Wednesday 30 May 2018

Step By Step Guide To Convert Copy-Protected VHS To DVD


It is easy to convert copy protected VHS to DVDs with the help of a home computer. So if you have a personal computer, converting copy protected VHS to DVD is not difficult. Copy protection is not possible in tape to tape dubbing but there is no issue to transfer VHS tape to computer. If you want to copy to computer, then avoid copy protection. You can capture the VHS tape on the computer then convert it to a DVD. You can use native Windows software for doing it. But there are many VHS conversion and CD burning software available on the internet..
Follow this step by step method

Step1
Take the VCR and insert the VHS tape into it. Rewind it after that.

Step2
You must have necessary video cables. An RCA to USB cable are important so if you don’t have these cords, just buy them. Plug the RCA jacks into the VCR and plug the USB head into the personal computer. It is an inexpensive cable and you can buy it from any electronic store.

Step3
Take the RCA end of the RCA and plug it into USB cable into the audio and video ports of the VCR. The ports and jacks are yellow for video, red for audio and white for audio. It is important to match the same color jacks to the same color ports. Before your move to the next step, it is important to check each connection properly to make sure you have connected the cables properly and accurately. You must also make sure that there is no problem with the VCR and the computer.

Step 4
Take the USB end of the RCA and plug it to USB cable on the computer’s free USB port.

Step 5
Click the start menu, then Program Files and then open Windows Movie Maker. Windows OS has Windows media player.
Step 6
Open the import video window by pressing CTRL and R together at the same time. The screen will show the output of the VCR. For recording, press and then play. These buttons are present on the VCR. Now the Windows Movie Maker will copy the VHS to your computer. Wait for the VHS cassette to finish playing.

Step 7
When the video on the VHS tape is finished, press Stop. Now the video is encoded and you will see it on the Imported Media.

Step 8
Bring the video in the Timeline by dragging it from the Import Media.

Step 9
Take a blank DVD and insert it in the computer.

Step 10
Select DVD by clicking Publish Move and then click next and then OK.  Open the Windows DVD Maker.

Step 11
Select any title of the DVD and enter it. Burn the movie by putting the blank DVD into the DVD burner of your computer. Once it is finished, test the DVD.
If you have some old movies that have copy protection on them, you can save them VHS to DVD through this method.

Monday 23 April 2018

Step By Step Beginners Guide To Slide Scanning


Slides don’t last forever, no matter how safely they are stored. With the passing time, the colors in the film start fading and many times mold begin to appear thus your entire image is destroyed. Fortunately you can stop your slide from degrading. You can do this work yourself too. We are sharing some steps that you can follow to do the best slide scanning.
Step 1
First of all look which is the best scanner for slide scanning. If you are going to buy the scanner, buy the one that is of good quality and is within your range. The best scanner produces the best results. There are some scanners that digitally remove most dust and scratch marks. So the appearance of the film is improved. Some scanners have "auto-feed" system for slides, for pre-loading a number of images for automatic scanning.

Step 2
Choose the scanning software. Some scanners come with proprietary scanning software which are sufficient. There are software that you can choose in order to get the best results from your scanner. They perform superb and have features like automatic color correction, automatic scan, compatibility with almost all brands and models of scanners. You also need to choose photo editing software. Photo editing software programs are very helpful in doing the touch up of the images that are scanned. These programs can help in fixing the brightness/contrast, fade, color correction manually. It is also possible to edit scratches. There are many free online photo editing software available where you can upload your image and correct the color and brightness.
Step 3
Organize the slides manually before scanning. This will make it much easier to arrange them to find your required slide.

Step 4
Make the setting of your scanner and software. Read the user manuals for understanding how to use each item. The beginners should select the automatic setting for the color and brightness. If you change the setting of every image manually, it can produce better results. It is a time consuming process so using the default automatic settings can also give great results.

Choose the highest available resolution because the lower resolutions mean lower quality.  Select the most common formats like JPEG and TIFF. TIFF images are completely uncompressed and its files are about 4 xs larger than JPEG. JPEG images are technically compressed. JPEG is the best format option.

Step 5
Now it is the time to scan your slides. If you are using automatic feeder for scanning the slides, check the slides that get struck and don't fully capture.
If you think this slide scanning task sounds too difficult or costly, you can choose professional services to meet your needs. Many people like to scan their slides on their own for keeping their old format films in their homes. This guide is very useful and you can scan your old slides by your own if you follow the above steps. This is for the beginners who have never scanned the slides before.

Friday 23 March 2018

How Photo Scanning Can Help You Preserve Your Old Photos?

Photos are definitely your most precious possessions especially if they are old ones because they remind you of the old memories. Family photos are more valuable because they tell stories about your lives and sometimes you search your old photographs stored somewhere and when you get them you feel much disappointed if they are in bad condition.
Photo scanning is a very helpful way to preserve your valuable photos by converting them to a digital format. In this format the photos are safe and you can also view them as many times as you want on your computer screen.

