FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

We receive many questions from prospective customers, and below are a number of the typical questions we receive, along with the relevant answers.

We are still happy to answer any specific questions that you may have, so please feel free to
contact us if there is anything else that we can help you with.

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Example Questions and Answers:

Q. How long does it take to convert my videos onto DVDs?

A. We always aim to complete the work within 1 week of receiving a customer's tapes, and often achieve this much quicker (i.e. if there are not many tapes to be converted).  Some of the larger jobs (i.e. more than 10 tapes) may take a little longer, depending upon our workload at the time.  If time is critical to you, please contact us first with details and we will provide you with an up-to-date estimate.

Q. Why should I choose a conversion option that includes a menu and chapter thumbnails (such as the Gold and Platinum options)?

A. A menu on the DVD, with thumbnails for chapter selection, allows you to go directly to a point within the video footage without having to fast-forward through lots of video first.  This makes it much quicker and more convenient to find that bit of footage you want to see or show to someone else.

Q. Is the price based on the overall running length of the tape, or just the actual amount of video footage on each tape to be transferred?

A. Our prices are based on the actual amount of video footage on each tape.

Q. I'm not sure how much video footage there is on each of my tapes (perhaps because the original video / camcorder is broken). How do I know how much to pay to to convert my tapes onto DVDs?

A. Please feel to complete an order form and post your tapes to us.  Once we have capture the video footage from your tapes, we will confirm the total cost (based on our published prices) and you can make your payment while we continue with the work to create your DVDs for you.

Q. I don't have a printer to print off your order form.  Can I send you my tapes for conversion anyway?

A. Yes.  Please ensure you include a note with the relevant contact details, and any other information required for the conversion of your tapes.  Clearly, the most important details required are: Name; Address; Email and / or phone number; Level of service (e.g. Standard, Gold or Platinum); and Title to be used for each DVD.

Q. I have lots of home videos to be converted, is there a limit to the number of tapes you will accept for conversion?

A. We're happy to accept any size job for conversion, no matter how large or small.

Q. Will you let me know when my tapes have arrived with you?

A. Yes, we always send an email confirmation once tapes have arrived, as long as you provide us with an email address on the order.

Q. Do I get my original tapes back once you've converted them onto DVDs?

A. Yes, we send original tapes back to you as well as the new DVDs we create for you (after all, the tapes are yours).

Q. I live locally, can I drop off my tapes with you and then collect the tapes and DVDs once the conversion work has been completed?

A. Yes, we are happy to do this, but please contact us first to agree a mutually convenient time for you to call.

Q. Can you combine film footage from more than 1 tape onto a DVD?

A. Yes, although we do make a charge of £2 for the work to edit the clips together, plus £1 for the return postage of each additional tape (if done with our Gold or Platinum services).

Q. I have some footage on a DVD created in my DVD recorder and would like to combine this with some footage from a camcorder tape onto another DVD.  Can you do this?

A. Yes, although as the footage needs to be edited together, this would be charged at the same rate as combining multiple tapes onto a single DVD.

Q. I'd like you to combine the footage from 2 tapes onto 1 DVD, but can't remember which one goes first - can you transfer them onto DVD for me in the right order?

A. Possibly.  As long as there's some date and / or time information on the tape or footage, then we can do this for you.

Q. I would like 1 hour of footage transferring from just part of the tape, can you do this for me?

A. Yes.  Please make a note of the requirements on the order form and leave the tape positioned in the right place for the start of the footage to be transferred to DVD.  Please note that there's no additional charge if this is for a single piece of footage, although additional editing charges will apply if you need separate pieces of footage from the tape transferring onto a DVD.

Q. I have a number of tapes that I want to edit myself in Apple's iMovie.  Is the capture to MPEG2 service the best way to do this?

