HD Film Transfer Services
hd-film-scan-universalFACT: Half of all movies made before 1950 are gone!

Don’t let this happen to your old films –
Let Us Transfer Your Precious Memories to Digital Today!

AV Workshop offers full Frame-by-Frame High Definition Film Scanning. We can transfer 8mm, 16mm and Super 8 film to Bluray, HD digital mp4 file for editing or DVD. Unlike big box stores and most camera shops, our film transfers are done in house with sprocketless HD film scanners. Our film scanners are the latest technology in HD film scanning. The results are simply amazing! Please check out some recent samples below and see for yourself!

Our Film Transfer Process

  • 1. Organize, Clean, Repair
    We clean the film, repair splices, and replace leader if needed.
  • 2. HD Frame-By-Frame Scan
    We scan each reel frame-by-frame in high definition using our RetroScan Universal Mach-1 Film Scanners.
  • 3. Adjust Frame Rate
    We assess the motion of each reel and adjust the frame rate to match the original.
  • 4. Edit / Enhance
    We digitally attach the reels in the same order they were labeled and scanned. With our Enhanced option, this is when we adjust the color, brightness / contrast, and saturation of each scene.
  • 5. High Definition Export
    We export for every two hours of film. For mp4 files, we use the H.264 Codec (1920 x 1080p 50 mb/s).
  • 6. Output
    For mp4 Files, you will receive your files on either a flash drive or hard drive. For DVDs, you will receive a disc per every two hours of film.

Step 1 - HD Film Transfer Pricing

(per reel)
3”

$12.50

5”

$50
6”

$75

7”

$100

Larger Reels are charged at .25 per foot

Step 2 - Output Options (what you get)

DVD master

$35 (up to 2hrs)
additional DVD copies

$10 each

HD

HD File mp4 (Flash Drive)

$50 (up to 2hrs)
HD Bluray master

$50 (up to 2hrs)

additional Bluray copies

$25 each

*Note: There is one output fee per order up to two hours. Therefore, if your total transfer is under two hours, you will be charged only one output fee. If your total transfer exceeds two hours, there will be an additional output fee per every extra two hours. Two hours of film is equal to about 1600 ft.

See FAQ below for more pricing information.

Approximate Film Reel Lengths and Times

Reel Diameter

Length (By foot)

Length (By time)

3”

50 feet 2-3 minutes
5” 200 feet

12-14 minutes

6”

300 feet 19-22 minutes
7” 400 feet

26-29 minutes

9″ 600 feet

42-48 minutes

10” 800 feet

56-62 minutes

11” 1000 feet

75-80 minutes

12” 1300 feet

100-105 minutes

13” 1600 feet

120-130 minutes

HD Film Transfer Samples by AV Workshop

AV Workshop Vs. Costco (Yes Video) Film Transfer

Review of AV Workshop’s Film Transfer Service

HOW IT WORKS:

  1. Click on the Estimate / Order button
  2. Select Film Reel Sizes / Type of Output desired
  3. Add to Cart
  4. Check out
  5. Ship your tapes to AV Workshop – 703 Woodside Rd #8, Redwood City, CA 94061

  • We Clean, Repair and Scan your Film Frame by Frame in HD
  • We Output your Film to HD mp4, Bluray or DVD
  • We ship you back your media and digital goods
  • You play your Digital files or Disc and enjoy those precious moments all over again!
  • Orders over $250 qualify for FREE round trip shipping! To learn more Click Here.

Note: If you have any questions, please call or email.
855-885-3456
audiovideoworkshop@gmail.com

FAQ:

How does the pricing work?

The pricing is broken down into two parts. First, you select your reel size (see HD Film Transfer Pricing Chart above). Your film is charged by reel size, per reel. Therefore, if you have two 3" reels, it would be $12.50 per reel - so $25 total. Second, you select your output option. There is one output fee per order up to two hours (2 hours of film = ~1600 feet). For example, if the total length of your transfer is 1 1/2 hours (less than two hours), you will be charged only one output fee. If the total length of your film transfer comes out to 3 1/2 hours, there will be two output fees (each export is only up to two hours). If you select the HD mp4 option, the output fee will be $50 per export. If you select the DVD Master option, the output fee will be $39 per export (see Output Options Chart above).

