Compare Legacy Digital and Legacy Box for Film Transfer
Understanding the options to make the best choice
When it comes to preserving your memories, not all companies are created equal. Below you’ll quickly see why Legacy Digital Productions is the smarter choice over Legacy Box. While Legacy Box promotes an easy and affordable service, Legacy Digital delivers dramatically higher quality film transfers, often at nearly the same price. Plus, we offer exclusive upgrade options to take your transfer quality even further.
And here’s something important you should know: Legacy Box, Southtree, and Kodak Digitizing are actually the same company, all processed at the same facility in Tennessee. In fact, Inside Edition ran a feature a story about their operation. We encourage you to check their real customer reviews with the Better Business Bureau, and Yelp, and then compare them to Legacy Digital's reviews. The difference speaks for itself.
Legacy Digital vs Legacy Box, Side by Side
| Legacy Digital | Legacy Box | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 640 x 480 |
| 2k Resolution (2560x1440) | Optional | Not Available |
| Sound Capture | Optional | Not Specified |
| Film Cleaned and Lubricated | Yes | Not Specified |
| Manual Backlighting | Yes | Not Specified |
| Cold LED | Yes | Not Specified |
| Frame by Frame Capture | Yes | Not Specified |
| Touchless Scanning | Yes | Not Specified |
| Color Correction | Yes | No (one-to-one capture, in Legacybox’s own words) |
| Grain Reduction | Yes | Not Specified |
| Photo Snapshots | Yes | Not Specified |
| Destination Formats | .MP4, ProRes | .MP4 |
| Destination Media | Thumb Drive, Hard Drive, Blu-ray, DVD | Cloud for 30 days; thumb drive or discs cost extra |
| Pricing | By the foot | By the box |
| Pay by Actual Foot Transferred | Yes | No |
| Price per foot (HD) | $0.28 per foot | Priced per reel, whatever its length |
| One small reel (3 inch 8mm, about 50 ft) | $14 | About $31 to $35 per item at list price |
| Two small reels | $28 (our $50 order minimum applies) | $69.98 (2-item Starter kit) |
| Forty small reels | $560, or $504 with our 10% coupon (services over $250) | $1,249.98 (40-item Trunk kit) |
| One large reel (7 inch, about 400 ft) | $112 | One item, same as a small reel |
| Satisfaction Guarantee | Yes | None published |
Legacy Box prices as published on legacybox.com, checked October 8, 2026, at list price; it also runs frequent promotions (a 20-item kit for $250 at the time). Our prices are our current HD Gold rates for silent film, straight from our estimator.
Now that you see the Legacy Digital Productions offering vs. the services offered by Legacy Box for nearly the exact same price the choice is obvious! With Legacy Digital you get higher resolution scans for the same cost as lower grade services plus you get options galore! They don't offer color correction, color restoration, grain reduction and many other services that we offer. We look forward to helping you convert your precious legacy media to easily sharable and editable digital files!
Compare Actual Frames from Legacy Digital Productions to Work Done by Others
Folks come to us all the time to convert their film a second time after they have had a poor experience with others. Some of the common issues include distorted images, cropped film missing important elements (or people), and blown out colors. We then redo the work and give our clients the service and product they deserved the first time. Unfortunately they had to pay twice. But at least they now have their memories back!
Who is missing?
Legacy Digital: the full frame
Another service: cropped edges
Notice the colors?
Legacy Digital: restored color
Another service: blown-out color
Do it right the first time. Select Legacy Digital Productions to convert your film to digital files. You'll be happy you did!
The Top 13 Reasons Why Our Clients Trust Legacy Digital Productions to Convert Their Film to Digital Files
Legacy Digital does things right....
These are just a few of the reasons why Legacy Digital has been the #1 trusted choice for everyone from regular families looking to convert their film to professional studio editors from Sony studios, CBS, ABC, Paramount Studios, Universal Studios, Marvel Studios, Disney Animation, and many smaller production companies throughout the movie industry.
Unmatched Quality
We use state-of-the-art equipment to capture every frame in stunning detail.
Trusted by the Best
Hollywood studios, their founders, executives, filmmakers, documentarians, universities, municipalities and households rely on our expertise.
True Frame-by-Frame Capture
Our processing equipment scans each and every frame individually so nothing is missed.
Only High Resolution Scans
We ONLY scan film at Full HD or 2K resolutions, which is higher than the resolution of 8mm and 16mm film.
Personal Touch
From everyday families to industry professionals, we treat every project with care.
Preservation Experts
Our process protects your original film while creating lasting digital copies.
All Film is Cleaned and Lubricated
For crystal clear images debris is removed and film is lubricated to reintroduce pliability before scanning. Film is often returned in better condition than when we received it.
Touchless Scanning
Our state of the art scanning system never touches the film portion of your reels protecting them from damage.
Cold LED Technology
Our film scanning systems use cold LED bulbs so your film is never exposed to heat which causes degradation.
Color Correction
After scanning we manually color correct each scene to restore colors of faded film and bring them back to life.
Grain Reduction
As film ages and degrades it becomes more grainy. We use specialized industry software for grain reduction.
