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

"BUYER BE AWARE to be a BUYER BEWARE™"
OF
Dirty Little Trade Secrets!™
Old Chinese proverb:
"Be careful of what you ask for, you may get it!"
I like to add..
"And you may "pay for it" -- several times!"™

"Can you please put my home movies on DVD?" 
By the time you read this page, you will question
the wisdom of ONLY asking that question.

"Super 8mm Film Transfer Mills™" are NOT interested in what you really NEED;
 They are only interested in 2 things:
1) What THEY want YOU to "ASK FOR" and
2) What HOW MUCH they can "ASK FOR"!

What gives me the right -- and expertise --
to be an industry "whistle-blower"?

I am a Computer Scientist and a Digital Archivist --
trained in advance digital technologies, data structures, and digital media.
Digital video format architecture, CODEC behavior, image storage
are just part of what I must know
to BEST server my clients.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

As 16mm and 8mm film transfer subcontractors and preservationist, we have indirect client affiliation with FOX, NBC and PBS.
Other commercial interests -- include many private movie ventures and societies.
As such, we have worked with some of the oldest movie films in the US and with movie films
that can only be termed “national treasures” -- a few of them "Legendary" -- as follow:

• Admiral Byrd’s 1935 expedition to Antarctica (16mm) National treasure owned by private investor.
• Expedition into the Nyragongo Volcano in 1958  (8mm) -one of the first ever filmed - National treasure owned by private investor.
• 1940 Ringling Circus archives  (16mm) National treasure owned by private investor.
• Pre-Modern Indigenous People of Taiwan and Philippines  (8mm) -- shot by the first missionaries to those areas – pre WWII -- the oldest films known to exist of the indigenous people of Taiwan and Philippines. (National Archives: Taiwan and the Philippines).
• "Oldest" known films of Tucson, Arizona  (16mm) -- kept in "deep freeze" for over 50 years.
• First Auto Races on the Beach  of Daytona Beach (National treasure owned by private investor).
• Emperor of Japan -- personal news correspondent's Pre-WWII World-wide Film Report (16mm) (National treasure of Japan - private investor) – tour of all national powers -- in preparation for WWII and
• 1942 Philippines’ Los Banos Japanese Prison Rescue  (16mm) (public domain) largest “last minute” prison rescue in WWII history -- 1,200 POWs) and saw what living skeletons the same Emperor of Japan made of the people of Taiwan and Philippines -- and US Soldiers.

• National Archives of both the US and England  (8mm) -- recently "declassified" footage "of interest" by both the US Defense Department  and Scotland Yards -- for national security. This historical footage is being studied, frame-by-frame, by 2 major universities.

We have produced historical films for countless cities and towns, fire departments, football teams, State and Federal government archives, hundreds of hours on Vietnam, declassified ballistic missile test on high speed film, etc. -- the list goes on, now, for about 20 years.

We have earned our right to stand on our own merit --
by virtue of our 1) Education, 2) Experience, 3) Achievement -- say nothing of our 4) Integrity --
A) to report the truth about our industry AND
B) to deliver what we promise.

We "Lead the Industry in NEW TECHNOLOGY"... with our LATEST INVENTION
Media-Player™ Drives

We "adapt" memory and storage devices of all kinds (examples above) to create our "Media-Player™ Drives.
We call this our Technology-Adaptation™ Service .(Note the Buffalo Nickel is in all photos for relative sizing)

BECAUSE THEY ARE SMALLER -- Memory cards and flash drives are "adapted" as Media-Player™ Small-Drives™
BECAUSE THEY ARE LARGER -- Hard drives and SSDs are "adapted" as Media-Player™ Large-Drives™

Media-Player™ Drives can be created in 3 CONFIGURATIONS:

1) Media-Player™ Large-Drive™  - OVER 64Gb: for Solid State Drives (SSD) and Hard Drives (HDD) drives (Far Left)
2) Media-Player™ Small-Drive™  - 64Gb or less: for Memory Cards and Flash Drives (Center)
3) Media-Player™ Card-in-a-Flash Drive™ (Far Right):

NOTE: Card-in-a-Flash Drive™ is our MOST popular "Swiss Army Knife" of Media-Player™ Small Drives™
Physically it is 1) a "memory card" and 2) a "USB adapter" – which effectively converts it to 3) a "flash drive". (Far Right)

Media-Player™ Small-Drives™ contain:
1) DVD Disk-Image™ Master-Disc™ that U-Play&Copy&Burn™ - a virtual disc -- for ANY computer or HDTV; and
2) Social-Media™ Master-Files™ that U-Edit&Play&Upload™ -- in H.264/MPEG-4: YouTube, Facebook, etc.: and,
3) "Media player" (i.e,. video file, DVD, and DISC-Image player) -- pre-installed to run from the Media-Player™ on PC or Mac; and,
you can distribute it without copyright violations - to friends and family -- who can "help each other to use the same application".
4) Media-Player Helper™ Tutorial

Media-Player™ Large-Drive™ contain:
All the above -- setup to "Drag & Drop"  -- to make new "Small-Card devices.
Digital-Film™ Primal Master-Files™  that U-Edit&Archive&Copy™ -- the digital equivalent of your original film -- only better; and
Blu-ray Disc-Image™ Master-Disc™ that U-Play&Copy&Burn™ - for HDTV - True H.264HD.

What are Media-Player™ Drives -- and why are they different from other "memory and storage" devices?

SINCE WE HAVE "REDONE" THEIR DIRTY LITTLE WORK --
WE LEARNED THEIR DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS!

HOW WE LEARNED THE "LITTLE SECRETS": Realizing much of the equipment adapted from the "large format" film transfer industry is ill-suited for "small format film", we literally "trashed" much of the equipment that most companies now brag about using. We were forced into creative testing -- trial and error -- invention and re-invention -- driven by integrity -- until we "got it right". 

