MovieStuff FAQ

Yes and no. They are created from pre-existing projectors made in the mid-70s. But we do NOT use the projectors "as is". We strip the raw chassis down to the metal and then machine and make extensive changes to them. Then they are rebuilt using some original parts but also many specialized parts we make in our shop. When we finish, they may look something like the original projector on the outside, but inside they are totally different, designed for the specific task of telecine transfers, and perform better than they ever did new 30+ years ago. Think of us as the "Monster Garage" of telecine units. :)

Why don't you build a new unit from scratch?

We could certainly do that but it would serve no purpose other than to drive up the final cost to you.

If the unit needs repair, do I have to send it back to you?

You can, if you wish. We take great pride in our customer service and offer lightning fast turn around on repairs. However, after polling many people that previously used "all in one" telecine machines like the old Elmo and Goko units, we recognized that there was great frustration when service was required because the units were so complicated that only a specialist could work on them and parts were hard to find. This made repairs expensive and time consuming. We chose our projectors because they have very, very few moving parts and are easy to service. All the parts are surface mounted and easy to reach with a screwdriver. In fact, we encourage customers to learn how to service their own units and have designed the units so that parts are easy to find locally, such as Radio Shack and local hardware stores, etc. Replacement parts are always available from us, as well. They are designed for the average person with average skills and average tools to self service and keep running for a long, long time. But, if you prefer, we'll fix it for you!

Can I order belts, parts, LEDs, motors, etc from you separately?

Yes! Any MovieStuff equipment customer can order replacement parts as needed. However, we do not sell the components to non-MovieStuff customers.

Do I need to clean the film before transfer?

Yes. It is common for old film to be quite dirty and have wads of scotch tape where someone tried to fix a splice 30+ years ago. To protect your telecine unit and to protect the film, you should always clean and prep all footage before transferring. Failure to do so can affect performance of the unit, registration of the transfer, the life of your unit and risk damage to the film being handled.

A general cleaning guide can be found HERE.

We recommend Edwal's AntiStat film cleaner, which can be ordered from Amazon.com HERE.

Also check the "Useful Links" section of this website for other resources.

Are your 8mm units dual 8?

Yes. All our 8mm units will play super 8 and regular 8. We have no machines that handle both 16mm and 8mm film.

Do your units have sprockets?

The 16mm units have sprockets due to the larger reels and higher torque. All our 8mm units are sprocketless, which is easier on older film such as vintage 8mm home movies and the such. We can align the claw so that a unit is dedicated to regular 8 or to super 8, if desired. But, in general, a dual 8 unit offers economy and good registration. Click HERE for a sample movie that was scanned frame by frame from Plus-X black and white by a customer using a WorkPrinter and his own home video camera.

Do these units transfer sound?

The 8mm units are silent only but, using your own sound projector, it is easy to record your audio separately as a wav file and use your NLE system to manually synch what little footage you may come across. It is estimated that Super 8 sound film represents less than 5% of the remaining market for home movie transfers. Most 16mm sound film has a copyright that prevents legally copying commercial footage but we do offer the Sniper-16 and CineMate-16 units with optical sound (not magnetic, sorry).

Do your units have "true speed" for correct playback rate?

Absolutely. This is old technology for us. Since 2001, all MovieStuff frame-by-frame telecine units have offered 100% correct playback rates for both 18 and 24fps footage. In fact, our true frame-by-frame scanning ensures that you can have ANY playback rate you need, including 6, 9, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 24, 25 and 30fps for both PAL and NTSC. Furthermore, you can have those rates as interlaced (to accommodate outdated interlaced CRT type display) or you can have those rates as pure progressive (for modern, flat panel SD and HD displays). This means that, whether working in SD or HD, true frame-by-frame scanning means you can have the correct on-screen motion without having to settle for blended frames or fields typical of old-school standard definition interlaced telecine. How important is this? See HERE for more information.

Can I use these units as regular projectors to view footage on a screen?

No. These units have been extensively modified for a single purpose and will no longer project.

Do I need a video camera?

