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We have prepared this page to answer
some of the more frequently asked questions that our
customers have. If you cannot find the answer you're
looking for on this page please email us here.
Try our LINKS
page for more interesting information!
Q1.
Can you convert American video (NTSC) to the Australian
standard (Pal)?
Yes. We can transfer most formats to and from NTSC,
Pal and Secam (France). Also our Storm DVD's are "Region
0", which means they can be played in any DVD player
around the world. If you want to send a DVD overseas
we can recommend which system is in place in that country.
Q2.
Do you repair broken video tapes?
Yes. Because accidents happen and video equipment is
prone to wear and malfunction your tapes can become
jammed, crushed and damaged. Our team can assess your
tape and advise whether it may be repaired. (While our
MiniDV repairs will allow playback of the damaged tape
we advise you make a copy and do not re-record over
it, due to the delicate nature of the actual tape).
Tape repairs start at $25.
Q3.
What video tape formats can you work with?
We can copy to and from all tape formats including HDCam,
Betacam (Digital & SP), DVC Pro, DVCam, MiniDV,
Digital8, S-VHS, Hi8, Video8, VHS, VHS-C, Betamax, and
U-matic. We also copy and convert DVD, CD-Rom, VCD and
Laserdisc.
Q4.
Can you improve the quality of my video tape?
It is possible to remove or lessen "tracking"
problems that your tapes may experience while being
played back at home. We have the facilities to clean
up the signal of your video when making a transfer,
by adjusting the colour and sharpness of the image,
though video tape is prone to wear over time. Converting
to DVD however will maintain the same level of image
quality for the life of the disc.
Q5.
Can I add music to my silent 8mm or 16mm film transfer?
Yes, we have a music library that we use for this purpose.
They are a mix of older classics with no distracting
vocals, that we have found to give a great result. If
you would like to use your own music please bring it
with you when you come in to have your film transferred.
Q6.
What is the difference between DVD (MPEG2) and CD-Rom
(MPEG1)?
The main difference is the amount of information each
can hold, and the resulting difference in picture quality.
A CD holds up to 700mb while current DVD storage is
4.7Gb (over 6.5 times more!). Encoding your video to
DVD means you can have up to 100 minutes of Mpeg2 quality
video, at about twice the resolution of CD quality Mpeg1.
DVD is best suited for playback on television and maintaining
as much picture quality as possible, though encoding
to CD is great for inserting video into Powerpoint presentations,
web sites, interactive CD-Roms and playback as VCD.
Q7.
How many minutes of video can be transferred. onto one
DVD or CD?
DVD can hold up to 100 minutes of Mpeg2 video without
unacceptable picture quality loss. When encoding video
to CD-Rom for computer playback we recommend limiting
the amount of video to 40 minutes, or 70 minutes for
VCD. Storm can compress more video onto either type
of disc though the picture quality will suffer depending
on the type of footage and how much more you wish to
add.
Q8.
Can I edit the footage any further after my DVD is produced?
We advise you edit your video prior to authoring the
DVD. DVD is a 'finished format', meaning it is not designed
for further editing. When we encode your video to DVD
the information is 'compressed' in the process; your
original master is still the best quality. Just because
your computer has a DVD drive doesn't mean you can save
it to your hard-drive and edit the footage. To 'decode'
the information on the disc so you can edit the footage
is time consuming and requires a high level of DVD technology
understanding.
Q9.
What is the difference between DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R,
DVD+RW, etc?
The "R" in all of these formats stands for
recordable, and "RW" means the disc can be
erased and new information saved to it. DVD-R/RW and
DVD+R/RW are essentially in competition with each other
and consumers will determine which succeeds or if they
end up coexisting or merging. There are many claims
that one or the other format is better but they are
actually very similar. All DVDs that Storm Studios create
are DVD-R, which we have found to be the most compatible
for our customers. (Please be aware that if your DVD
player does not handle this format you can request a
disc in +R format.).
Q10.
Can I view a Storm Video DVD on my PC and Television?
Our premium DVDs have had 98% success rate with playback
on computer and television. If your DVD player or computer
disc drive can read DVD-R discs then it will play on
either. Also our discs are "Region 0" and
will play anywhere in the world. If you have any problems
with the playback of one of our discs we will endeavor
to rectify the situation.
Q11.
Can you combine slides, photos and video on a DVD?
Yes. We can scan your slides and photos so that they
may be used in video - we can even animate them across
the screen and add transitions between images to create
an even more memorable experience. Alternatively we
can create a "slide show" DVD so that each
image is accessible using your remote.
Q12.
What is the optimum size/resolution for images being
transferred. to video?
Storm Studios require that all digital images brought
to us for use in video production are a resolution of
72dpi (dots per inch) and 640x480 pixels in dimension,
and preferably in the "Tiff" format (though
Jpeg is acceptable). Taking this step means we won't
have to do any further resizing of your images, which
is a chargeable service.
Q13.
Will you duplicate any copyrighted material?
We will only duplicate copyrighted material if you have
written permission from the copyright owner.
Q14.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept cheques or cash payments only - there are
no credit card facilities available. (It helps keep
our prices down for you!) We also invoice businesses
after you have completed one transaction with us.
Q15.
Does your pricing include GST?
Yes. All prices listed on this web site and in our brochure
are inclusive of the Australian Goods and Services Tax
(GST).
Q16.
What is your turn-around time?
Every job we do is different so it is impossible to
give a precise list. We aim to return your job to you
as quickly as possible while maintaining our high standards.
If you have a deadline please call or email us prior
to delivering the job so that we can confirm it will
be completed by that time.
Q17.
I purchased a DVD overseas
and I can't get it to work. Can you help?
If the DVD you purchased has copyright, sorry we can't
help. The easiest solution is the get in touch with
your DVD players manufacturer and ask them to upgrade
your machine to play all regions. However you will net
to make sure your television can display the format
where the disc originated. If you purchased the disc
in America the television format is NTSC.
Q18.
Can you copy my old VHS movie or
television program to DVD?
Anything that has copyright we can't copy or work with.
Even if the program is not currently available on DVD
or VHS.
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- ABN: 42069954260
