YesVideo Press

Copy your videotape onto DVD
Don't Take My Kodachrome Away
Blu-Ray & HD DVD To Succeed
Make Your Family Memories Last A Lifetime
Losing Your Memories? Transfer Them to Digital

If you have old videotapes of your family laying around the house, you are certainly not alone. The problem with those tapes, however, is that they degrade quickly. Some experts say they'll last 20 or 30 years, max. Here's a way to move that video onto DVDs. Copy Your Videotape Onto DVD

Tech Files are video reports examining popular topics about technology and the Internet. Links to helpful Web sites are listed. Mike Goldfein reports from the Belo Washington bureau.

02.22.05 - WHAS-TV

Here's Mike Goldfein:
The fact that technology continues to get better means that you don't have to let your precious memories fade away.

This old video of my kids is 21 years old, and right at the ragged edge of its playable lifespan.

In a few years, age will cause the tape to self-destruct. It'll look like this.

That's why there is a booming market for ways to move videos onto DVDs. This $350 all-in-one deck from GoVideo is one way to solve the problem.

"It's one-touch copy. You can take the DVD, put it in. Take the VHS tape, put it in. Press one button, and walk away." — Jonathan King / GoVideo

Now, it's not quite that simple — but close. As you play the tape, the DVD records it. An automatic colour-correction system called DoMiNoFX does an OK, but not a perfect job of touching things up.

At the highest quality setting, you can get one hour of video onto a DVD. Set the quality lower, up to six hours.

When it's finished, an onboard program called YesDVD automatically analyzes the video and picks chapters.

And it also creates rather odd music videos.

The deck will also play DVD movies and record live TV.

You can also transfer old VHS movies to DVD.

Although the end product will never look better than the VHS tapes did in the first place.

Now, there are other ways to save your old videos. But I haven't tried one yet that was this simple.

On the Web for Belo Interactive, I'm Mike Goldfein.

Don't Take My Kodachrome Away
By SPENCER MORGAN
Published: May 31, 2005

aul Simon sang about it. Film students shot on it. Now, advocates are signing up to save Kodachrome, or at least its Super 8 motion-picture version, a 1965 technology that the Eastman Kodak Company would very much like to do without.
Earlier this month, Kodak, based in Rochester, N.Y., delivered a shock to experimental, underground and just plain old-fashioned filmmakers when - one day after a May 8 celebration called Global Super 8 Day - it announced plans to discontinue its low-speed, fine-grained Kodachrome Super 8 film in favor of a new Ektachrome Super 8 product.

For those caught up on the digital revolution, the announcement was easily missed. But to film geeks around the world, Kodak might as well have declared the death of colour.
"Kodachrome is larger than life," said Andrew Lampert, a filmmaker and film archivist at the Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan. "Its colours are brighter than your imagination's. And what's amazing is, the film simply does not fade. It's irreplaceable."

Message boards hummed. An online petition materialized. Then, at the Cannes Film Festival, a Kodak executive, Robert Mayson, agreed to a meeting with Pip Chodorov, a principal member of Paris's thriving Super 8 filmmaking scene - the city is home to several Super 8 film festivals - and the administrator of frameworks.com, one of a number of online message boards dedicated to experimental film.

Mr. Chodorov, who also owns a video distribution company specializing in experimental and independent film, said the company blinked, at least a little. By his account, Mr. Mayson agreed that Kodak might produce more Super 8 Kodachrome, if the format's enthusiasts can find a way to process it. At present, the film is largely processed on a money-losing basis at the Kodak laboratory in Switzerland - where Super 8 Kodachrome processing is scheduled to cease in December 2007. Mr. Chodorov, in an telephone interview from Paris on Friday, said he now plans to petition the French government for a grant to help with processing.

He said he thought Mr. Mayson was "getting a lot of hate mail right now," adding, "I see it as my job to help find a solution, not send hate mail." Kodachrome Super 8 became a favorite thanks to the film's complex emulsion, the gelatinous solution that helps capture an image. It requires an elaborate developing process but produces striking, unique colours and unparalleled archival virtues, making it a favorite with Super 8 artists.

