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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why do I want to transfer my Film and Videos to DVD?
A: The most common and number one reason for
preservation is the fact that film and video tape degrade very quickly. Even if
they are just shelved or boxed away -those precious moments will start to fade,
lose color and lose the audio. MEDIACENTER will preserve your memories to a
medium with longevity: a DVD! DVD’s have a life of almost one hundred years
versus video tapes that have a life span of not even fifteen years! Besides our
professional transfer method using a precisely crafted BUHL TeleCine unit, we
can also correct and enhance your existing video and bring new life and new
enjoyment to your treasured memories.
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Q: What makes MEDIA CENTER different or even better than competing
companies?
A: Since1980 we have invested in the latest
state-of-the-art equipment. The founder has hired extremely knowledgeable
employees with a dedication to superior customer service and we excel in all
aspects of our business. We have a proven track record and have clients as small
as the next-door neighbor to as big as the US Government, NASA or The Discovery
Channel.
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Q: How many years have
you been in business?
A: We have been in the video and audio production
and transfer business since 1980.
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Q: How big is MEDIA CENTER?
A: We are a small, family owned business and
because of the new DVD media, in its expansion stage. We have six full time and
22 part time employees and we are based out of Phoenix, in sunny Arizona.
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Q: What are the accepted forms of payment and what are the payment terms?
A: We accept all valid Major Credit cards like
Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, Discovery and any valid Bank Account Debit Card.
Personal checks, money orders and payments via PayPal are also welcome.
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Q: Is there a deposit necessary?
A: Usually50% of the estimated amount is due at
order placement and the balance is due upon completion of a project. Finalized
out-of-state orders or projects are shipped no later than48hrs after completion.
If projects are for a State or Government Organization, purchase orders are
acceptable and due on a 30-day net basis with no discounts.
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Q: How long does the transfer
take?
A: All work is performed in-house. Regular video
to DVD transfer orders have a typical turn-around time of 24 hours. Audio
projects may take longer and video production project completion depends on
complexity of shooting and editing elements.
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Q: What are your hours of
operation?
A: We are open Monday-Friday 9am to 6pm and
closed for lunch between 12pm and 1pm -please call before you make your way down
to the studio. If you have an urgent project, we are willing to accommodate you
and to schedule a Saturday appointment without any additional charge.
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Q: Do you have a money
back guarantee policy?
A: MEDIACENTER stands behind their work and
guarantees the quality and satisfaction of your order and we have never had an
unresolved issue in our 30 years of existence! In the unlikely event that you
are unsatisfied with a product or service, we will work with you and your
material to correct any issues that present themselves at no additional charge
and until you are completely satisfied.
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Q: Tell me
a little bit about your online ordering system.
A: Simply print and fill out the order form for
the particular service and send us your videotapes or film reels for example
with a check, pre-pay via PayPal, or call our CSR toll free and pay for it over
the phone via Credit Card. There are no hidden costs: you will know exactly how
much a project will cost (assuming all information provided is correct) after
filling out the PDF form.
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Q: Is it safe, will you
return my originals?
A: It sure is and yes - your originals will be
returned after your order is completed. We suggest using UPS or FedEx for your
carrier service. They have never lost a single package since we have been using
them.
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Q: Will my
DVD player play the DVD disk that you create?
A: MEDIACENTER uses only high quality media. Our
discs are compatible with almost all DVD players and DVD computer drives and
meet universal standards for compatibility. Incompatibility is due to
nonconforming players and not the fault of the disc. If you need to make
absolutely sure that our discs will play in your equipment, please call us and
order a demo disc free of charge.
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Q: Are the DVD's
created by MEDIA CENTER editable?
A: In general and when a DVD is finalized, there
are no edits possible. However –with MEDIA CENTER’s state-of-the-art equipment
and their latest software, it is possible to transfer the DVD content back to a
computer hard drive and re-edit the complete footage or add or replace sections
thereof.
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Q: How much film will fit onto a
DVD?
A: A DVD will hold 2hrs of footage. That equals
about 1800 feet of 8mm film or 4000feet of 16mm film. However – there is a
setting on most DVD recorders, that will record in the highest quality possible
and the DVD will record one hour…or 900 feet 8mm and 2000 feet 16mmrespectively.
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Q: How much film do I have?
