Frequently Asked Questions

answered here

Why should I have my analogue media digitized?

After about 10 to a maximum of 40 years analogue material starts to decay, which can’t be stopped even at appropriate storage. Digitization is the only way to save and preserve the recorded pictures and videos.

Which media can MEDIAFIX digitize?

We digitize all common image media like slides, photos and negatives. More than that also 8mm films, VHS and all video tapes like Betamax, Betacam, U-Matic and even recording tapes and audio cassettes.

What does it cost?

35mm slides we digitize starting at €0.08/slide, VHS tapes starting at €6.99/tape. When digitizing at MEDIAFIX, you will also benefit from our best-price-guarantee. Further, prices depend on the amount, format and chosen quality level. You can find a complete price list here.

Are all of my data safe?

Yes. We digitize in our own plant in Cologne. All work processes are liable to the determinations of German data protection. Your data is not transferred to foreign servers. They are only saved due to processing your order and are deleted afterwars.

You can contact our data protection officer Guido Aßhoff at datenschutz@mediafix.de.

Why MEDIAFIX?

MEDIAFIX is Germany’s largest company for converting analog media to digital considering the number of employees, the amount of converted films and images per month, sales and plant size: With about one million converted slides per month, MEDIAFIX is the market leader in slide converting. We can provide several advantages to our customers:

  • Best-price-guarantee
  • TÜV certified customer satisfaction
  • Market leader for converting
  • MEDIAFIX is  n-tv test winner
  • Personal advice by phone, e-mail or on-site
  • More than 60 Access points in Europe
  • Converted media on DVD, USB drive or as digital download
  • Free additional services for certain media like free film tear repair

How does digitizing at MEDIAFIX work?

The most important steps for your order at MEDIAFIX:

  1. Start a non-binding request and generate your personal order form
  2. Pack up your media and add the signed order form. IMPORTANT: Without the signed order form we are not able to process your order!
  3. You can drop by your package in person or deliver by post.
  4. Digitization considerung your wishes
  5. Receipt of invoice and payment
  6. Return shipping

How do my media get to MEDIAFIX and back?

Personal delivery by you
Of course you can drop your media by in person in one of our Access points.

Postversand
For delivery please send your media to:

MEDIAFIX GmbH
Oskar-Jäger-Straße 127
50825 Köln-Ehrenfeld

What do I have to pay attention to at packing everything up?

For post delivery you should pack everything up in a way that your media are safe and can’t be damaged.

Please note: When delivering in person, you have to leave your packing material. If you for example use a suitcase, we will not repack your order.

What is the process and delivery time?

Usually 90 % of all orders can be processed within two to four weeks. In high capacity periods our processing time can be a little longer. For faster processing we provide our priority services.

Will I be informed about my order status?

While processing your order, you will get two notifications per e-mail concerning your order status:

  • a first notification, when we start to process your order
  • a second notification, when your order is done and (including the invoice)

Please check your spam folder.

Please note: From receiving your order to sending you a notification it can take a couple days. This can be the case in high capacity periods.

How can I pay my order?

Payment has to be done by bank transfer. Only then we are able to hand out your media. Please wait until you receive the invoice!

Please note: We require payment in advance. Payment via EC card is only possible in our head offices in Dortmund and Cologne.

Where can I find my invoice?

You will receive your invoice via e-mail. Please also consider your spam folder.

What are the Access points?

Our Access points are photographic business all over Europe, in which you can easily drop by your media. For only €4.99 / package (600 x 400 x 400mm size) we transport your media with our transport service to Cologne and back. Therefore you don’t have to send your media by post and even can save shipping costs. After digitisation we transport your media back to the Access point und you can then pick everything back up.

Can I also pay my order at the Access point?

No, payment at our Access points would be an extra efort for our partners and is therefore not possible. Please ensure that to pay in advance. Only then our partners can hand out your media.

How do I get my media and digital files back?

Pick up by yourself
After digitization you will receive an e-mail with an invoice. You can then easily pick up everything – either in our head office in Cologne or in one of our Access points.

Return shipping by DHL
For return shipping you just pay the normal DHL shipping costs.

How are my analogue media saved?

Depending on your wishes and the amount of storage space required, your converted media are saved on:

  • USB drive
  • Hard disk
  • Video DVD
  • Data DVD (MP4 file format)
  • or as digital download

You also have the option to send us your own storage device.

How much storage space do my converted media require?

The required storage space depends on the chosen quality level. Higher quality levels require more storage space.

