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Dellro vs file-transfer links for wedding films
File-transfer links are built to move a large file from one person to another, quickly, and then disappear. A wedding film is a keepsake that a couple will watch for years, so it is better delivered in a branded gallery that streams in up to 4K, plays on the TV and keeps three protected copies of every original.
Most studios start with a transfer link because it is quick and familiar. It works, up to the moment a couple tries to watch their film on the living room TV, shares the link with a grandparent, or comes back a year later to find it has expired. This page compares the two approaches fairly, so you can decide where each one belongs in your workflow.
| File-transfer links | Dellro gallery | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Moving a file once | Delivering a keepsake that is watched for years |
| Link lifetime | Usually expires after days or weeks | Streaming continues for at least three years |
| Watching | Usually download first, then play | Adaptive streaming in up to 4K, starts quickly and steps up |
| On the TV | Often means copying files to a device | Open the TV page, type a 6-character code, watch with the remote |
| Photos | Often a separate link or a single ZIP | Photo sets beside the films, with slideshow and lightbox |
| Branding | Usually the service's own look | Your logo, colours and fonts, plus your own domain from the Studio plan |
| Privacy | Usually anyone with the link | Private draft, open link, password, or personal access per guest |
| Copies kept | Usually removed when the link expires | Three copies, checked weekly and rebuilt if one is damaged |
| Large files | Often capped per transfer | Up to 500 GB per file, resumable uploads |
When a file-transfer link is fine to use
Transfer links are genuinely good at their job. For a one-off handover, they are hard to beat.
- Sending raw footage or project files to a second editor or colourist.
- Passing a single clip to a planner or venue for their own use.
- Handing over files to someone who will archive them on their own drives straight away.
When a delivery gallery is better
The moment the audience is a couple and their families, the job changes. They want to press play, not manage downloads. A Dellro gallery opens like a streaming service, with films in rows and photo sets alongside, and it plays on phones, tablets, laptops and the TV. You can read more about watching on the TV and how 4K film streaming adapts to each connection.
- The couple will watch on the TV. Smart TV browsers, AirPlay and Chromecast are all supported.
- Families will share it. Choose who can open the gallery, from an open link to personal codes for each guest.
- You want it to look like your studio. Studio and Signature plans are white-label with your own domain.
- It needs to last. Originals download for 12 months, then films in 1080p and photos in web size, while streaming continues for at least three years.
How to move over
- 1Create a gallery per weddingStart with one recent wedding so you can see the whole flow end to end before you change your process.
- 2Upload the finished films and photosDrag in the files or a whole folder. Subfolders become photo sets, and uploads resume if the connection drops. See large file uploads.
- 3Choose a layout and your brandingPick one of nine layouts and add your logo, colours and fonts.
- 4Set privacy and downloadsDecide who can open it and whether films and photos can be downloaded.
- 5Send the linkUse a delivery email template, or schedule a Premiere with a countdown on paid plans.
If you still need to send raw files to collaborators, keep your transfer link for that. For the couple, the gallery is the delivery. Our guide on how to deliver a wedding film walks through the full process, or see pricing to compare plans.
Questions
- Can I still let couples download their wedding film?
- Yes. Studios choose whether films and photos can be downloaded. Original files are downloadable for 12 months from gallery creation; after that, films download in 1080p and photos in web size.
- Does a Dellro gallery link expire?
- Streaming continues for at least three years. While a studio is a member of a film plan, galleries are kept for life (Photo plan galleries stay online for 3 years from creation, then are archived and restorable on request), and a quiet note in the gallery shows the download date.
- How large a file can I upload?
- Up to 500 GB per file. Uploads go in parts and resume after a dropped connection or a closed browser when you add the same file again.
- Can the couple watch on their TV without downloading?
- Yes. They open the TV page in a smart TV's web browser, type the 6-character code into the gallery on their phone, and watch with the remote. AirPlay and Chromecast also work from the player.