I am not sure the exact length of the tape.  How can I order?
Answer:  If you do not know the length of the tape, it is not a problem. It is important that you familiarize yourself with our pricing structure.  Place the order based on your best estimate.  In the "Special Instructions" box of the Order Form, tell us to "make DVD of the correct length for the tape".  We will determine the length of the tape before we make the DVD and will make the DVD of the appropriate length. After we make the DVD we will run the Order Form again and charge the correct rate, depending on the actual length.  In this type of situation it is best to use a Credit Card for payment in order that we do not have to hold your order.
   

Do you convert old Home Movies to DVD?
Answer:  We do not offer a film transfer service at this time.  We only offer video tape transfer services, at this time.  However, we monitor the requests we receive and periodically add services that are most requested.
   

How much will you charge for .  .  . (transfer) .  .  . including shipping?
Answer:  Please use the Order Form (click HERE) to calculate any pricing scenario.  Feel free to use the order form as a calculator, and to try any price combinations. You can not "mess up" anything, you will not be charged anything. If you don't want to send the order through just don't click on the last "Submit Order" button.  
   

How long will the transfer to DVD take?
Answer:  Most orders are completed in about 1 week or less (at our studios).  This is an average time, based on an average work-load.  "About" gives us some latitude. If the order is very simple, it may take less time to complete. If during a certain week we receive a number of orders that is way above average, it will take longer to complete your order.
- Large orders (such as 20 3-hour transfers to DVD) will take longer.
- Complex orders (multiple video sources, extra menu items, multiple "enhanced graphics" transfers, etc.) will take longer. 
- Peak ordering times (October-January), weeks preceding Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day and other holidays will lengthen our processing.

NOTE: If your order is urgent and/or if this uncertainty is not acceptable, you may use one of our RUSH Services and get your project completed in 4 work days, 72 or 48 hours (time in our studios).

- Please remember to add to that the shipping time, which varies depending on the shipping method you select. 
- Use our own CVC Productions Order Tracking System to see the status of your order at all times. 
- You will know the following:
- The date we received your electronic order
- That we received your recordings safely
- When the recordings entered admin processing
- When they are queued for studio time
- When they are being processed in the studio
- When the CD's are ready, and we are preparing to ship the order
- When the CD's have been shipped back to you
- If shipped by UPS, the UPS tracking number, so you can track the order back to your front door
- If shipped by US Mail, the USPS tracking number, so you can track the order back to your front door
- The CVC Productions Order Tracking System is available 24 hours a day, and is continuously updated.
   

What If I send you a tape and it turns out it is a blank tape?
Answer:  We will not make a DVD of a blank tape.  However, if we set up to record your tape and it turns out the tape is blank or unsuited for producing a DVD, we will charge a "Setup Fee" of $14.25 plus return shipping.   We will return your tape unprocessed.
      

Do you sell PAL to NTSC converting equipment or software?
Answer:  No, we do not sell any kind of equipment or software.  We do not sell movies.
   

We have a few reel-to-reel video tapes.  Can you convert them to DVD?
Answer:  We do not offer a reel-to-reel video transfer service at this time.  We do not plan on offering the service, due to the many short-lived, incompatible formats for reel-to-reel video.
   

Do you handle VHS-C (or SVHS-C) tapes?
Answer:  Yes, we do.  Same price as the regular-sized tape.
   

What happens if there are drop-outs on the tape?
Answer:  After we set up the initial recording, we do not monitor for tape drop-outs.  If the master tape has drop-outs, the drop-outs will be transferred to DVD. 
   

What happens if the "tracking" goes out of adjustment?
Answer:  We set the tracking adjustment in such a way that MOST of the tape will track correctly.  It is possible that parts of the transfer will show tracking problems, if the recording deck mistracked on recording.  There is nothing we can do to fix this condition.
   

I didn't know that my tape was of such poor quality.  Why did you transfer it?
Answer:  Determining the suitability of a tape to be transferred to DVD is the responsibility of the client.  It is a subjective judgment we are not equipped (or paid) to make.  If we receive a tape for conversion, we will convert it.  The only way we will not convert it is for technical reasons (such as wrong format, tape does not play, etc.).
   

There is a white pinstripe line (or a thin flickering line) along one of the edges of the screen.  I don't remember seeing that on my Video Tape (or LaserDisc).
Answer:  Nothing ("pin stripe" or anything else) is added to the original signal by our equipment or processing. The presence of such lines is due to the fact that in the past NTSC television sets traditionally used to "underscan" (show on the TV screen a smaller portion of the recorded signal, not the entire screen). Thus many imperfections on the edges of the screen were masked. In fact some "scan lines" at the edge of the screen in the old Analog television system had special engineering purposes that indeed caused artifacts.  These lines were never meant to be seen on television sets because of "underscanning". Today's television sets show every line and pixel of the NTSC recorded signal, all the way to the edges, which in many cases are imperfect (may contain "pin stripes", flickering lines or other artifacts).   
   

I am not sure what's on the tape.  Can you tell me?
Answer:  Unfortunately, we do not offer a tape logging service.  In fact, such a service would far exceed the cost of the transfer.  It is more cost effective for the customer to pay for a conversion and do the logging at home. 
   

