Whenever someone thinks of transferring the memories from an old VHS tape to DVD, every recommendation will fall in the professional equipment category of film transfer. Many think that this is one DIY practice but beware, things get fishy as soon as you start the same on your side. Just in case you have not heard of the side effects, let me explain two different terms in the world of film recording and transfers. What most people do is ‘straight transfer’, a term coined when one use a regular consumer grade 8mm film to DVD or 16mm film to DVD and digital conversion equipment.

Another term is professional broadcast grade equipment, used in case a service provider has used highly specialized recorders to extract every bit of information in the highest available quality. The latter has the ability to shock everyone with such extreme levels of sophistication of matter inside the old tape that going for straight transfers would never be a choice again. Here we have few solid points to prove why professional services are highly recommended over straight transfers.

# Pure visual and aural experience

When using professional grade equipment for film to dvd transfer, the amount of noise experienced gets minimized to bare negligible level. Noise reduction further clears the way for better dialogue and music quality, helping you enjoy memories in a better way than regular 8mm or 16mm films. Picture quality through professional equipment in enhanced and balanced in a better way.

# Minimal compression

The biggest benefit of using professional service for 8mm film to DVD and digital conversion is its highest quality of settings for lowest possible compression. This makes a pro made DVD good for bigger displays and better sound systems while straight transfers will provide the same quality on small as well as big screen.

# Precise authoring

Professional broadcast grade transfers have no chances of error in any sort of authoring on the disc. One can effortlessly divide the DVD into virtually infinite chapters and all of them have playable separate spaces on the screen. Inserting background music and visual effects was never that easy and still impossible under straight transfers.

# Tailored to perfection

Not just one gets authoring option under professional services, the tapes are transferred after removing all the dead frames or time gaps between the stories. One gets the option of adding timestamps to all those separate frames. Navigation menus are decided well before transfer as need of the customer is highly respected in professional services. Unlike odd transfers that freeze at some frames, pro services are pretty smooth and consistent all over the disc.

In fact, the easiest way to differentiate between both is the use of additional frames inside your original video. Discs made through straight transfers will not even have a welcome note on your screen. Will you let your precious memories risk their quality under such conditions? I guess the answer is a big no!