Watch Them Again Before You Transfer Film To DVD

So, you’ve decided to transfer some film to DVD. Great! We’re happy to help you with that. But maybe you want to make some decisions first about what to transfer, so you don’t spend your money on transferring a home movie you don’t want all that much.

Transfer film to DVDWell, we can help with that too! We understand that not every old 8mm home movie is a gem, and some of them might have been poor quality or uninteresting subject matter. But unless you have a projector at home (and who does?), how will you be able to tell what is on a given film reel before you have it transferred?

We offer a free viewing service. You can bring in your old 8mm, Super 8, or 16mm film (or VHS tapes), and watch them for free right here at Play It Again Video. Then, you can decide just what you want to have transferred to DVD! To book the viewing station, give us a call at 617 332-3300.

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“Year in Review” Photo Montages

2014 has just come to a close. No doubt, your family has had a big year! Why not commemorate the events and milestones of the year with a customized photo montage? Our Scattered Pictures service is a great way to pull together the important moments of your family’s year into a beautiful montage, complete with custom music.

Check out this sample montage:

Thinking about creating one for your family? Give us a call at 617 332-3300, and ask about a Scattered Pictures photo montage!

Happy Holidays – Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree Video

Happy holidays! Please enjoy this silly video from all of us here at Play It Again Video.

We appreciate your business all through the year and we hope to see you again in 2015! We hope you have a great holiday season filled with family, friends, food, and festivity.

VHS to DVD: Great Last Minute Gift Idea!

Are you stuck for a gift for a family member? Some people are tough to shop for – they “have everything” already, or they tell you there’s nothing they want or need. And time is ticking – it’s already the second week of December!

Don’t panic. We’ve got you covered! Think about it. Do they have an old VHS tape gathering dust somewhere in a closet or attic? Sure! Everyone has one or two somewhere. There’s still time to convert a VHS to DVD. It only takes about a week. You don’t need to spend time deciding which tape or tapes to digitize. Just grab one and go. You can always do a larger conversion project later on, once you’ve given your gift and put the idea in your family member’s head. For now, they can enjoy reliving these memories they may even have forgotten about!

A really cool way to give them this gift, if you can pull it off, is as a surprise. Watch this video to see how one of our customers surprised her husband:

And if your family member doesn’t have an old VHS tape lying around, surely they have a photo album or a box of slides – there’s still time for us to digitize those, too! But don’t wait – soon it really will be too late.

Converting VHS to DVD For a Gift? There’s Still Time!

The holiday season is upon us! Here at Play It Again Video, we think the gift of memories is the greatest gift of all – but remember, converting your VHS home movies to DVD (or any of the other services we provide) takes time. If you are thinking about bringing in your old home movies to transfer, now is the time. We want to make sure you receive your finished project in time for your holiday travel.

Consult this handy chart to get an idea of the time frame required for your project:

VHS to DVD 1 – 2 weeks (depending on project size)
Photos/slides scanned 1 – 2 weeks (depending on project size)
Audio (cassettes, vinyl, etc) 2 weeks
Custom video photo montage 2 – 3 weeks
Transferring to hard drive (instead of DVD) add 3 days

 

We can also do rush orders for an additional fee. Come in and see us, or call us at 617-332-3300, for more details on rush pricing.

VHS to DVD transfer for the holidays

Make sure you check it off your list in time!

Whether you are giving a DVD of an old VHS as a gift, or just want to watch your old home movies together with family when you see them over the holidays, we want to make sure you have what you need, when you need it! Don’t delay, come see us today to be sure your project will be completed in time.

Digitize Photos to Preserve Veterans’ History

Today is Veterans’ Day. Today, we honor the brave men and women who served in the military, and for many Americans, this means reflecting on the legacy of family members who served many years ago.

This date was chosen for a reason. In other countries, November 11th is celebrated as Remembrance Day (Canada and the UK) or Armistice Day (New Zealand, France, Belgium), and these all relate to the date that the armistice was signed to end the First World War. However, that day occurred in 1918, and there are now no longer any living veterans of World War I.

African-American soldiers in WWIThis means it is even more important to preserve their memory. Since the veterans of that war are no longer with us, we must take care to save the memories they have shared with us. Do you have a First World War veteran in your family? Have they left photos of that time? These photos may be almost 100 years old!

Photography was used during the First World War for both military and personal purposes. Many individual soldiers took photos (even after this was banned in 1915), since for the first time, portable personal cameras were now widely available. Many veterans came home with photos, so that their families could begin to understand their experience. Official photos were also taken, as well as press photos that were published in newspapers on the home front. Of course, individual, personal photos best illustrate the war as it was, since official and press photos were subject to censorship and restrictions.

At Play It Again Video, we can digitize photos for you even if they are 100 years old (or older!). But remember – we do not have an age limit, but your photos do. Photos have a shelf life and can start to fade or even fall apart after several years. If you have First World War era photos in your family, please don’t delay digitizing them. We would be honored to help preserve the memory of the veterans in your family.

Interview with a Kindergartener

The richness of life lies in the memories we have forgotten. Before your kids go back to school, interview them. And then again every year at the start of school. You will realize how rich your life is. Just watch this interview with a kindergartener.

Home Video Transfer also on Tax-free holiday

Don’t just think of big appliances, computers this tax-free weekend. What about transferring that big box of VHS tapes and home movies to DVD? You will save on taxes too when you drop off your old home movies this weekend.

Stepping into our video transfer lab is like stepping back a few decades into the 80’s, the 70’s, the 40’s yikes. When Play it Again Video first opened our doors in Needham, MA, we were converting old film reels to VHS tapes. Then it was to DVDs, and now, we are seeing a lot more customer transfer their old home movies to a portable hard drive to edit on the computer.

Soon, we will just beam these home movie memories from the VHS tapes, 8mm film, 16mm, film, Hi8 tapes right to your forehead so you can access them wherever you are.

For right now, the most important thing is to stop the degradation of your analog magnetic tapes, by converting and preserving them in digital formats.

Baby home movies still stuck in old VHS Tapes?

At our video transfer lab in Newton, MA, we see a lot of babies on our screens as we digitize families’ old home movies, 8mm film or VHS tapes to DVDs.

Parents are so besotted by their newborns, they try to capture every move, every new step, every smile, every breath of those precious few months.

But, I’ve never seen a baby’s reaction to a slice of lemon being captured so humorously like in the video below. This is one memory you want to save.

If you are still hanging on to your old 8mm or 16mm film reels, your old VHS tapes and other home movie tapes, please understand the media has a shelf life. We can help you digitize the old film reels and home movie tapes to DVDs so you can share the memories again. Is there a cute baby moment in your home videos that you can use to blackmail your now teenage or adult children? 🙂

Related Posts:

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Should I transfer VHS to DVD or to external hard drive ?

Music video montage for your special occasions

 

 

Best Family Photos – 7 tips for amazing vacation photos

Smartphone vacation photos
Get a close up of the picture
People often times like to take a picture of everything that they see with their eyes. But what they don’t realize is that eye sight is so centered that they might only be focusing on one object. Taking a close up picture of the object brings a meaningful center to the memory.

Backgrounds can make or break the photo
While you spend some time thinking about the center of the photo, also take the time to consider what the backdrop should be. Plain backgrounds are great for portraits, but if you’re on vacation at the beach then use the ocean, sand, or other sights to introduce a sense of location and purpose.

Focus (blur) on the right things
Many cameras, smartphones included, have a very simple way of adjusting the focus (the amount of blur) of the picture. Take a moment to think whether you want to see every little detail of the moment, or just the expression on your family’s face.

Family Vacation Action Shot

Take action shots
In the grand scheme of things, photos are a means of storing memories. The stronger the emotion at that time, the stronger the memory will be. The same goes for photos. Taking photos of people in action will help capture the excitement and feeling of the moment, greatly preserving the memory for years to come.

Use filters that don’t distract from the photo
If you are living in the modern world then you have probably heard of filters. Filters are quick and simple editing tools that you use immediately after taking the photo. Correctly using them will enhance the atmosphere, while using too much or the incorrect one can ruin the photo. Err on the side of lightness and use filters to accentuate key details.

Smartphone cameras are legitimate as well
Here are a few tips for those of us who use smartphones as our cameras of choice. While the smartphone lens is usually pretty small, using the below suggestions as well as the above, can help bring the memory to life.

  • Take many photos in succession. There are a lot of apps out there that allow the smartphone to take multiple photos at a time, allowing you to find that perfect one.
  • Crop don’t zoom. There are a few advantages but the main reason is to not limit the use of the small lens in the camera.
  • Avoid flash. Smartphones are notorious for red eye and the flash itself will mostly detract from the picture.

Enjoy the moments as much as taking memories
Last but not least. Whether you are taking the picture or are getting your picture taken, remember to enjoy the moment and that the point of the photo is to preserve it. Don’t force a photo and keep a good sense of humor, this will help preserve the emotion and feeling and will lead to a great photo, not to mention a great memory.


Digital photos are the way of the future and for those of you who haven’t yet adapted, now might be a good time. Hard copies of photos are a great way to keep them in plain sight but not a good storage method. They crinkle and tear. And if you leave them alone for long enough, then the moisture in the air will get to them. It’s time for those memories to enter the digital age where there is no risk of deteriorating quality.

It’s not difficult to find a photo scanning service in your area.

Need photos scanned or restored? Want to hear what others have to say?
Scan photos to a HD and share them with family.
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