In conclusion, your total is the reel charge (per reel & size) + output charge (per export).

How many feet of 8mm and/or 16mm film can fit on a DVD?

Super 8 and Regular 8 film runs at approx. 16-18 fps. Thus, approx. 1600’ equals 2 hours of video. As a result, we can fit approx. 1600′ of Regular 8 or Super 8 film on one DVD or Blu-ray – approx. 32 small 50′ reels. We can fit approx. 3000′ of 16mm onto one DVD or Blu-ray. (depending on the speed at which is was shot).

Am I charged for blank films? 

If a reel is black, we can identify that before we clean and prepare it for transfer. Thus, that reel will not be transferred and you will not be charged.

I do not know what’s on my films. Do you rent film projectors or film viewers?

No sorry we do not rent equipment nor do we recommend watching your films on projectors or views as they may burn or wear out the sprocket holes since most film is brittle now. However, if you know you want the film transferred but just don't know the order they go in. AV Workshop can prebuild a DVD where each film reel is its own unique chapter (reference DVD) for you to preview and take notes. Once you know the correct order, we will then rebuild the DVD, Bluray, etc... The extra cost for the reference DVD service is $100 for up to 2hrs of film. Please take a look at the page linked here for more details.

There are a lot of reels, can you show them to me so I know which ones I want to have transferred?

No sorry, we do not run anything through our HD film scanners that hasn’t been thoroughly cleaned, prepped, and lubricated. Most films need to have leaders re-spliced and other splices repaired. As a result, we perform a lot of hands-on physical work to your films to ensure they will look their best when transferred.

Do you transfer sound film?

Yes we do. If your Super 8 film has magnetic sound or your 16mm film has an optical track, we will transfer it with your film. Sound film is very rare and we take extra care that we get the best transfer of your sound film as possible. To transfer sound, we charge an extra .25 per foot. After your sound film is transferred, we make sure it is in sync with your film and we perform level optimization and noise reduction to it.

Do I get my 8mm/16mm films back when you are done converting them to digital?

Yes, your film will be cleaned, repaired, lubricated and given back to you with your DVD, Bluray or HD video file.

How much space do I need on my flash drive or external hard drive for my films? 

1 hour of footage will be approximately 20 GB and 2 hours will be approximately 40 GB. Please be conscious of the amount of space you have on your hard drive.

How do I use a Flash Drive to view my files?

We have a step by step guide here.

If you provide my drive, how many drives will I receive?

You will receive one single drive that all your media will fit on! We carry 16gb all the way through 2TB

If I ordered a JPEG or TIFF numbered image sequence, how much space do I need for my flash drive or external hard drive?

click here for details

HOW DO WE COMPARE TO LEGACY BOX / SOUTHTREE / KODAK BOX 

  • We are a small business
  • Our employees have degrees in this field!
  • We have been in business for over 20 years!
  • We offer High Definition 8mm / 16mm Film Transfer 1920x1080p
  • We offer High Quality HD Digital mp4 Files @ 32mb/s (not 2mb/s)
  • Your Films will look and sound better when we’re done (not worse)
  • We do Not offer a Fancy Box

AV Workshop – Yelp Reviews

AV Workshop Customer Reviews

South Tree / Legacy Box – Yelp Reviews

SouthTree / Legacy Box Customer Reviews

Our Location

Ship your media to AV Workshop, 703 Woodside Rd. #8, Redwood City, CA 94061

AV Workshop is located in Redwood City, CA of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Online orders over $250 qualify for FREE round trip shipping! To learn more Click Here.

You can get an Estimate or Order online above.

Note: If you prefer to speak with someone in person, call us at (855) 885-3456