Scanning companies will digitize your old photos, fast

MILWAUKEE -- Many of us have old photos sitting around in boxes - but what good are they now that we are looking at pictures on our TVs, tablets and phones? It's a great time to make them digital!

There are several options - you can scan them yourself or have a company do the hard work for you.

We talked to one of the nation's largest photo scanning companies, ScanMyPhotos.com, based in Irvine, California. They can scan hundreds of photos in seconds thanks to some high powered scanning machines. CEO Mitch Goldstone says he wants to "digitize every picture in the country."

The company digitizes upwards of three hundred thousand photos every day and can scan up to three hundred photos a minute. Although you're sending your precious memories through the mail, ScanMyPhotos says they have not lost any photos. You even have the option to drop them off by hand - Goldstone says many tourists visiting Disneyland will do just that because their facility is in close proximity to the Happiest Place on Earth.

Of course, you can always scan in your photos yourself at home. This will take a lot longer but you have control over the entire process. If you go this route I recommend a scanner from a company named Doxie.

One big decision you'll have to make is the resolution to scan your photos in at. Usually you have a choice of 300 or 600 DPI. 300 DPI is best for viewing photos on your TV, computer and tablet screens, plus emailing and sharing to social networks. 600 DPI will result in a better file with more information in it, so your photos will look better if you plan to print them out again down the road.

Whatever method or company you choose, your #TBT's will never be the same.