Destination Mediums
Media is delivered on Hard Drive, Flash Drive, or in the cloud. We also convert to Playable Blu-ray and DVDs..
Multiple File Destinations and Formats
We convert to ultra low-compression (superior quality) MP4; and for professionals, we offer ProRes HQ, uncompressed AVI, and .tiff image sequences upon request.
Convert Your Film to Digital Files: Preserve Precious Memories, Relive Moments
When the producers of the documentary 'Spielberg' needed to digitize priceless film reels shot by a teenage Steven Spielberg, they entrusted Legacy Digital Productions with the task, relying on our industry-leading conversion standards.
Your reel to reel film will be converted to digital files on an external hard-drive, flash drive, playable Blu-ray, DVD or stored in the cloud for easy sharing using the same trusted equipment and processes used by the Academy of Motion Pictures in Hollywood, the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.
And that's the Legacy Digital Difference. Your home movies will be converted just like a Hollywood Classic.
We transfer all film formats to digital files
We transfer 8mm and 16mm film including Super-8 and Technicolor cartridges to digital files using our professional-grade equipment. We typically convert film to ultra low-compression (superior quality) MP4 files; and for professionals, we offer ProRes HQ, uncompressed AVI, and .tiff image sequences upon request. Files are delivered on thumb drive or hard drive, and can also be sent to the cloud for easy sharing. We also convert film to playable DVD using only professional grade long lasting archival DVDs which last longer.
8mm Film
16mm Film
Super 8 Film
Technicolor Cartridge
Avoid "Big Box" and other companies offering low film transfer pricing
What you might get with these low cost alternatives:
- Many don't clean and lubricate the film before converting leading to debris causing visual artifacts and dry brittle film potentially breaking.
- Dirty film can cause debris and dust to be stuck during capture and drug across film scratching it.
- When they do clean the film, many use cheaper solvents which actually dry out the film causing irreversible damage.
- They capture motion and don't make true frame-by-frame transfers.
- They capture at resolutions below Hi-Def giving you lower quality images while saving them time and money because processing does not take as long.
- End video is often cropped because the full frames are not captured.
- Film is not reviewed for quality during transfer. It's just loaded and converted.
- Most companies do not offer grain reduction or color restoration or color correction.
- Many companies including the big box companies and the other "toss your stuff into our premade box" types mail your film to a shared out-of-state facility for processing to keep costs low. This results in a lack of control, mishandling of your media, and even loss in bulk shipping.
- When you buy a box based on the number of items, and they deem an item un-transferable, you still pay for the item.
- If you want the best quality, you end up paying more to have the work redone properly. (We often handle such cases and are happy to help, but we regret that customers didn’t hear this warning beforehand.)
Our promise to you:
- Legacy Digital cleans every reel of film during the conversion process leading to a clear image free of visual artifacts.
- Legacy Digital lubricates and conditions every reel of film during the conversion process leading to more pliable film leading to a better quality image and film that is returned to you often in better condition than when it was shipped off.
- Legacy Digital uses high quality cleaners and lubricants that are more expensive but add to the lifespan of the film.
- Legacy Digital captures every frame of your film to a digital image and the images are then turned into a video, just as the film was meant to do.
- Legacy Digital captures at a minimum of HD and also offers 2k conversions which is a higher resolution than the film itself. This affords you the best quality image capture possible.
- Legacy Digital uses lower compression on video files vs. others. While these files take up more disk space on drives or in the cloud, the end result image quality is more true-to-life.
- Legacy Digital captures each frame in its entirety. Your film is never cropped during capture so you see everything that was filmed.
- Legacy Digital reviews each and every scene during transfer.
- Legacy Digital offers grain reduction and scene-by-scene color restoration or color correction so that you get the cleanest, clearest and most true-to-life color in your converted video.
- Legacy Digital converts all media in the United States, in Orange, California.
- Legacy Digital charges you by the actual foot transferred. If you have half-full reels, or film can't be converted, you will only pay for the work that was actually done.
- Legacy Digital offers only the highest quality transfers possible. You'll never have to pay someone else to redo our work And we offer our Satisfaction Guarantee on top of that. You can feel comfortable that you'll get exactly what you want with Legacy Digital Productions.
Converting Film Reels to Digital Files
Some companies advertise extremely low prices for video conversion. But did you know the bargain prices aren't usually a bargain? And for a little bit more, you can have your film converted to digital by true professionals?
Some companies will project the film onto a wall and record the film using a digital camcorder. Others use older and outdated equipment.
Some convert film at low resolution and provide you with low resolution files because it's simply faster and cheaper and they need to do it this way to make those low costs profitable.
With Legacy Digital you won't get any of that. You'll get every frame captured individually, and the full frame, not a cropped frame. And with our added grain reduction and color correction, aka color restoration, your digital video files will look like the day they were captured.
We also won't charge you for full reels when your reels aren't full. We charge by the actual foot converted.
So while our costs are marginally more than the others, the results are light years better!