We learned the "right way, the hard way"; but we did not know "the dirty way".

HOW WE LEARNED "THE DIRTY": Until we got into 'redoing" the work of "other studios" -- for domestic clients -- we did NOT realize that there is a side of the film transfer industry -- the domestic market -- that does NOT strive for "high commercial integrity", but rather strive with "intent" that, in my opinion, "is criminal".

Bottom Line: As an "industry whistle blower",
I "have earned" -- and I "continue to earn" --  "the right" to tell you...

Dirty Little Trade Secret™ #1:

The Shelf-life of a "writable" DVD-R/+R is ONLY 2 to 5 years.
Neither a "writable" DVD nor a "writable" Blu-ray disc can be consider "archive worthy".

STILL "Want my movie film (archived) on DVD or Blu-ray"?

"Super 8mm Film Transfer Mills™" will put your home movies on DVD or even Blu-ray disc -- doing exactly what they are asked to do.

What they don't tell you is criminal, in my opinion.

"Super 8mm Film Transfer Mills™" don't tell you, that your disc has a shelf life of only 5 years before there is a risk of "data drop-out" which can result in artifacts (i.e., little square blocks appearing in your video, or frozen frames, or even frozen video). Once this happens, the disc is soon "dead" with no recourse or solution.

Unless there is a "master digital video file' in a safe place -- to be used to create a new discs -- then the old DVD disc WILL BE LOST --
along with the loss of your family's home movie film legacy.

"Super 8mm Film Transfer Mills™" don't tell you, to "keep your "movie film" --  because, after 5 years, you may need it again". Since most people "trash their movie film" or the "Super 8mm Film Transfer Mills™" do it for them" -- upon delivery of their DVDs or Blu-ray discs -- in 5 short years -- most people realize -- too late -- that their simple request -- to "put my home movies on DVDs" -- was a request for the ultimate destruction of "the only" and "the last" living images of their most beloved family members.

Clients did not ask for what they needed -- only what they "think" they wanted.
Think AGAIN!

Clients need an "archive". An "archive" is a "long term" concept -- spanning decades -- versus the "short-term" ideas of a "backup" or a temporary "transport medium" --  less than 5 years for video data and 2 years for computational and ASCII character data.

Most film transfer mills DO NOT want you to know that DVDs have an unexpectedly short shelf life of 2 to 5 years. Their whole production process focuses on the use of silver & dye based DVD-R technology -- and nothing else -- to archive your movie films. When I say "archive" I mean, "To store ALL of the original image, of each and every frame of the original image -- for a long, long, time."

Open the details to this window (click below) to learn about why "archive gold" type discs -- with a shelf life of 200 years -- have NOT been used
and why "video format" is a MORE important consideration than "media longevity" -- 
at least, for those people -- who wish to "be careful what they ask for"...

This windows also gives you the actual tests and articles to back our claims -- about the longevity of DVDs -- 2 years for data; 5 years for images.

Click to show or hide details:

