1. What process do you use to transfer videotapes?
   To protect against accidental erasure, all reocrd tabs are removed prior to the transfer process. All tapes are played in VCRs or camcorders designed to play that specific format. Output video is fed into standalone DVD recorders that feature high quality signal filtering, analog-to-digital conversion, and hardware MPEG-2 encoding.
   
   
2. How much video can I put onto a DVD?
   Typically a signle layer DVD-R disc will hold up to 2.5 hours of good quality video. If your tapes have more than 2.5 hours they will be split onto multiple discs. Shorter tapes can be combined onto a single disc up to the 2.5 hour limit.
   
   
3. What kind of tapes do I have? How long do they run?
   The chart below covers most videotape formats used within the last 30 years:
   
   

   	Speed	SP	LP	SLP/EP
   Videotape Type
   VHS T-120		2 hours	4 hours	6 hours
   VHS T-160		2 hrs. 40 min.	5 hrs. 20 min.	8 hours
   VHS T-180		3 hours	6 hours	9 hours
   VHS-C		30 minutes	1 hour	1 hr. 30 min.
   8mm		2 hours	4 hours	N/A
   Hi-8mm		2 hours	N/A	N/A
   Digital-8mm		1 hour	N/A	N/A
   miniDV		1 hour	1 hr. 30 min.	N/A
   3/4" U-Matic Small		20 minutes	N/A	N/A
   3/4" U-Matic Large		1 hour	N/A	N/A
   Betamax L500		1 hour	2 hours	3 hours
   Betamax L750		1 hr. 30 min.	3 hours	4 hrs. 30 min.

   
   
   
4. What is the cost of converting videotape to DVD?
   Our pricing is based on the number of original tapes regardless of how they are combined. We have several levels dependingon the quantity you bring in but the price usually ranges from $14.95 for a single tape down to $9.95 per tape for 20 or more. We also have additional discounts for high volume transfers. There is an additional $5 per tape charge for older formats such as 3/4" U-Matic and Betamax. We can also transfer some professional broadcast tape formats such as DVCam, full size DV/HDV and BetaCam.
   
   
5. How long does it take?
   Our typical turnaround time for most jobs is 1 to 2 weeks depending on the size of the job. Larger jobs may take a little longer. During the holiday season we tend to get very busy so if you are looking to have your videotapes transferred in time for Christmas we recommend getting them to us as soon as possible, but if we receive them by early to mid December we can usually have them ready in time..
   
   
6. My tapes are old. Are they still viewable? Can they break during the transfer process? What will the quality be like?
   Magnetic tape typically has a life of about 25 years, sometimes more, sometimes less. The DVD transfer process is designed to be "transparent"; that is, what you see on the disc will reflech exactly what the original tape shows. Our goal is to get your tapes to play back in the best possible manner during the transfer process. Note that older tapes may begin to show signs of signal degradation in the form of tracking problems or unstable video, but in our experience 99% of the time videotapes playback is stable enough for good quality transfers.
   
   
7. Will I get my tapes back?
   All original materials are returned to the customer along with the finshed DVD(s).
   
   
8. Can you convert tapes recorded in another country?
   We have the ability to transfer PAL format tapes (found primarily in Europe) in both VHS and 8mm/Hi8 formats.
   
   
9. I want to edit my videos on my home computer. Can I do this from the finished DVDs?
   Most consumer editing programs will not be able to read the file structure from a DVD. There are some 3rd party software applications such as Handbrake which allow your transferred DVDs to be converted into other file formats that can then be imported into various editing software applications. Another option is to have us transfer your files directly to an external USB drive in AVI or Quicktime format which are almost universally accepted formats in most editing applications. The file size for this option generally runs about 12 GB per hour of video.
   
   
10. I need additional copies of my finished DVD. Can I make them myself?
    Our discs are not copy protected so you are free to make your own copies. If you yould like to order extra copies from us they are only $5 each for a single disc (up to 2. 500 hours of video), $8 per 2-disc set (up to 5 hours of video), or $10 each for a 3-disc set (up to 7.5 hours of video).
    
    
11. Do you keep backups of transferred DVDs?
    Because we use standalone recorders we do not normally archive DVD transfers. if you would like us to keep a backup copy of your transfers at our location the cost would be $5 per disc.
    
    
12. I want to ship my fvideotapes to you. What is the best way to do this?
    We recommend using any shipping service that provides package tracking. This includes UPS, Federal Express, or The U.S. Postal Service (if you select any service that includes "Delivery Confirmation"). Our address is:
    
    Goodheart Media Services
    171 Route 27
    Raymond, NH 03077
    
    
13. How to I make payment?
    We accept cash, checks, or any major credit card. For customers physically dropping materials off to us, payment is required upon pickup. For mail order customers, payment can be sent along with your order in the form of a check or we will contact you for credit card information prior to shipping your finished projects back to you.

VIDEO TRANSFER ORDER FORM