Redwood City contact details and a San Jose appointment
The provider's San Jose page publishes the Redwood City address at 703 Woodside Rd. Ste 8 and lists hours of Tuesday through Friday, 11am to 6pm, and Saturday, 10am to 1pm. It separately describes its Willow Glen location in San Jose as pickup and drop-off only, with an appointment required to place an order there. Those posted hours should not be treated as Willow Glen appointment availability.
When making contact, state which location you intend to use and ask for the arrangements for that order. The page gives 408-622-1031 for direct questions and also includes (650) 369-4366 in its contact information. Confirm the meeting location before taking irreplaceable recordings out of storage.
Cassette and reel-to-reel are separate orders
Audio Video Workshop publishes audio cassette transfer at $29 per tape and reel-to-reel audio transfer at $75 per tape. These are audio prices, so neither figure provides a basis for estimating VHS conversion. Ask for the total for your actual collection, including any applicable tax, storage media or work needed on damaged tapes, before agreeing to proceed.
Start with a simple inventory that separates cassettes, audio reels and videotapes. Photograph labels and number each item without covering existing writing. Note any broken cases, loose tape or visible deterioration, then ask whether the provider can assess those items. Avoid opening a cassette or trying to repair a reel yourself. If the budget calls for a smaller first order, relatives may help identify which recording contains the voice or occasion everyone most wants to hear again.
Choose an audio output around how you will listen
The cassette order page offers Audio CD, mp3, uncompressed AIFF for Mac and uncompressed WAVE for PC. A separate cassette service page describes CDs or digital files in mp3 or WAVE, with files placed on a USB flash drive supplied either by the customer or the provider. Check which options apply to your order and whether a drive has an additional charge.
Think about the listener before choosing. A CD may suit someone with a familiar player, while files can be copied to compatible devices and backed up. Ask how individual tapes will be named and whether long recordings will be divided into tracks. These are useful order questions rather than promises about the provider's editing service. Keep the original tape numbers in your file names so a family member can trace a recording back to its label.
Resolve the VHS questions before combining a collection
If your main search is for VHS to digital in San Jose, CA, contact Audio Video Workshop with that request explicitly. The published details discussed here establish audio transfer services; they do not establish VHS prices, accepted video formats or video file outputs. A mixed collection needs separate answers for its audio and video items.
For tapes you hope to convert, ask about the exact cassette type, recording system, playback problems and desired output. Describe damage instead of assuming restoration is available. Request an expected completion time for your order and agree how originals will be returned. Decide whether you need files for family sharing, a disc for a particular player, or both, and check compatibility before choosing.
Check the results while the tape labels are still handy
The reel-to-reel service FAQ states that original media comes back with the digitized versions. Confirm the return arrangements for any other service in your order. When collecting, reconcile your numbered inventory against both the originals and the delivered files.
At home, open every file and check the beginning, middle and end. For audio, listen for missing speech or sections; for any converted video, check sound and picture together. Make a note of a problem with its file name and playback time. Keep the original media, even after a successful transfer, and make a second digital copy on a separate drive. A relative listening alongside you may recognize a speaker or date that the label never recorded.
Bring the family's pictures and home videos into Memrial
After conversion, Memrial offers a separate private family archive for digital photos and home videos. It does not convert tapes and is not part of Audio Video Workshop. The free allowance is 2.0 GB shared across the archive, with no card needed. Invite relatives and use Timeline with exact or approximate dates to find memories by year.
For a converted home video, Live Watch Parties synchronize playback with host play, pause and seek controls plus voice and text chat for relatives near or far. Free parties include 3 hours per month and up to 6 participants. For a family reunion, Event Memories provides a secure occasion contribution link: contributors sign in but do not need archive membership, and their photos and videos enter the event album. Closing the link keeps the memories already collected.