Only pay for:
- Actual film that is captured
Never get or pay for:
- Film that can't be converted
- Partially filled reels
- Redoing work because it wasn't done properly the first time
How much does it cost to convert film to digital?
| Level | Silent film, per foot | Sound film, per foot |
|---|---|---|
| Gold HD HD 1080p frame-by-frame scan | $0.38 | |
| Platinum HD HD plus full color correction and grain reduction | $0.45 | |
| Professional 2K 2K scan with full color correction and grain reduction | $0.55 |
| Reel size | About | Run time | Gold HD | Platinum HD | Professional 2K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3" reel | 50 ft | 3-4 min | $14.00 | $17.50 | $22.50 |
| 4" reel | 100 ft | 7-9 min | $28.00 | $35.00 | $45.00 |
| 5" reel | 200 ft | 14-18 min | $56.00 | $70.00 | $90.00 |
| 6" reel | 300 ft | 21-24 min | $84.00 | $105.00 | $135.00 |
| 7" reel | 400 ft | 28-33 min | $112.00 | $140.00 | $180.00 |
| 9 1/4" reel | 600 ft | 36 min | $168.00 | $210.00 | $270.00 |
| 10" reel | 800 ft | 48 min | $224.00 | $280.00 | $360.00 |
| 12" reel | 1,200 ft | 72 min | $336.00 | $420.00 | $540.00 |
| 13" reel | 1,600 ft | 96 min | $448.00 | $560.00 | $720.00 |
| 15" reel | 2,000 ft | 120 min | $560.00 | $700.00 | $900.00 |
| Technicolor cartridge | 50 ft | $19.00 | $22.50 | $27.50 |
Prices are for silent film; sound film adds $0.10 per foot. Billed by the actual footage we measure.
Nearly 20,000 Happy Clients
Worth the Drive! Exceptional Archival Quality and Service I highly recommend Scott Foster and the team at Legacy Digital Productions. I chose to rent a car and drive out to their Orange County lab based on strong recommendations rather than using a local option, and it was absolutely worth it. What I Liked: Outstanding Quality: The scans of my 400 Kodachrome slides (from 1979) came out completely…
I had hundreds of feet of Super 8 film converted to digital by Legacy Digital and couldn't be happier. Scott, the owner, really knows his stuff, and the whole staff was exceptionally kind to work with. The transfers came out great — clearly a trusted source for this kind of work. I'll be back soon to get a batch of VHS tapes converted too."
I am very pleased with the services provided by Legacy Digital. Scott Foster is professional and kind. He was able to quickly convert old 8mm film to digital, as well as some videos, and the outcome was fantastic. Both my father and my mother greatly enjoyed watching these old films. At the time, my mom was battling vascular dementia, and my father was battling cancer. Since then, my mom has…
Your Film is Degrading
Convert it now before it's too late...
Did you know that every time you play old reel-to-reel films, projectors cause irreversible harm? Reels are dried by the heat from projector bulbs. Projectors also rub against the film, causing scratches on the surface.
Film also has to be carefully preserved to keep them from being lost permanently. Humidity and temperature need to be carefully maintained at just the right level or they will fade and become brittle.
Convert old movie film to digital files w/ Legacy Digital
Preserve your sentimental home movies and easily share them with family and friends by converting them to a digital format that will last forever. We will transfer your old 8mm, Super 8, 16mm, and Technicolor reel-to-reel films and convert them into digital files that look great on any device.
Our industry-leading services are affordable and will preserve your memories for years to come.
- Over 1,000,000 reels of film transferred
- Nearly 20,000 happy clients
- Never lost an item, not once
A little bit about Legacy Digital
For 25 years, Legacy Digital Productions has been trusted to convert films to digital media. Our process is used by some of the most respected institutions in Hollywood, so you know your memories are safe. We treat your film as if it was one of our own home movies.
Don't put it off any longer – trust Legacy Digital to preserve your invaluable film legacy today!
What you get with Legacy Digital!
- Experience the joy of watching your favorite home movies again and again.
- Easily share your old films with family and friends.
- Trust the same process used by the Academy of Motion Pictures.
- Get a high-quality digital conversion that is true to the original film.
Do it right, the first time!
At Legacy Digital, we believe that your old film transfers should be done the right way - the Legacy Digital way. Our team of experts has been reconditioning and converting 8mm, Super 8, 16mm, and Technicolor reel-to-reel films for 25 years. By scanning your film at Full HD or 2K resolution, you can be sure that your final product will be of the highest quality. We also offer grain reduction and accurate color correction services to ensure that your video looks its best.
Our Satisfaction Guarantee
We stand behind every transfer we perform. If you're unhappy with the quality of our work, we'll make every reasonable effort to make it right, at no additional charge. And if another professional service can produce a visibly better transfer from the same originals, we'll match their quality or refund what you paid us for the affected transfer.
See Our Full Satisfaction Guarantee →Have tapes, photos, or slides too?
Everything goes on one drive, in organized folders, so your whole archive lives in one place.
Legacy Digital will go the extra mile for you!
Get an instant quote for your film, or call and talk it through with us.
202 W. Lincoln Ave., Suite A, Orange, CA 92865
Walk-ins Mon to Fri, 8AM to 4PM
Evenings and weekends by appointment
Phones answered 7AM to 7PM, 7 days a week
