DiJiFi Review: What Can You Expect From This Digitizing Service?

When you search for a professional digitizing service for converting your vintage media, DiJifi service is one of the names that will pop out. This service may not be familiar to most people, but it is a reputable digitizing company and highly rated by its customers.

In this review, we’ll take a more detailed look at this service and find out what this digitizing company can offer. We’ll also compare it to one of the more prominent names in this business, iMemories.

The List of Old Media That DiJiFi Converts to Digital:

• Photos: Up to 14X20 inches
• Slides: Standard and super slides
• Negatives: 35mm, 110, APS, 126
• Old films: 16mm, 8mm, Super 8
• Special films: 9.5mm, 17.5mm, 22mm, 28mm, microfilm, smaller reels
• Videotapes Standard: VHS, VHS-C, S-VHS, Video8, Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV, MicroMV
• Videotapes Professional: U-Matic, Betacam, Betacam SP, DVCAM, Digibeta, HDCAM, Betamax, DVCPRO, TDK
• Digital Media: DVD, MiniDVD, Laser Disc
• Audio: Reel-to-reel, Vinyl record, DAT, ADAT, Microcassette, Audio cassette, MiniDisk

How Does DiJiFi Service Work?

With most digitizing services, we have encountered a straightforward ordering process with media processing prices displayed on the website and what media you can get back to you. So from the start, DiJiFi is not similar to any of the services in terms of ordering.

Their website only shows what services they offer and how to contact them. There are no displayed prices, the only way to know it is by requesting a free general price estimate for each media. It appears a little bit too complicated compared to other services.

Other services will show you the prices of services they provide, and some will even offer prepaid boxes where you fill them up with your media and send them back to service for conversion. These boxes are usually crush-proof to keep your old media safe during shipping.

The primary source of getting your question answered is by contacting them via a contact form, email, and phone number. We sent an email to DiJiFi customer support for media prices and how to make the order, and they answered it very quickly. But oh boy, are you in for a surprise.

Step one: Shipping Your Order To The Service

The email that DiJiFi sent us says that you can deliver media in two ways. First, you can drop off your media at their facility from Monday to Friday between 10 am and 6 pm; no appointment is required. 

The second way is by shipping to their facility using the attached forms that they will provide you via email. They also stated that they offer to pick up and deliver in the metro NYC area for $60 round trip, and this feature is complimentary for orders over $500.

If you decide to ship your media, use carriers that give a tracking number to better track where it is. Also, while packing your media, use zip-lock bags and bubble wrap to secure any loose items in the shipping box. 

Note: You stay responsible for packaging media and ensuring the media arrive safely at the service facility. So take your time and pack your media as best you can.

Besides shipping options and prices, the email includes the “DiJiFi Order Information Form” and “Credit/Debit Card Authorization Form” in PDF file.

In the “DiJiFi Order Information Form,” you will be asked what digital copy you want to receive. 

You can choose from:

• Your own USB drive that you shipped with media
• USB drive provided from service (Additional charge)
• File Upload
• CD
• DVD
• Blu-ray

Step Two: Digitizing Process

Photo Digitization

For photos, DiJiFi offers different resolutions and levels of service to fulfill their customer’s needs. They can also edit and improve old images. As for the scan resolution quality, they offer these options:

• Raw – This means they take the best possible scan from the photo without any additional enhancements.
• Direct – With this, photos are scanned without enhancement, but rotation and hand-cropping unwanted borders are applied in digital form.
• Complete – Compared to the first two, this option adds color and contrast adjustments and removes the photo’s dust, hair, and defects.
• Resolution – With this, you have two options to choose from, which are standard and full resolution. In the standard resolution, you’ll get basic details from your image. Full resolution, however, will capture every detail of the picture.

Besides these options, you can also pick image restoration for the photos with heavy damage. They can restore them to their original state and make them like when they were new.

You can even send the whole album for scanning. For this service, you will be charged $0.30 per photo, and DiJiFi will return each image to the album after scanning. 

All scans that DiJiFi makes of photos, slides, and negatives are in JPEG format, but you can also request TIFF or both TIFF and JPEG for an additional cost.

Videotapes Digitization

DiJiFi converts all videotapes into MP4 files, and you can also request ProRes 4222 or 4444 files for an additional $5 per file.

Transfer costs $25 for a 1-hour tape for each consumer-grade videotape (VHS/Hi8/MiniDV/NTSC/PAL) and $44 for a 2-hour tape.

You can receive these files on an external drive that you provide with your order or an external drive you purchase from DiJiFi. You can also order playable DVDs for an additional cost. They can burn you a CD/DVD for $20/each.

Transfer cost for professional-grade videotape (Betacam/HDcam/DVcam/Betamax and Umatic tapes) is $50 per one-hour tape and $22 for the second hour of content. 

For rare tapes, transfer (Helical scan and high definition professional grade tapes) costs $75 per 1-hour tape or $99 for up to two hours of content and $26 for each additional hour after that.

DiJiFi also offers videotape repair for $35 per tape. If you send the blank tape for transfer by mistake, they will charge you a $6 blank tape fee.

