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Most companies who say they are doing "frame-by-frame" digitization are really using a real-time recording (30fps) of a projection of the film (24fps), and then using software to remove the interlaced frames to attempt to get back to the original frames. This not only doesn't really give you frame-by-frame digitization, but because of the projection gate and light variations it gives you a product that is usually 30-50% worse than the original film!
Sure, you can pay one of those 'big-name' companies, or even use the old home-process of projecting your 8mm film onto a screen and then capturing the image with your video camera, but no matter what, you're getting a reduced quality copy of your film. Or I suppose you could spend $40-$50 per foot to have a Rank Cintel transfer done...
Direct-view, frame-by-frame digitization
Not so at Analog to Digital!! Our machine uses a built-in digital chip camera head focused through an enlarged gate for direct viewing of the actual film - not an image cropped by the projector gate and then filtered through a condenser lens and mirror assembly as you would have with a projected image.
It uses stop motion capture, which takes a picture of each and every frame of film, adding them to an ever-expanding movie file. This kind of frame discretion gives the crispest, most clear picture possible next to the expensive Rank transfers of film-industry companies.
The digital information goes directly to an AVI file on the computer - not to a tape or DVD recorder - giving an uncompressed original file to start with, and no 'second conversion' to get to the digital copy. This AVI file is then placed on a data disk for your own use.
Our software then does the pulldown conversion necessary to change from the 24 frames-per-second of the old 8mm to the 30 frames-per-second of a DVD. Still an AVI file, this is also placed on a data disk for your use.
Then, if you want, you can have a movie DVD produced with your digitized home movies on it. We work with a local company who does wonderful work - Family Heritage Video. Their website is www.familyheritagevideo.com.
