Can I Convert 8mm Film to Digital Format on My Computer?

Yes! 8mm Film can be readily converted to many digital formats for viewing on computers, laptops, smartphones – all devices that support the mp4 format. Most modern devices that play video support mp4, and DVD or mov options are also available as needed when 8mm film is converted to digital.

“Can I” is only the first of several questions that must be answered, including: who, what, where, when, how, and why? These questions are answered below, each with a link to its own article that goes into more depth.

Why Digitize 8mm Film to Digital?

The most important benefit of converting 8mm film is that it can be watched again without a projector or a screen. But that is not the only benefit, because sharing the video with friends and family, archiving the video before further film decay sets in, and convenient backup are added benefits when 8mm film is converted to digital.

Click Benefits to read more details about the benefits of digitizing.

Who Digitizes 8mm Film to Digital?

Digitizing film is one of those things that you can do it yourself. Most people use a third-party service. See DIY for details on converting film yourself.

There are several companies that digitize 8mm film, each with their own personality. Reborn Audio Video boasts several:

1. Our focus is on the Denver metro area, not the national mail-in market, providing individual one-on-one customer service, eliminating the risk of mailing memories out of town and out of state.
2. Very Competitive pricing. After Covid, Reborn Audio Video is run out of a home office, cutting much of the overhead, passing savings on to you.
3. All customers are helped personally by appointment so that every customer meets in person with the actual person who will be working on your project, not an employee.
4. Customers receive direct contact with someone who has hundreds of thousands of feet of 8mm film conversion experience.
5. Reborn Audio Video always uses state-of-the-art frame-by-frame 8mm film conversion equipment.

Reborn Audio Video is local, owner-operated, and conveniently located in the Denver Metro area.

Find out more about Reborn Audio Video here.

How Do I Digitize 8mm Film?

You have the option of converting 8mm Film yourself, which requires the proper scanning equipment, a computer with the power to capture the film as well as to edit the film after capture.

If you choose to do it yourself, read here for tips on the equipment to do the job correctly.

Once you acquire the equipment, capture the film, process the film, and edit the film, encoding the film is the next step.

Click here for details for how to do a great 8mm Film Conversion, including encoding.  

What Format Do I Convert 8mm Film to?

Choosing the final format for your converted 8mm film depends on

1. How you will watch it – on which device(s) from smartphone to flatscreen TV and everything in between.
2. How you plan to share it – by making individual copies of USB drives, DVDS, or by sharing through cloud services on the internet.
3. Which edits that you plan to make to the video, including lighting, color, cropping, and potentially audio level and quality.
4. The level of resolution you want, from very small for social media and phone viewing to very high resolution for maximized archival properties.
5. The size of the file that limits other options, from a few dozen megabytes per hour to a few hundred gigabytes per hour.

There are several format choices when converting 8mm Film.

Where Do I Take My 8mm Film to Be Converted?

If you choose Reborn Audio Video for your conversion project, see contact information below, make an appointment, and drop off your film for a few days.

Click here to for details and how to take all of your digital conversion media to Reborn Audio Video.

As you choose your conversion provider, there are several considerations:

1. Whether or not you are comfortable with the idea of packing and shipping your film
2. The convenience to your home for those remaining places with actual addresses
3. The conversion experience of the person who takes your film conversion order.
4. The experience of the person who will be doing the actual conversion work for your film, slides, videos, records, and cassettes.
5. Competitive turn-around time. Reborn Audio Video offers turn around in terms of days while competitors are quoting turn-around time in terms of weeks.

When Do I Convert 8mm Film to Digital?

There are four choices and consequences when considering whether to digitize 8mm film or not:

1. Do nothing and continue storing your film until they deteriorate and are no longer convertible and then throw them away.
2. Throw them away now because they will never be converted and watched.
3. Pay next year’s prices due to inevitable inflation creep.
4. Convert it today and start watching and sharing them again with the peace of mind of digital backup as well.

Can I Convert 8mm Film to Digital to Play on Computer? Get Started

1. Call or text Jamey: 720 204-5464
2. Set an appointment (every project receives my individual attention)
3. Drop off your tapes (and records, cassettes, slides, or negatives, too)

In a week or less, pick up your new digitized video.