The overview shows average files sizes of the different media types:

Media type File size
Slides approx. 4 – 16 MB / image
Slides saved as TIFF files approx. 100 – 140 MB / image
Negative approx. 3 – 12 MB / image
Negatives saved as TIFF files approx. 100 – 140 MB / image
Photos approx. 1 – 5 MB / image
Photo albums approx. 2 – 5 MB / image
8mm films approx. 110 – 310 MB / 10 minutes
VHS approx. 520 MB / 10 minutes
VHS-C approx. 620 MB / 10 minutes
S-VHS approx. 1,3 GB / 10 minutes
S-VHS-C approx. 1,2 GB / 10 minutes
MiniDV approx. 520 MB / 10 minutes
Hi8 approx. 490 MB / 10 minutes
Betamax approx. 1,0 GB / 10 minutes
Audio cassettes / recording tapes approx. 23 MB / 10 minutes

What costs should I expect for storage devices?

Costs depend on the required storage space. We provide following storage devices and services:

  • DVD 4,7 GB
  • USB drive (USB 3.0) 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB
  • Hard disk (USB 3.0) 500 GB
  • Digital download on your computer or smartphone

Alternatively you can send in an own storage device.

What should I put attention on when sending an own storage device?

Please ensure that your USB drive or hard disk

  • are functioning
  • are empty
  • have enough storage space

If the storage space is not sufficient, we will have to use one of our provided storage devices for an extra charge. Please understand that.
We are not able to use DVDs or SD cards for saving purposes. Also please understand that.

Notes for formatting:

Please format your storage device as stated:

For images: Format in FAT32.
For videos: Format in NTFS.
For Apple devices: Format in exFAT, since only this file system is compatible with Windows and macOS.

What slide formats can be converted?

35mm, medium- and large-format slides
We convert all 35mm, medium- and large-format slides

Other formats
We also convert

  • Minox and pocket format
  • Half format
  • Instamatic
  • Panorama slides
  • Medium-formats (4×4 bis 6×9cm)
  • Large-formats (9×12cm and larger)

If you’re not sure which kind of formats your slides/negatives have, it’s no problem. Just start a non-binding request or contact our customer service at +49 221 / 67 78 69 34. You can reach us from Monday to Thursday from 09:00 bis 18:00 o’clock and Friday from 09:00 to 17:00 o’clock by phone or on-site in Cologne-Ehrenfeld.

Further information and questions concerning slide digitization you can find in the lower part of this site: Convert slides at MEDIAFIX.

Which resolution should I choose for my slides?

In general: The higher the scan resolution, the more details can be captured. Our quality levels:

  • Budget quality: 2,900 dpi. Suitable for computer screens and HD-TV
  • Standard+ quality: 4,250 dpi. Suitable for Full-HD TVs and photo book prints
  • Premium-/ Highend quality: 5,000 – 6,200 dpi. Zooming and enlargements possible without problems, suitable for canvas prints up to 1 m wide, sufficient quality reserve even with post-processing and use of smaller image sections

Please note: Only professional scan resolutions can ensure that you can zoom into the picture and see smallest details.

Is it important how my slides are framed?

No, we process all frame types and also unframed single slides. Here’s an overview:

  • Slides in plastic frames
  • Slides in glass frames
    (cleaning service recommended)
  • Cardboard slides
  • Kodachrome
  • Unframed 35mm, medium- and large-format slides

Which negative formats can be scanned?

35mm, medium- and large-format negatives
We convert all 35mm, medium- and large-format negatives

Other formats
We also convert

  • Minox and pocket format
  • Half-format
  • Instamatic
  • Panorama
  • Medium-formats (4×4 bis 6×9cm)
  • Large-formats (9×12cm and larger)

We do not digitize undeveloped negatives.

Please note: In many cases a negative collection contains other formats without our customers knowing it. Normally we also scan these formats, if the costs don’t exceed 100 €. If it is more than that, we will contact you.

You can find more information here: Scan negatives at MEDIAFIX

Which resolution should I choose for my negatives?

In general: The higher the scan resolution, the more details can be captured. Our quality levels:

  • Standard+ quality: 4,250 dpi. Suitable for TVs, computer screens and simple photo prints
  • Premium/Highend quality: 5,000 dpi – 6,200 dpi.Zooming and enlargements possible without problems, suitable for canvas prints up to 1m wide, sufficient quality reserve even with post-processing and use of smaller image sections

What is a Premium-inversion via raw data?

By inverting a negative the image turns into a positive. After long storage periods the colors often are faded or have tints. These typical signs of age can be fixed very well by our Premium-inversion via raw data. After scanning, the files are saved in a raw data format without any compression. Based on this, colors, lightness and contrast can be restored, which leads to amazing results even at very old negatives.

In what format are my photos digitized?

We scan photos with a size up to A4.
If you have even larger photos, please contact our customer service at +49 221 / 67 78 69 34 and they will give you advice for what we can do for you.

