DVD and MP4 serve different plans
Dejavu publishes both video-to-DVD transfer and tape-to-MP4 conversion on a flash drive. A DVD can suit someone who already uses a disc player and wants a familiar way to watch. MP4 files are a useful starting point for keeping computer copies, organizing recordings and uploading selected home videos to a private archive. Think about the eventual viewer before deciding: a relative who watches discs may want a different result from the person maintaining the family files.
Ask what files or discs the completed order will contain, whether each tape stays together as one recording, and what you need to supply. For MP4, ask about compatibility with your intended device. These are planning questions rather than published promises about file structure, flash drive provision or editing.
Read the price beside the duration
The video transfer page lists a $25 minimum for tape-to-DVD or flash drive conversion. Its DVD price is $45 for 2 hours of video conversion, while MP4 on a flash drive is listed at $35 for 2 hours. The page also publishes $0.35 per minute thereafter. Before placing an order, confirm how that additional-minute rate applies to your selected output and how recordings across several tapes are charged.
The useful comparison is the complete quote for your collection. List your tapes and any known running times, then ask for a total that identifies the output, any storage media charges and applicable tax. Published figures do not establish the final bill for an unknown collection, and they should not be read as a processing-time promise.
Arrange the handover before bringing tapes
Dejavu asks customers to call for an appointment and advertises free pickup and delivery. Confirm the arrangements for your address and order, including where the handover will happen and when to expect the originals back. The published pickup offer does not define a service boundary or a completion schedule.
Before handing anything over, give each tape a simple reference number and photograph its existing label. Note uncertain dates, the people you recognize and any playback problems you remember. Keep fragile or visibly damaged tapes aside and ask whether they can be assessed; avoid testing them repeatedly in an unreliable player. A short inventory gives both you and the person handling the order a clear way to match returned recordings to their originals.
Keep audio and photo jobs distinct
A mixed collection may need more than video conversion. Dejavu describes audio transfer to CD with a custom printed label or to a flash drive, and mentions MP3 among its audio formats. Its cassette-audio price is $35.00 for the first 90 minutes and $.30 per minute thereafter. Those figures concern audio cassettes, so they should stay separate from your video estimate.
For print and slide scanning, the business publishes 1200 DPI JPEG scanning and rates starting at $2 per scan. Ask for separate quantities and output details for each medium. Sorting photographs from video tapes before requesting a quote makes it easier to understand which service and price belong to which part of the collection.
Check the transfer while labels are still handy
When digital recordings come back, sample the beginning, middle and end of each file or disc. Check that the picture and sound are present and that the recording matches the tape label. Raise missing sections or other concerns while your inventory is close at hand.
Keep an untouched copy of delivered files before renaming or editing working copies. Store another copy separately, retain the original tapes, and invite a relative to help identify people and dates. A guess recorded as approximate is more useful than a confident date that later turns out to be wrong.
Use the MP4 files to bring relatives together
Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital memories after conversion. It does not convert tapes. Its free plan provides 2.0 GB of shared archive storage with no card needed. Upload selected photos and home videos, invite relatives, and add exact or approximate dates so Timeline can help everyone find memories by year.
For a birthday gathering, Live Watch Parties synchronize an uploaded home video while the host controls play, pause and seek; relatives near or far can join voice and text chat. Free Watch Parties allow 3 hours monthly and up to 6 participants. Event Memories can collect new photos and videos through a secure occasion link. Contributors sign in without needing archive membership, uploads enter the event album, and closing the link retains the memories.