Here are some frequently asked questions of our services.

GENERAL

1. Why do we need to call first before coming to your office?
   Due to many customers coming directly to our office with Video8, Audio Cassette, BetaSP, BetaCAM and Hi8 tapes, we have removed the address. We don't do these due to low demand, unless you are able to provide us the player or camcorder. Contact us!
2. Do you entertain international customers?
   Yes we do. However, please note that delivery charges will be considerably higher.
3. Will you fix all defects of my tapes when you convert?
   If your tape is fungus-free but still plays with some defects, the converted discs will also inherit the defects. This is why we recommend converting the tapes as early as possible because, with each play of the tape, the quality degrades. If we find that most of the tape has some defect (e.g. scrolling picture, no picture, black-and-white picture), we will ask you for permission before proceeding to convert.
4. The magnetic strip in the tape has torn/snapped. Can you repair it?
   Yes - $10 per repair. However, if it still continues to snap when we try to fast forward, it is still chargeable.
5. My VHS is a 180 min tape, but the content is only 50 minutes. Will I be charged for 3 hours?
   No. You will be charged only for the first hour.
6. How long does a VHS/miniDV to VCD/DVD conversion take?
   Most are completed within 24 hours. However, if delivery is required, the courier company takes up to 6 hours to courier the tapes to us, making it a total of 2 days for you to get back the converted tape and disc.
   
   Also, conversions of multiple tapes need more time. For each tape conversion, it requires one day. So for conversion of 5 tapes, please allow us 5 days. If you need your tapes converted faster, please ask for Super Express Service ($10/tape).
7. Is the delivery done by your company?
   Delivery is provided by a third party courier service.
8. How is the delivery rate determined?
   The distance between our office at Sengkang and your location, the time range of when we can collect and whether your location is a secured/remote area determines the total charge.
   
   For instance, the lowest delivery rate - $14 - is only when your location is outside the CBD area, we can collect the tapes anytime during normal office hours and the location is not in a remote area.
9. What are your shop's opening hours?
   1pm to 11pm. We are open on most weekends and public holidays too.
10. I am confused by your charges - could you give me some examples?
    We have some example scenarios here.
11. Why are your charges for TV VCD recording higher than DVD recording?
    Our recorder only records in native DVD format so if our customers desire VCD format, we have to do an additional conversion process to VCD. That is where the extra cost comes from.
12. How do I reach your shop?
    We now have a interactive map of our location at the Contact Us page. However, please call before coming to ensure we are around to receive you.
13. Can I put two or more VHS tapes into one DVD?
    Yes. This is done at no charge. Please note that PAL and NTSC video cannot be put in one DVD. Also, the video tapes will still be counted as two separate units. For example, if you want us to put two 30 min VHS tapes into one DVD, it will be $20 x 2 + $8 = $48.
14. Are the converted DVDs playable in all DVD players?
    As long as your player supports DVD-R (a very popular recording format) and the TV standard (PAL/NTSC), it should work.
    
    Please note that we do not make any guarantees that it will play in your player, but if it does not work in any PC as well, its most likely a problem in the conversion and you should contact us for a free re-conversion.
    
    Note that in the US, only NTSC (not PAL) DVDs will be able to play in set-top DVD players.
15. Can NTSC DVD discs play in Singapore?
    Yes, you don't have to convert them to PAL, as most DVD players in Singapore support PAL and NTSC formats. This is due to most Hollywood movies being in NTSC.
16. Why are your DVD-Rs priced so high?
    The price of the DVD includes the cost of the DVD itself, cost of standard compliant DVD-Video format preparation, cost of writing to the DVD and cost of verification of data written to the DVD.

TECHNICAL

1. How many hours can I put in a VCD/DVD?
   VCD: Up to 70 minutes. Video CDs have fixed bit rates so we are not able to squeeze in more.
   DVD: Up to 8 hours, but at a considerable loss of quality (picture becomes softer). We recommend 2 hours per DVD, our standard policy for best quality/space ratio.
2. If I choose to make a DVD of a VHS/miniDV/TV, would it be an exact copy of the source?
   VCDs and DVDs store video data using Lossy Compression, where bits of video data are discarded to ensure reasonable usage of the available space. If we were to put the uncompressed video data in a DVD, the maximum it can contain is only 4 minutes! As such, the answer would be No.
   
   With every new video format, the amount of data discarded is being reduced. For instance, VCDs have a bit rate of 170 KB per second while DVDs can have up to 1200 KB per second, that's about seven times better quality. With Blu-Ray and HD DVD coming up, bit rates are set to increase resulting in a better copy of the original video.
3. What is the free Noise Removal service?
   All digitized VHS footage will have background static hiss audio noise.. This Noise Removal service reduces that noise to near-silent level enhancing the overall video conversion.
   
   Due to home videos having no recorded silent areas for us to gauge the level of noise, this enhancement will not be done for home taken videos. Only original professional tapes will have this enhancement done.
4. Can I throw away my VHS/miniDV tapes after conversion?
   Having mentioned that converted videos are not a 1:1 copy (refer to #2), we recommend storing the tapes in airtight containers for future technologies such as Blu-Ray and HD-DVD which promise higher quality conversions for your VHS / miniDV tapes.
5. Do you make chapter points for DVD videos?
   Yes. Depending on the length of the video, we make chapter points at intervals of either 3 or 5 minutes. This is at no extra cost and performed on every DVD conversion we do.
6. What is the bitrate of the DVDs that the videos are converted to?
   We try to make best use of the space in the DVD:
   If the video is <= 1 Hour, the bitrate is 8000kbps average Variable Bit Rate
   If the video is <= 1.5 Hours, the bitrate is 6000kbps average Variable Bit Rate
   If the video is <= 2 Hours, the bitrate is 4300kbps average Variable Bit Rate
   If the video is >= 2 Hours, it is split between 2 DVDs with 5500-8000kbps average Variable Bit Rate

Contact us if you have further queries.