Start with the VHS and VHS-C DVD option
The published Simple Transfer is a straight copy from the source tape to DVD, described as being transferred as is. This particular option is available only for VHS and VHS-C tapes. The listed minimum charge is £23.50, with the first two hours of video priced at £23.50 and each additional hour, or part hour, at £11.75.
Use those figures to frame an enquiry, especially when you have several tapes with uncertain running times. Ask how the two-hour allowance applies to your collection and request a total covering the output you want. The quoted description does not establish a VAT position. An as-is copy also makes it sensible to discuss any playback problems before expecting corrections or editing.
Choose the output around how you will watch
Blow By Blow Productions says video can be transferred to DVD or to a memory stick or external hard drive. That gives you a useful conversation to have before accepting the DVD-based Simple Transfer price as the price for a file-based job. Confirm the charge for your chosen delivery method, the file format, and whether you should supply storage.
A DVD may suit relatives who already use a disc player. Files are useful when you want to keep additional copies, organise recordings by date or upload them to a private family archive. Ask for a format that works on your intended devices. Try one returned recording on the computer or television you will actually use before arranging a larger batch.
Arrange a handover before moving the tapes
The business explains that it tries to avoid post or dispatch companies for precious family materials. Where possible, it arranges direct collection or delivery by the owner or a proxy. Treat that as a reason to agree the practical arrangements first, rather than assuming a collection service covers every address or that you can arrive without arranging it.
Make a short inventory with a number for each tape and photograph the labels. Keep boxes and tapes together, and note anything you already know about a recording fault. If a cassette has visible mould, a broken shell or a damaged tape, ask how it should be handled before attempting playback or cleaning. Agree a completion estimate and how the originals will be returned.
Separate cine reels and audio from the video quote
A mixed family collection may need more than one type of transfer. Blow By Blow Productions also describes work with 8mm, 9.5mm and 16mm cine reels, offering DVD, mpeg4 or other digital formats. Its cine details include cleaning and colour correction, while films with an optical or magnetic soundtrack carry a 25% surcharge. These are cine provisions; they should not be assumed to apply to VHS.
Audio cassette to audio CD transfer is listed at £15.50 per cassette. Reel-to-reel audio has a £36.00 per-tape guide price and includes MP3 and a WAV master. Keep reels, audio cassettes and video tapes as separate entries in your inventory so the business can quote for the actual media rather than a single undifferentiated box.
Check the result while the labels are still handy
When the recordings return, compare them with your inventory. Check the start, middle and end of each video, listen to the sound and make sure the file opens properly. Keep a note of any issue to discuss with the provider. Hold on to the originals, even after you have watched the digital versions, and keep a second digital copy on separate storage.
Relatives can help identify people, places and approximate years. Record uncertain details as uncertain instead of turning guesses into dates. A descriptive title such as a family name, occasion and approximate year can be more useful than a cassette number alone. Preserve the number too, so you can trace a file back to its original tape.
Bring relatives into the converted recordings with Memrial
Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital memories after conversion. It does not convert physical tapes and is not part of Blow By Blow Productions. Its free plan provides 2.0 GB of shared archive storage, with no card needed. Upload photos and home videos, arrange albums and invite relatives to add comments and stories. Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates, helping everyone find memories by year.
Live Watch Parties synchronise an uploaded home video, with the host controlling play, pause and seeking while relatives nearby or far away use voice and text chat. The free allowance is three hours per month with up to six participants. For a family anniversary, Event Memories provides a secure contribution link: contributors sign in but need no archive membership. Their photos and videos enter the event album, and closing the link keeps those memories.