We're definitely not in the hard drive business, so we welcome you to either send us your own hard drive or order one from a company like Amazon and have it shipped directly to us.  We can use practically any type of drive (USB, Firewire, SATA -- with enclosure or without).

Or if you don't want to go through the trouble, we offer Iomega hard drives for $69.95 (500GB), $99.95 (1TB) and $179.95 (2TB).  Iomega drives are great for consumer and prosumer projects, plus they come with a 3-year manufacturer warranty.

When considering a hard drive, keep the following in mind:

1.  Each hour of regular video will require 13GB of space / per hour (AVI or MOV files)
2.  Each hour of ProRes video will require anywhere from 30GB to 80GB of space / per hour
3.  MPEG-4 files do not require a hard drive as they are 2GB of space / per hour and can easily fit onto data DVDs.

From one blog to another!  Check out one of our customer's blog about our digitizing service...

 http://wedoitthehardway.blogspot.com/2010/03/digitizing.html

If you've worked in the professional video field, then you are probably familiar with G-Technology hard drives.  We use them exclusively in our studios.  They are fast, reliable and look pretty nice too (especially if you have a Mac Pro)!

Recently, one of our customers wanted all of his Super 8 film transferred to hard drive in 1920x1080 resolution using the ProRes format (a good 60 to 80GB of space needed per hour).  Per his request, we purchased the 4TB G-Raid hard drive system from G-Technology (now owned by Hitachi).  Talk about impressive!  This drive system rocks and we've upgraded all of our 2TB drives to the new 4TB G-Raid system.  At a price of $510 each -- how could we resist?

If you need the best -- go with G-Technology!

It looks like the time has come for Blu-Ray to be affordable for everyone.  You can get this Sharp AQUOS Blu-Ray Disc Player for just $79.00 (after rebate).  I found this deal at www.MacMall.com.

It comes with all of the basics, including HDMI ports and support for 1080p video.  You will also be able to play all of your DVDs and CDs on this player.  It supports all the formats!

Who would of thought that you could record your family memories in full high definition for under $200?  Well thanks to technology and tape-less camcorders, recording in HD is now affordable.

There are a handful of camcorders that can record in HD and are under $200, but two rate the best in my book.

My  favorite camera is the Kodak Zi8.  It includes features like:

1.  Video capture up to 1080p HD resolution

2.  A loadable SD card slot

3.  A removable, rechargeable battery

4.  Strong low-light performance

5.  External microphone jack

6.  Electronic image stabilization

7.  Macro focus mode

Price range $179 to $199

The Flip Video Ultra HD receives a good 2nd place.  It includes features like:

1.  Video capture 720p HD resolution

2.  Easy to use

3.  Uses rechargeable AA batteries

4.  Software is easily compatible with Mac and Windows

Price range $159 to $199

Which camera is best for you?  It is hard to say.  I would recommend going to Best Buy and testing each one out.   Also, Amazon.com is a great place to go for additional reviews and they will probably give you the best price. 

Once you've got your HD Camera remember HD Media Services!  We can transfer your camera video onto Blu-Ray discs so your memories will last a lifetime in full high definition.

Imagine viewing your precious memories with four times the clarity of a typical DVD.  Well the format is here, it is now affordable and called Blu-Ray!

The discs look similar, but there are some major differences:  DVDs can store about 4.4 gigabytes of data while Blu-Ray discs can store 25 gigabytes of data... allowing more room for higher resolution video.  DVDs have a resolution of 720x480, which is considered to be "standard definition."  On the other hand, Blu-Ray discs have a resolution of 1920x1080, or called "high definition."  Finally, Blu-Ray discs are more durable with a scratch-resistant coating.

When Blu-Ray disc players were first introduced, the cost was easily over $1,000.  Now we are seeing players for as low as $99 (and some refurbished players have been as low as $79).  Plus, these players allow you use other services, such as streaming videos from Netflix or YouTube, with a simple connection to the internet.  

Will your old camcorder or VHS tapes look better on Blu-Ray?  Most definitely!  At HD Media Services, we use special software that will extract more detail out of your old videos.  The process takes several hours and some heavy computer processing power, but the results are amazing.  Contact us if you are interested in viewing your memories in a whole new light!