Video Conversions - Inclusions & Timeframes

Clean + Convert Service: This is our basic conversion service, performed direct to USB as high quality/high bit rate H264 mp4 files.

Because DVD is not a good long-term storage medium, we no longer have the equipment to do a direct DVD conversion. DVDs are available as an add-on extra only.


What you receive:

• Price includes a physical pre-transfer cleaning of the tape itself, so your tape is transferred in it’s best possible state. Tape cleaning can mean the difference between success & failure when saving your memories. This is why we have the highest transfer success rate in the industry.

• Price is a flat rate per tape, regardless of length. So no nasty surprise at the end!

• Transfer is DIRECTLY to H264 mp4, so we don’t have to first do an intermediate conversion & then a second conversion to Mp4. No second conversion pass means no chance of further digital degradation of your video picture.

• We use a wide range of hard-to-source professional decks so we can check the first few minutes and select the unit that your tape looks best on. We can also offer full-frame time-base correction, available to stabilise your picture in cases where tape edge-damage has occurred, as well as Dynamic Noise Reduction.

• We supply your digitised files on tested & selected high-quality brand name USBs/HDDs at reasonable rates. We regret that for a number of reasons we generally cannot accept client's USBs/HDDs. We suggest you use your USB/HDD as a backup for the files we supply you.

• Top & Tail editing, removes lengthy instances of blank footage/static from the beginning or end of your content.

• 6 months FREE backup of your digitised media with RetroMedia's 3VAULT triple redundancy archiving service is included with ALL transfers. This helps form part of the 6 month warranty on your transfers.


Not included but available:

• Cleaning of Mould, mud (from flood waters), ant's nests, etc

• Repairs to tapes that come in broken, or which break during handling, preparation or conversion process.

• Video editing of your material, beyond for the simple top & tail editing included with your transfers


Not included and not available:

• Checking through tapes thought to possibly be duplicates, to check if they are in fact identical. Unfortunately the labour for this would be more expensive than simply having the tapes converted.

• Checking through tapes that are known to be duplicate copies of others supplied, in order to determine which copy might be the better quality item to convert. Unfortunately we can only offer to either record both tapes, or you can choose one for us to record, leaving the other as a backup choice, and we can contact you regarding digitising the backup copy if the first is not of satisfactory quality.


Timeframes:

Depending on your quantities, we’re quoting approx 3 weeks for most video conversion projects, not including shipping time. Most jobs will be in the 3-6 weeks range, but some big jobs can take longer than that, because all digitising occurs in real time, and there are always jobs in the queue. If you’re in a hurry and need it sooner than these timeframes please let us know, and we may be able to accommodate you. A rush fee may apply.

On the other hand, if you're in no particular hurry, we also offer low priority discounts in some circumstances.


Terms:

• We ask for a part payment (deposit) at commencement, of approx 1/3rd of the estimate for your project. 

• To keep things fair, for regular timeframe projects your job will go into a queue of work and will be attended in turn. Please note that predicting timeframes is not an exact science. It's simply not possible to precisely allow for unforeseen issues that may occur with obsolete media, either in your job, or in the jobs ahead of yours in the queue. So we aim at estimated turnaround targets. If you have a looming deadline or event, please let us know, and we can discuss options with you.

• Original media is available for collection upon full payment. Unless prior arrangements have been made, we ask for payment to be made within 7 days of invoicing. Storage fees may be levied on jobs not paid for &/or collected within 30 days of invoicing.

• We like to be as flexible as possible. We’re happy to work with you before commencement of the job to come to a mutually acceptable arrangement. But we do ask that if we have not made alternate arrangements with you before commencement, that you will honour our terms.