Scanning and saving the photos to the digital format helps in having versatile backups. There are some specialized software that can help you in the coloring and correcting faded or dark spots.

How To Do
The easiest way of doing image scanning is using a scanner. You can preview it on your screen and crop it to the size of your choice. The photos are usually scanned in a jpg format. Not only the photos can be scanned but also the slides and negatives can be scanned. Scanning the slides and negatives can help you get their digital copy. If you want to have the best photographic record of your family photos, get your photos as well as their negatives and slides scanned to digital format.

Not only the scanning of photos is important but sharing them with others is also important. What good is it if you can’t share it? When you will scan your photos, you can easily share them with others online.
The scanned photos shared online are available to you all the time and you can research them very easily.

Photo Scanning Services
Many of us are not aware of scanning the photos themselves they have to use the service that charges some fee. These services are very important for preserving the photographs from deteriorating. These image scanning services charge a very reasonable fee and you don't have to worry about your photos as they will be saved from fading, or destroying and even losing forever.

There are many companies that offer scanning services and you can also find many websites offering picture scanning service.  You can approach them to get your pictures scanned and edited as well. It is important that you choose the good companies which offer picture scanning services at a very reasonable price.

The best thing about scanning service is that you can convert black and white photos into colored ones and also remove unwanted things from your pictures.
The expense of picture scanning is not too much. If you want to scan in bulk, you cost will further be reduced.  Picture scanning is the best way to save your memories and you don’t have to worry  about storing the pictures at any safe place instead you can easily store them on your laptop, smartphones, tablets and anywhere you want. Two squares can therefore say that picture scanning is the best way of saving the past for the future.


Thursday 25 January 2018

Five Simple Steps To Transfer Audio Cassette To CD

Some years before the cassettes were the only medium to preserve the data in the audio form. The advancement of technology has made it possible to convert the audio tapes to the CDs. The CDs have taken the place of the audio cassettes because the cassettes are not much reliable and they start deteriorating after some time. Storing important data in the cassette was not reliable so it is recommended to transfer the data from the audio cassette to CD. The cassette players have also become obsolete.  You might have some important data or your favorite stuff in your audio cassettes and you want to move it to the CD.
For this purpose, you have to connect the cassette player to the sound card of your computer for transferring cassette to CD and then start recording the audio on the computer in MP3 or WAV format. After that you can transfer these audio files to a CD.

But two squares converting audio cassette to CD requires you to follow some steps. You also need some important things like
  • A PC with sound card
  • A“Y” stereo adapter cable having RCA connectors at both ends
  • Software for sound recording
  • A cassette player having audio RCA output
The 5 important steps are given as follows

Step 1
Insert your audio cassette into your cassette player.

Step 2
Connect one end of the RCA connector to your cassette player and the other end to the computer’s sound card. Make sure the plug is connected appropriately. Now turn on the computer and the cassette player.
Step 3
Now open the sound recording software in your computer. Some software not only record, but also helps in editing the recorded audio. There is a record button, you should click it. In some software, the red dot indicates this button. Also push the “play” button on the cassette player. The audio coming from the cassette player will be recorded on your PC.

Step 4
Click the stop button after the recording is done. You can save that file and give the file name of your own choice. You can save this file to any location on your computer.

Step 5
When you have saved that file, you can also edit it in a way you want. You can also cut out some data. After you have done your editing, the file can be transferred to CD. Take a blank CD and insert it into the CD writer of your PC and burn your CD. The transfer of audio cassette to the CD is complete now.

Important Note
1. Recording at low levels is recommended because high levels can cause distortion and are impossible to fix.

2. It is important to clean the head of the cassette payer before playing the cassette. Dust can damage the player.
 3. Using a high end audio interface, quality software and connectors are important to use for professional transfer.

4. After transferring the audio, it is recommended to restore, clean and get it mastered. 

Wednesday 22 November 2017

Photo Restoration St. Paul

Before the use of cellphones and Facebook, photos were stored in photo albums that took up a lot of space on the family bookshelf. Once or twice a year around the holidays, your family would take out the album and reminisce about the memories that were stored within the cover. But what would happen if this photo album was lost, or the photos within the album became damaged? Over time, photos can become faded and can definitely use a restoration boost! With today’s advancements in technology, there are ways for you to restore those photos scanning and digitize them so that they are not lost in the future. If you are looking for a photo restoration company in St. Paul, Two Squares is the company for you!
Restoration Services
At Two Squares, we give you the ability to restore and convert photographs to DVD or hard drive. That way, you can store these images digitally on your computer or DVD. This allows you to make multiple copies of the photographs, protecting you from losing a DVD. Photo albums can quickly become cumbersome and take up a lot of space. Through our digital conversion services, you will be able to store all of your photos in one spot, without having to take up much room at all. What makes our conversion services even better is that the quality of your pictures are enhanced throughout the process as well. All of our conversion services include cleaning the photos beforehand as well as running your photos through Photoshop to rejuvenate the look of the photo. Additionally, your digital photos can be organized any way that you would like. Our two levels of photo scanning services include:

  • Low Cost - For individuals looking to archive a large amount of photos, this may be the way to go. With the low cost option, you still receive great quality conversion services.
  • High Quality - If you are looking for your photos to receive a lot of attention, our high quality option is for you. During this process, your photos will be cropped by hand and the resolution of the photos can also be increased up to 1200 dpi.
If you live in St. Paul, MN, and are ready to do something with all of the photo albums in your home, consider professional photo restoring services from Two Squares. Rest assured that your photos will be safe and secure as we restore your photos to a digital DVD or hard drive. Give us a call today at (763) 400-4510 to learn more about our photo restoration services.

