FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

GENERAL:

Why choose AV Workshop?

AV Workshop has been in business for over 25 years and has never lost a memory or master. 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 with peace of mind that it will not get lost or stolen.

Do you ship your work out or do it in house?

Unlike most camera shops and big box stores (like Costco), we do NOT ship anything out. All work is done in house right here in the SF Bay Area. You can rest easy knowing your memories will be treated with care locally!

How long does it take?

Depending on the size of the order and amount of work currently in the shop, you will be given an estimated turn time. Most jobs are done within 2 days to 2 weeks; however, larger jobs may take 3-4 weeks.

Do you offer Rush services?

Yes, we can RUSH your project. Rush fees are typically 30% - 50% depending on time frame.

Can I ship my project to you?

Absolutely! We have created an online store so you can order online. Orders over $200 get FREE round trip shipping.

HARD DRIVES / FLASH DRIVES:

Do you supply the Hard Drive or do I need to?

We can use your external hard drive as long as there is enough room and is an external USB hard drive formatted NTFS (Windows) or HFS+ (MAC). We cannot put these large files on a drive that is formatted FAT32. Also, we can sell you an external hard drive. We typically sell WD USB 3.0 1TB Drives for about $85.

How do I use a Flash Drive or Hard 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

FILES / FILE TYPES:

Can I watch the mp4 or quicktime / avi files on my TV?

While it may be possible to watch the quicktime and avi files by hooking up your computer to the TV, these files are not really meant for viewing on a TV as they are relatively uncompressed and meant for Editing on a computer. However, you can convert your media to mp4 / h.264 files and view them on a Smart TV by accessing them from a USB hard drive or Blu-ray player. Furthermore, you can work down to a DVD from these high quality files.

What type of files do you recommend for editing on my MAC or PC?

We create QuickTime files for the MAC and AVI files for Windows computers. These are uncompressed file types. The quality, resolution, and compression are the same. Essentially, these are just different wrappers that the operating systems prefer. These files are perfect for editing in iMovie, Final Cut, Adobe Premiere, Movie Maker, etc... mp4 files are compatible with most editing software as well, although these are a compressed file format.

VIDEO AND DVD:

How many video tapes fit onto a Hard Drive?

80 hours of video will fit on a 1 TB drive in the AVI or QuickTime file format.

How many tapes fit on 1 DVD?

We can compile multiple tapes onto 1 DVD at no extra charge. However, while we can fit up to 2hrs of video in good quality on 1 DVD, 1 hour of video on 1 DVD results in higher quality as the bitrate is 8mbps. In order to fit a 2 hour tape onto a DVD we have to reduce the bitrate (quality) to 4mbps. Therefore, while it may be more convenient to have multiple tapes on a single DVD the quality will suffer over 1 hour. As a result, we recommend keeping your tape to DVD conversions separate - 1 tape per disc to allow for the maximum quality possible.

Do you charge per tape?

Yes, we charge per tape as long as the tape is under 2 hours.

What if my tape is over 2 hours?

If your tape is over 2hrs we will have to transfer it to a second DVD or mp4 File which you will be charged for. It is rare that tapes run over 2hrs.

What if my tapes are short? Is it the same price?

We charge per tape up to 2hrs. Therefore, if you brought in 2 tapes 1st tape 5min and 2nd tape 2hrs, they would be the same price for each tape.

What if my tape is empty?

Due to the labor required to play and check tapes for content, there will be a flat fee of $10 for tapes that are blank.

What type of media do you use?

We use the highest grade DVD-R stock from Taiyo Yuden and Verbatim. This is the very best media available and is the most costly. On our silver and gold video to DVD transfer, we use the Taiyo Uden watershield DVDs which are rated at 100 years data integrity and are water and scratch resistant.

Can I edit my DVD?

While it may be possible to rip the .vob files from the DVD and edit them, we strongly advise against it because DVDs are compressed and the workflow of editing video from DVDs is less than ideal. If you would like to edit your videos, we recommend having us transfer your video tapes to AVI or QuickTime which has a similar pricing structure. For more info on Editing from a DVD continue reading...

Can you convert a PAL videotape?

Yes, we can. PAL conversion to NTSC (the American TV standard) costs an extra $15.

FILM:

What type of equipment do you use to transfer film?

We scan film frame by frame in HD using the Retro Universal HD with a 2K lens and upgraded LED lighting kit. For more info on our film transfer equipment watch this video...

Can you transfer Super 8 film with sound?

Yes, we can. Sound film costs an extra .10 per foot. Your sound film will be in sync and enhanced with level optimization and noise reduction!

Can you transfer 16mm film with sound?

We can transfer 16mm film with optical sound (this will appear as a waveform down one side of the film where the sprocket holes usually are). We cannot do 16mm film with magnetic sound.

How many film reels fit on one DVD or Blu-ray?

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.

Do I get my film back?

Yes, you will get your films back cleaned, lubricated, and assembled onto larger reels if they were the small 50' reels.

I don’t know what is on these film reels - do you rent film viewers or projectors?

No, sorry. However, if you want to have them all transferred but do not know the order you want them in for the final DVD or Blu-ray, we have a solution. We can transfer the films and build you a reference DVD where each reel would be a separate chapter / scene on the DVD. This will allow you to preview the films and make a new order for us to re-create the DVD. Reference DVDs are an extra $100 for up to 2hrs of film approx. 1600' of regular 8 and super 8 and 3000' of 16mm. The cost covers the reference DVD and the new final DVD which will have your films in the correct order.

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