Kodachrome was the film of choice for avant-garde filmmakers like Kenneth Anger and Jonas Mekas, who were renowned in the film world though largely unknown outside it. A much larger population has most likely seen the film's fine-grain quality and lurid pigments in the form of old home movies. Indeed, the most famous image caught on Kodachrome film was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, caught by Abraham Zapruder, a Dallas dressmaker who happened to be wielding an 8-millimeter camera that day.

In the last 20 years, video has all but eclipsed Super 8's practical use for amateur filmmakers and doting parents, who can now record images on a high-definition digital video camera, feed the footage directly onto a computer, edit it and e-mail it to a prospective producer or the grandparents in Michigan.

Super 8 cameras and projectors are now the stuff of specialty shops, eBay and flea markets, and Kodak alone continues to produce Super 8 film.

Blu-Ray & HD DVD To Succeed; DVD Will Remain Popular
Scottsdale, AZ, March 22, 2005:

According to reports by research firm In-Stat, new digital delivery services, such as Blu-Ray and HD DVD, will not replace the DVD business, but rather bring digital entertainment to people by adding a convenience or accessibility that complements what the "packaged goods" can provide. In-Stat says that more consumers want instant access to video on their TV sets, portable devices, and cell phone handsets, but DVDs will continue to be a popular medium, and will continue to experience substantial growth. The worldwide value of all published DVD products is expected to grow with a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 18.2 per cent, predicts the firm, from about US$33 billion during 2004, up to US$76.5 billion by 2009.

"In North America, HD DVD will jump start a round of growth for high-definition versions of Hollywood movies, as consumers begin replacing their libraries of old VHS tapes and DVDs," explained Gerry Kaufhold, In-Stat Analyst. "HD DVDs will appear later this year, to take advantage of the growing installed base of HDTV sets in the U.S. However, we expect Blu-Ray products to take off in Asia in 2006, and in Europe and the ROW during 2007. Music videos, DualDisc products, and locally produced DVDs will account for 20 per cent of the market value by 2009."

Outside of North America, In-Stat predicts that Blu-Ray discs will become the dominant high definition format, because it is backed by the "who's who" of international consumer electronics manufacturers, and ultimately provides more storage capacity and better features. Further, professional quality DVD authoring packages are becoming widely available, which will increase the market for locally produced DVDs with all kinds of "content" from local movies, musical groups, churches, museums, businesses and regional video producers, says the firm.

Additionally, In-Stat notes that Point-of-Sale systems will be connected to secure networks that are already in place to support digital signage applications. These kiosks will be used to "burn" DVDs on command, making it possible for book stores, airport shops, coffee sellers, convenience markets, and other retailers to sell DVDs without maintaining large inventories, while providing convenience to consumers.

By 2009, In-Stat forecasts that nearly 55 per cent of all TV households will be connected to at least one of the non-traditional network delivery systems such as cable TV, satellite networks, digital terrestrial TV, or broadband TV service.

The report, entitled Worldwide Electronic Entertainment: Packaged Goods Value And Network-Connected Households, examines the worldwide market for consumer-oriented digital video entertainment; and contains forecasts for the regional and worldwide value of DVD markets broken out by standard DVDs, Blu-Ray DVDs, HD DVDs, and music and locally produced DVDs. It also includes forecasts for the number of TV households in four regions that will be connected to traditional, over-the-air broadcast TV, cable TV, pay-TV satellite services, digital terrestrial TV and broadband (IP-TV) video services.

For more information, visit www.in-stat.com.

Make Your Family Memories Last A Lifetime
Diann Burns
01.28.05 - CBS2 WBBM-TV Chicago

Camcorders have made it possible to capture great memories you'll treasure forever. But forever doesn't last long when it comes to videotape.

Now, there's a new way to hang on to your family memories for a lifetime.

If you're like most, you've got a ton of home videos filled with all those silly and sentimental moments caught on camera.

Meet Kathy Axelsson. She has reams of family videotape, all of which she cherishes.

