Q: Do you guarantee satisfaction of your work?
A: YES. We are so confident that you will love your project, that if you are not satisfied, we will gladly re-do it with any corrections that you deem necessary upon return of the original project that was mailed to you!

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Q: I am local (Richmond / Midlothian, Virginia area). Can I bring my materials to you instead of shipping them?
A: For local customers, we will gladly pick up your materials and deliver the finished project if our schedule and time constraints allow us to. Please feel free to inquire. If you would rather bring them to us, simply let us know when you plan to come by and we can provide directions to our location.

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Q: Can I order more copies of my project later?
A: Yes. We keep a copy of each and every photo montage project we produce. Should you need additional copies of yours, just contact us. Because of privacy concerns, we do not keep copies of tape-to-DVD conversions or copies of existing footage sent to us. However, if you send the completed project back to us, we can make copies of it for you at a reduced price.

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Q: How long will it take you to complete my project?
A: Normally, we try to complete a project within 5-7 business days. However, various factors such as complexity of the project and condition of the source footage and/or photographs can affect turnaround time. Once we receive the materials and payment for your project, we will give you an estimated time that you can expect your project to be completed. If you have a project that is time sensitive, we can work with you to accomodate your schedule. Contact us with your needs prior to submitting your materials. Rush processing is available for an additional charge.

Tape to DVD conversions usually take around 3-5 business days per disc to complete. This is to insure that the picture and sound quality of the finished product meet our standards.

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Q: How do I pay? What payment methods are accepted?
A: Once you decide what you want, simply contact us and we will quote a price for you. We accept personal checks and money orders, or credit card payments through PayPal.com. If you choose to make a credit card payment online, we will send you an email invoice, giving you step-by-step instructions on how to pay. We are a verified member of PayPal. Making a payment through them is convenient, safe and best of all - free. Checks will require a 5-7 business day holding period before product shipment.

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Q: Do you transfer old home movies (film) to tape or DVD?
A: At the present time, we are not yet equipped for film transfers, but this is a service that we hope to offer in the future.

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DVD FAQs

Q: Will the DVDs that you create play in my DVD player?
A: In most all cases, YES. Especially if your player was manufactured after 2002. We use top quality DVD-R media for all of our services.

If you are unfamiliar with DVD authoring, keep in mind that it can be a very sensitive process. The biggest problem being that the DVD itself (the media) can vary greatly from disc to disc. While they may all look the same, discs can be manufactured by any one of many different companies. Needless to say, quality control practices are not the same at all facilities. This is also true for "name brand" media. Even when purchasing the same brand from the same store, you never really know what's in the box you received without specialized "media code" applications that read the manufacturers code on the disc itself.

Lesser quality discs may simply not play, or play erratically. They are also compatible with far fewer home DVD players. This issue is the same for all video productions services.

With this in mind, Magical Memories Productions has done a lot of research as to which manufacturers provide the best quality and most compatible DVDs. Through the use of “media code” software, we check every batch of media we purchase to be certain of its origin. We also check the project on each and every one before shipping. Even with these controls in place, we cannot guarantee that your DVD player is capable of playing every disc.

To be sure of compatibility with your player, request our FREE demo disc from our contact page here. If the demo plays on your player, all of our other discs will as well.

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Q: Are the DVDs that you create copy-protected?
A: No. We do not implore any copy-protection into our projects. This allows you to make a backup copy to keep in a safe place, should something happen to the original.

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Q: What is a "direct-print" disc label?
A: Using a special printer, we print all titles, graphics and labels directly to our DVDs, instead of using standard "stick on" labels. Recently, there have been quite a lot of reports that these labels are causing playability problems with discs. Our process not only creates a much better looking disc, but eliminates the possibilty of any such problems. As an extra precaution, we use a special varnish finish to protect the title side of the disc.

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Tape to DVD FAQs

Q: Will my old analog tape look as good as a new DVD movie after converted?
A: Because of a lower resolution inherent to the older analog formats, your DVD will look, as a rule of thumb, only as good as the source material. However, through the use of commercial hardware-based enhancements such as time base correction, color adjustments and sound enhancement, we can improve the picture and sound quality a great deal. Heavily damaged footage or tapes can be problematic when converting digitally. Portions may be edited out if the source footage is unplayable.

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Q: How much will fit into a DVD?
A: While you can fit much more time onto a DVD, we typically try not fit more than 90-120 mins. per disc. This is to retain high quality audio and video. The more that is put onto a disc, the more "compression" that is required. This compression begins to degrade the quality of the video and audio beyond the 90-120 minute mark.

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Q: I still have a VCR to play my tapes. Why should I transfer them to DVD?

A: The most important reason for transferring your special tapes to DVD is to prevent further degradation that is becoming a problem as tapes age. You also gain the advantage of titling, special effects and menus that allow more control over the way you view your memories.

The best reason of all- no more rewinding!!

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Q: Can you make a DVD of a VHS tape I bought at a store? What about a TV show? Adult film? Concert? Sporting event?
A: We do not transfer any copyrighted material unless we are provided with written permission from the copyright owner. This includes videos purchased from countries other than the USA and programs that are no longer in print or not available on DVD. Adult films are not accepted regardless of their copyright status.