Reference: Computer World: January 2006: Primarily deals with CD-R technology, but includes DVDs in its warning to both data and image archivist in 1st paragraph: Computerworld article Since this article was written, we have been able to sample our own DVDs from 6 years ago, and find an alarming failure rate. However, creating DVDs -- from our own client's old MiniDV master tapes -- as far back as 1999 -- has proven very successful. All hard drives from this same era have fail or are now obsolete -- due to old FAT16 or Fat32 with IDE/ATA interfaces -- same as "floppy drive". NOTE: AVI files were developed around Fat16 and FAT 32 architecture, too, which is why AVI files are no longer supported by Microsoft. The very integrity of CD-R, DVD-R (and, we can assume Blu-ray) technology -- which are chemically very similar -- has been challenged by media experts worldwide.  Some experts -- like Kurt Gerecke, a physicist and storage expert at IBM Deutschland GmbH -- are now reporting that the life of some optical media (CD-R and DVD-R) to be only 2 to 5 years. These statements are clearly backed by longevity tests on "dye based" platter technology -- CD-R, DVD-R and DVD+R --  conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.  Results showed that failure rates for dye based DVDs with silver backing (originally thought to have a long life) were far worse than anyone had realized. The fall-out from this study is that Computer Industry and the Federal Government -- have ditched DVD-R, DVD+R, and CD-R -- and NOW Blu-ray Disc -- for "archiving" any type of digital data or digital imagery. (see reference below-right).   Reference: Results of CD-R and DVD-R longevity tests. Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology -- Volume 109, Number 5, September-October 2004   See an HTML conversion of the study paper. (A link to the original is at the end) Do not confuse "backups"  with "archives".  A client of ours who is a government employee provided us with the links above; He says that some government agencies -- including the Library of Congress -- are now giving caution to their employees on the use of silver backed dye based optical technology for "archives". Does this warning extend to Blu-ray discs? What we do know about Blu-ray technology, is that it uses "blue laser technology" and DVDs use "red laser" technology -- on basically the same type disc materials. What we do know about Blu-ray is, blue laser technology can write data tracks closer together -- on a DVD sized platter. But "double or triple density" dose NOT mean the data will last any longer! What we do know is, there are NO longevity studies for Blu-ray discs - to my knowledge -- and I have asked, believe me! Blu-ray Technology "good or bad" is a Mute Point: What we also know, it there is a "market shift" away from Blu-ray disc "domestically" -- toward Solid State Drive (SSD) technology, which includes "small drives" like Memory Cards and Flash Drives -- all of which have become "every day" items -- which continue to drop in price. The "assumption" by "sales people" -- That Blu-ray "is better", in terms of longevity is odd, in my opinion, in light of the traumatic effect of longevity studies on DVD discs -- made from very similar materials as Blu-ray disc. If we follow logic, instead of some sales pitch, we are forced to form both the opinion and assumption -- that Blu-ray disc longevity is "like" DVD disc longevity. For all practical purposes, a Blu-ray disc may be "more like" a DVD -- only with a Blu-ray label -- too, much like a DVD -- too much more -- than we would "like" to think -- or, for that matter, the disc manufactures would "like us to think".  Archive Gold Discs: As a result, of "too much thinking in the market place",  the disc manufacturing industry has developed an "archive gold" type technology, which claims varying longevity thresholds, with some giving themselves as high as a 200 year longevity rating -- or your money back --  with proof of purchase and proof of ID, of course;( As of June 2011 -- before gold went through the roof in price --  the cheapest "archive gold" type Blu-ray disc, that could be purchased on the Internet, cost $15 plus the cost of shipping, roughly $5 dollars -- for a total "low price of $20 each. Bulk purchase could reduce that to as low as $15 each, after shipping.  My point is, "archive gold" is expensive -- especially when you must consider waste from "bad-burns", "failed burns", "power outages" -- waste that is always associated with the duplication process -- for any number of the most "dog-gone" reasons. This factor puts "archive gold" expenses right up there with the cost of (more forgiving) Flash Drive, SDHC card, and hard drive prices. NOTE: The price of gold are still "through the roof" in 2013 and the prices above are assumed to be "too low" at this time. Near-substitutes and Alternative Technologies and Strategies: Given the fact that prices for hard drive technology has plummeted over the last year,  you can now buy a 500Gb hard drive for roughly the same cost of buying 3 or 4 "archive gold" type Blu-ray discs -- which will store only 25Gb each. In the ComputerWorld warning -- on the use of CD-R, DVD-R and DVD+R for "backups" -- corporate wisdom is to "back up" your "backups" every 2 years -- for data -- and every 5 years for digital images, like videos and pictures. As for "archiving", their word of wisdom was: use nothing but metal particle magnetic digital tape for an archive -- and keep at least one "archive backup" of that. What they did not address, what the "Super 8mm Film Transfer Mills™" don't tell you,  is the fact that all video data -- expressed as a "video format" --  is NOT created equal; that in fact, some video "formats" are crippled by design and "very lossy" -- like MEPEG-2, the default format of a DVD. It is silly -- say nothing of expensive -- to use "archive gold type" technology to "archive" low quality video. LAST BUT NOT LEAST:  The Blu-ray Scam Film transfer mills don't tell you this one for sure. The victim in this scam thinks s/he is buying a High Definition (HD) Product Blu-ray product for an HDTV -- but instead pays a premium price for a "fake" Blu-ray. The Scam: The film transfer mill takes a DVD -- using MPEG-2 format -- and copies the MPEG-2 disk image onto to a Blu-ray Disc. This is fast and easy to do. Since Blu-ray technology is backwards compatible with DVD technology, the MPEG-2 video "plays just fine" -- when plugged into a Blu-ray player. The Blu-ray disc -- with DVD quality video -- is then sold to the victim as a "Blu-ray" disc.  The finishing touch to this scam, is that the "film transfer mill"  uses a cheap "gold tinted" disc -- which are manufactured as an "archive gold" "knock-off disc".  In reality, this "knock-off disc" is a generic Blu-ray with a "gold tint" to the face of the disc and has the word "gold" somewhere on the packaging -- which is deceptive advertising, in my opinion. In the end, the "film transfer mill" has used a cheap to produce, inferior video format, and cheap "knock-off" media to make a huge margin of profit -- for minimal work.  The victim can view their movie film images on their new HDTV, knows something is wrong, but can not put a finger on it. If they confront the "film transfer mill" they are just told the problem is they have "crummy movie film". This scam can be detected using a computer - if the victim knows what to look for. Reducing all this information to a point -- once people know "the truth", they are reluctant to buy an expensive "archive gold" type disc to "archive" lowest grade video formats -- or even to "set themselves up" for a Blu-ray scam. Knowing "what to ask for" is second only to, knowing "who to ask". Do you still want you movie films "archived" -- to ONLY an "off the shelf" DVD or Blu-ray? What can do we do? We can capture your movie film, as raw video, into a format best matched to your needs -- like Apple ProRes, DVCPRO, DVCPRO HD, Digital Video (DV). All these formats are 1) full frame for all frames, 2) higher resolution than the resolution of your original movie film, and 3)  used in editing software on 64 bit, multi-core, state-of-the-art PC and Mac computers. Using one these formats, after Re-Colorization of the images, we then make Blu-ray and DVD Virtual Movie Disc ™, and then, physical discs. What can YOU do? Some people find they have to buy a new computer -- just to work with some of the formats above.  What is  more, because "family members" do NOT have computers that WILL also work with some of  these video formats, some of these same formats are a "bad choice" as an "archive format" because they can NOT be passed to the next generation. I cover the pros and cons of formats -- and "best-matching" a film format to a video format.  MiniDV tapes, a good "archive medium" for the "mainstream" who ALREADY OWN MiniDV or HDV camcorders -- which read Digital Video (DV) format NOTE: DV, DVCam, DVPro 25 digital video format are all basically the same format.   These "formats" were originated on MiniDV tape (see left) and D8 tape. BUT DO NOT CONFUSE "video tape" with "video formats". Although the "video tape" has met with market decline, the "video format"  is still very widely used by the public -- on single and dual core, 32 bit (older) computers, and 64 bit multi-core processors -- for use with the broadest selection of editing software on both PC and Mac computers -- new and old. DV format is still used by many news professionals due to its flexible properties to be 1) up-scaled to HDTV -- H.264 HD format; and 2) down-scaled to Webcasting, -- H.264/ MPG4 format; and 3) used as an "archive" -  when retained on MiniDV tape -- or Disc Drive. As "non-computer" archive solution, I suggest clients -- who already have the camcorder -- store their "tapes" in a "lock box" with their MiniDV  or HDV Camcorder. NOTE: Newer Camcorders -- using SDHC cards and AVCHD format -- can NOT satisfy these criteria -- as Solid State technology is extremely vulnerable to static shock AND the format is both "partial frame" and "lossy". Later, in my tutorial, I cover which formats are the "best match" for your "small format" movie film.  Right how, just know, "bigger is NOT better" -- as "miss-matching" your physical film to a digital format (i.e., like HDTV -- H.264 HD -- to Regular 8mm film) DOES create digital artifacts.

