I know DVD has been a format that has been around since 1995. But, be aware, a DVD will not play back in Windows 10, Apple OS 10.7 or any OS after these. Computers are no longer sold with DVD players and you can hardly find DVD players in stores. This doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't choose a DVD from us. It just means that you need to be aware that DVD has a very limited lifetime from this day forward.

Choosing the right format or formats will depend on what you really need to be able to do once the film is converted. If you only need to watch them then a viewing format (see below) is best. But, if you need to edit the content (want to delete or re-arrange the content) then you'll need an editing format.

You can also order both a viewing format and editing format. The order form allows you to order up to 3 different formats back from your film conversion.

Viewing Formats

MP4/HD-MP4/2K-MP4 Files. MP4 is replacing DVD and Bluray as the format of choice for easy viewing on the many digital devices including PCs, Macs, Laptops, iPads, Android or Apple phones. You can also upload them YouTube and other sharing sites. In addition, today's smart TVs can play them by either playing them off a USB device or by streaming it to the TV from a computer or the internet.

DVD and BluRay. We use Professional Archival DVDs and BluRays. These Archival disks will last 100 years under normal conditions (non-archival DVD-R and BluRay-R disks last about 10 years) .

There are 3 different types of DVDs and BluRays and it is important to understand them.
1) Retail -These burnable DVDs/BluRays are sold in Retail stores and regardless of brand will have a lifetime of 10 years and may fail as early as 2-5 according to the US National Archives.
2) Professional - These disks are bought in bulk and are primarily used by businesses. They last on average about 25 years.
3) Archival - These disks are ISO certified and are rated at 100 years or longer.

 

Editing Formats

We offer the following formats for editing purposes:

AVI, MOV, ProRes, MP4 and DPX (at SD to 4K resolution)

Editing formats are not just for editing. They are considered the master digital file as well. So, even if you decide you don't want to edit, you may still want an editing format so that you have the digital master for decades to come.

You can only request the resolution of the scan you chose or a lower resolution format. For example, if you chose the Pro 2K scan you cannot order a 4K resolution file but you can order a 2K resolution file or smaller like an HD or SD file.

You can also order an editing format and a viewing format. So, for example if you want a 2K digital mater/editing file and want a HD-MP4 for easy viewing now you can do that.