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Q: Do you convert foreign format videotapes to US?
A: No. At this time, we only handle the NTSC standard as used in North America.

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Photo Montage FAQs

Q: What types of photo formats does Magical Memories Productions accept and/or prefer for photo montages?
A: We accept all types of photos for photo montages. Our first preference is digital photos in order to receive the highest quality possible. However, negatives and prints are acceptable for scanning. Should you choose to scan your own photos before submitting, be sure to choose a high resolution (at least 300dpi) for the best quality. Consult our list of photo scanning tips here.

Digital photos for slideshows / montages may also be submitted on CD-ROM or memory card (CompactFlash, SmartMedia, MMC / SD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO).

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Q: Can I scan my own photos to submit for a montage?
A: Yes, of course! Click here for tips on getting the best results. If you do not own a scanner, we can scan your photos for you.

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Q: Do I have to manually advance each slide?
A: No. Once you start your video, the pictures will change automatically.

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Q: How do I organize and gather all of my pictures and/or negatives before submitting?
A: Before you begin looking and collecting photos, have a clear and comprehensible vision and theme for your DVD photo montage. Have in mind what you are trying to accomplish. For example, is this video concentrating on events that have happened throughout a person's lifetime, or is it centered around one special event you would like to capture?
After you have a general idea of the theme of your montage, the next step is to choose, organize, and categorize your pictures. Pick out the photos that are in good condition if possible (no bends, tears, or blurs) and most importantly, choose the ones that you feel really tell a story. Be sure they are in the order you would like them to appear on the finished montage. The best way to ensure this is by numbering the backs of each picture. Do not write on the back of your pictures. Instead, use a post-it note. This will prevent any damage to the photograph.Of course, you can leave the order of the photros up to us if you wish. Lastly, you will need to group your photos according to the song that want to be played in the background during the montage. Place each grouping in a zip-loc bag, and label the bag with the corresponding song title.

Once they are ready to be mailed, be certain to send them in a sturdy photo/document type envelope to prevent any bending or folding.

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Q: What can I add to my photo montage/slideshow besides pictures?
A: We can add any of the following to our montages and slideshows: Photographs (Negatives, Slides or Paper Photograph); Voice (CD, audio cassette tape, WMA, MP3, WAV); Video (VHS, VHS-C, 8MM, Hi8 Digital 8,, MiniDV). We can also add non-photo content such as newspaper articles, awards, advertisements, brochures, certificates, etc.

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Q: Can I use copyrighted music in my video?
A: In order for us to use copyrighted music in your project, you must own the original CD. If it's something you want, but do not own, we can purchase the individual song for you for only $1.00, and send it you the along with your completed project. We can also use our collection of royalty-free music in your project. We have hundreds of instrumental tracks in a wide range of styles available for use. Contact us for more information.

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Q: Are my original photos altered in any way?
A: No. We make a digital copy of your photos for all touch up work. All of the changes occur to that file only. At no time is the original altered.

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Q: What are captions?
A: A label or quote under a specific photo to make your montage more entertaining or informative and to help the audience follow the story being told.

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Q: What can you do to enhance imperfect photos?
A: Photo enhancements include red-eye reduction, photo cropping, light touch-up and auto leveling of picture properties (tint, brightness, etc.). Some more advanced techniques include dust and scratch removal, straightening and color correction.

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Q: What is the photograph CD-ROM that comes with montage packages?
A: We take all of the photos that we have used in your project (after enhancements and cropping) and put them on a CD-ROM. This gives you a permanent copy of them for archiving, emailing, cards or any other use you can think of. These CD-ROMs are compatible with any computer that has a CD-ROM drive installed.

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Photo / Document Archiving FAQs

Q: Do I need special hardware or software to view my scanned / archived documents?

A: Generally, Adobe's Acrobat PDF format provides the simplest and most cost-efficient format for your documents. Your files are viewed using the free Acrobat Reader software and the pages appear with all their original formatting, signatures, graphics, etc. It is also very easy to navigate. Many computers already have this application installed.

For more information on Adobe Reader click here. To download a free copy of Adobe Reader click here.

Beyond having Adobe Reader, all you need is a computer (PC or MAC) with a CD-ROM drive.

Minimum system requirements are:

Windows

Intel® Pentium® processor or AMD Equivalent

Microsoft® Windows 2000 with Service Pack 2, Windows XP Professional or Home Edition

128MB of RAM

Up to 90MB of available hard-disk space

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher

Macintosh

PowerPC® G3 processor

Mac OS X v.10.2.8 or 10.3

Up to 35MB of RAM

Up to 125MB of available hard-disk space

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Q: What if my computer has a DVD drive instead of a CD drive?

A: Most DVD drives are designed to read CD-ROM's. Check the manufacturer's specifications of your drive to verify that your DVD drive will read CD-ROM's.

Q: What else can be scanned and archived?

A: We can scan many differentl types of items as long as they are flat and no larger than 8.5 "X 14". Suggested items include: drawings made by your children or grandchildren, diplomas, birth certificates, old school work, old report cards, awards, letters, etc. If you have something that you want to include but you are not sure if it is possible, just contact us.

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