Converting Original Film Reels or VHS Copies

One of our favorite formats of home movies is film reels, including Super 8, Regular 8, and 16mm film. Some of these formats are more than 100 years old and we love preserving these reels so they can be enjoyed and shared. But is it better to convert the original film reels or VHS copies?

Clients often bring us both their original film reels and VHS copies of the same footage. They want to know the best way to preserve their home movies, and ask if it’s better to convert the VHS tapes or the original film reels.

If the original film reels are gone or too decayed to convert, then we’re happy to convert the VHS tapes. If that’s the only copy they have, then it’s the best copy!

However, if the original film reels are still available, then we’d always prefer to digitize the film instead of the VHS copies for these reasons:

• VHS copies of film reels can be 40 years old and were often converted with crude equipment. This means the VHS copies were probably never very high quality and the tapes have probably decayed over the years.
• Converted film is more than 5x the resolution of VHS copies
• Converted film captures a more complete image than VHS copies
• Converted film retains more vibrant color and more detailed shadows than VHS copies
• Original film reels can be cleaned and repaired before conversion to ensure for maximum quality.
• Original film reels are delivered in shorter segments than 2-hour VHS tapes, making it easier to find the memories you want to share.

When we convert film reels, we clean and condition the film twice by hand, repair any damage, add new leader to the start and end of every reel, and digitize every frame before creating a high-definition digital video file. All this work results in the best available quality, but it’s also more expensive than converting VHS copies.

If you’re not sure if it’s worth the extra expense to convert your original film reels, here’s a side-by-side comparison that one of our clients gave us permission to share.

This side-by-side comparison shows VHS conversion on the left and film conversion on the right. In these clips you’ll notice that converted film shows better color, more details, and less jitter than the old VHS conversion.

What’s not obvious in the comparison video above is the difference in resolution. This film was converted to VHS in the 1980s and then converted to digital.

This is the same scene, but digitized from the original film at 5x the resolution of the VHS tape.

If you have any questions or would like a free estimate on your film conversion project, please reach out.

Interested in working with Chaos to Memories?

If you’re near Chicago and ready to get started, come visit our Wheaton Studio Monday – Friday, 10-5. Please bring your memories with you.

If you live outside the Chicagoland area, we’re happy to send you a Project Form and Contract, along with shipping instructions, so you can get started on your project.

Contact us for more information.