"Super 8mm Film Transfer Mills™" do NOT want you to know about

THE CURRENT VIDEO TECHNOLOGY SHIFT

Dear Grandpa and Grandma...

Before you can know what is "out-dated",
you have to see what is "up-to-date".

Dirty Little Trade Secret™: What "Super 8mm Film Transfer Mills™" don't want you to know...
(click below --  for the good, bad, and UGLY!)

Feel like "the last person on earth -- to find out?

Media-Diversity™
Last Decade Vs. This Decade

NEWS UPDATE:

This Decade's computers -- and hand-held digital devices -- DO NOT HAVE DVD DISC DRIVES!
They have a universal Memory Card Port -- maybe a USB-3 port -- and a "WIRELESS" (Internet) "CLOUD" connection.

JUST IN CASE YOU HAVE BEEN WATCHING YOUR VHS Player TOO LONG -- AND HAVE NOT NOTICED...
here are a few other "technology shifts" that have or ARE taking place:

SHIFT 1: This Decade: Blu-ray DISC-Image™,
Last Decade: Blu-ray Physical-disc™   

SHIFT 2: This Decade: DVD DISC-Image™      
 Last Decade: DVD Physical-disc™         

SHIFT 3: This Decade: Hard Drive, Flash Drive, and Memory Cards
Last Decade: MiniDV and Digital8 Digital Tape

SHIFT 4: This Decade: Social-Media™ "Cloud" files -- H.264/MPEG-F "streaming video files" --  for Social Media, YouTube, etc.

SHIFT: This Decade: Media-Player™ Drives -- "smart-drives™ -- that "do stuff" and "go places"
Last Decade: "dumb-drives" -- that just "store stuff" -- and just "sit there"

The "Future Generation of Technology" is here -- and now! 
If you want to "pass-on" your home movies and family film history,
you must DIVERSIFY your home movies to play on BOTH ...

"Last decade's technology" -- that YOU USE every day and
"This decade's technology" -- that THEY USE every day -- and all THEIR tomorrows!

TO FIND OUT "WHAT THE HECK" THESE PRODUCTS ARE, OPEN THIS WINDOW...

When you see the words, "small format movie film" you should think the words "slower speed" movie film. This is one of the most important concepts you will get from my website that other websites will shun.

 

What does "slow speed film" mean for you? 
This is a "must read" summary of how "film transfer" works for "small format films".  Click for more...

That's JUST A TASTE of "What You Don't Know", (that you don't know you don't know) that Will Hurt You!

What else? Hang on to your hat!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Blu-ray Discs

Hereafter in this website, when we say "DVD", unless otherwise stated, you may assume the same principle applies to "Blu-ray".

And here is why...

Dirty Little Trade Secret™ #2:

"Digital Copies" are not the "Digital Equivalent" to Your Original Movie Film

"Super 8mm Film Transfer Mills™" sell you a "digital copy" of your movie film on DVD.  They do NOT sell you the "digital equivalent" of your movie film on DVD. Technically, that is impossible.

Film transfer mills do NOT want you to know, you need a "digital master archive" -- made directly from your original movie film. They want to sell you a DVD "copy" of your movie film. After having read Dirty Little Trade Secret™ #1, you now know why your movie film should NOT be "archived" to a DVD only - because a DVD is not an archive.

Dirty Little Trade Secret™ #3:

DVDs are not "high resolution".

If I told you I was "throwing away half of your movie film to film transfer to DVD", would you let me do it?

Well, that is exactly what "Super 8mm Film Transfer Mills™" are doing. Each one of the "little pictures" in your movie film is made up of hundreds of "little lines". If they throw out every other "little line" to fit your movie film to a DVD, they have thrown away half of your movie film, haven't they?

That's what MPEG2 compression does.

Still want me to film transfer your movie film to DVD? Worse yet... (click for more).

Dirty Little Trade Secret™ #4:

DVDs and Blu-rays are NOT made up of "full frame pictures" -- like your movie film.

In a nut shell, DVDs are made up of thousands of JPEG pictures, aren't they? "Well, not exactly". The Dirty Little Trade Secret™ is that MPEG2, the video format for video DVDs, only "starts out" with one JPEG picture (of your grandmother). That's where all similarity ends.

MPEG2 compression is aggressive. To keep the video stream small, it starts throwing away parts of the image it thinks it can "rebuild" from preceding frames. MPEG2 was made to fit tremendous amounts of data into a small space, knowing it would be "played back" on older, fairly low quality televisions which would hide a "multitude of evils" by being too low resolution to really spot the artifacts of the compression.

Much has changed since HDTV took over. However, the darling media of HDTV is Blu-ray.  Blu-ray uses H.264 BD format which is basically, MPEG-2 on steroids. Although the  format does rival the high resolutions of your original movie film, the partial frame and highly compressed characteristics of the format make is almost worthless to edit. Therefore, the format fails as an "archive worthy" format -- as does MPEG-2, for the same reason.

