Can I expect a loss of quality at download?

[Super8guy]

Now that some of you are familiar with my work, may I ask you a few things?

First, I have submitted some 1972/1973 Super 8 films bumped up to DigiBeta to a major stock footage house hopefully for some sales. The DigiBeta makes all the difference in the world. In fact the footage now looks ten times better than the original ever did. I'd like to know if you think there is going to be any appreciable loss in video quality to whoever purchases any of the accepted clips off the website?

Also do you think the stock footage house is capable, or entitled to sell any still images from the Digibetas?

And in general, who is interested in purchasing such footage? I'm sure there must be a market because the stock house has certainly gone through a lot of footage to create the DVD they did.

Many thanks.

PS: Just a note-as with most if not all Super 8s from the early 1970s there is a bit of noticeable grain and burn on the films. Does that get worked on or does that stay?

Many thanks again.

 

[nautilusvideo]

Perhaps you should ask the stock house these questions? If they're selling collections of clips on DVD it's going to be a LONG time before you even pay for the cost of the footage transfer.

 

[Super8guy]

I will. I don't think they're selling DVDs. It's a major stock footage house catering mostly to professionals. To transfer all that footage today I'd estimate the cost at $5,000.00. The Super 8s have been bumped up directly to DigiBeta. Let's hope I sell a lot of footage!

 

[grinner]

I'd opt to keep the burn and grain. In most cases, the nostalgia is what is being purcahsed (I assume, anyway)
If your consumers can use 720X486 stills, you may move some of them. They'll be married to that size (thay can scale it slightly in After Effects or an app of the like but not without loss) so this will limit the marketability of stills.
As far as downloads, your loss will be controlled by you... the compression you add (or don't add) to the files (quicktimes?) You've already compressed the footage at 2:1 by taking it to Digibeta. You'll not see this compression but if you compress more for downloading purposes, you may in many cases, depending on how you compress it.