Only for both the CineMate and WorkPrinter units. You will need a digital video camera (digital-8 or miniDV or HD). A 14x zoom or above is recommended for ease of alignment. A minimum 12x optical zoom can be used but will be a tight fit and a Hoya +1 closeup filter may be needed. If using the CineMate-NTSC units, you will also need to lock your shutter speed at 1/60th of a second. If using the CineMate-PAL units, you will need 1/50th of a second. Most Sony pro-sumer and consumer cameras leave out 1/60th or 1/50th shutter speeds, so check your camera menu to be sure. Also, if your camera does not say what its zoom factor is, look at the front lens where you will see numbers that read something like 3.5:35mm or 6.5:65mm, etc. Divide the lower number into the higher number and that is your zoom factor. For example 3.5 divides into 35 ten times so 3.5:35mm is a 10x optical zoom, which is too short.

Why do I need a minimum 14x zoom?

Because the camera sits about a meter (three feet) or so from the condenser lens and you must zoom in on the postcard sized image it presents.

Can't I just use my 10x zoom and move the camera closer?

Not really. The condenser lens requires a certain distance for proper alignment with the "sweet spot". This is by design as to take advantage of the flatter field inherent in longer focal length lenses.

What if I add a tele-convertor to my 10x zoom?

That will allow you to zoom into the image more but you will no longer be able to focus properly. You can use the digital zoom if the picture quality looks okay to you though, but it is not recommended.

Will the WorkPrinter units work with my HD camera?

Yes if you use the Velocity Box and the Velocity HD software. The WorkPrinter-HD has the Velocity circuit built in so the Velocity Box is not required. You can capture with the Velocity or Velocity HD software with the Velocity Box. Or you can use the WorkPrinter-HD in the slow scan mode and use CineCap to capture totally uncompressed using the Intensity Pro HD card from Blackmagic.

Is it worth scanning my home movies to HD?

I guess that depends on who you ask! There is a common myth that there isn't enough detail in a Super 8 frame to warrant transfer to HD. This myth exists because

A) there are telecine companies that don't have HD technology

and because

B) on a per frame basis, the resolution of standard def video and Super 8 film is considered similar.

However, in truth, Super 8 has the edge because typical standard def video capture, editing and display formats can never reproduce the full resolution of a standard def broadcast camera, even if that camera offered the same or more resolution as an 8mm frame. So it's hard to compare the resolution of video to film since video goes through so many processes that degrade the image while the 8mm film that you view projected in your living room is the very same film that was in your camera, hence with no generational resolution loss.

Also, from a telecine standpoint, the way film and video capture detail is totally different. Video has a fixed pixel pattern. This means the pixels that make up the standard definition image are always in the same place from one video frame to the next. But film has a random grain pattern. This means that the grain or "pixels" of film are in a totally different place from one film frame to the next. These random grains each carry a bit of the detail that make up the complete picture and, at running speed, the random grains overlap each other on the retina of your eye to significantly increase the amount of apparent detail that you can't get from a single frame of film. This is called "accumulative resolution".

What is the final effect? Well, you probably have seen vacation road signs in a projected 8mm home movie that were unreadable on a single still frame but, at projected running speed of 16-18fps, the signage was perfectly readable. This is because film benefits from accumulative resolution that video simply does not. Because of its fixed pixel pattern, SD video has the very same, limited resolution at running speed as it does on a still frame. So if you can't read the sign on an original, uncompressed still frame of SD video, you won't read it any better when that video is playing at speed.

In the final analysis, if you transfer your 8mm home movies to standard def video, even with the very best standard def camera, your detail will be totally limited by the coarse, fixed pixel pattern inherent in SD video, not to mention the even more limited, compressed SD display formats. Of course, HD video has a fixed pixel pattern, too, but the number of pixels are so great and the pattern is so insignificant, that HD is like a fine silk stocking compared to the burlap weave of SD. Thus the accumulative resolution effect found in film can be more readily seen in an HD transfer than in an SD transfer.

Also, since the aspect ratio of film and video are not the same, the only way to get the entire film frame visible in SD is to pull back and leave black bars at the top and bottom. This reduces the size of the image significantly, along with your resolution and detail. But if you transfer to HD, then you can see 100% of the frame area with zero information loss and at much higher resolution. Click here to see this illustrated.

And, finally, ALL standard def cameras -even the most expensive- depend on a fairly massive sharpening or enhancement circuit. If you have a technician turn that circuit off inside the camera, the image is totally soft, out of focus and 100% useless. Thus, any apparent sharpness you see in an SD camera image is artificial, which can sometimes make the film grain over-enhanced and can give the film a more "electronic" look on SD. Hi-def cameras depend less on artificial sharpening because they have more pure resolution to start with. While nothing beats looking at the original film, transfers to HD look more like projecting your film in the living room, compared to an SD transfer, and downconverts from HD are nothing short of stunning. Click here for some sample images.