Why?  An "archive worthy" format is used for many things -- other than to watch on your HDTV.  It is used to capture photos. It can be resized for Webcasting on YouTube, and resized for use on iPhone type devices, and many other devices. It will be transported over networks and used on both PC and Mac computers -- to further manipulate and enhance and colorize the images -- and then narrate them, with different background music.  One day it will be transcoded into 3D video and, maybe, even in holographic applications.  MPEG-2 and H.264 formats will not "go the distance".

Dirty Little Trade Secret™ #5:

DVDs and Blu-ray can NOT be copied to other "digital formats' without "digital artifacts".

Film transfer mills let you think that because DVD and Blu-ray are "digital" they can be transferred to other digital formats without loss.

Dirty Little Trade Secret™ #6:

"You can edit MPEG2" (DVDs) - but, "not exactly".

There are many software packages out there that let you edit MPEG2 compressed video. Each will warn you about the consequences of "cutting" the video stream anywhere but on a key frame. When it comes to getting the highest possible quality out of your editing efforts, you can edit MPEG... but why would you want to -- if you had the option to work with a video format that was the near equivalent of the original movie film -- frame for frame.

Dirty Little Trade Secret™ #7:

You need a "full frame", "high resolution" digital master -- and a backup.

Let me say it another way: You need a "full frame", "high resolution" digital master that:

1. Rivals your Original movie film (of Grandmother) with "near equivalent" Digital Images (of Grandmother); and,
2. Allows you to migrate Original movie film Images (of Grandmother) to 'high resolution" video formats now and in the future; and,
3. Allows you to edit and narrate your original movie film images (of Grandmother) - to preserve her memory and yours.

Dirty Little Trade Secret™ #8:

Most Telecine Methods are VHS quality; NOT High Resolution

The telecine film transfer method used to perform your small gauge - 8mm, Super 8, and 16mm - movie film transfer may sound great at first blush. Most "retrofitted" or "upgraded" telecine "scanners"  still incorporate -- "composite video" somewhere in the "bowels" of their technology.  No matter what kind of "adapter" you slap on a "composite video signal" you still get ONLY VHS quality. Which brings us to the next...

"Dirty Little Trade Secret™": Most telecine methods were developed before the digital age and target problems inherent to older "analogue (composite) video". Much advertising today promotes technology of the past. The Dirty Little Trade Secret™ is, if you use old technology for a movie film to video film transfer, you will in fact get "the same old quality" of old technology.

If you use their older technology, then you get inferior quality for the same price you might otherwise pay for a superior quality. I know, I am in the business. I have literally put very expensive, "old equipment" --  in the dumpster - knowing it had potential for great "sales hype" but absolutely no "high resolution merit".

We use aerial scanner methods, when they are well matched to the movie film; but we reserve the right to switch to other methods that have advantages over scanning methods.

For example, movie film -- with deep scratches -- scanned at the film-plane of the actual emulsion on the film -- transfer with the image having bright white streaks (more on this later). We have a alternate capture method that will capture that same movie film with the scratches turning to neutral grey. This is "value added" by "experience" -- that a machine, by itself, can not be expected to identify, much less correct.  Most studios "good enough" to even know about this method, reserve it for their high-end "professional clients" -- never giving "domestic clients" the consideration of its use.

Dirty Little Trade Secret™ #9:

Telecine Projector / Scanner / DAI - VS - Telecine Film Transfer

The term "telecine film transfer" (not to be confused with "telecine projector") is a good, legitimate movie film to video transfer term, which simply means, the frame rate of your 8mm movie film, super 8 movie film, or 16mm movie film is synchronized with NTSC video frame rates of your TV set -- without a flicker.

Dirty Little Trade Secret™ #10:

Dirty Little Trade Secret™: A "film transfer" done at "ULTRA-HIGH, MICROSCOPIC SCAN DENSITY" - LIKE K2 OR K4 --
will DEFINITELY need "smoothing filters". Smoothing filters are, however, being "marketed" as "scratch removal services". 

LAYMAN'S DISCUSSION:

This is a nice "add-on" business for "transfer mills"; but reasonable people figure out that the "transfer mills" are
1) selling an "operation" the patient does not need, THEN
2) selling additional "solutions" -- to problems THEY, the "transfer mills" -- create!

Here is the scam...and people "ASK FOR IT"... ASSUMING that higher density video formats work the same with "live objects" as they do with "film".

I wish I could say, using "hyper-format" "microscopic" cameras -- to capture tiny 8mm film -- "gives you a better resolution", however -- after personally investment of a lot of time and a lot of money in "high density" technology -- as a Computer Scientist,  I find the opposite to be true -- for the following reasons:

Before there were "pixels", images were made up of tiny little "grains" of silver halide in the emulsion of movie film (see below).  Light passed between the grains -- literally "shapes and forms" the details in an image.

Here is the "catch"!  ONLY the "edges" of "each grain" and "grain cluster" contribute to "image detail". 

The remaining "surface area" of each grain -- or "surface area" of "clumps of grains" -- just "block the light" (see "black areas" in Figure 1 below).  NON-DESCRIPT  black contributes NO DETAIL DEFINITION to the image.

The same is true of the "open spaces" -- between grains and clumps of grains". .While contributing NON-DESCRIPT light and color information, "the wide-open-spaces" between grains -- DO NOT contribute "detail" to the "shape and form" of the image. (see "white areas" in Figure 1 below)

The "con" or "scam" is "the claim" or "your assumption" that a "microscopic" scan of your film will give MORE IMAGE DETAIL from the "black space" and the " white space" below.

The TRUTH is, "ultra-high resolution scans" INTRODUCE artifacts FROM the "detail from the grain itself" NOT "detail from pictures of Grandma". Hyper saturating the "original image" with all this "superfluous" data (called artifacts) is completely obvious to the human eye as "grainer grain" (see Figure 2 below).

