

Super 8mm to DVD,
Super 8mm film transfer,
8mm film to H.264,
Super 8mm film transfer,
Single 8mm movie film to HDTV Blu-ray,
Standard 8mm movie film to video,
Double 8mm movie film to video,
8mm to video,
8mm movie to video,
8mm telecine,
movie 8mm film transfer,
8mm film transfer,
Ektasound 8mm to DVD,
Ektachrome 8mm to DVD,
Kotachrome 8mm to DVD.
Film to video,
Film to Flash Drive,
Film to Hard Drive,
Film to Blu-ray, etc

ALL these phrases refer generically to some "film to video film transfer process" of converting film to digital video unless otherwise stated specifically.

Even though my terminology may be specific to a stated gauge of film -- Regular 8mm film, Super 8 film, or 16mm film -- you may expand any reference to any gauge of film into a generalized concept that can be applied to all small film formats -- UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED.

Click this link to go to Dirty Little Trade Secrets™.

NOTE: We are upgrading this website to our new product line.
http://Film-to-Video.com is the most up-to-date of my sites.

The time has come to de-emphasis MiniDV tape and Master Files that few family members can or will use.
DVD disc and Blu-ray are in decline, are NOT archive media.
These issue need to be addressed
in the NEW LIGHT of state-of-the-art and emerging technologies.
as such...we are updating this website -- pioneering "the new" -- with respect for "the old".

Any reference to OLD product names and services offered on older sites or unrevised segments of this site
may be regarded as the NEW product names and services - as follow:

Devices 64Gb or less (memory cards and flash drives) are "Small-Drives"
Our "old product", called "Home Movie Card™", has been upgraded to  Media-Player™ Small-Drive™.
Our  old "hard drive loading service" has been both "upgraded" and "branded" as "creating Media-Player™ Drive™".
Hard drives and SSD are referred to as "Large-Drives™.

THIS SITE HAS ERRORS AND OMISSIONS: PLEASE EMAIL FOR CLARIFICATION.
Quote@Film-to-Video.com or (better) use my quote form "comments".
The word "Suggestion:" in you email "Title line / Heading" is appreciated. You feedback is helpful, and encouraged.

Virtual-Disc™ is now called DISC-Image™, Internet "Cloud" files are now Social-Meida™

Copyright © 2006, renewed 2013
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this site may be used for any reason
without express written permission of
Bruce Mayfield d.b.a.
Film-to-Video.com™
Film-to-DVD.com™
Film-to-Blu-ray.com™

Copyright © 2006, renewed 2013
Trademark and Tradename Notice 2012:
16mm / 8mm Film Transfer Buyers Guide™,
Dirty Little Trade Secret™,
Dirty Little Trade Secrets™,
Trick-Of-The-Trade Secret™,
Media-Player™,  Media-Player Drive™ , Media-Player™
 Card-in-a-Flash Drive™, Card-in-a-Flash-Drive™, Card in a Flash Drive™,
Large-Drive™,
Transport & Play™ Drive
Smart-Drive™, Dumb-Drive™,
U-Play&Copy&Burn™, U-Play&Edit&Upload™,
U-Edit&Edit&Archive™, U-Edit&Copy™, Copy&Edit™,
Master-File™, Master-Disc™, Master-Disk™,
Blu-ray DISC-Image™, Blu-ray Disc-Image™,
DVD DISC-Image™, DVD Disc-Image™,
Disc-Image™,  DISC-Image™,
Digital-Film™ Primal-Master™, Primal Master-File™, Primal Master File,™ "primal master file"™,
Social-Media™ Master-File™, Social-Media Master™, Social-Media Master-File™,
Strategic Archive Plan™,
Digital-Master Diversity™,
Disk-Image Diversity™,
Digital-Media Diversity™,
Duplication-Master™,
Media-Player Diversity™, Media-Diversity™
"David and Goliath formats"™,
"Where did all the CDs go? Where all the DVDs and Blu-rays are going!"™,
"David and Goliath formats™ -- 8mm to HDTV -- a match NOT made in Heaven..."™,
"Best-Fit™ YOUR" film format"™ "to match YOUR "video format""™,
Reel-to-Life™,
Digital-Dirt™,
Master-Rendered™
,Adaptive-Technology™
-- are trademarks and tradenames of Bruce Mayfield.

Trademark and Tradename
Copyright © 2006, renewed 2013
The following are still in force but in some cases may be updaed to names above:
 Dirty Little Trade Secret™,
Dirty Little Trade Secrets™,
Trick Of The Trade Secret™,
 Home Movie Disc™,
Home Movies Disc™,
Virtual Home Movie Disc™,
Virtual Home Movies Disc™,
VIRTUAL-Blu-ray™,
VIRTUAL-DVD™,
VIRTUAL-DISC™,
Home Movie Card™,
Home Movies Card™,
Digital-Movie-Film™,
Digital-Film™
Master-File™,
Strategic Digtal-Film Archiving™,
Video Format Diversity™,
Virtual Disc Diversity™, and
Digital Media Diversity™
-- are trademarks and tradenames of Bruce Mayfield.