Cine Transfer & Scanning
Our Cine Transfer & Scanning Service
We can transfer and scan all your cine film in the following formats 8mm, 9.5mm and 16mm cine film both silent and with sound, our scanning process does not involve projecting or using hot light sources. Your cine film gets scanned using the Flashscan by MWA which uses a sprocket less feeding system, which ensures each frame of the film gets scanned perfectly without jumping. There is also a laser guiding system that works with the rollers to keep the film straight when damaged sprockets are detected.
Included in the cost of scanning is a film health check where we will check your film for damage before scanning which includes checking pinholes (sprockets) for damage, emulsion bonding on reels larger than 50 foot and poor quality joints in the film.
Once your film has been checked and repaired only then is it scanned frame by frame offering you the highest quality possible. We scan your film at full high definition resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, as it’s frame by frame scanning the result is a progressive video format not interlaced as the older telecine machines produce.
Film Formats Accepted
We can scan and transfer from the following formats standard 8, Super 8, 9.5mm and 16mm, Super 8 can include sound as can 16mm however standard 8 and 9.5 are both silent formats with no sound. Although super 8 and 16mm can carry sound to support this feature it had to be recorded on a compatible camera otherwise it will be silent.
For silent film transfer we can add background music, however, for copyright reasons we can’t use commercial music not owned by you. If you have music you would like added you can supply us this in the format of a CD or digital files, there is a small additional charge for adding music to your footage.
Disc & File Formats
Once your film has been scanned it is then time to finalise your order by transfering it to disc or digital files. For transferring to disc you have two choices DVD or Blu-Ray, if choosing DVD please be aware that the footage will be reduced to standard definition as DVD doesn’t support HD formats. For the transfer to Blu-Ray your footage will remain at 1080p, as standard you will receive your disc in a slimline jewel case with a title printed on the disc.
For a small additional charge you can upgrade and have your disc supplied in a case with a full-colour cover showing 9 photos taken from your footage, your disc will also have photos printed on it.
For digital files, you have several options which include but are not exclusive to Mpeg 4 (h.264), Apple Pro-Res, AVID DNxHR and Uncompressed AVI or Quicktime files. All files are full HD as standard with at 1920x1080p offering the full resolution of the scanned files.
The most popular choice is Mpeg 4 files which offer wide compatibility with different computer systems, Smart TV’s and Blu-Ray Players as well as games consoles such as Playstation or Xbox. If you’re looking to get higher quality files for editing then we also offer Pro-Res or DNx files which are much easier to work with when editing. For lossless archival, we also offer uncompressed files which are massive in size however offer the best quality of all the file formats.
We can supply storage devices such as USB pen drive or portable hard drives at extra cost or you can supply your own Alternatively you could use our digital download service and download your files directly from the cloud to your computer, we don’t offer the download service for uncompressed file formats as the files are just too large to be uploaded and would take too long to download.
Service Time
The service has a standard service time of 21 days, however, during busier times can take up to 28 days. If you require your cine order for a specific date we will always do our best to complete your order for that date, however, can’t offer you any guarantees on this as cine orders get added to our workload in the order we receive them. If sending us your reels by post or courier please also allow time for us receiving your order, likewise for us sending back your order.Pricing and Payment
You can use the tables below which show the costs for scanning your films, producing your media and for extras such as cases with full-colour covers and disc printing. On the right-hand side, there is an add to basket button which can be used to add items to your basket, for multipule items you can either click the button for each one or amend the quantity in the basket. Collection and return postage charges can be viewed from your shopping basket.
Step 1
Choose your reels sizes
Step 2
Choose the format or formats required
Step 3
Choose any extras you would like