Of course this brings out every "natural flaw" in you film. As a result, "transfer mills" usually "package" a "smoothing filter" with "ultra-high resolution transfers" to "cover up" their folly.  Of course, they call it a "scratch removal service" and have nice "before and after" photo "mock-ups" HOWEVER, you are advised that "YOUR results may vary...". (see Figure 3 below).

THE TRUTH is, "smoothing "bad data" (black and white areas) into "good data" (the edges ONLY)
actually DEGRADES ORIGINAL IMAGE DATA (of grandma) -- like "touching up a photo".
This prompts historically significant questions like, "Is that Grandpa?" "What happened to Grandpa's infamous wart and wrinkles?"
Of course, Grandma would love the "make-over"!

THE TRUTH is, once you can see the "grain patterns" or 'grain shimmer" in your images -- just like when you want "movies at the cinema" or "at home" -- you are seeing ALL the "image information" that you "small format film" has to offer.

Take moment to digest the illustrations below.

FIGURE 1 (ABOVE) Microscopic example of Grains of Silver Halide in a Film Image
A "Video Format" should "Best-Match" the ORIGINAL "Film Format" -- in pixel / grain densities.
A "miss-match" results in "under-kill" or "over-kill" of the original image.

FIGURE 2 (BELOW - LEFT)                      FIGURE 3 (BELOW - RIGHT)
Hyper-Microscopic VIDEO of GRAINS of Silver Halide in Film Image
An illustration of what happens in "over-kill".

Final Insult to Injury: Ultra-high resolution scans are "way far" beyond the display capability of anything you will ever own. All those millions of data points have to be "summarized" back to each cluster of RGB pixels, surronded by black -- that make up your "digital display".  What is more, many displays convert all those data points to (sit down for this) ANALOGUE.


We can provide (sell you) larger, higher density film transfer video formats, however, be advised that "hyper-formatting" -- distorting a small format FILM into a large format VIDEO -- introduces artifacts into the images of your original film -- because

TECHNICAL DISCUSSION:

1)  The "two dimensional" surface area" of each grain of silver halide (FIGURE 1 -- BLACK AREAS)  is "non-image data".
In film, this is called "grain"; In digital video, this is called a "digital artifact" or "digital noise"; and,

2) The space BETWEEN GRAINS of silver halide (FIGURE 1 -- WHITE AREAS) are also "non-image data" called light or color -- which has NO IMAGE-DETAIL -- other than "black&white" and  "color"  values; and,

3) ONLY the circumference (i.e. the edge) of each grain of silver halide (FIGURE 1 -- IMAGE-DETAIL DATA) contributes "true image detail" or "true image data" to the final image.

In simple "Expansion Theory", as an object or image expands, the area (non-image data -- Points 1 and 2 above) expands at a greater rate
than does the expansion rate of the circumference (true image data -- Point 3 above) of the object or image.
Thus in ANY analysis of "expansion" -- say analysis of expanding a tiny 8mm format to any large screen HDTV format -- there are "diminishing returns"
where the "non-image data" over-whelms "true image data" -- called a "washout"  and "fuzzy" image.

To "off-set" this "diminishing return", "Hyper-formatting" with high-density cameras (basically with microscopic accuracy) attempts to "fill" the "washout" and the "fuzz" with "grainer grain" patters.  This would be a great idea, except for the fact, the "pits and irregularities" of the grain ITSELF has absolutely NOTHING to do the original "image-details of the picture".

All this means, "gainer grain" and "more artifacts" do not make a "BETTER" picture (FIGURE 2 -- HYPER-FORMATTED GRAIN).
Transfers of tiny 8mm film with microscopic precision of 2K 4K  -- which are "microscopic' -- do NOT make a better picture.

Because of the "grain in the grains" -- which are now "artifacts" in the image -- now PART OF THE IMAGE --
Ultra high, microscopic resolution "film transfers" REQUIRE "smoothing filters".

These "smoothing filters"  blend this flood of "artifact data" into (thinly stretched) "true image data".
(FIGURE 3 -- HYPER-FORMATTED GRAINS AFTER SMOOTHING)
This gives the overall image a "flat look" -- when compared to native film "grain shimmer" --
seen when viewing film "LIVE" or viewing a "good transfer".

Transfer mills actually "mask" their "artifact distortion-correction" as a "premium scratch removal" service" --
because (along with true-image details) details in scratches are (also) subdued.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Movie film was designed to be "projected" NOT SCANNED.  The "image harshness" found at the granular level was subject to the "Reciprocity of Light" where light "diffuses" (mathematically)  by the square root of the distance that light has traveled. This is what gives film its "desirable" "soft" (not "flat') look.

"Hyper-formatting" is "easy to hide" because "transfer mills" also often use irregular "pull-down" scanning methods
which introduce "motion judder" -- which is so distracting -- that a "flat image" is hardly noticed. That is because it is the "lesser of the two evils".

Bottom line:
The best  8mm transfer is possible ONLY when the video format is "best-matched" to the movie film format.

SO, TO SELL "ULTRA-HIGH SCAN DENSITY" SCANS on "small format" 8mm and Super 8 film...
"film transfer mills" just plain lie about the capabilities of "Hyper-Formatting" small format film.

FOR EXAMPLE: "16mm, 8mm film transfer mills"  are NOW claiming that "discolored" footage can be magically "color balanced" and "color enhance" simply by increasing "digital scan density".  In other words, if your film has a "magenta cast" (purple-pink or Red-Blue cast) -- an "ulta-high density" digital scan, will magically transfer the resulting image into a perfectly balanced picture! 

