Video calibration equipment – is it necessary to ensure a good result? Absolutely Yes!

This is possibly your last chance to get your video tapes transferred to digital files before the playback equipment becomes obsolete, so why not do it properly. The number of machines available to play video tapes is finite – they’re soon going to be relegated to the pages of history.

Test and calibration equipment in a professional video transfer facility is a minimum requirement, and it ensures that the video signals are correctly calibrated prior to digitizing. Having the equipment is one thing, knowing how to interpret the information and make the required adjustments is another. Most professional transfer houses (such as ours) have experienced electronic engineers that have decades of experience in industrial and broadcast television. Generally speaking – this is all we do; we don’t cut keys or change garage door remote batteries while transferring video tapes in a back room. We pride ourselves on the service we can offer, and we do it well.

A video signal that has not been conditioned or correctly calibrated typically looks something like this. The edges of the signal are not sharp and crisp and are not within technical specs. A well-defined and correctly calibrated signal ensures best results.

A correctly calibrated signal looks something like this, sharp edges and a well defined electronic signal within strict technical parameters. The only way it gets to look like this is when it is processed with professional grade video calibration equipment.

Calibration and balance of chroma levels are within certain parameters and don’t exceed legal limits.

An engineering video monitor allows the engineer to perform minor adjustments to a VCR’s tape path to make up for recordings made on older equipment or equipment that was slightly out of specification when the tape was recorded. It’s also a critical piece of equipment when recalibrating and servicing VCR’s.

Why is this important – a very common saying in film and TV “we’ll fix it in post”. In some cases, this is not possible. A stable and correctly calibrated video signal ensures that the digitizing process runs smoothly, correct color, brightness, video and black levels mean that the signal is as good as it can be at the point of digitizing and any postproduction work will only make it better, not fixing problems associated with a bad capture session.

There’s a reason why a professional transfer house charges a bit more. Converting video to digital files is not a set and forget operation, it requires constant monitoring and minor adjustments during the capture process, that takes time and a considerable investment in test and calibration equipment, not to mention many years of experience.

Price is always a factor in any transaction, however, when the local corner shop is quoting as low as $30 per 3 hour tape – do the math.

$30 per tape for a 3 hour tape including GST equates to less than $10 per hour. Considering minimum wage in New Zealand is well over $24, ask yourself – “is my video tape getting the best attention” or is it in a set and forget environment and is left in a back room to sort itself out. It’s definitely not getting the attention it deserves. The operator in this case is charging a third of minimum wage to do the work, and at those rates your tapes are probably not a priority.

You have 1 chance to do it – do it right – use a professional – be it us, or any other professional transfer facility. Would you trust your priceless memories to anyone else?