A: Please measure the diameter of your reel. The
following is a list of the most common sizes and will give you an approximate
length.
8mm/Super 8mm film: 3"reel = 50ft/running time about 3.5 minutes
8mm/Super 8mm film: 5" reel = 200ft/running time about 14minutes
8mm/Super 8mm film: 7" reel = 400ft/running time about 28minutes
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Q: What is
included in the film transfer per foot price?
A: Included is the professional TeleCine transfer
of your movie film, the repair of broken splices, the correction of incorrect
color balance, minor editing, encoding toMPEG2 -DVD, and optional custom
chapters, custom titles, DVD menu page or special output formats such as MiniDV,
Digital 8, DVCam, BetaSP or external hard drive for Macs.
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Q: What are the optional
features for DVD’s?
A: Our customers have the choice of additional
titles, background music, a navigation menu with thumbnails, complete authored
DVD’s and as the ONLY facility in Phoenix, customers have the option to insert
their personal narration throughout the complete DVD footage.
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Q: Is there a set-up fee?
A: No matter if you have only a 50ft film roll
you need to preserve or a shoebox full- MEDIA CENTER will never charge a set-up
fee.
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Q: What video formats
can MEDIA CENTER handle?
A: U-Maticor 3/4 inch, Betamax 1,2 & 3, VHS,
S-VHS, VHS-c, SVHS-c, Video-8, Hi-8,Digital 8, Mini-DV, DVCam, LDC, VCD and DVD.
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Q: Can I customize my video
transfer?
A: Certainly– if a customization of your video is
required please call our toll-free number1-800-694-PROS (7767) to receive a
custom quote for your project.
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Q: What types or film do you
convert?
A: MEDIACENTER specializes in the transfer of
regular 8mm film, Super8mm film, and 16mm film. Existing optical or magnetic
sound will get a “frame sync” and be transferred as well.
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Q: What does TV Standard mean?
A: Most countries around the world use TV
Broadcast Standards that are incompatible with other countries. For example, a
video recording made in the UK could not be played on a VCR in the US or viewed
on a US-TV and vice versa. Ultimately, there are three main world standards.
Those are NTSC, PAL and SECAM. Within each of the three standards, there are a
number of variations. In order to be viewed in the US, video footage has to be
converted.
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Q: How long does a
standard conversion take?
A: A conversion is done in a 1:1 process. In
other words...a one hour tape takes one hour to convert; a two hour tape takes
two hours and so on.
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Q: How do I know what
country has what standard?
A: The following list is probably the most
accurate you can find today. It is alphabetically sorted and is compiled to the
best of our knowledge. However – MEDIA CENTER cannot be held responsible for its
accuracy since political changes and upgrades in technology happen daily around
the world!
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PAL
Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria,
Andorra, Angola, Aryenuna, Australia, Austria, Azores, Bahrain, Bangladesh,
Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canary Islands, China,
Cyprus (Turkish), Denmark, Dubai, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Falkland
Island, Fernando Po, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greenland,
Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lesotho, Liberia,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Madeira, Malawi, Malaysia,
Maldives, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, New
Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Papua-New Guinea,
Philippines (South), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saba and Sarawak, San
Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovenia, Somalia,
South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland,
Tanzania, Thailand, Tibet, Turkey, Uganda, U.K., U A E, Vatican, Yemen,
Zambia, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe.
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PAL-N
Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay.
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PAL-M
Brazil.
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NTSC
Antigua, Antilles, Azores (US Forces),
Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa
Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Diego Garcia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El
Salvador, Guam, Guatemala, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan, Korea –
South, Leeward Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Midway Islands, Montserrat,
Nicaragua, Okinawa, Panama, Peru, Philippines (North), Puerto Rico, Samoa
(Eastern), Surinam, Taiwan, Trinidad, Tobago, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam,
Virgin Islands.
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SECAM
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria,
Burundi, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Congo, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Dahomey, Djibuti, Estonia, France, French, Polynesia, Gabon, Georgia,
Greece, Guadeloupe, Guinea (Republic), Guyana (French), Guyana (Republic),
Hungary, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Korea (North), Kyrgystan, Latvia, Lebanon,
Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Martinique, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, New Caledonia, Poland,
Reunion, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovakia, Society Islands,
Tahiti, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Upper Volta,
Uzbekistan, Zaire.
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MESECAM
Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria.
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