Can't I just scan my footage in SD and then scale it up to HD?

Of course, but it won't look the same. It will just look like a much bigger standard definition image, complete with visible raster lines and jagged edges common to most SD transfers.

Is it possible to get 3CCD results from a 1CCD camera?

No. You can get some pretty good results but you can no more get 3CCD results from a 1CCD camera than you can get HD results from an SD camera. If there was no difference, then there would be no market for 3CCD or HD cameras and "The Tonight Show" and "David Letterman" would be shot by tiny $100, 480 line security cameras mounted on huge studio tripods. More to the point, why would any telecine shop suggesting the possibilty offer both 3CCD and 1CCD options?

Is it best to transfer off the base side or emulsion side of the film?

Emulsion side imaging has been the industry standard since Linwood Dunn invented the first optical printer in 1929. Imaging through the base increases the potential visibility of scratches and abrasions while excessive frosting from cinched film can distort the picture and destroy detail.

But don't 35mm prints in movie theaters project through the base?

Well, sure. And if you were paying $15 just to be entertained for 90 minutes, then projecting through the base would be good enough. But if you were paying to have all 129,600 frames of your 90 minute home movie archived for posterity, wouldn't you or your clients want their money's worth and demand emulsion side scanning? Since the beginning 9 years ago, MovieStuff telecine units have always transfered off the emulsion side of the film for maximum picture quality. It's simply the right way to do it.

Is there a screen in the WorkPrinter and CineMate units?

No, the condenser lens provides a magnified view of the surface of the film for maximum image quality. As a result, there is no screen-grain nor hotspot associated with the various cheap "transfer boxes" found on ebay.

Can I just buy the condenser lens and use that with my existing projector?

No. We do not sell the condenser lens separately nor would it work with your current projector without extensive modification.

Will I see the entire image?

Yes! The gates on all units except the standard WorkPrinter-16 have enlarged gates (it can be enlarged, as well). Other projection units often crop as much as 20% of the film frame. By the time the camera crops and the television viewing set crops, one can lose 25-30% of the image. Not so with our units.

Do I have to transfer in the dark?

Not at all. The mi-Skan, QuickSilver, E-Z Scan and Sniper units are self contained and there is no way light can affect the picture. The WorkPrinter and CineMate units do use an external condenser lens but ambient light isn't an issue since you are copying an actual, physical frame of film and not off a screen. However, the condenser lens can pick up reflections in the surface of the glass from the area behind the video camera so that area should be kept free of light objects, monitors, windows, etc that might show up in the transfer of darker footage.

Why do I need 1/60th of a second shutter speed with the CineMate units?

The CineMates have special shutter blade configurations that will remove flicker but ONLY if your camera is set to 1/60th. Likewise, people using the CineMate-PAL will need 1/50th of a second.

Do I need 1/60th or 1/50th for the WorkPrinter?

No. The WorkPrinters transfer frame by frame. As such, they have no shutters at all. However, it is best to lock your shutter speed to 1/60th or higher to prevent drift. HD cameras should use 1/250th or higher due to the rolling shutters inherent in modern CMOS sensors. This is the case even if using the HD camera in the SD mode.

Do I need a computer?

The CineMate, mi-Skan, EZ Scan and QuickSilver realtime units do not require a computer. The WorkPrinter, QuickSilver FX and Sniper units do require a computer with the appropriate software which allows frame by frame video capture.

What are the system requirements?

Best to email for complete specifics but, in general, for the WorkPrinter-XP units using CineCap, you will need Windows XP Home or Pro (all 32 bit), a minimum of 512 megs of RAM, a high end processor and an internal Raid-0 drive configuration, which isn't expensive but it is unique. Without it, your computer will likely fall behind during captures. You will also need a firewire input. If using a Mac, your set up should be comparable in specifications and speed to the PC requirements listed here. If using the new ScanStream Sniper series or the Velocity Box both in standard def, you will need a computer with the same specs but no Raid-0 drive array. The ScanStream Sniper units and Velocity Box will not work reliably on Macs in the Windows mode. The Snipers and Velocity Box in the SD mode can work on any version of XP, Vista and Windows 7 platforms. All should be 32 bit systems only. For HD applications, you email us for PC specifications.

What is a "Raid-0 Drive Configuration"?

