How to Enjoy Your Old Home Movies with Today’s Technology
There’s nothing quite like seeing your loved ones and hearing their voices from decades ago. However, film reels and tapes degrade over time, so memories left on old technology are at risk of being lost forever. Converting them to digital (MP4) files ensures they’re preserved for you and future generations. Once digitized, there are many ways to watch, share, and preserve your movie files. Our clients often ask for guidance on this, so we’ve compiled a list of options for you. This list is by no means exhaustive, but we’ve found these methods work best for our clients.
But first…backup!
After your home movies have been converted to digital files, the first thing to do is back them up. If you received the files via a link, download them to your computer and back them up to another drive. If you received a USB Drive or External Hard Drive with the files, copy them to your computer and/or another drive. Keep in mind the 3-2-1 backup program as you decide how and where to back up your home movies:
We recommend Backblaze as an offsite backup of all the files on your computer and external hard drives.
Consider Your Goals
Before deciding on the best option for storing and viewing your movie files, consider these questions.
Do you want to:
watch the movies on your computer?
play them on your smartphone or tablet?
gather around the TV with family and watch the movies together?
share movies with friends and family by providing a cloud link for easy viewing?
provide USB Drives to friends and family with a copy of the files?
ensure your movies are stored and viewable in a secure and private platform?
Keep your answers to these questions in mind as you review the following options to help you find the best match for your needs.
How to watch and share your home movies
On a computer
Simply double-click on a movie file on your computer or an attached external device, and it should open and play using your computer’s built-in media player. If you are not interested in storing and sharing your home movies in the cloud, you could prepare additional USB or external hard drives for family members and backups.
Pros:
simple
you don’t need internet access to watch your movies
Cons:
more of a solo activity and less conducive to group viewing
not backed up to the cloud
allows for storing and viewing, but not sharing (unless gifting USB drives, but then you might consider sharing this article so your family can learn how to watch the movies, too!)
computer + cloud storage and casting
Many more viewing options become available if you add your movies to a cloud service that allows you to store, share, and access your files from any device, such as iCloud, DropBox, or OneDrive. Once your files are in the cloud, use the cloud service’s app to access a movie on your smart phone, and then “cast” or “stream” the video to another device like your computer or SmartTV. If on an iPhone, you can cast videos using AirPlay; on an Android, use the casting feature.
Another way to cast videos from your phone or tablet to your TV is to use a streaming media player, like Roku®, Chromecast™, or Amazon Fire TV™ stick.
Learn how to cast your iPhone or Android to your TV or use streaming media players.
Pros:
most cloud services allow for viewing, storage, and sharing
avoid a learning curve if you are already familiar with sharing documents or photos with a particular cloud service
can enjoy movies on your SmartTV
Cons:
slight learning curve if you’ve never used a cloud file-sharing service and/or casting
Third-Party Streaming App/Service
A video streaming app offers more convenience for access across multi-platform devices and sharing with others. Generally, you’ll find a smoother playback as compared to casting, especially for longer videos. Most streaming apps automatically optimize video playback for the best quality, while AirPlay can sometimes compress video or have a drop in resolution, depending on the connection. Third-party apps also allow you to easily share links to your home movies with others, and they can watch from their own devices without needing to mirror or stream through your device.
Here are two streaming apps/services that we’ve used and like:
Projector App
Projector App allows you to stream your home movies, videos, and photos on your SmartTV with a fun and easy interface that feels just like your favorite streaming service. Projector App works with Roku, Apple TV, Google TV, and Amazon Fire, as well as the Samsung Smart TV App (may not work on older Samsung models). You can also watch your movies from the Projector App website or on your mobile phone/tablet app (Apple & Android). Build your own Projector site here, or contact us to custom-build your Projector site. Learn more about Projector here. Save 50% off the 1st years subscription for Projector for Save Your Photo’s Month by using promo code SYPM50 by September 30, 2024.
Pros
if you are used to streaming apps like Netflix or others, this will feel very familiar
attractive platform
Cons
requires set up time
annual subscription
allows for viewing and sharing, but not a storage site for your videos
FOREVER.com Video Streaming
FOREVER is a private, permanent cloud storage site where you can easily store, view, edit, annotate, and share your photos and videos with friends and family. Consider this your legacy site; it's a one-time purchase and then you own the space for generations. Once you purchase storage, you can safely store photos and videos, and with a streaming subscription, you and your family can stream the videos right from the platform on your smart phone, tablet, or TV with the FOREVER app. Click here to try out FOREVER with a free 2GB Storage Account and receive a $20 coupon to use for storage or other FOREVER products & services.
Pros
private; no ads or data mining
allows for storage, viewing, and sharing
storage is a one-time fee; no fear of losing your videos because of a subscription lapse
streaming plan can be turned on and off at your discretion (videos are always safely stored in your account, but you can choose when to have streaming added to your account. For instance, you could pay for a month of streaming during a family reunion, but otherwise, just store the videos for safekeeping without streaming turned on.)
Cons
streaming is a premium feature so requires a monthly or yearly subscription, unless you purchase permanent streaming
Plug a USB Drive into your Smart TV
Most smart TVs have USB ports but may not automatically play movies from a drive. Playback depends on the TV model and the USB's file system. FAT32 is widely supported but limits files to 4GB. For larger files, use exFAT or NTFS, depending on your TV. For example, Sony typically supports FAT32 and exFAT, while Samsung supports FAT32 and NTFS. Refer to your TV's manual for compatibility. Note that reformatting a USB will erase its contents, so back up any important files first.
Pros:
plug and play; allows viewing movies on TV without storing them in a separate program or platform
Cons:
connecting external devices to your TV may require additional steps, and finding the right settings can be time-consuming and frustrating
only for viewing; does not provide storage or sharing options
Hopefully one of these options will suit your needs to view and share your home movies. All that’s left is to grab some popcorn and enjoy a movie night reliving cherished memories with your loved ones!
