8mm Film Reel to DVD Transfer
Here’s a fun fact: 8mm film reels are a movie film format named because the film strip is literally 8mm wide. There are two main kinds, regular 8mm film and Super8 film. Kodak originally marketed the 8mm film as a cheaper alternative to 16mm film. Spools actually contained 16mm film with twice as many sprockets so the film was recorded on one side, flipped to record on the other, and then split down the middle when processed. When you bring your materials in for an 8mm film reel to DVD transfer, this is why your yellow Kodak boxes of 8mm film say 25 ft on them, but actually contain 50 ft of footage.
8mm film did officially stop being made until 1992, but your old home movies could be as much as 85 years old. If your oldest film reels have survived this long, you’ve been very lucky, but the time to convert your home movie reels and transfer to DVD or USB (we’re flexible) is right now. The dyes in your color 8mm film are already faded and will continue to do so. The rate of deterioration is multiplied when you store your film reels in the attic, basement or any conditions with unstable temperatures and exposure to sunlight. Our technicians scan your film frame-by-frame and do everything available to provide you a beautiful and optimized DVD or digital file of your priceless family movies.
Good news: if your film reels have sound, we do digitize it!
If you would like to convert your 8mm TAPES to DVD, visit this page.
If you have a different film reel format, you can find more formats here.
Everything you need to know
about regular 8mm home movies to DVD
Common questions about regular 8mm film to DVD, USB & Digital
How do I measure my 8mm film reels?
This is even easier than you might imagine. The footage of a film reel can be measured by the diameter. For example, one of the most popular 8mm reels we see comes in the yellow Kodak boxes. These fit in the palm of your hand and are 3 inches in diameter. That 3 inches means there is 50 feet of film. You can see a full chart and learn in detail how to measure your reels from our blog post here.
How do I tell if there is audio on my old film reels?
If you can’t remember whether or not your old film reels have sound, we have easy way. When you unroll one of your 8mm film reels, check for a thin copper strip on the edge of the reel. This is an indicator of audio! Be sure to check both sides, as it only appears on one.
Can you transfer moldy film reels?
Usually yes, but occasionally no. We have the ability to do a level of surface cleaning to your film reels, but significant mold on a reel can affect the quality of your transfer and sometimes a reel is damaged beyond saving. It’s important to properly store and care for any film reels you haven’t converted to DVD or USB yet.
8mm film reels to DVD – From Our Blog
Understanding 8mm film reels
If we didn’t give you info about the boxes of regular 8mm film in your house, we have even more information on this format.
Read more about 8mm film reels…
Glossary of 8mm film terms
You don’t have to be a computer genius to understand how your 8mm film reel to DVD process works. Check out our glossary!
Read more about video conversion…
What to do after digitizing?
If you’re doing your regular 8mm film reel to DVD, we also provide digital files. What can you do from there? We have ideas for you!
Read more about what comes next…
“After dinner, I showed old 8mm home movies from the ‘50s and ‘60s (plus some videos from the ‘80s) that I recently had Everpresent convert to a flash drive. My family LOVED watching them! It was bittersweet seeing loved ones who are no longer with us (including my mom), but at the same time, it was comforting, too. And my kids and my nephews liked seeing older family members in their younger years (not to mention the old cars, radios, phones, etc. that appeared in the background of the old movies).”
– Raymond A.
Visit one of our Northeast locations:
MassachusettsHEADQUARTERS - Newton
Ashburnham
Back Bay & South End
Braintree
Burlington
Cambridge/Somerville
Dartmouth
Falmouth
Manchester
Natick
North Attleborough (MA/RI)
Northborough
Northampton
Shrewsbury
New York
Connecticut
Rhode Island
Maine
New Jersey
New Hampshire
Vermontor work with us from the comfort of your own home.
You can also ship directly to us!
- Consulations from the privacy of your own home
- Perfect for large or complex projects with multiple formats
- Our certified consultants travel across the Northeast
- Free, no obligations estimate
- Speak with our certified consultants over the phone
- Ship to our headquarters in Newton, MA
Standard & custom 8mm film reel pricing options
8mm film reels with or without audio to DVD or USB, plus we’ll capture the labeling on your reels digitally.
- Delivered via private website accessible by your unique password
- Downloadable mp4 files
- High quality transfer to computer
- Local lab, not sent overseas
- USB drive or CD/DVDs – ask your consultant about archival DVDs for security
- Experienced and local technicians
- 3 level human eye quality control
- Label transcription & private website included
- Up to 2000 feet: $30
2000-5000 feet: $50 | 5000+ feet: $70 - Archival DVD & Medical-grade USB combos
- 80 yr, scratch-resistant, silver/gold alloy
- Downloadable digital files included
- Films with sound: Additional $0.06/foot
- Molded or damaged reels: ask your consultant
- Extra DVDs and CDs: $5 Standard, $10 Archival
- Extra USB: ask your consultant
- Add music to silent reels: $2 per reel (pick from various styles)
- Add label transcription to Digital Only: $2/reel
- Add label transcription to Digital Only: $2/reel
- Private website upload free for 6 months
WE ORGANIZE AND DIGITIZE ALL OF YOUR MEMORIES
