2020
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Storing and Accessing Your Digital Media: Everything You Need to Know Written by: Cora Foley
“How will I receive my newly digitized photos & videos?”
This is a question that we are frequently asked by customers who are new to the process of converting their analog media to digital format. Our answer – whatever suits you best and makes the most sense! We have various options, explained below, for delivering your newly digitized photos, slides, negatives, videos, and audio files.
CD (700 MB of data or 80 minutes of audio)
DATA CD: A data CD can hold up to 700 MB of data and is a good option for projects on the smaller side. The resolution that we scan your photos, slides, or negatives at will determine their file sizes. A typical JPEG file can range from 500KB to 5MB, so a CD can hold anywhere from 140 – 1,400 images. Keep in mind that data CDs cannot be played on a CD player, they can only be used on a computer or laptop to access the files on it.
Audio CD: If you send us your audio cassettes, microcassettes, or audio reels for digitization, we can create audio CDs that can be played in your car, stereo, walkman, etc. Audio CDs can hold up to 80 minutes of audio.
DVD (4.7 GB or 2 hours of video)
DATA DVD: A data DVD can hold 4.7 GB of data, over 6 times more than a CD. DVDs are a good way to store digital files for larger projects ranging from about 840 to 8,400 images. Data DVDs cannot be played in a DVD player, they can only be used on a computer or laptop to access the files on it.
Video DVD: If you have videotapes or movie films, we can create custom DVDs for you, in addition to providing digital files. DVDs can be very convenient for watching home movies on your television (if you still have a DVD player). Video DVDs hold up to 2 hours of video and can be replicated fairly easily to share and send individual copies to friends and family.
Dual-Layer DVD: With 2 individual recordable layers, dual-layer DVDs can hold twice the amount of data of regular DVDs, which equates to 8.5 GB or 4 hours of video.
*Note: If you plan to e-mail or upload video files to share with friends and family, a DVD may not be the best option. This is because DVD videos are specifically formatted to play in a DVD player and the files cannot be easily saved to a computer, tablet, or phone. In this case, you should consider having the digital video files saved to a flash drive or hard drive so you have more capabilities.
Flash-drive (8 GB – 256 GB)
Flash drives are an extremely popular and convenient way to store digital files of all types. A flash drive is very small and durable, won’t get scratched like a DVD, and is easily transported. They can store hours of video and audio files, while also storing tons of digital images from scanned photos, slides, and negatives. Flash drives offer a very simple way to back up your media and to transfer files to computers or laptops.
Many new Smart TVs have USB ports on them so you can view your photos and videos by simply plugging the flash drive into your TV.
External Hard-drive
For bulk orders that equate to over 256 GB of data, we will put your files onto a USB External hard drive of the appropriate size. We format all flash drives and external hard drives for compatibility with both PCs and Apple computers.
Online Transfer
Online Transfer is the easiest way to receive your digital files if you are interested in downloading them right away and sharing them instantly with friends and family. Once your order is complete will email you a link to download your files directly to your computer or laptop. Due to the large size of video files, we do not currently offer online transfer as an option for videotape conversions.
Conclusion
There are many convenient and inexpensive digital storage options available to store your files on. In order to ensure the safety of your digital memories, we recommend saving your files to at least 2 separate storage devices so that they are backed up and protected in case something happens to one of them. While digital files are impervious to age, the storage devices that house them are not.
Cora Foley has worked at Smooth Photo Scanning for almost 4 years now. Her passion for memory creation and preservation drew her to this family-owned company. After using Smooth Photo Scanning Services for her own memories, she wanted to help the company spread their reach so more people can enjoy, share and preserve their own experiences through digitized photos, negatives, video tapes and more. She loves working at this company due to their passion of preserving important moments!