Start with the format, then the quotation
The published VHS and S-VHS entry offers an MP4 viewing file, with ProRes optional, from £12.99. Betamax is listed separately, also with MP4 and optional ProRes, from £14.99. These are starting prices. The entries do not establish a duration allowance, VAT treatment or the final cost of your particular order, so describe the number of tapes, their labelled running times and the output you want when requesting a quotation.
There are specific entries for less familiar video formats too. Philips Video 2000 or V2000 is listed from £24.99 per side, with an MP4 viewing file and optional ProRes. U-matic low-band, high-band and SP transfers start from £24.99, with ProRes, DNxHD, MP4 or custom deliverables. If a cassette has an unfamiliar label, send a clear photograph rather than assuming it should be priced as VHS.
A mixed collection can need several different outputs
The service list extends beyond videotape. Standard 8 or Regular 8 and Super 8 cine film each start from £9.99 per reel, with an MP4 viewing copy and optional ProRes. The Super 8 entry includes silent or magnetic sound film. Audio cassette transfers are listed from £12.99, with WAV, FLAC, MP3 or audio CD choices, while mounted slides start from £0.30 each for high-resolution JPEG or TIFF.
Keep these categories separate in your inventory. A reel, a slide and a videotape have different pricing units and different uses once digitised. A simple list can record the format, the wording on the label and the person who owns it. Ask relatives which recordings matter most before committing the whole collection, especially when handwritten labels leave several possible birthdays or holidays to choose between.
Choose a viewing copy you will actually use
AV Transfers UK lists USB, hard drive and secure download among its delivery choices, together with MP4 viewing files and professional preservation masters. Its broader deliverable list includes ProRes, DNxHD, WAV and custom options. For the VHS entry specifically, MP4 is the published viewing format and ProRes is optional. Discuss the file choice before ordering, particularly if you plan to edit footage as well as share it.
As general guidance, an accessible viewing copy and a larger master can serve different purposes. Check which devices your family will use and whether your editing software accepts the proposed master. Ask about expected file sizes and any extra cost for alternative outputs or storage media. A file that is convenient to watch today should still be accompanied by a clear plan for keeping a second copy.
Arrange the handover and protect the context
The website invites customers to post their media, drop it off in Borehamwood or discuss a large or unusual project first. Confirm the handover arrangements and expected completion date directly before sending anything. A published delivery method does not tell you how long conversion will take or how an individual damaged cassette will be handled.
Number each item and photograph the labels, including notes on the reverse of cases. Keep that record yourself and provide a matching inventory. Mention visible damage or suspected mould and ask what assessment is possible; avoid trying a doubtful tape in an old player. When the files return, check the beginning, middle and end, listen for sound and match each file to its original. Retain the tapes and keep backups in separate places.
Let relatives add the dates and stories afterwards
Once the recordings are digital, Memrial provides a separate private family archive for photos and home videos. It does not convert physical tapes and is not part of AV Transfers UK. The free allowance is 2.0 GB shared across the archive, with no card needed. Compare that allowance with your returned file sizes when deciding which memories to upload first.
Invite relatives to help identify people and places, then add exact or approximate dates. Timeline lets the family find memories by year even when nobody remembers the precise day. A guessed summer holiday year is often more useful than leaving an otherwise recognisable recording without any date at all.
Live Watch Parties synchronise an uploaded home video, with the host controlling play, pause and seek while relatives nearby or far away use voice and text chat. The free plan includes three hours per month and up to six participants. For a reunion, Event Memories provides 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 retains those memories.