I do not live in the United States.  Can I still order?
Answer:  Yes, we accept and welcome orders for International destinations.  Here's how to figure shipping charges for your country:
Go to the US Postal Service International Postal Calculator.
Select <<A Package (No correspondence enclosed)>>
Select your country in "Select a Destination".
Select <<Package>> in "Select a Shape"
Enter the estimated weight return weight in "Enter Weight"
Click <<Continue>>
You will see a complete list of services and shipping charges.
- Select "Express Mail International" or "Priority Mail International". Add $7.00 (to cover our packing and international paperwork costs). After you print our order form, replace the amount on the form with the amount you just calculated and re-figure the total.
If you DO NOT want to use the Mail service, tell us what currier you prefer, and we will use that courier. You can go to their Web site and estimate the shipping costs. We will add a handling charge proportional with the number of items, paperwork involved and total amount the courier charges.
Here is additional information about ordering:
- About the THE SHOPPING CART page (the one with the item amounts and total):
The Zip Code box only works for US Zip Codes. Leave the Zip Code field blank. The Order Form will not calculate return shipping. (See below how you can estimate return shipping).
- About THE CHECKOUT COUNTER page (the one where you type your address and payment information):
This page will require that you enter a "zip code" in the zip code box (even if your address does not have a zip code). If your address does not have a zip code, enter "12345" in the "zip code" box, and write your correct return address in the Special Instructions box, or on an enclosed piece of paper.
- For payment, it's best to use a Credit Card.  An International Money Order in US funds drawn on (or affiliated with) a US bank is also acceptable.  PayPal is also acceptable.
- Please note that client is responsible for additional credit card, check or PayPal fees imposed by the banks for International Orders. At this time, credit card and PayPal fees are 7%, which will be added to the total.  At this time there is no fee for International Money Orders in US funds drawn on (or affiliated with) a US bank.  The fees for Money Orders drawn on a foreign bank are quite steep ($40).
   

Your DVD does not play on my DVD player.  Can I get a refund?
Answer:  Sorry, but we can not issue refunds if your DVD player can not read our DVD's.  We are aware that old model DVD players do not read DVD-R's.  We published this information on our Web site and made available test DVD's for the purpose of determining if your DVD player will play correctly our DVD's.  All modern DVD players will play our DVD's.  With the price of DVD players going down to below $50, this is not really a major issue.  
   

Can I order a DVD conversion and then use the DVD at home to edit the video?
Answer:  Yes.  You may try editing directly from the Video DVD.  The Video DVD's we produce are written in the MPEG2 format, the standard DVD format.  We do not encrypt our DVD's.  Does your video editing package import video directly from DVD's?  If in doubt, order our Test Video DVD and run a test first.   Alternatively, you may order a Data DVD Copy.  The Data DVD Copy is specially produced in a very high quality and  highly compatible format: MPEG-4.  ATTENTION: we do not provide any technical support, warranties or assistance for editing the Video or Data DVD's we produce. Please read complete info about the Data DVD Copies. 
   

Can I order a DVD conversion and then use the DVD to make more copies?
Answer:  If the DVD's have a copyright owner other than yourself, the copying or distribution by any means is strictly prohibited.  If you are the copyright owner, or the DVD has no copyright you may be able to make additional copies.  This is a complicated technical issue, it depends on your hardware, software and media.  It is best to order a few additional copies from us, at the time you place the order.  ATTENTION: we do not provide any technical support, warranties or assistance for further duplicating our DVD's. 
   

How do you change LaserDisc sides?
Answer:  In order to keep the cost down, we use automated side changing. The screen goes black for a few seconds while the sides are changed. If this short pause is objectionable, it can be eliminated.  In order to do that, we must treat each side of the LaserDisc as a separate "source" (at $10 for each additional source). To accomplish that, on the order form, select an "Additional Source" for $10. Also, in the Special Instructions box of the order form tell us to eliminate the pause between sides.
   

Do you convert to DVD interactive LaserDiscs?  How about still frame LaserDiscs?
Answer:  We do not convert Still Frame LaserDiscs and Interactive LaserDiscs.  These specialized LaserDiscs require a frame-accurate conversion and a frame-accurate DVD player.  At any rate, there are no consumer frame-accurate DVD players on the market.  Please do not send for conversion Still Frame LaserDiscs or Interactive LaserDiscs.
   

Do you convert Karaoke LaserDiscs?
Answer:  We do not specialize in Karaoke conversions.  However, we may still be able to convert some Karaoke LaserDiscs.  We will have to produce a separate DVD for each sound track selected (one DVD for full soundtrack, one DVD for no vocals).
   

What about the alternate soundtracks on my LaserDisc?
Answer:  At this price level, we are not able to produce a DVD with multiple audio tracks.  What we do (and is more cost efficient than re-engineering a DVD with multiple sound tracks) is to make separate DVD's for each version of the LD: One DVD with the main soundtrack, another DVD with the alternate soundtrack.  Some LaserDiscs have two separate soundtracks on the two Stereo channels: one soundtrack on the Left channel, one soundtrack on the Right channel.  We are able to convert to DVD exactly in the same configuration.  It will be then up to you to separate the channels on your own playback equipment.