Most computers have only two drives; the system drive which is where the programs are stored, and the media drive, which is where the video is recorded. A computer with a Raid-0 has three drives. One is the system drive and the other two are synchronized by a Raid control card to form the Raid-0 array. The Raid card spreads the video evenly across both drives, which increases the data rate coming and going to the drives. For instance, two 100 gig drives will be seen by your computer as one super fast 200 gig drive.

NOTE: For the WorkPrinter series, it is recommended to use basic ATA or Ultra-ATA drives when creating your RAID-0 array. Use the classic two-drive set up (not four drives). Do NOT use the new Serial ATA drives for your WorkPrinter raid. They are more expensive and seem to have problems with this application. ATA or Ultra-ATA 7200 RPM drives work fine, as long as your system drive is not on your Raid. For WorkPrinters using CineCap, you can also use a solid state internal drive for capture as long as your OS is not on that drive. For the ScanStream Sniper units, or for WorkPrinters capturing via the Velocity box and Velocity software, you can capture to any type of internal drive, including SATA, as long as the system will sustain a streaming capture without dropping frames. A separate system drive is highly recommended.

Streaming video at 30fps (or 25fps PAL) is easy for any modern computer to perform. But streaming video has only two mouse commands associated with it; 'start capture' and 'end capture'. However, the WorkPrinter units are not dealing with streaming capture. Instead, every frame being captured is represented by a mouse command that is placed in que and must be executed immediately without delay. You aren't clicking the mouse for each frame captured, of course, that would be insane. The WorkPrinter does that for you. But the computer must still deal with thousands of mouse commands over the period of only a few minutes and that increases the overhead tremendously. Though some people report success with only a single drive, the only way to guarantee that type of performance consistently is with a Raid-0 drive configuration. Without the Raid, your system may capture while the film is in motion and that creates blurred frames. Raids are cheap to install and increase volume and performance. It's a good move to install one, even for regular editing purposes.

Will the WorkPrinters work with both PCs and Macs?

Yes, with the appropriate software capable of rapid stop motion capture. If using CineCap, then you need a PC (except for Intel Macs running Windows). If using CaptureMate, then you need a Mac.

Will the ScanStream Snipers work with both PCs and Macs?

The ScanStream Snipers were designed for 32 bit PCs due to special proprietary PC software. However, recently several clients have reported some moderate success in using Velocity and Velocity-HD on Intel Macs with Windows installed but we do not support it due to reported issues. If attempting to experiment using Velocity or Velocity-HD on a Mac, please do not call with technical issues as we are not a Mac shop and will not be able to assist you in any way. Velocity and Velocity-HD were designed for PCs only.

What software will perform rapid stop motion capture?

We recommend the following:

CineCap (for PC). CaptureMate (for Mac).
Also, the Velocity and Velocity HD software will work with the WorkPrinter-HD units "as is" or a regular WorkPrinter-XP in conjunction with the Velocity Box.

Is the software included with the purchase of a MovieStuff telecine unit?

No. We do not make nor sell the software. CineCap and Velocity (for PC) and CaptureMate (for Mac) must be purchased separately and are available only to MovieStuff customers that have purchased and received their telecine units. Just contact us for the private purchase links after you receive your MovieStuff unit.

Do I need a Raid with the CineMate, mi-Skan or Quicksilver real time units?

No. In fact, no computer is required at all.

Then why would I want the WorkPrinter or Sniper series over the CineMate, mi-Skans or QuickSilver real time units?

The CineMate, mi-Skan, EZ Scan and QuickSilver RT units are very, very good. In fact, if you saw one of their transfers you might wonder if anything out there was better. However, the WorkPrinter, QuickSilver FX and Sniper units are better because they transfer true frame by frame. (click HERE for more info) If you look at video frames from a WorkPrinter, QuickSilver FX or Sniper transfer, you will see only individual film frames on each video frame. If you look at video frames from any real time transfer, you might see pieces of two film frames on any given video frame. They look pretty good when playing back at normal speed, but the lack of frame discretion means the real time transfers won't be as crisp as the frame by frame transfers. Just as important, such transfers will be interlaced with no option for progressive display.

But if you scan frame by frame, don't you have to "slave over a hot computer"?

