Digital video is everywhere today. It’s never been easier to record your own videos and share them online with friends and family. However, not long ago, the only way we could record video was onto physical tape. But now that VCRs are dying and harder to come by, it’s more important than ever to convert those old tapes to a digital video file. What does that mean, and what should you look for in a digital transfer?
Not all video files are the same! Based on your needs, you may need different levels of quality or file types. At Scan5, we offer three different quality levels to satisfy everyone from families to professionals. Our Standard Transfer is by far our most popular option. The standard transfer is best for easy viewing and sharing. These files will be the most compatible across all platforms and smart TVs. Our High Quality Transfer offers increased visual quality, great for archiving and basic editing. However, the files are much larger in size, making them less compatible with Smart TVs. Lastly, we offer our Lossless ProRes transfers. This is the highest quality video transfer possible. For all intents and purposes, these files are exact digital copies of your original tapes. ProRes files are VERY large, so they’re best for archiving and intensive editing.
What to look for when choosing a video transfer service?
It can be difficult to know what video transfer service in Chicago to choose, since quite literally, your videos will be put through a “black box” called an analog to digital converter and a digital file will come out the other end. We hope to demystify some of that process for you.
Ask if it’s a direct to digital transfer, or is it a video to DVD transfer.
An early method for digitization was to use a Combination VCR/DVD Recorder. This was an affordable way for consumers to easily convert their VHS tapes to an updated digital format. However, the quality of the VCRs were particularly poor compared to older machines. They often introduce unwanted noise in the sound and are not as adept at reducing visual defects. Additionally, DVD compression is particularly poor. The DVD standard uses an early digital video format, MPEG-2, which has particularly aggressive and blocky compression. If you want to get a digital file from the DVD, it needs to be ripped and converted again. This creates another generational loss of quality! Your video has now been compressed twice, once to the DVD format and again to a digital file. Although the convenience of having a playable DVD is nice, this is one of the lowest quality video transfers still in use today. If quality is a concern, we recommend avoiding these types of transfers.
At Scan5, all of our video transfers are directly from your tape to a digital video file. We use professional analog to digital converters so we have full control over the video signal, such that we can provide the best possible transfer, regardless of the quality level you choose.
Standard Quality Transfer
This is our base tier where we transfer your videos directly to a high quality MP4 file, using the H.264 Codec. A codec describes how the video data gets saved in the file. Although your old videos are Standard Definition, H.264 is the same high quality codec used today on High Definition Blu-Ray Discs. Most of the video you see on TV and the internet today is encoded in the H.264 format. Our Standard Transfer is optimized for easy viewing and sharing on the web and on Smart TVs. The file sizes are very small (usually about 1GB/hr), while maintaining good visual fidelity. Many Smart TVs and online platforms have limits to the file size they will accept. Our standard transfer is designed to be the most compatible across devices.*
Most people, including many of our professional clients, are satisfied with our standard transfer. However, the more keen eyed viewer may notice and be more susceptible to compression artifacts. In most cases these are not noticeable except for in scenes with lots of motion.
*Although we have optimized our Standard Transfer to be the most compatible across devices, we cannot guarantee compatibility with your specific device or platform. If you have trouble playing your files on your Smart TV, we recommend purchasing a standalone media player like the Micca 4K Digital Media Player.
High Quality (HQ) Transfer
Our middle tier offers the best balance between file size and visual quality. HQ transfers are also done in the H.264 codec for broad compatibility across devices, however, these are done at a significantly higher bitrate (more information per second) which produces a higher quality video file with little to no visible compression. These files are more than twice the size of our standard transfer at about 2-4GB per hour of video, making them perfect for archiving and basic editing.
Lossless ProRes
Our top tier transfer is to the professional, industry standard file format, ProRes. ProRes was developed by Apple in the early days of digital video editing to give editors (relatively) small video files without compromising any visual fidelity. Although ProRes is technically a lossy format, it is considered a “Visually Lossless” codec. That means, you will not be able to notice a difference between your original video and the digital version. Practically speaking, your ProRes file is an exact digital copy of your original. When compared to true uncompressed formats, ProRes offers the same visual quality at a fraction of the size. That said, the files are still incredibly large, at about 15GB per hour of standard definition video, and about 1GB per MINUTE (60GB/hr) for High Definition Video. For that reason, ProRes files are best for archivists and video editors, especially if you plan on doing significant color correction or other manipulations.
Which Transfer is Right for Me?
For most people, our Standard Transfer is the best way to get your video tapes digitized and preserved. You will be able to see and hear everything as it exists on the tape, and the files are small so they can be easily viewed, shared, and backed up on most devices and platforms. If you don’t consider yourself to be “tech savvy,” our standard transfer is right for you.
If quality is your biggest concern and/or you’re an amateur video editor, our High Quality Transfer may be what you’re looking for. Although these files are still compressed, you should not notice any compression artifacts when compared to our Standard Transfer. These files have enough detail and information to survive basic editing and additional rounds of compression while maintaining high visual fidelity. However, if you try to do intensive color corrections or other advanced manipulations, you may run into limitations. If you care about quality and are somewhat tech savvy, our High Quality transfer may be right for you. Standard Quality files, friendly for Smart TVs, can also be provided for an additional fee.
Lastly, if you’re an archivist, professional video editor, or someone who just wants the absolutely best quality transfer, ProRes is the way to go. Although this is the highest quality transfer possible, some people do not like the look of ProRes files. Since the files are much larger, they retain all of the detail from the original tape, flaws and all. Many of our clients, professionals included, prefer our Standard/High Quality MP4 (H.264) files over the ProRes Files. Due to the compression in our standard and HQ transfers, they have the benefit of smoothing out some of the less desirable details, particularly noise (grain), snow, and other analog signal defects. If you’re not already familiar with the ProRes format, you probably don’t need it. These files are very large, so they may struggle to play outside of video editing software. Due to the large file sizes and additional equipment used for these transfers, ProRes transfers are more expensive when compared to our Standard and HQ transfers. If you choose a ProRes transfer, standard quality files can be provided upon request at no additional cost.
Get Started Today!
Visit Scan5.com or click here today to get started. You can schedule an appointment to drop off your items in person, request a prepaid UPS shipping label, or schedule a courier pick-up if you’re located in the Greater Chicago Area (free for orders over a certain size). Analog video tapes only have a shelf life of about 20 years before they exhibit noticeable deterioration, so don’t delay! For most people, our Standard and High Quality Transfers will be more than sufficient for your needs. If you’re looking at other digitizing services, beware direct to DVD transfers, since these are highly compressed files and are done with inferior equipment. Our staff has decades of experience with professional analog and digital video. Your tapes will be handled with the utmost care and will be digitized to our professional standards, regardless of the quality level you choose for your digitizing.
