Frequently Asked Questions

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OK…let’s talk about the elephant in the room…

I have had many conversations with my clients who have taken the leap of faith and get their legacy media digitized to try to understand why there was hesitation in getting it done. So I thought I would try to address some of the most common concerns to try to answer any questions you may have before moving forward. 

While all these concerns are valid, procrastination and time are the enemy of legacy media. The longer you wait, the likelihood that the media will deteriorate beyond the point of rescue. Even if they are stored in ideal conditions (and to be honest they usually are not) legacy media deteriorates. So “putting it off” can have irreversible consequences. Regardless of whichever service you use, the time is sooner than later to have your old photos, films, videos etc. digitized. 

Before we proceed let’s get one thing perfectly clear. I AM HERE TO HELP. Through my conversations I’ve discovered a couple of things…1) these memories are precious and priceless…2) this is an overwhelming task. I get it. Some of things I say here might be “tongue-in-cheek” but I couldn’t be more serious and passionate about what I do here. So this is not an attack…It’s just me being me. So let’s get into it:

While sometimes the “stuff” is probably stowed away in a closet or basement or attic chances are you know where it is. 9 times out of 10 they are exactly where you think they are. We understand.  

Sometimes we don’t label things accordingly (especially film reels). That does happen. Not as often as you think but it does happen. Let us help with that. This is more common in video than film. Film is developed. You can see that there is something there. Video is harder. As part of our inspection process, we will load the tape to note the condition as well as content. If the tape is blank (yes this happens sometimes) We’ll know within minutes and there will be no charge for you. We will note as a blank and move on to the next reel.  

This is true no matter whomever you chose to digitize. We suggest our clients start small. Pick out maybe 5-10 pieces you want to prioritize. Once you are comfortable with the process and the results you can move on to the next pile. Our clients appreciate that fact that we do not pressure them into trying to digitize the whole kitten Kaboodle out of the starting gate. We are confident that once you have experienced our service you will move forward with digitizing the rest of your collection.  

99.9% of the time ABSOLUTELY! We can digitize every common consumer media format such as VHS, Betamax, Video8 and MiniDV as well as professional formats such as BetaCamSP, U-matic etc. For film we can handle 8mm, Super8 and 16mm no problem. And this is just a sample of what we can digitize…if you’re not sure please reach out to us.  

We understand completely. This is THE most common concern I hear. What differentiates our service from others is our door-to-door pickup and delivery options. Our customers appreciate that one-on-one interaction and personalized attention. No matter how big or small your job is. For me it’s about getting to know my clients and the stories behind the media I am digitizing. There is always a story, and it always fascinates me. 

For those who out of range of pickup/delivery and are concern with shipping, here is some information that might help in your decision process…

1) I recommend the US Postal Service Media Rate because it is the most cost-effective option and they now include tracking information. You can certainly use UPS or FedEx but they are not as cost effective and frankly the result and outcome is the same…the package gets delivered.

2) According to GukaPackaging.com The USPS reports 0.1% to 0.5% of packages are lost or damaged. While this seems like a low percentage of packages keep in mind that the USPS handles over 6,000,000,000 packages a year. Meaning that potentially 30,000,000 packages are lost or damaged. There are a lot of nuances to that statistic. Most packages are lost (most likely stolen by porch pirates) rather than damaged. Like anything else if they are packed well enough the impact is minimized. 

In the grand scheme it is never in the shippers’ best interest to lose or damage your package. So, the odds are in your favor. However, we understand you do not want to be in that less than one percent. So, unless you can find a local service this would be the case no matter who you choose to digitize your media. There are no clear answers to this concern. But there are options.