Elmo TRV-8/S-8/16
(Average Equipment Cost - Standard-def: $4,000, High-def: Not available)

Manufactured in the 1980's and utilized up till the early part of this decade, these machines were the de facto choice for film to video transfers for many photo/video labs. Featuring a compact self-contained unit, composite output (yellow video cable) and support for super 8 sound, these machines provided a convenient way of transferring 8mm and super 8mm film to VHS.

The combination of 1980's CCD technology and 240 lines of resolution makes this unit inadequate for providing acceptable transfers for the average consumer.

Average standard-definition price - $.08/ft - $.15/ft

Aerial Image Transfer (Real-time)
(Average Equipment Cost - Standard-def: $5,000, High-def: $7,500)

This method became prominent early this decade as DVD was becoming popular and consumers expected better quality for their transfers. This technique utilizes a special projector which has been modified with a 5 blade shutter to eliminate flicker. The film frame is projected onto a mirror which is enlarged to facilitate a video camera (typically 3CCD) to capture the resultant image through the condenser lens.

The results are usually flicker-free but present blended frames which affects the sharpness of the image.

Average standard-definition price - $.10/ft - $.20/ft
Average high-definition price - $.15/ft - $.35/ft

Frame-by-Frame Transfer
(Average Equipment Cost - Standard-def: $6,000, High-def: $15,000)

Similar to an aerial transfer, a "frame-by-frame" transfer utilizes a special projector, a condenser lens, a video camera, and a computer. The projector is modified to communicate with a computer which gets instructions to capture each frame of film individually. After each frame of film is captured, the computer compiles all the frames into a progressive video.

The added benefit of this transfer method is that there is no blending of frames normally found in an aerial image (real-time) transfer. The disadvantage of this technique is that it employs a video camera and a condenser lens which does not retain the best traits of film: color, contrast, and sharpness information.

Average standard-definition price - $.15/ft - $.46/ft
Average high-definition price - $.40/ft - $.69/ft

Rank Transfer
(Average Equipment Cost - Standard-def: $40,000, High-def: Not available)

This equipment was at one time considered the gold standard for film transfer quality. It uses CRT technology to scan directly off the film image, producing a tact sharp transfer. This transfer method also offers 4:2:2 chroma subsampling, which represents an improvement in the translation of color data when going from film to digital.

The limitation of this equipment is that it is based on 1980's tube technology; when high-definition was not even a standard in the United States. As with the above transfer technologies, there is a loss of dynamic range and sharpness when going from film to digital

Average standard-definition price - $.38/ft - $.63/ft ($300/hr-$500/hr of film)
Note - not available in high-definition

Spirit Transfer
(Average Equipment Cost - Standard-def: $550,000, High-def and beyond: $850,000)

The Spirit revolutionized the digital age. It was the first film scanner that offered true high-definition transfers which retained all the color, contrast, and sharpness information intrinsic to film. It allowed films to be scanned into digital, edited, then printed back to film with no loss in quality.

We are one of the only companies in the entire world that transfers home movies with Hollywood quality at an affordable price. We also use the conventional per foot price rather than hourly billing so you know how much to expect to spend on your project.

Standard-definition price - $.50/ft for Super 8 and $.35/ft for 16mm.
High-definition price - $.65/ft for Super 8 and $.45/ft for 16mm

Below are just a few samples of home movie film transfered with Spirit 2K: