Two routes for a VHS recording
The standard DVD listing covers VHS, Super VHS, VHS-C, Video 8, Hi 8 and Mini DV, with up to 2 hours to DVD priced at $20. The file listing names VHS, Super VHS and VHS-C, with up to 2 hours to files priced at $30. These are different published options, so the DVD format list should not be read as confirmation that every camcorder format has the same file-transfer rate.
If you want videos for a computer or an online family archive, ask about the file option first. Confirm the file type, how it will be delivered, and whether any storage media or other charges apply. The quoted lines do not specify tax treatment or a processing time. For tapes longer than two hours, request the applicable charge before agreeing to the work.
Recordings from abroad need their own question
Al-Art Video also publishes a Foreign Standard Conversion option: VHS, Super VHS, VHS-C, Video 8, Hi 8 and Mini DV, up to 2 hours to DVD, for $30. If a relative recorded a wedding or holiday overseas, keep any original labels with the cassette and mention its country of origin when you enquire. The listing does not name the supported foreign standards or give a corresponding file price.
Avoid assuming that a tape which will not play in your current machine is blank. Explain what you know about the recording and let the provider confirm whether it can handle the format. If the cassette is cracked, has a loose section of tape or shows visible contamination, describe that condition before bringing it in. Ask whether assessment or repair is possible rather than trying to open or clean it yourself.
Reels and slides alongside the cassettes
A mixed family collection may need more than a tape transfer. Al-Art Video lists transfers of 8mm and Super 8 film to files, and 16mm film to DVD and files. Its film pages say transfers are done on the premises. The 8mm and Super 8 page quotes 25¢ per foot of film, including splicing and cleaning, and separately lists a Super 8 Sound charge of $40 for up to 2 hours. Ask how those charges apply to your reels.
The slide page also describes transfers of 35mm negatives or slides and says that work is done in house. Those statements concern film and photographic material; they do not establish the handling arrangements for VHS. When asking about a mixed order, separate reels, slides and cassettes in your inventory so the quote reflects each medium. Keep the original sequence of slides or reels where it helps tell the story.
Plan a handover that preserves the context
The published business hours are Tuesday through Friday, 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm, with Saturday, Sunday and Monday closed. Check arrangements before traveling, especially if you need someone else to deliver the collection. A useful first conversation establishes the formats, approximate recorded lengths, desired output, total charges, expected completion date and return of the originals.
Number each cassette and make a simple matching list. Record a label such as “school concert, possibly late nineties” exactly as a clue rather than replacing uncertainty with a precise date. Invite a relative to help identify people or occasions before the information is lost. You can keep that context in your own notes even if it is not part of the transfer service.
Check the files before building your family archive
After receiving digital files, play the beginning, middle and end of each one. Check the sound, compare the contents with your inventory, and note anything unexpected for a follow-up conversation. Keep the tapes and make another copy of the files on separate storage before reorganizing or renaming them. A readable filename and a short note about who appears can make a recording much easier to find later.
Memrial is a separate private family archive for those digital memories after conversion. It does not convert tapes and is not part of Al-Art Video. Its free plan includes 2.0 GB of shared archive storage with no card needed. You can invite relatives, arrange photos and home videos in albums, and add comments or stories. Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates, helping you find a birthday or holiday by year without pretending you know its precise day.
For a family anniversary, upload a home video and use Live Watch Parties to watch together. Playback is synchronized, the host controls play, pause and seek, and relatives nearby or far away can join voice and text chat. The free allowance is 3 hours per month with up to 6 participants. Event Memories offers a secure occasion contribution link: contributors sign in but need no archive membership, their photos and videos collect in the event album, and closing the link keeps the memories.