"The memories, I just think they're priceless," Kathy said.

But watching those old memories was a real chore, especially when it came to doing the camcorder-to-TV hookup. She couldn't always figure out how to do that.

So Kathy decided to do what more people are doing these days.

"We took all of our family home videos and transferred them to DVD," she said.

For Kathy, the decision to transfer her precious family memories was a no-brainer.

"I was very pleased," she said. "My entire family was very pleased."

Bob Wilson is with YesVideo, one of a growing number of companies offering this service. When you drop your tape off at a retail store, chances are YesVideo is doing the work.

"Consumers are realizing that VHS is dead, and they're looking for a way to preserve their video memories to DVD," Wilson said. "What we offer to the consumer is the chance to save your video memories to a Hollywood-like DVD with Hollywood-like special features."

Special features include photo menus, so you can find different parts to watch within the DVD.

You can also transfer old films, slides and photos to DVD.

And the best part is that DVD will last a lifetime -- anywhere from 40 to 300 years, experts predict. Don't count on more than 10 years with your videotapes because they tend to fade.

Which is why a number of popular retailers like Best Buy, Kmart, Walgreens, Wal-Mart and Target are now offering DVD transfer services. All you have to do is drop off your video at the photo booth, the way you would a roll of film.

Two weeks later, you pick up your videotape and a professionally-finished DVD.

Losing Your Memories? Transfer Them to Digital
By Jay McDonald
02.23.05 - BankRate.com

Bob Wilson looked at his 13-year-old wedding video recently and turned white.

"I've completely lost the colour in it. It's fairly priceless," he says. "You can't go back in time and it's expensive to have a wedding."

Fortunately, Wilson had the foresight to transfer the irreplaceable footage to DVD four years ago. As vice president for sales and marketing for YesVideo, a Santa Clara, Calif., company that specializes in preserving still photos, film and videotape on DVD, Wilson knew firsthand what countless parents are suddenly discovering: Videos are not forever.
"Videotape has a useful life of about 10 years," he says. "What happens when you use a videotape is, immediately the metal particles start falling off. If I had not transferred it to DVD, it would have been lost." If you're like most busy parents or two-income households, you haven't viewed those video keepsakes in years. "It's a weird thing. If you ask consumers what they would save in a fire, after the kids and dog, videotapes came first, then photos. Videotapes came first because they better represent people's memories, yet people don't spend any time cataloging them or organizing them, or even watching them, because they're hard to watch. I think most video is viewed on the little two-inch screen that is on the camcorder."

Preserve your memories
Thanks to personal computing, we no longer stand to lose our memories. Companies such as YesVideo and HomeMovie.com will transfer your childhood 16mm, 8mm and Super8 film, Beta or VHS videotape, still prints and 35mm slides -- even digital photos -- onto DVD, virtually for pocket change. YesVideo transfers up to two hours of home video, including audio (if any), to DVD for about $40 CDN. Home movie footage costs 15 cents per foot. Photos and slides cost 65 cents for the You can even select the sequence in which you want your separate videos, prints or slides transferred, though you cannot mix media. You want a music soundtrack with that? It's free; choose from smooth jazz, rock, big band, classical, Hawaiian, country or winter holiday.

Video-to-YesDVD service is available at any Kodak photo counter that features overnight processing (i.e., WalMart, Kmart, Target, Rite-Aid, Walgreens, etc.). Film and still transfers are available at Walgreens and select Best Buy stores. In Canada, YesVideo is available from Black Photo Stores, Shoppers Drug Mart stores and Wal-Mart Canada.

YesVideo and several other companies, including JVC and Panasonic, also have recently introduced combo VCR-DVD players in the $285-to-$350 price range that can convert your home VHS tapes to DVDs, though their primary purpose is to enable you to watch both formats with one remote, sans the stacked players. But beware: There are conversion issues that can make this video-to-DVD option a complicated science experiment all its own. Regardless of which route you choose, there are several advantages to digitizing your video library:

Reduced deterioration: DVDs aren't indestructible (industry estimates place their lifespan at somewhere between 40 and 300 years) and, mistreated, they can warp, but they sure beat film, videotape or prints. "Clean" copies: Once your collection is digital, you can easily make copies without the generational loss of image quality.

