Hints, Tips and FAQs
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Here you will find lots of information about the different services we offer, as well as the different formats we can convert from and to!
We have also incorporated some of the more common questions we have been asked over the years relating to the services we offer.
Whether you want to find out about the types of video tapes you own, you’d like more knowledge about the possible ways we can make your videos more accessible on modern devices, or even if you simply want to learn a bit more about video in general, this is the place to start…
Home User Formats
We have two different classifications of video format and the “Home User Format” classification is the most common. This includes VHS, VHS-C, SVHS, SVHS-C, Video8, Hi8, Digital8 and MiniDV.
Professional User Formats
The second classification are formats much less common and in most cases were used by professionals in the video production world. These formats are Betamax, Betacam SP (camera-size and mastering-size), DVCAM (all sizes), Mini HDV (1080i) and U-Matic (high and Low Band).
Video Tape to MP4
Cut down on the clutter by getting your old video tapes transferred to MP4 files, which can be played back on many modern devices, including most modern Smart TVs, games consoles, PCs and Macs!
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Video Tape to DVD
Bulky video tapes can be cut down to size by being transferred to DVD. Video tapes can degrade in quality over the years, so copying them to DVD, especially Gold Archive DVD, can put a stop to that.
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What should I transfer my video to?
That choice is yours, and it all depends on what you want to do with the footage once you get it home. It can also depend on the equipment and software you have, and the knowledge you have when it comes to using it…
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The Benefits of Gold Archive Discs
Standard DVDs can last between 2 and 10 years; sometimes longer, but sometimes not. Our Gold Archive DVDs have a shelf life of around 100 years. Like most things, you still need to look after them, but the layers of real gold and silver used in their production gives them a strong advantage.
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Damaged Video Tapes and Repairs
Sometimes, it is inevitable that you will damage one or two of your tapes – especially as they get older! The tape inside the cassette can get snagged, torn, completely pulled out, tangled inside a machine, or even the cassette housing itself can get damaged in such a way it won’t function properly. We can repair the majority of problems.
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Damaged DVDs, CDs, Blu-rays and Recovery
Optical discs, whether they’re CDs, DVDs or Blu-rays, can get damaged. Sometimes, the damage is visible and other times it is not.
We have several methods at our disposal which will give us a pretty good chance of recovering most problems.
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8mm and 16mm Cine
Like video tape, cine film can degrade over time, but unlike video, the film itself can become brittle and will eventually break up. We can scan you films using a bright but cool light source, meaning your precious memories are safe when going through our scanning equipment.
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Cine Transfer Frequently Asked Questions
We often get asked many different questions when it comes to cine to video transfers, sometimes because we are doing the transfer for a younger relative who might not have used the format but are getting it transferred for an older member of the family as a gift.
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Slides, Negatives and Photographs
With the modern world being predominantly digital, slides, negatives and photographs seem a little more cumbersome nowadays. We can digitise your old 35mm slides, 35mm negatives and up to A4 photographs and convert the, into jpeg files, as well as video slideshows on disc.
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Audio Tape and MiniDisc
Old audio tapes and MiniDiscs have two problems nowadays; the first is the clutter, and the second is you might not be able to play back your old recordings. We can convert your audio memories from decades past into digital MP3 files and CDs so you enjoy your old relatives’ tales of bygone times again!
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Disc Duplication and Replication
Duplication and replication are two different things in the world of CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays. Duplication is when the information is “burnt” onto a disc using a laser using a computer and is usually done in smaller quantities. Replication is a method used for large numbers of discs, where the different layers are all pressed together instantly using a special machine.
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USB/SD Card Replication
We can replicate the content of any number of USB devices from one master, whether it’s content you’ve created yourself, or content created by our sister company, Apple Video Facilities. We can transfer the data over to devices such as USB pens, SD cards, hard disc drives, the list goes on…
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SD Cards and Other Flash Storage Transfers
Whether a memory card has come from a digital camera or a mobile phone, sometimes the content is just not that easily accessible, or maybe you just need the videos and images backing up to make space for your next holiday, we can convert anything to anything…
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International Standard Conversions
Whether you’ve been abroad and bought a new camcorder or a video of your family swimming with dolphins, sometimes, these memories aren’t playable using your video equipment back home. One of the reasons you might not be able to watch these videos is because our TV system is in the PAL format and others are in NTSC, but we can fix this problem for you…
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Mobile Phones and Tablets
As we all know, video and photos can be recorded on mobile devices like phones and tablets nowadays, but we have had many customers come to us with no idea what to do next!
Well here at The Video Copy Company, we can take these files and produce DVDs and Blu-rays so they are easily watchable at home…
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Can I Send You My Mobile Phone or Tablet?
We can transfer a whole host of videos, audio and pictures from different types of recording device to whatever media you would like!
One questions we get asked a lot is “can I send you my mobile phone or tablet to convert the photos and videos to DVD?”
The simple answer is “yes”…
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Corporate Video Production
Our sister company, Apple Video Facilities, is a broadcast-quality video production house, where they can take care of every step of a production no matter how big or small.
Whatever the type of video you need, and whatever experience you have in producing a video, Apple Video Facilities can work with you, guide you, or completely take control of the production…
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