Old Films Digitizing

When it comes to old films, DiJiFi offers multiple levels of conversion: direct, complete, and archival. All levels include inspection, cleaning, and lubricating of the film. 

Direct service includes cropping to remove perforations from the edges of the visible area. Complete service includes direct service plus basic color correction, and archival service is just a scan with visible perforations. All film types are converted into standard MP4 files.

You can also convert films into higher-quality formats for an additional charge like:

• ProRes 422 HQ in .mov file cost $0.10 per feet
• ProRes 4444 HQ in .mov file cost $0.16 per feet
• AVI HD in .avi file costs $0.16 per feet
• For extra cleaning, they charge $0.22 per feet
• Film editing services per hour costs $85

For 9.5mm, 17.5mm, 22mm, and 27mm films, you need to call the service and discuss prices and projects with the Film Manager.

Audio Digitization

They scan audio at two different levels. With their Raw level, they transfer the audio as is. With Complete, they clean the audio of any additional outside noises such as crackling, popping, or static that were not intentional to the recording. This service creates a single file per side.

Audio Cassettes Price:

• Audio Cassette Raw Service – both sides $28
• Audio Cassette Complete Service – both sides $35

Audio Reels Price:

• From 3″ to 5″ reel, Raw audio costs $27 and Complete $37
• From 5″ to 7″ reel, Raw audio costs $37 and Complete $47
• From 7″ to 10″ reel, Raw audio costs $42 and Complete $52

DiJiFi Payments and Media Transfer Prices

They do not take payments through their website, and for orders under $100, they do not require full payment until the order is complete. However, for orders over $100, they will charge you a 30% deposit before beginning the order, which is applied to the final total once the order is complete.

There are no prices on the website as they say because, from their experience, it wasn’t a good solution, so they removed it. However, by contacting them, they will provide you with every piece of information that you need.

iMemories – One Of The Top Rated Digitizing Services

Like DiJiFi, iMemories is a company that offers digitizing services for old media formats like videotapes, films, and photos.

Analog media that iMemories accepts:

• Old movie films: 8mm, 16mm, Super 8
• Videotapes: Betamax, VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, Digital 8, MiniDV, MicroMini
• Photos, Negatives, and Slides
• Digital Media: DVDs, MiniDVD

iMemories Advantages Compared to DiJiFi?

Ordering and Shipping

iMemories has one of the easiest ways to make an order and ship media to the service. All service prices are shown on the website and other important pieces of information you may need.

The first step is to order an iMemories SafeShip Kit, a crush-proof box with protective materials for safe media packaging, and a prepaid shipping label. When you receive the safe ship kit, fill it up with your old media. Then, on the outer part of the box, stick the prepaid shipping label and take the box to the nearest FedEx. With iMemories, you are getting free shipping.

DiJiFi has a complicated ordering process, and they don’t offer any shipping kit. Instead, you need to contact their service to ask for service prices and how you can send your media.

Payments

With iMemories, you have all prices displayed on the website, and they accept payments through their website. Also, their service prices are much lower compared to DiJiFi overall.

DiJiFi service prices are not shown on the website, and you must contact their support for them to send you prices. This is because they don’t take payments through the website. Instead, you need to print the form they send you in the email, write the Credit/Debit Card info, and send it with your media.

Digital Copy Of Your Media

iMemories offers the following digital copy options:

• Free digital download with every order
• DVDs for 19.99 
• Blu-ray for 19.99
• Flash Drive from $39.99 up to $99.99
• Portable Hard Drive 1TB for $199.99
• iMemories Cloud $7.99 per month or $49.99 per year

DiJiFi offers the following digital copy options:

• Transfer to USB that you provide with media
• USB drive with purchase
• CD
• DVD
• Blu-ray
• File Upload

Note: We did not find the exact price of digital copies for DiJiFi.

Turnaround Time

iMemories typically takes around 2 to 3 weeks to complete your order, depending on the type and amount of media you send.

DiJiFi’s turnaround time is 1 to 2 weeks for small orders and 7 to 9 weeks for most large orders, depending on quantity and type of media. If you are in a hurry or have a deadline, you can speed up the process for an extra fee.

Customers Reviews

We researched DiJiFi and iMemories customer reviews and found that both companies have excellent ratings on most reviews sites and customers highly recommend using their services. For a more detailed comparison of customer ratings, check our table below.

Final Words

iMemories is a much more user-friendly and affordable service when compared to DiJiFi. Their website displays all prices and important information, whereas you need to contact DiJiFi for this type of information. In addition, iMemories offers free shipping, which DiJiFi does not. Overall, we believe that iMemories provides an easier and cheaper option for digitizing old media. 

DiJiFi is a great company with an intricate ordering process. If you are patient and have time to wait for your order, then their services will also be an excellent choice. However, if you are in a hurry or need your order sooner, then iMemories is a faster and more affordable choice. 

In the end, it’s up to you so think carefully about what you want. I hope this review has helped you and if you have any questions feel free to ask down in the comments.