AV Workshop is Open! We are accepting orders. Please check out the various ways you can order our services by clicking the link below and please Stay Healthy!
Why choose AV Workshop?
AV Workshop has been in business for over 30 yrs and has never lost a client’s master or keepsake. Every staff member at AV Workshop has a B.A. Degree in this field. Since we have a storefront in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can walk in and drop your project off in person.
Do you ship work out like most other shops or do it there?
We do all work in house. Unlike small camera stores and big box stores like Costco, we perform all work right here in our Redwood City Lab. You can rest easy knowing your project will never leave our shop.
How long does it take?
Depending on the type of work / media you have, it will take between 1 day and 4 weeks. However, most jobs are turned within 1-2 weeks.
Can I ship my project to you?
Absolutely, you can order through our online store. You will receive instructions on how and where to ship your project. Orders over $175 qualify for FREE (Round Trip) shipping. For orders below $175, order through our shopping cart and ship it to our address. There is a return shipping fee of $12. You will be notified both when we receive your order and when it ships out. Furthermore, we keep a digital copy of your project backed up on our server for a couple wks after it ships out.
Not only do we Transfer Film and Convert Video tapes but we shoot and edit video as well. We are your one-stop video shop!
AV Workshop recently preserved and enhanced 16mm Film from the D-Day Invasion of Normandy. The customer who dropped off these films informed us that they were from his grandfather who was a pilot during World War II. Usually, 1940’s film is rare for us to see due to the war era. These movies specifically featured the Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) – a branch of the United States Navy which existed from 1941 to 1948.
We used our RetroScan Film Scanners to capture each frame of the films at 2048 x 1536 resolution. We then analyzed the frame rate of each reel and set it to match the original. Next, we brought these films into Adobe Premiere Pro where we digitally attached them. We balanced the color, contrast / brightness, saturation, and shadow detail scene-by-scene.
The newly enhanced files were output to HD mp4 Files (1920 x 1080, 50 mb/s) and placed onto a single USB Flash Drive. AV Workshop was honored to help transfer these rare 16mm reels so they can now be preserved and shared forever! Con’t Reading…
AV Workshop recently digitized almost 100 Hours of Betacam SP, 3/4″ U-matic, and S-VHS videotapes to HD mp4 Files for a local bay area political action committee. The Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee (BAYMEC) brought AV Workshop broadcast videotapes from a 1980’s monthly public access TV Show which served as a platform for the creative voices in the LGBTQ+ community.
AV used professional grade videotape decks to capture the U-matic, Betacam SP, and S-VHS tapes directly into our editing system. These decks have a built in TBC and video stabilizer to help the tapes transfer as smoothly as possible. AV then raised the audio, applied noise reduction, and trimmed the extra TV snow from the beginning and end of each tape.
We applied our HD Upres service to these tapes, which increased the resolution to 1280 x 720 60p. 60p helps smooth the motion of the video and reduce any jagged edges. AV Workshop was happy to help convert and preserve these videotapes so they can now be played, shared, edited, and uploaded just about anywhere! Con’t Reading…
World War II 16mm Film Transfer Transferred to HD mp4 Files
Betacam SP, 3/4″ U-matic, and S-VHS Broadcast Videotapes Converted to HD mp4 Files
AV Workshop recently converted an archive of 3/4″ U-matic tapes and S-VHS Masters to Digital Files for a popular Santa Cruz skateboard company. This media collection documented the prominent surfing and skateboarding community in Santa Cruz throughout the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.
AV started by running the tapes through our high-end professional grade tape decks. We used each tape only once as a playback source and captured the footage directly into our editing suite. Once the tapes were captured, we enhanced the audio by raising the gain to about -6 db and applying noise reduction.
After this process, we rendered the movies to HD mp4 Files using the H.264 Codec (the max bitrate) and increased the resolution to 1280 x 720 60p. This smooths the motion of the videos and creates sharp detail without jagged edges.
Finally, we dragged the new HD mp4 Files onto a single USB Hard Drive. Now, the movies can be shared, played, edited, and uploaded almost anywhere (Windows, Smart TVs, MAC, etc…)!
Con’t Reading…
A local Big Sur Educational Institute recently asked AV to help convert and enhance 1500 audio cassette tapes. Their vast collection of audio recordings documented their guest speakers throughout the last 50 years.
AV Workshop began digitizing the audio tapes by running them through high quality stereo cables from our Sony audio cassette decks into Sony Sound Forge. Any tapes that needed repairs were handled separately where we replaced felts and made tape splices where needed. After the tapes were captured, AV balanced the audio by applying level optimization and trimmed the beginning and end of each audio file to remove any extra static or dead-air.
AV then output the audio recordings as uncompressed WAVE files at 44 kHz / 16 bit for a professional quality file. Finally, the educational institute received back their original tapes as well as their new enhanced digital audio files!
Con’t Reading…
3/4″ U-matic Tapes and S-VHS Masters Preserved to Digital
1500 Audio Cassette Tapes Transferred to Digital WAVE Files
AV Workshop recently transferred 16mm film from the 1920s to HD mp4.
AV began by organizing, cleaning, and carefully repairing the cherished film. The home movies were then scanned in-house with our RetroScan Universal 2K Mach 1 Film Scanner. Every single film frame was scanned directly at 2048 x 1536, which is approx 3K resolution!
Once the home movies were captured, we matched the exact frame rate of the original film and imported them into Adobe Premiere Pro for enhancement. We trimmed out any unwanted footage (blank reels, etc), balanced color, and corrected brightness / contrast. After we adjusted the films scene-by-scene, we then exported the new digital home movies in HD 1920 x 1080p. As a result, the films were restored, preserved, and looked their absolute best! Con’t Reading…
AV Workshop recently scanned 12,000 photos for a customer. Every photo was cleaned by hand with a microfiber cloth, scanned at 300 dpi, enhanced in Photoshop, and organized by date.
Every photo was enhanced in Photoshop to improve color and exposure. Every section and box was labeled in order by date / provided info and put on a USB Flash Drive. This USB Flash Drive can be plugged into any computer (MAC / PC) or Smart TV.
As a result, the customer’s precious family photo archive is now preserved and accessible for generations to come! Con’t Reading…
1920s 16mm Film Transferred to Digital
10,000 Photos Scanned, Enhanced, Organized to USB Flash Drive
We have been very fortunate to work with some of Silicon Valley’s most prestigious companies! However, no job is too big or small for AV Workshop.
What can we do for you?
AV Workshop is conveniently located on Woodside Rd. in Redwood City of the San Francisco Bay Area
We accept walk-ins as well as shipments. All online orders over $175 qualify for FREE round trip shipping! To learn more Click Here.
You can get an Estimate or Order online by clicking on any service page above.
Note: If you prefer to speak with someone in person, call us during store hours at 650-369-4366
Mon. thru Fri. 10am - 5:30pm / Saturday 10am - 1pm
Contactless Storefront / Front porch transaction using 6ft distance (Must wear a mask)