It's a funny concept but the simple truth is that the scanning is automated and I don't know anyone that watches a computer do anything. Just capture all day long, set the Velocity or CineCap software to batch process all the necessary speed changes, and let the computer do its work unattended while you enjoy friends and family. The next morning you will have all the interlaced or progressive footage you can handle to edit color, color correct, make DVDs from, etc. Automated scanning to a computer does not create a bottleneck in work flow as much as monopolizing labor while manning a real time unit looking for speed changes. Computers are cheap. People are expensive.

But isn't real time transfer more efficient than scanning frame by frame?

We make both real time and frame by frame units but there is a difference between "speed" and "efficiency". The best explanation can be found HERE. In short, if you are going to scan directly to the end product, such as a table top DVD recorder or tape deck, then real time is the way to go if you are satisfied with a strictly interlaced output. But if you are going to edit, color correct, author DVDs, etc on the computer, then scanning automatically frame by frame is less labor intensive, offers the greatest flexibility in playback speeds, and gives you the choice of interlaced or progressive output.

What is the difference between interlaced and progressive and why should I care?

Interlaced footage means that, say, 18 film frames (one second of film) is spread across 60 fields of video (one second of video). This means that some video frames will look like THIS due to frame/field combinations. Footage transferred in realtime will always be interlaced. Even competing units that claim to transfer frame by frame actually output only interlaced video. It will look okay on an interlaced monitor but, on a progressive scan display like a flat screen or computer monitor, interlacing can look pretty awful. The only way it won't is if the display deinterlaces and drops one field, which then cuts your resolution in half! TRUE frame by frame scanning found on WorkPrinter, QuickSilver-FX and Sniper units gives you the option of outputting interlaced or progressive frames that have no interlacing for full resolution on both interlaced or progressive displays. This is more and more important as CRT televisions are being replaced by el-cheapo flat screens that don't handle interlacing very well or by more expensive flat screens and DVD players that can be tripped up by the presence of interlaced patterns. Total progressive motion isn't as smooth but will be compatible with all display devices.

Do your units have a built in footage counter?

No but since your clients want to know how much it's going to cost before they give you the work, then you typically need to know how much footage you have before you do the transfer. Knowing how much you transferred after the fact can be useful, though. As such, the CineCap and Velocity software will tell you the amount of footage you transferred in both feet and meters and is accurate to the frame.

How long does it take to transfer 50 feet on a WorkPrinter compared to a real time unit?

For 8mm film, it is about 4.5 minutes on the QuickSilver-FX and Sniper units. For the WorkPrinter, it would take about 8.5 minutes. So the QuickSilver-FX and Sniper units are about the same speed as realtime while the WorkPrinters are about half speed.

How do I get proper playback speed once I've transferred my footage from the WorkPrinter, QuickSilver-FX or Sniper units?

For WorkPrinter captures using CaptureMate (Mac), you will need to apply speed changes on your Mac NLE. For NTSC 15fps would be a 50% speed change, 18fps would be a 60% speed change and 24fps would require an 80% speed change. For WorkPrinter captures using CineCap (PC) or Sniper captures using Velocity (PC), they can be set up to batch process the speed changes for hundreds of clips automatically, which is much more convenient. Both CineCap and Velocity do this using the industry standard pulldown patterns for interlaced or progressive playback on PAL or NTSC, just like you would find on a very expensive Rank telecine unit. Also, any .AVI file created by CineCap or Velocity can be imported into most any PC or Mac NLE system for editing.

If I can change the speed, then why do I need different real time capture units? Can't I just capture with, say, the CineMate-20 or miScan-20 and slow the clip down later in my NLE system?

Yes but it will look awful since there is no frame discretion and blended frames will be evident on the altered footage. If using the real time units, one should pick the unit that provides the proper playback speed for your home movies.

What is the delivery time for your units?

Due to the popularity of these telecine units, there is about a 45-60 day period from the time we receive your funds until we ship, though every effort will be made to get your unit out ASAP. Rush service with a guaranteed ship time is sometimes viable, depending on schedule. All RUSH orders must be scheduled prior to ordering and payment. RUSH orders are paid for with either Cashier's Check (domestic) or wire transfer (international).

Do you ever have used equipment?

Yes. We have received a number of trade-ins from people moving up to our new Sniper-HD units. Call to inquire about availability and pricing on used units. Also, we do not accept trade-ins on all units, so it is best to contact us if interested. For a listing of used units, click HERE.

For all other questions, please feel free to email me or call me at 830-966-4664.
We have an answering service that will take calls 24 hours a day and relay
the message to me quickly. I will call you back ASAP.

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