Blueprint & action plan
Home Film & Videotape Digitization
Four research panels you can read independently or as one build plan: phased purchases, sub-$1,000 gear comparisons, slide-scanner workflow, and sound-stripe inspection. Each panel keeps full reference links and pairs with the tracker below.
Research partner
Action plan tracker
Check steps off as you go. Progress stays in this browser so you can treat the blueprint as a living build list.
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Phase 1 — Videotape access copies
Start nowPhase 2 — Purchased 8mm inspection
Next upPhase 3 — Healthy 8mm viewing copies
When readyPhase 4 — Slides & negatives
When readyResearch panels
Open any panel for the full document, hero image, and cross-links.
Phased Digitization Blueprint
Layered action plan: Elgato and VCR first, inspect purchased reels, add Kodak REELS or Wolverine for healthy 8mm, outsource fragile or 16mm work, then add flatbed scanning for slides.
Open panel →
Equipment Under $1,000
No single sub-$1,000 machine covers tape, 8mm, 16mm, and slides. Compare Elgato, consumer reel scanners, and flatbed options with pros, cons, and buying order.
Open panel →
Flatbed Slide Scanner Guide
Restoration-oriented flatbed buying targets, fragile-slide handling, 48-bit TIFF workflow, and checklist for used V700/V750/V600 purchases.
Open panel →
Film Sound Identification
Inspect edges for sound stripes, understand why consumer reel scanners are silent, and know when to stop before playback on damaged acetate.
Open panel →Documents are stored as markdown in content/blueprint/ so they stay editable and can be exported or migrated later (including to Astro content collections if you outgrow this layout).