Do you have questions before you can start reliving those precious family memories?
Below you'll find the most common questions we receive.
What’s an “item”?
An “item” can be 3 different things: 1 tape, 1 reel, or 1 set of 25 photos.
We count the number of items, regardless of how big, small, long, or short the item is. A tape that has 5 hours of content is counted the same as one that has 5 minutes.
What if I have a number of items in between your box sizes?
We’ve got you covered!
With each box, we allow the option to add “additional items”. When you receive your box, you’ll see two types of item barcodes: ones that say “Included Item $0” and another that says “Add Item $17.99”.
You can use the second type of barcodes to add to your box! They are charged at $17.99 and we’ll email you an invoice once those items arrive to us and we take an inventory of everything. If you run out of those barcodes, no worries. Just put them in there and we’ll apply more barcodes once your order arrives.
So, go ahead and round down for the box size you’re wanting and you can add those extra items upon receiving it!
Do you convert sound on film?
While we convert 8mm, super 8, and 16mm of various sizes, unfortunately, it is not part of our process to digitize sound on film.
In our experience, 99% of film was recorded as silent. In rare instances, 8mm and Super 8 film may contain magnetic audio lines and 16mm film may contain magnetic, but more commonly optical, sound lines. Of this small percentage of film reels that do have a sound line, an even a smaller percentage of these used the proper recording equipment required to capture both the sound and picture.
Because these instances are so rare, and to ensure we’re providing the highest quality transfers, it is not part of our process to digitize the sound on film, when present. If you’d like any more information about this, contact our customer service team!
Can you convert my photos/slides/negatives in chronological order?
That’s an excellent question! The short answer is yes and no.
We provide barcode labels that are numbered. We ask that you put these barcode labels on the sets of photos. When digitizing, we do load the digital files onto your output in the barcodes numerical. So as long as you place them on the sets in the order you’d like, that’s how they’ll come back digitally.
Within the sets of 25, though, we cannot guarantee that they’ll be in any particular order.
However, all of our photos are transferred into jpeg format and are editable on your computer. That means you'll be able to reorganize and arrange your memories exactly how you would like them on your computer. And you can use any photo storage program (e.g., Google Photos, iPhoto, etc.).
Which output option is included in my purchase?
Great question! You’re getting these items converted and you obviously want to know what you’re getting back as a result, right?
Luckily, there is no option that comes compulsory with your purchase, so you get to customize it to exactly to your own preference. If you want a thumb drive, you’re not forced to get a DVD set. If you want a DVD set, you’re not forced to get a digital download.
The pricing breaks down into two parts: the processing and the output. The price that we advertise on our homepage includes the charge of processing with one output. The output you get is your choice. You can also add additional outputs or multiple copies of an output at an additional charge.
Will you restore, enhance, or improve my items in any way?
We always try to get the best quality conversion possible. However, the quality of the transfer ultimately depends on the quality of the original items. We do not offer any sort of restoration, enhancement, or editing of your items. If there is an issue with the original, those issues will translate over to the digital copies.
To be more specific, we do not offer the following: color correction, brightening, HD remastering, combining footage, or otherwise altering the composition of the original media. There are companies out there who specialize in these types of services, but we simply offer a one-to-one transfer.
How do I need to pack my photos?
We want to make sure that processing your photos goes as smoothly as possible! We process photos (prints, slides, and negatives) in sets of 25. We require that they be sent looseleaf in plastic baggies or envelopes.
Note: we cannot process your photos if they arrive to us in sleeves, photo albums, carousels, or any other packaging outside of plastic baggies or envelopes. This is just to make sure that the process is as timely and optimal as possible!
What if one of my items is blank, damaged, or cannot be converted?
Great question! It’s not uncommon for a tape to be blank, a film reel to be damaged, or for customers to send in items that we actually aren’t able to transfer.
Our team will keep you updated via email every step of the way and also include a custom sticker to any applicable items for easy identification!
Where do you ship to?
At the moment, we only ship to the contiguous United States. Therefore, we do not ship to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Canada, or anywhere else outside of the contiguous US.
What is an E-Deal Voucher and how do I use it?
E-Deals work like a coupon toward our products and services. First, you’ll purchase the E-Deal and then you’ll need to redeem it on our site in order to receive your box! You can follow these steps below
- Go to https://southtree.com/pages/pricing and select the box your E-Deal covers.
- Next select how you'd like your digital files returned: a Thumb Drive, a DVD/CD Set, Digital Download, or a combination of these. Your E-Deal includes the Digital Download! Make sure to select that as one of your output options.
- Proceed to the checkout and enter your voucher code in the "Discount" Box.
- Click "Apply." You should see the value of your voucher subtracted from the total.
- From there you can continue through the checkout process, entering your contact information, shipping method and payment method to cover the shipping cost and any digital output formats that are not covered by your voucher. Then click "submit."
E-Deal Vouchers expire after 90 days. After that, they revert to their paid value. You can buy multiple vouchers, but each voucher must be redeemed and shipped separately. They cannot be combined on one order. This also allows us to process your orders more efficiently.
After you redeem your E-Deal, we will get that box shipped out to you ASAP. If you would like help placing an order over the phone you can always call our customer service team!