As a Computer Scientist, this claim is perhaps that "most stupid", 'irrational" digital claim I have ever witness from the "transfer mills".

First rule of computing: "Garbage in; Garbage out".  If you put in "magenta cast" data; you will get out "magenta cast" data.
Ultra-high densities of "magenta data" do not magically translate "bits and bytes" of "magenta data" into digital "white light".
To do that -- requires "an idiot" or "a liar" -- with a "good graphic artist" -- to pull-off a convincing "BEFORE AND AFTER" example.

Any color artist knows that a simple shift on a RGB (Red Green Blue) Color Wheel, away from (Red-Blue) is enough to shift the entire "tint range" of an image  1) from "magenta" to 2) "neutral bias".

We have access to many capture processes, of different densities.  In no case has "magenta discolored" film - as seen in their "examples" --  "color corrected" itself -- solely on the merit of "scan density". 

Such claims REQUIRE "doctored photos" usually contain the verbiage, in small print, "your results may vary".

Clients send us film with "profound color shift" -- MOST OF THE TIME; and
we can "color correct" such film with "GREAT RESULTS" -- most of the time; however,
we do NOT "sell" (or deceive) the client into purchasing a more expensive "scanning process" --
making them BELIEVE that "IT" -- not a "push on a color wheel" -- is what makes the BIG DIFFERENCE!
 

Dirty Little Trade Secret™ #11:

Dirty Little Trade Secret™: While on the topic of "doctored photos", some "transfer mills" claim profound "scratch removal" techniques. 
They show a "BEFORE" photo with deep, dark" scratches from "projector burn" in on photo
and an "AFTER" photo with a perfect photo -- not one scratch.

The only problem with this "scam" is that the "scanners" they claim to use -- "capture from the film plane". 
That "means" that ALL "deep scratches" will scan as "raw, bright light" scratches -- not "deep, dark" scratches!

Just a "small technicality" -- over-looked by their "marketing department" and "graphic artist"..

My point is, a company may have "scratch removal" services, but their "service" and their "illustrations and examples" of their "service" VARY.
As such, "YOUR RESULTS MAY VARY", too...

Other "transfer mills" create "like" EXAMPLES by using "film aging filters" -- which CREATE the special effect of "dark scratches" -- on "new film".  They can even show you a "mask" of the "scratch pattern" independent of the photo itself. This is impressive, until you realize that the "mask" is actually "the filter" selected -- from many "scratch masks" -- to make the "new film look old". By simply showing you the "BEFORE" picture (of new film)  LAST, and the "AFTER" picture (of the superimposed scratches) FIRST, they can "mock-up" a nice "example" of "scratch removal. The only problem is that the "scanners" they TOO -- transfer film "from the film plane" -- also resulting in "raw, bright light" scratches, TOO!

OF COURSE, YOUR "scratch removal" RESULTS MAY VARY -- TOO!

Especially, if all they really do, is use a "wet-gate"! A wet-gate system works by transferring the film "wet" -- or actually "damp".  The "wetting solution" works by "filling" the scratches and "diffusing" or "blending" the scratch into the image -- on EITHER SIDE OF THE SCRATCH. The "smaller and shallower" the scratch, the better a "wet gate" works.  HOWEVER, there are situations -- with antique footage -- where a wet-gate can damage film or diffuse the image at large. Also, wet-gate "wetting solutions" -- which "lubricate, wet, and extend film life" -- tend to be "EXTREMELY TOXIC" -- to the PRODUCER,  CLIENT, and ENVIRONMENT.  

HOPE ON THE HORIZON:  The phantom "8mm scratch removal" technology is not "total fiction".

"Infrared Cleaning" is a successful technology on "slide film" but has not yet found its way into the 8mm movie film world.  Reportedly, it does not work well with many "antique" film stocks. Reportedly, scratches have to be on the 'correct side" of the film to work, which implies that scratches on the "wrong-sided" are interpreted as part of the image.

"Inpainting" is a "post-product" process -- in the experimental phase for video. This process could would need to be implemented AFTER "frame capture" and  BEFORE "synchronization" -- and "when" available would be "very expensive". It could be "cost effective" for short clips.

Scratch Removal is a "post-production" process (after the film transfer) -- offered by many "post-production" studios.  Theoretically, YOU CAN DO THIS, TOO. There are a variety of filters that can "reduce" scratch patterns, but the process is labor intensive and expensive. 

Most clients feel "scratch removal" ALSO REMOVES a "historical mystic" from "old films" -- which was "part of the experience" of watching "old home movies".

Even our "commercial clients" prefer the "old look" -- and will pay "good money" to put "bad scratches" -- or the "special effect" of "bad scratches" -- superimposed on "perfectly good" film captures.

Finally, a "film transfer" done well, with "wet-gate", and matching the format of the film to the format of the video format "may not" need "scratch removal service" -- in the eyes of the beholder.

A "film transfer" done at "ULTRA-HIGH SCAN DENSITY" will definitely need scratch removal services.

Until "scratch removal" becomes 1) a cost-effective "reality" -- we prefer to save clients both the "expense" and "false hope" --
of what the "transfer mills" now seem to promise.

We would rather "ban" the words, "YOUR RESULTS MAY VARY" -- from this website!

And yes, we use a "wet gate" system...when it is appropriate --
and yes, we know when NOT to use it -- when it will damage your film!

It is  "cheaper" and "safer" for someone to sent "master clips" to "post-production" studios -- to see what they can "really do";
especially if the graphic arts department -- of companies to whom they send "clips" --
are using "dark scratches" on their "scanner mock-up" of "sample and examples".

Example of our video and music.

Example Video of my own home movies. This is a 4.5 megabyte file in QuickTime format. It's not a perfect example, mostly because it's been compressed very heavily so it can be downloaded easily. Click here to view the video. Click on the QuickTime button to download a free copy of QuickTime Player -- for Mac or PC. It is an nice tool to add your computer for viewing video.