Common format: DVDs have quickly replaced VCRs as the home movie player of choice. According to Digital Entertainment Group, more than 63 million U.S. households, roughly two out of every three, now have at least one DVD player. Instant access: No need to fire up the computer or search for that lost camcorder wire. Simply pop the disc into the DVD player and click the remote. Easy navigation: No more fast-forwarding, rewinding or changing reels to find specific content. Archive: Save a copy of your digital memories in a safe deposit box and leave home without worry.
DIY for the adventurous
If you're a video editing enthusiast or diehard do-it-yourselfer, you can always take a whack at converting your library yourself. That's what Jan Ozer, contributing editor for PC Magazine and author of "The PC Magazine Guide to Digital Video," did last summer.

Ozer projected 10 hours of film footage from his childhood onto a white foam board in an image about the size of a sheet of paper, then recorded it using a $3,000 DV camcorder on a tripod situated just below the projector. If you patch your DV camcorder into your computer at the same time, you can simultaneously capture it on your hard drive in real time.

But there are challenges. First, you need a lightless room, ideally one without windows. You'll also need a bandoleer of DV tapes; an hour of film takes up about 13 gigabytes of memory. Then there's the flicker issue; you'll need to adjust both the camcorder's shutter speed and the film projector's speed to synchronize the frames-per-second in order to eliminate it.

The results? "There is some detail lost in what we shot but it's the kind of thing that would be acceptable to most people," Ozer says.

He then sent the DV tapes off to two service bureaus for a little restoration work. Cinepost used a high-end conversion system for scratch elimination and colour correction; MovieStuff adjusted colour using an Adobe Premiere editing program.

Was it worth it? "In some instances, it was night and day, depending on the source, but in most cases it would only be noticeable if you looked at them side by side," he admits. "The quality was better, but you end up paying a pretty high price."

The experience gave Ozer renewed appreciation for why we pull out the camcorder in the first place. He invited his 75-year-old parents in for part of the session, and even captured their commentary on audio as they watched the old footage.

"I got to spend four hours with my parents reliving those experiences. If you send it out, what are the odds of you sitting down and looking at four or five hours of video?" he says. "Probably the strongest plus is, otherwise you'll probably never go through the video. It's sort of an 'It's a Wonderful Life' experience, like jeez, I really did have a nice life."Would he recommend doing it yourself?

"This is a stretch for somebody who is not familiar with video capture and connecting all the stuff to your computer. It's not something for a first-time videographer," he says. "If you don't have a good camcorder or a decent projector, it's not worth going out and buying all that stuff. But if you have a pretty decent camcorder and you enjoy the work, it's a pretty good way to spend time."

Improving your memories
Ah, there's the rub. Everybody has treasured videos that are rapidly deteriorating and nobody is likely to have the time or patience to enjoy them until it's too late.

For now, YesVideo has made it easier to enjoy your home videos by breaking down your raw footage into 54 chapters based on colour changes and movement, which it then presents on both the cover sheet and the user menu. Later this year, every YesVideo DVD will come loaded with its Digital Scrapbook video editing program that will allow you to edit content and insert still photos, titles and audio, all without installing any software.

"It will allow us to do the heavy lifting, which is getting that content into your PC, and then for those 15 percent of consumers who tell us they are interested in editing the content, we're providing the application for those people," Wilson says.

Wilson knows his audience, and like this busy dad, they're likely to become customers, too.

"What we found in doing this is that watching home video is really a fun experience, and when your library is on DVD, it's really easy to do and you do it more," he says. "We like to describe our clients as people who have double-0s flashing on their VCR. That's our sweet spot."

Bottom line:
While it will likely be cost-effective to send your video and film to the pros, you can easily archive your still photo collection to CD or DVD with an inexpensive scanner and a disc burner.

Jay MacDonald is a contributing editor based in Mississippi.

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