Start with the medium, then choose the transfer
A DVD containing home movies and a video cassette need different handling. Digital Life's video pages distinguish DVD from video tape, so describe what you actually have rather than asking for a general video conversion. Read the format printed on the cassette or disc, count the items, and mention any handwritten labels. A photograph of an unfamiliar cassette can help make an initial enquiry more precise.
If you have a family collection that mixes tapes, slides and prints, the website also advertises digitising photographs, negatives and slides. Decide which pieces belong together before commissioning work. A school performance might make more sense with a programme photograph or a portrait from the same year. You can organise those connections yourself without assuming the provider will identify people or reconstruct dates.
What the DVD page says about digital delivery
On its DVD conversion page, Digital Life says it provides MP4 files with H.264 compression. The same page lists delivery on a USB flash drive, external hard drive, CD or DVD, as well as over the internet, for which an email address is required. These are useful published details for DVD work; ask whether the same file specification and delivery choices apply to your tape conversion.
That page states that a supplied USB drive costs $10, or you can provide your own. This is a drive charge, not a price for converting a cassette. Request a complete quote covering your media, the chosen delivery method and any additional work before handing over the collection.
Digital Life also says it can convert home movies to DVD, while advising against DVD for long-term archives, editing or sharing. For your own planning, favour a digital file you can copy and test on the devices your relatives use. If someone specifically wants a disc, ask about receiving files as well.
Make the Christchurch enquiry specific
Digital Life publishes a telephone number and email address, giving you a way to settle the details before travelling. Ask about accepted tape formats, the full cost, the expected completion date and arrangements for handing over and collecting originals. If a deadline matters, such as an anniversary gathering, give the actual date at the outset.
Its published one-to-two-week estimate belongs to audio cassette conversion and depends on the number of tapes. It should not be used as a video turnaround estimate. A written reply about your own order is more useful than carrying a timescale across from a different service.
Before handing over tapes, number each cassette and photograph its label. Keep a matching list of titles and possible dates. Mention mould, broken cases, loose tape or playback problems, and ask whether the item can be assessed. Avoid trying a visibly damaged cassette in a player just to discover what it contains.
Check the files while the labels still make sense
When a conversion comes back, work through your inventory and match each file to its original. Watch the beginning, middle and end, listen to the sound, and check that the file opens on your intended device. Record any issue clearly so you can discuss it with the converter.
Keep the originals and make a second digital copy somewhere separate from the delivery drive. Rename files consistently, preserving any original identifier, and add people or places only when you are reasonably sure. Invite an older relative to help with uncertain names. Their small corrections can turn an anonymous recording into something the next generation understands.
Bring the converted collection into Memrial
After conversion, Memrial gives the digital memories a separate private family archive. It does not convert physical tapes and is separate from Digital Life. You can invite relatives, arrange photos and home videos in albums, and add comments and stories. The free plan includes 2.0 GB of shared archive storage with no card needed; check your video sizes when deciding what to upload first.
Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates, helping you find memories by year even when a label only says something like summer in the early nineties. Live Watch Parties synchronise an uploaded home video, with host play, pause and seek controls plus voice and text chat. Relatives nearby or far away can watch together; the free allowance is three hours per month with up to six participants.
For an anniversary, Event Memories provides a secure occasion contribution link. Contributors sign in but do not need archive membership, and their photos and videos go into the event album. Closing the link keeps the collected memories. This lets relatives add their own pictures beside a converted recording of the earlier celebration.