Zoovio.com is an Internet video streaming service where a customer can store, play and share their memories that are currently contained on video tape, DVDs, memory cards and smart phones.
A customer’s videos are stored in an on-line, private vault accessible only by the account holder. Videos can be made “public” where the whole world can view them if the account holder so chooses. Videos can be shared to anyone the account holder wishes via email, Facebook and other social media sites. Videos may also be lent to other Zoovio user’s vaults with their permission.
Videos can be played back on any Internet-connected device, such as PCs, laptops and any mobile Internet-connected phone or smartpad. A customer can play a video directly to their television via the Roku set-top appliance or through apps or widgets on your smart TV.
The Process
The process starts by your customer dropping off a tape at your store. The customer will fill out a short form providing their name, mailing/shipping address, e-mail address and telephone number. They also may provide a title for their video.
If you are a Zoovio Authorized Agent, you will apply a tracking label to the video tape cassette so that the Zoovio lab technicians can identify the owner of the video tape and ensure proper processing. You will then ship the video tape, including the customer’s information form, to Zoovio, Inc. The technicians will transcode the video tape and, depending on your customer’s preference, upload the video to your customer’s Zoovio account and/or create a DVD of the video. Once the transcoding of the video tape is complete the video tape and the DVD, if selected, will be shipped to your store so that you can present it to your customer.
If you are a Zoovio Authorized Lab, you will be performing the transcoding process at your store using your own transcoding equipment or using transcoding equipment purchased from Zoovio, Inc.
The transcoding process is straightforward. Ensure the videotape is rewound and ready for playing. Place the video tape in the VCR player. Insert an SD card into the transcoding device. Press “Play” on the video tape player and wait for the first few seconds of video to play so that you know when good video starts. Stop the player and rewind the video tape to the beginning and press “Start” again. Once good, stable video starts playing, press the “Record” button on the transcoder and verify that the video is playing by watching the monitor for a few minutes. The transcoding device will display a red dot in the upper right corner of the video monitor. Allow the video tape player and transcoding device to play the entire video tape. Turn off the transcoding device by pressing the “Record” button a second time after the tape has reached the end of video. The video has now been transcoded into a digital format suitable for creating a DVD and for uploading to Zoovio.com.
Remove the SD card from the transcoding device and insert it into your computer. Log in to your Agent account on Zoovio.com. Select the “New” video button on the Agent’s web page. Enter the e-mail address your customer used to create their Zoovio account. Enter the title your customer chose for the video, browse to the video file(s) stored on the SD card and start the file upload.
If your customer would like to have a DVD of their transcoded video but you do not have the equipment to create a playable DVD, transcode their video tape and upload their video to their Zoovio Vault as usual. However, before submitting the video for upload you have the opportunity to check a checkbox on the “New” video upload page that informs Zoovio technicians to create a DVD of your customer’s uploaded video. The DVD will be labeled with the title of their video and shipped to your store for you to present to your customer.
As you can see, it is not difficult to transcode video tapes. All you need is the right video transcoding equipment and an Internet connection to Zoovio.com!