My business has just received two new jobs which are uncharted territory to me. I have never done anything like this before, to some point it’s frightening. It’s also something new that I can add to my list of products and services offered.
My aunt Laura, whom I’ve been emailing with quite frequently lately had a request for me. As her nephew, I was more than honored to do it for her, even at no cost. When she offered to pay me, it just made things better. She has 13, 8 track cassettes she wants transferred to CD. Why you say? They must have some sentimental value to her, which I understand completely. I miss that tape of ABC (Another Bad Creation) that I had when I was 10 or so.
The first step was acquiring equipment to handle the task. I searched on eBay and contacted other family members to see if they had working 8 track players. eBay can be a scary place if you’re not 100% sure on what you need. I found a standalone player for sale by the original owner. That’s always been the most reliable source of items in my case. There are many re-sellers that don’t know the history behind a item, which is good to know when that item is 30+ years old.
It’s a Realistic brand (sold by Radio-Shack) in very nice condition. I have no tapes to actually test it, but if physical condition shows anything, it’s pristine.
The tapes should be on their way from Oklahoma soon, after I finish a job which has a precise timeline, I will start on those. I’ll write an update on completion.
The second job, I highly regard. I have been trying to become an independent contractor for Indiana University for a while. I put a bid in at the Kelley School of Business MBA Program a year ago. I was asked again for a bid last week.
This project originally was to transfer 160 VHS tapes to AVI format to be then put onto DVD’s. It was then discovered that the tapes were actually DVCAM and BetaCam SP tapes.
I immediately thought that I had lost this chance due to the high cost associated with the equipment. DVCAM and BetaCam SP are professional grade formats, which come with a professional price. For the price of 2 players, you can purchase a nice car. I looked into renting, but that was almost as bad. $75 per day for DVCAM and $250 per day for BetaCam SP.
I was reassured by the person requesting the bid that I didn’t have to put in a bid since the scope of the project had changed, but I didn’t want to tuck my tail between my legs and run. So I calculated the prices of renting the equipment for the time I would need it and other associated costs and sent my bid.
I was in shock and awe when 2 days later she said she wanted to proceed with my bid. I’ve finally succeeded with getting my foot in the door, but will I perform when my business and reputation are on the line?
I’ve been working on a few technical issues regarding this. I found and purchased a brand new BetaCam SP Player for $500 today on eBay. The MSRP on this model is $6200! Far cheaper than renting one, I just hope I didn’t get duped. One unknown is how long each one of these tapes are, and they want them in AVI format. I’ve been working with some test files to see the best way to make ’em fit onto 4.7 GB DVDs. It’s been unsuccessful to say the least. It seems the more I try, the larger the file size gets. I’ve been working in a range of 10 gigs to 60 gigs, for the same file!
I’ve decided to use a test file (ROX #41) and render in different formats and codecs. I’m going to furnish this list of information and let them decide exactly what they want. I don’t use AVI that much, and I believe it’s highly inferior to QuickTime format. Hopefully I can get them to come around.
In the end, I hope to deliver what my new client wants and more. I hope this can build a reputation for me, and in the end, expand more.