Sunday 19 November 2017

Minneapolis Media Conversion

Ever wish that you still had a working VHS player to watch old tapes of weddings, baby’s first steps or time spent with a loved one who has passed on? Maybe your teenage garage band would sound great today if only the cassette tapes could be converted to a digital format. Lucky for you Professional Conversion Services are virtually in your back yard if you live in the Minneapolis, MN area. Two Squares, Inc. provides Affordable Media Transfer Services that produce outstanding results. Our Minneapolis digital conversion services are among the best in the country.

Affordable Media Transfer Services

Its tough to put a price tag on precious memories that are stored on outdated technology. Old photos, slides scanning, negatives, tapes and more may hold valuable data that is inaccessible on modern technology. This doesn’t mean that it has to cost a fortune to convert them to a convenient digital format. The Affordable Media Transfer Services at Two Squares, Inc. may be your best solution.

Just look at some of the Affordable Digitization Services offered by the professionals at Two Squares, Inc.:

  • VHS or Betamax to DVD or Bluray
  • Cassette Tapes to CD
  • Photos, Audio and Video digitized to play on your computer, smart phone, iPod or iPad
  • Images converted and saved on a Flash Drive
  • 8mm, Super 8  or 16mm film to DVD
  • Vinyl Records preserved for CD or Digital playback
  • Camcorder Tapes to DVD
  • Reel to Reel transferred to CDs
  • Photographs preserved as Digital Images or DVDs
  • 35mm Slides or Negatives to Digital Photos or DVDs
Professional Conversion Services

There is no comparison between the quality provided by Media Preservation Experts and what you receive when you attempt to scan or dub the media yourself. Our team prides themselves on providing top quality at affordable prices. We understand how much the photos and recordings mean to our clients and do our best to give you the very best. Your memories are safe with us!

You can choose from a variety of convenient, high quality formats for your digital conversions. Formats such as 8mm film to DVD, CDs, Blurays and Digital Copies can be saved and enjoyed for many years forward.

Minneapolis Digital Conversion Services

Two Squares, Inc. is your Minneapolis Digital Conversion source. We provide excellent quality in a variety of convenient formats. Our Affordable Media Transfer Services provide a way for memories to be preserved. Bring us your photos, tapes, records and slides to have them professionally converted for playback on your computer, bluray player, android or iPhone.
Two Squares, Inc. – Your Media Preservation Experts! Call (763) 400-4510
Email info@twosquares.com or fill out our Online Form.


Wednesday 15 November 2017

Minnesota Media Preservation

Have you recently looked through your photos and wondered how to restore them? Too often folks think that their beautiful, precious memories are too damaged to restore. At Two Squares, your media preservation experts, we can bring these memories back to life. Known as the best media conversion company in Minnesota, we are ready to take on whatever photo scanning you may have and turn it into a once again, timeless memory.
 
Photo Restoration Services
Even if your slides, negatives, or old photographs were stored properly in your attic 20-some years ago, it’s inevitable that those images have aged. Colors can fade within these products and can give it a very unnatural color representation. When we receive your images, we understand how much they mean to you and so we take each and every one of them with serious precautions. All of our images go through an auto correction for colors, levels, and contrast unless you specifically ask us not to. If there is a particular photograph that you would like to have advanced restoration, our professionals can perform that upon request.
 
Restore and Preserve Process
Our process is simple. We prioritize quality over quantity. Meaning, we may have a prolonged wait time but it is only because we use the best and safest method for scanning photographic media. Our professionals hand clean every slide and image with a gentle blast of compressed air so that no dust particles or fingerprints are hindering your memories. We even take special care of your items by using an air filtration system to minimize the dust in the room. While it may not be the fastest method, we prefer using a flatbed scanner so that we can give your photos the highest quality possible and ensure that no damage will occur to the original image.

Once our photo scanning is complete, it goes through a color and level correction system and then is converted to the digital media of your choice. We offer all types of formats from CDs, DVDs, to direct files that you can play right on your computer, iPod, or phone.
So if you are taking the time to look through all those beautiful memories that you have been storing, consider taking the time to preserving those memories for a lifetime. Let your mind flood you with great memories from the past and preserve them so that those in the future can reminisce on the special moments with you. If you live in Minnesota, you are just steps away from the best media conversion company around. Call Two Squares today for all of your Minnesota media preservation needs. Contact us today at (763) 400-4510.