A. Apple's iMovie does not accept MPEG2 format files as a default.  We can convert the files into a different format for you (at additional cost), or it may be easier for us to capture them directly in iMovie DV format for you.  Please note that due to the huge size of files in this format (approx 13Gb per hour of footage) it's more appropriate to capture them straight onto an external hard-drive for you.  You can either send us your own external drive, or we can purchase and supply one for you.

Q. Can you convert commercial, pre-recorded videos onto DVD for me?

A. As most commercial, pre-recorded videos are subject to copyright restrictions (i.e. if the tape, it's case or the video footage states "©" or "Copyright" on it anywhere) then it would be illegal for us to copy these onto DVD for you, so we are unable to do this.

Note: If you are able to obtain written permission from the copyright holder, then there may be some circumstances whereby we are able to convert such material (e.g. if a family member was in a TV program, the TV company who made the programs may give you permission to convert such material if you ask them).

Q. Can you duplicate a DVD I already have onto further DVDs?

A. Yes, as long as the DVD is not a commercial DVD that's subject to any copyright restrictions.  See comment above about copyright, as we do not duplicate any material that is subject to copyright restrictions without the express permission of the copyright holder.

Q. Can you re-edit a DVD I already have to make changes and / additions to it, and then create a new DVD for me?

A. As long as there are no copyright restrictions, the original DVD footage can be imported, edited and then exported to a new DVD for you.  Please note that it may not be possible to reproduce any menus from the original DVD, although new menus can be created as appropriate.  Please contact us with your requirements.

Q. My tape (or it's housing / case) is damaged, can you repair it before converting it onto DVD for me?

A. Probably.  If the tape is simply snapped, or has come off the spindle, then we charge just £5 to splice the tape back together prior to doing the conversion work for you.  For any other damage (including broken cases) please contact us with details as we may still be able to help.

Q. Do you convert tapes of an adult nature?

A. No, we prefer not to convert adult material from tape to DVD.

Q. Can you convert Betamax tapes onto DVD?

A. Not currently, although this is something that we may offer at some point in the future.

Q. Can you convert Cine film onto DVD?

A. Not currently, although this is something that we may offer at some point in the future.

Q. Can you convert slides, negatives or photos onto CD or DVD for me?

A. We can create playable DVD slideshows from both printed and digital photos (see our page that describes this, and also the pricing information).  However, we cannot currently convert slides or negatives, although this is something that we may offer at some point in the future.

Q. What is the maximum amount of film footage that you can fit onto a DVD?

A. For maximum quality, we recommend no more than 2 hours of footage be placed onto each DVD.  Any more than 2 hours on a DVD requires an amount compression, which can affect the quality of the DVD footage slightly.  This is usually acceptable for up to 3 hours per DVD but, if quality is your priority, then we can split footage across multiple DVDs, and even place them into double-DVD cases if required.

Q. Can you convert my videos onto DVDs for me, but do no printing on them as I would like to design and print my own artwork?

A. Yes, that's fine, and we will still use white full-face printable DVDs so that you can print on them yourself.

Q. Why is your service so cheap - other companies charge much more for what sounds like a similar service?

A. We often ask ourselves exactly the same question!  We keep our overheads low so that we can also keep the prices down that we charge to our customers.  We believe that we offer a service that provides excellent quality at a price that you can afford.  If you're still uncertain, then please review the comments on our Customer Feedback page.

Q. If I send you some photos, can you add these to the finished DVD too?

A. Yes, we can add them at the start or end of the video footage and/or print them onto the face of the DVD and it's case.  If you contact us with details (i.e. how many and whether they are printed or digital photos), we will provide you with a quote for this additional work.

Q. I want to provide my own artwork for you to print onto the DVD and case, can I do this?

A. Yes, contact us with details and we can agree the best format for you to send it to us.

Q. What methods of payment do you accept?

A. You can pay by either cheque or credit / debit card (which is processed securely online via PayPal).  If you are collecting your tapes in person, then you can pay cash on collection, if you wish.