THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE TRIED THIS, WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?:
When you come through the door you will most likely be greeted by Greta, our resident door dog. She will escort you in to sit at our large table and discuss your project.
HOW SHOULD I ORGANIZING MY MEDIA?:
We will organize and count up your media by type and check it in with a small sticker that contains your name so there is no chance of your precious items getting lost or mixed up with other orders. This sticker contains your name, date completed and hard drive that it is stored on in case you lose your copy. If your project contains videos we will put your items in order chronologically (if possible) and use your titles when we name your movies. Titles will start with the number, then last name, then title. (I.E. 24_Wagner-Christmas 2004). If your tapes have no title we simply label them "untitled". You can rename them once you get them home if they are on a flash drive.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET OUR PROJECT BACK?:
Once we count up your items we will fill out a form with your contact info, ring you up and send you on your way. Most small projects are completed in 2 weeks or less. Larger projects can take a little longer but we are rarely more than a month out. When your project is ready for pick up we will give you a call. If we don't hear back in two weeks we will email you. After a month there is a $25 storage fee per month.
WHAT KINDS OF MEDIA TYPES WILL I GET BACK:
- All videos (vhs, camcorder tapes and 8mm film) are converted to MP4 Digital Movies. This is a universal format and works on almost any tv or computer/phone.
- All images (photo scans, negatives, slides) are converted to Digital JPGS . They are scanned in at 600 DPI.
- All audio tapes are converted to MP3 Digital Audio Files if they are going to be saved on a thumb drive. They will be saved as AIFF files if they are being saved to an Audio CD.
THERE ARE BIGGER COMPANIES THAT OFFER THESE SERVICES AT A LOWER PRICE, WHY SHOULD WE USE YOU?
Two reasons...
- When you bring your project to us there is a personal connection. You meet the people that you are entrusting to care for your irreplaceable keepsakes. We process everything in-house and treat your family memories as our own. We answer any and all questions and are available in person, via email or just a phone call away. Plus it feels good to shop local!
- The big box companies lure you in with a price tag that doesn't tell the whole story. There are hidden fees that add up quickly. There are plenty of stories/reviews of items getting lost. With Digitizing Memories, what you see is what you get. You don't have to pay extra to get your original media back. You don't have to pay an administration fee. We are a locally owned small business that has big plans to continue growing the communities trust and loyalty.
HOW DO I GET MY MEDIA BACK?
Once your project is complete and everything has been digitized we offer several ways to return it to you. We recommend a usb/usbc flash drive but also offer DVDs/CDs and an on-line hosting service where you can download your converted media. The benefit of a flash drive is that it can plug into your computer for easy back-ups and can also plug into most smart tv's (in the back next to the HDMI ports). Once plugged into your TV you can view your movies or photos easily through your televisions media player. We can show you how to do this in the shop when you pick up if you need some help learning how.
I HAVE AN OLD PHOTO ALBUM WITH PHOTOS THAT ARE FIXED TO THE PAGES, WILL MY PHOTOS GET DAMAGED?
No. In certain cases, where there are photos that can not come out of the albums because they are too fragile or because they are fixed/glued to the pages, we use our flatbed scanner and then crop the image in our professional editing software. If there are damaged photos that you would like restored or retouched we can do that too. This would include an editing fee but in some cases this practice can save a family treasure.
MY TAPE IS BROKEN. CAN YOU FIX IT?
In most cases, a broken tape can be repaired. We always try out best to salvage everything that comes through our door.
WHAT IS THE SHELF LIFE OF MOST TAPES?
The expected tape life was approximately 20 years. That being said, we have seen tapes come in from the 80's that are fine. The quality of your media depends on how it was stored. Media that has been kept in a climate controlled environment has a much better chance of being just fine compared to items that have been in a hot and humid garage or attic. We only charge for items that can be watched with minimal degradation. If your tape is not salvageable we do not charge you for it.
WHAT IF MY TAPE SAYS IT IS A FAMILY EVENT BUT IT TURNS OUT TO BE A RECORDING OFF OF THE TV?
We will call you and ask if you want what we find on your tape if it isn't what the label suggests. This does happen. Sometimes we put in a tape and expect that your family Christmas in 1997 is going to be on there and it turns out to be a Super Bowl game instead. We had a client who was a college basketball coach and was expecting to convert his championship game from his final season of coaching but his grandkids taped Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles over it. True story.
CAN YOU CONVERT A MOVIE THAT WE PURCHASED ON VHS YEARS AGO?
Unfortunately no. Copyright infringement doesn't allow us to convert these for you.
MY FAMILY MEMBER PASSED AWAY AND WE WANT TO PREPARE A SLIDESHOW FOR THEIR CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE. IS THIS SOMETHING YOU DO?
Yes. We put together slideshows for any occasion. We will need the digital jpeg photos delivered to us directly or you will need to bring in the photos to be scanned for the show. The average time of a slideshow is approximately 10 minutes and contains 150 photos and 3-4 songs (depending on length). If you have more photos than that we can either extend the length of the slideshow or we can speed up each frame. Our recommendation for timing of each slide is 5-8 seconds. This gives the viewer time to process, reflect, remember each moment before the next slide starts. Anything faster than 5 seconds starts to feel rushed.