OUR BUSINESS MODEL-- VERY IMPORTANT:

Dirty Little Trade Secrets are NOT revealed by only a  technology or technique used, but also by the "business model" that a company uses. We can only disclose our business model as a "leader in the industry", and let you contrast our "business model" within the context of Dirty Little Trade Secrets you are about to read about.

"WE ARE A REFLECTION OF OUR CLIENTS"

Just as you seek the highest level of service, we seek the highest level of client.
We believe that clients and companies -- of the same level of integrity -- seek each other out. 
With a “Thankful” heart, the following is our integrity level:

Find out:  Why we never needed to do "test reels".
 

THE LEADER

IN THE SMALL FORMAT MOVIE FILM TRANSFER INDUSTRY:

We are not just a “movie film transfer” studio.  "Film transfer" is only a minor step in our multi-step service.

We are multi-disciplined specialists in

1) Small Format Antique Movie Film Repair, and
2) Digital Film Transfer of Antique and Damaged Movie Films, and
3) Post-Production Digital Restoration and
4) Post-Production Digital Enhancement and Re-colorization, and
5) Digital Format Transcoding, and
6) Physical Media and Virtual Packaging, and
7) Mass Media Distribution & Webcasting.

Perfection in first stage is amplified by perfection in successive stages – making our final product “better than the original”. Over-riding a “state-of-the-art” machine with “knowledge-of-the-art”, is known as “value-added judgment”. This “value-added judgment” is what a jet pilot brings to a state-of-the-art jet -- that can literally fly itself – until it is disabled by a flock of geese and forced to land in a river.

Answers about equipment and techniques we use --
that put us in a "different League".

Highlights and Updates
(Just in case you missed these points...)

1) Film transfer "mills" would simply rather you not know the longevity of a writable DVD (DVD-R and DVD+R) is only 2 to 5 years. In Dirty Little Trade Secret™#1 (above) , I show the research which proves this later. Blu-ray can be argued to be "like" DVD in sharing this chemical longevity property. DVD and Blu-ray discs are NOT an "archive worthy" media, based on longevity studies. Most people have their 8mm movie film, Super 8 Movie Film, and 16mm movie film transferred ONLY to DVD -- and many of these people, sadly, purchase only 1 DVD set -- wrongly assuming it will last "forever".

2) Film transfer "mills" would rather you not know that, in a "direct" movie film to DVD film transfer, MPEG2 -- the format of all DVDs -- actually throws away up to half the data (resolution) of each and every frame of your original movie film -- in order to "compress"-- or "crush" --  the visual data to fit onto a DVD. Speaking of DVD compression...

Film transfer "mills" would rather you not know that a direct movie film to DVD film transfer 1) throws away up to 20% of "whole frames"  and 2) substitutes 80% "partial frames" for most of the "full frames" your original 8mm, Super 8, and 16mm movie film. MPEG2 is NOT an "archive worthy" format.

Most people would turn violent if anyone took their 8mm movie film, Super 8 Movie Film, and 16mm movie film and started "stripping it down" and cutting frames; but digitally, that is exactly what a "direct" movie film transfer to DVD does digitally -- leaving what is left to start "dropping out" of the physical DVD after roughly 5 years.

Film Transfer "mills" would rather you not know that both DVD disc and the video format of DVDs (MPEG2) are NOT "archive worthy". So why are YOU wanting to "archive" images from your 8mm, Super 8 movie film, and 16mm movie film to DVD? Did not know that you were "asking for it"?  Well you are-- when you demand (with your money) a "film to DVD" transfer -- and NOTHING ELSE! And "your demands" get worse! Much worse!

3) The concept of Digital-Film™ and a Master Archive™ file structures is not even theoretically possible with a DVD or Blu-ray disc. 

Digital-Film™ Master Archive™ files -- is our digital video product that is -- frame-for-frame -- the digital equivalent of "every frame" of your 8mm, Super 8, and 16mm movie film. This product is something transfer "mills" don't want to talk about -- because they can not create products that come close to the equivalent of your original movie film. More on this MOST IMPORTANT of all archive concepts later.

4) Film transfer "mills" would rather you not know "the Dirty Little Trade Secret™" that highly compressed MPEG-2 files can be copied from a DVD onto a Blu-ray disc, in a scam to sell you a "fake" HD product. Because the Blu-ray standard is "backwards compatible" with the DVD standards, your Blu-ray player will play it -- thinking it is a "strange" DVD,  I will tell you how to catch this scam -- easily.

5) As for HD, for HDTV, movie film transfer "mills" would rather you not know that a direct movie film transfer to AVCHD video format (a play-only format) -- is now a standard procedure for HD film transfers. AVCHD severely limits and cripples video editing, which results in profound generation loss --  "crushing the video" -- when rendering edited sections. Other "Super 8mm Film Transfer Mills™" transcode AVCHD into "any format you want" -- like ProRes -- which just enhances artifacts.

Film transfer "mills" would rather you did not know that AVCHD format video, is a "play only" format, is also a "very lossy" format -- which is miss-matched to the capture of  - your original "small format" Standard 8mm, Super 8, and 16mm movie film.

6) Film transfer "mills" would rather you not know that they "push" amber (colored) tinted discs -- deceptively as "archive gold"  type DVDs and Blu-rays  -- the most expensive media in the world. Then, they load them with the worst, degraded, least usable, and most highly compressed video formats -- money can buy. Time then reveals these "amber tinted" - with the word "gold" somewhere in their name -- are no better than generic discs.

To arm yourself with pertinent knowledge, please read through the tutorial.

You can also contact us for a price quote or to ask questions.