Separate VHS prices from the camcorder formats
Accord lists VHS/VHS-C transfers at $15.00 each tape, with PAL at $30.00 each tape. Its other published tape rates are $20.00 each for MiniDV, $25.00 each for Digital 8, and $55.00 each for Umatic 3/4. These are distinct format prices, so counting every cassette as VHS would give a misleading budget.
Make a short inventory using the wording printed on each cassette, then note any uncertainty. If a tape came from overseas, mention that when asking whether the PAL rate applies. Request a total for your actual collection and chosen outputs, including any taxes or additional charges. The published figures do not settle those details or establish a recording-duration cap. Give Accord your intended viewing date and ask for a completion estimate before planning a family screening.
Choose between a disc, files, or both
The tape-transfer page explicitly offers DVD or a digital file or both. It also says USB drives are not included: customers may supply their own or buy one from Accord. Ask what capacity a supplied drive needs, what file type you will receive, and whether your requested combination of outputs affects the quote.
For relatives who use a disc player, DVD may be convenient. Digital files are useful when you want to make backup copies, organize recordings, or share them through a private archive. Keep the original delivered files intact and make separate copies for editing. If you expect to upload them, check compatibility with your intended archive before placing the order.
Reels and photographs have their own pricing
Accord also publishes film and photo transfer services. Its 8mm film rate is $4 per minute with a $125 minimum on all 8mm film; 16mm film is $5 per minute with a $125 minimum on all 16mm film. Those rates concern film reels, not videotapes. For reels with unknown running times, Accord invites customers to bring them in for an estimate of how much footage they contain.
Published scanning rates are $0.50 per 35mm slide, $0.50 per photo negative image, and $0.50 per scanned photo. Photo/slide naming costs an additional $0.50 per photo or slide when the originals are labeled. If photographs accompany a video collection, preserve their captions before handing anything over. Names and approximate dates can later connect a still photograph to a scene in a home movie.
Prepare the handover and check the results
Give each tape a simple identifier and photograph its label. Keep a matching list of titles, possible dates, and anything unusual about the cassette. If you see mold, a cracked shell, or loose tape, describe the problem and ask about assessment before trying to play it. Damage should prompt a question about what is possible, not an assumption that restoration is included.
Agree on how original tapes will be returned. When the files arrive, compare them with your inventory, sample the beginning, middle, and end, and listen for sound. Check that important scenes are present. Keep the physical originals and at least one separate digital backup. A relative who remembers the occasion can help identify people and dates without changing the master file.
Turn transferred footage into a private family archive
Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital memories after conversion; it does not convert tapes and is not part of Accord's service. Its free plan includes 2.0 GB of shared archive storage, with no card needed. Invite relatives, gather photos and home videos into albums, and add comments or stories. Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates, helping you find memories by year even when a cassette label only says 'summer in the early nineties'.
A Live Watch Party synchronizes an uploaded home video, with the host controlling play, pause, and seeking while relatives nearby or far away use voice or text chat. The free allowance is 3 hours per month with up to 6 participants. For a reunion, Event Memories provides a secure occasion contribution link. Contributors sign in but do not need archive membership; photos and videos collect in the event album. Closing the link keeps the memories already contributed.