Which resolution should I choose for my photos?

For digitizing photos we provide the following resolutions:

  • Budget (300 dpi): For viewing on computers, old televisions, laptops, smartphones
  • Standard+ (600 dpi): Image prints in 2x enlargement possible, for viewing on larger HD screens with high resolution
  • Premium (900 dpi): Scan with high detail sharpness, image prints in multiple magnification possible, for viewing on larger Full HD screens, projector presentations and wall prints up to DIN A3
  • Highend (1,200 dpi): Scan with very high detail sharpness, image prints in multiple magnification possible, for viewing on larger 4K screens, projector presentations and wall prints up to DIN A2

Have photos digitized now!

Can photo albums also be digitized?

Yes. We digitize your photos directly from the album withour having to remove them. We provide two options:

  • Digitize whole pages: 150 dpi. Makes sense, if the pages have many notes and captions you want to keep
  • Dititize photos: Depending on the size 150 – 750 dpi. Enables scans with higher resolution

We digitize photo albums starting at €0.35 per scan.

What should I do if my photos are faded or dirty?

For faded, tinted or dirty photos we provide a post-processing service for €0.04/photo and a cleaning service for €0.06/photo. You can see examples during the order process.

Which 8mm films can I have converted?

We convert Super 8 and Normal 8 films with our frame-by-frame-technology. This enables a calm and stable picture and a playback in 18 or 24 FPS. More information about 8mm converting.

Does it make sense to convert a 8mm film in Full-HD?

Yes. When converting analogue media to digital, there is always a loss of information. A high scan resolution can minimize this issue and enables a playback that rather matches the original film. The size of your viewing devide also plays a role. The larger the display, the larger a single pixel. Recordings with low resolution can look very pixelated here.

Should I consider having my 8mm reels cleaned before converting?

Yes. We highly recommend our WETGATE cleaning service for your 8mm films. Often the film material has scratches to its age and the tape became brittle. The WETGATE cleaning fills up the scratches so that they will be less visible in the converted film. In addition it makes the tape more stable and the risk for a film tear can be minimized.

Which resolution should I choose for my 8mm films?

Depending on the size of your viewing devices we provide the following quality levels:

  • PAL standard. Resolution: 720 x 540 pixels. Suitable for smaller screens and older TVs.
  • HD quality. Resolution: 960 x 720 pixels. Recommended for HD-ready TVs, screens and digital projectors.
  • Full-HD quality. Resolution 1,440 x 1,080 pixels. Suitable for larger TVs or high-resolution screens.

Does my Super 8 film have a soundtrack?

The vast majority of Super 8 films are silent films. To find out whether your film has a sound track, please take a closer look at the film tape. If there is a sound track, you will find an orange-brown magnetic tape about 0.5 to 0.8 millimetres wide. Occasionally you will also find two sound tracks. If your Super 8 film has a sound track, we can also transfer it.

If you do not feel confident enough to check whether your Super 8 film has a soundtrack, we will be happy to do this for you. Of course, the costs for soundtrack digitisation are only incurred if your Super 8 films also contain a soundtrack.

Which kind of video cassettes can I have converted?

We convert these video cassettes:

  • S-VHS / S-VHS-C
  • MiniDV
  • Video 8
  • Hi8
  • Digital8
  • Betamax
  • Betacam SP
  • U-Matic
  • Video 2000

Have your video cassettes converted now

In what quality are my video cassettes converted?

The recordings on your tapes are converted in the PAL standard. This is the maximum that we can do for your video cassettes.

The cassette types Betamax, Betacam SP, S-VHS, S-VHS-C, U-matic and Video 2000 already have a digital signal, so that we save these formats as MP4 files. For every other cassette type there is the option for saving as video DVD or for an extra charge of €5.99/tape as MP4 file.

Saving option Purpose of use
Video DVD Easily playable on every DVD player
MP4 file Ideal for further editing in video editing software

Can defective video cassettes still be saved?

At MEDIAFIX, we have various options for rescuing your video cassettes. For a flat rate of €15.00, for example, we take on the professional repair of up to three film tears per cassette. We can also repair tape damage and defective mechanics.

However, mould infestation is excluded, as this can damage our digitisation equipment.

Wich audio formats can be converted?

We convert classic audio cassettes to digital as well as old recordings tapes.

Have your audio cassettes and recording tapes converted now!

Can I have my audio media converted to CD?

Yes, for an extra charge of €7.50 you have the option to have your audio cassettes and recording tapes converted to CD.

Short request

Please tell us your phone number so we can give you free and individual advice.
We use your data to generate your order form and will send it to you. Please also take notice of our privacy policy and promotion terms. A contract is concluded as soon as we receive your media including your signed order form.
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