Decide between a DVD and a digital file first
For video tape to digital file, Any & All Media publishes $12 per footage hour plus $3 per tape, with a $5 file load charge or file loading included with a flash drive purchase. Ask for a quote based on your tape count and recorded running time, and confirm how the footage hour charge is calculated. The flash drive's purchase price and tax treatment are not specified in these details.
Its tape to DVD pricing covers VHS, 8mm, VHS-C and DV. One tape to one DVD is listed at $20 for one hour or less, or $25 for over one hour onto the same DVD. Combining two or more tapes onto one DVD is listed at $20 for the first tape and $5 for each additional tape, up to 2:40 real time, with a menu button for each tape. Confirm the arrangement before grouping recordings.
Choose according to how the recording will be used. A DVD can suit someone who wants to use a disc player; a digital file gives you something to copy, name and upload to a private archive. If both matter, ask about obtaining both and the total cost.
Separate camcorder tapes from film reels
The transfer list includes VHS, VHS-C, Hi8, Digital 8mm, Betamax, DV and HDV, as well as PAL/SECAM VHS/8. It separately identifies 8mm, Super 8 and 16mm films, plus slides, photos, negatives and several audio formats. This breadth makes the exact label on each item useful when requesting a quote.
An 8mm camcorder cassette and an 8mm film reel are different items. Keep reels, audio recordings and photographs in separate groups so the service and charge are clear. Make a short inventory with an item number, the format printed on its case and any handwritten description. Photograph labels before handing anything over. A relative may recognize a name or destination even when you cannot identify the recording's year.
Choose files that fit your family's viewing plans
Any & All Media's published partial file-format list includes .mov, .mp4, .mp3, .wav, .avi, .wmv and .mp4a. That list spans video and audio; it does not establish that every extension is offered for every transfer. Ask which video format would be delivered for your tapes and whether it plays on the devices your family uses.
Discuss whether each tape becomes one file or whether recordings can be split, and ask about file naming and delivery. These choices affect how easily you can find a particular school concert or birthday later. If a tape has a cracked shell, visible mold or a history of playback problems, describe that before bringing it in and ask whether it can be assessed. Do not attempt playback simply to measure its length.
Call before visiting the Monona office
The website gives the address as 4915 Monona Drive Suite 114, Monona, WI 53716. Published hours are Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm, and Saturday, 10am to 4pm. The contact page specifically asks customers to call ahead in case staff have been called offsite. Use that conversation to confirm current hours, your formats, the quote and an expected completion date.
Before agreeing to the work, ask how originals will be returned. Once files arrive, compare them with your inventory and check the beginning, middle and end of each recording, including the sound. Keep the original tapes and retain a separate backup of the digital files.
Make the transferred recordings easy to revisit
After conversion, Memrial offers a separate private family archive for photos and home videos. It does not convert tapes and is not part of Any & All Media. You can invite relatives, arrange albums and add comments or stories. The free allowance is 2.0 GB shared across the archive, with no card needed; check your file sizes when deciding what to upload.
Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates, helping you find memories by year even when a cassette says only summer vacation. A Live Watch Party synchronizes an uploaded home video, with the host controlling play, pause and seek while relatives near or far use voice or text chat. Free Watch Parties include 3 hours per month and up to 6 participants.
For a reunion, Event Memories provides a secure occasion contribution link. Contributors sign in but do not need archive membership, and their photos and videos collect in the event album. Closing the link keeps the memories already contributed.