A collection spanning tapes, reels and photographs
The website names Video8, Hi8, MiniDV and Betamax as well as VHS. It also lists cine transfer for 8mm, Super 8 and 16mm film, slide and negative scanning, and audio cassette and vinyl conversion. These are distinct services, so a reel of cine film should not be counted as a video cassette when requesting an estimate.
Before contacting the business, make a short inventory organised by format. Copy the wording printed on each cassette or reel rather than guessing from its size. Mark the items that matter most, perhaps a wedding recording and the slides from the same year. If you cannot identify something, describe its label and casing and ask how to establish the format before sending it.
Get a clear quote for the home videos
The published price list has an Any Home Video row covering VHS, Betamax and camcorder tapes, with figures of £15.00, £13.50, £12.50 and £11.25. The available details do not explain which quantity bands or conditions attach to those figures. Treat them as figures to discuss when requesting a quote, rather than choosing the lowest number for your own order.
Give the number and types of tapes, any known recording lengths and your preferred delivery method. Ask which rate applies, whether VAT and delivery are included, whether there is a duration limit, and what happens if a cassette is blank or cannot be played. Request an expected completion date separately. For a damaged casing, mould or a tape that has previously jammed, describe the problem first and ask whether assessment or repair is available.
Choose delivery around how you will watch
Digitize Media lists USB drives, DVDs and secure online download as delivery options. Its VHS service explicitly mentions digital or DVD conversion. The delivery medium alone does not tell you the file type or how the recording will be divided, so agree those details before work starts.
For viewing on a computer and organising an archive, ask for digital video files and confirm that they play on your intended devices. A DVD may suit a relative who uses a disc player; check whether a separate digital file can also be supplied. Ask how multiple recordings are named and whether each cassette produces one file or several. Keep your own inventory numbers consistent so that the returned files can be matched to their originals.
Confirm the handover before travelling
The website says items can be sent by post or dropped off in person and that originals are returned with the digital copies. It also refers to an Oast House studio for drop-offs, consultations and collection appointments. The listing places the business in Farnham; confirm the correct current destination and appointment arrangements directly before travelling or posting irreplaceable items.
Keep labels attached and photograph the collection before packing it. Use a separate numbered inventory rather than putting adhesive directly on exposed tape or film. Ask what packaging the business recommends and how return delivery will be arranged. Keep any cassette with visible damage apart from the rest and explain its condition. Avoid testing a suspect tape repeatedly simply to learn what is on it.
Review the copies, then connect the stories
When the files arrive, check that every expected item is present. Play the beginning, a middle section and the end of each video, checking picture and sound together. Record any unexpected gap or playback problem against the original inventory and contact the converter while the details are clear. Keep the originals and make a separate backup of the digital files before sharing them.
Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital memories after conversion. It does not convert tapes or form part of Digitize Media. Its free plan provides 2.0 GB of storage shared across an archive, with no card needed. Check your file sizes before uploading, since video can use that allowance quickly.
Invite relatives to help name people and add stories. Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates, making it possible to find memories by year even when a cassette only says summer holiday. For a birthday gathering, a Live Watch Party can synchronise an uploaded home video for relatives nearby or far away. The host controls play, pause and seek, with voice and text chat; the free allowance is three hours each month with up to six participants.
Event Memories can collect new photographs and videos from that birthday through a secure occasion contribution link. Contributors sign in but do not need archive membership, and their uploads go into the event album. Closing the link keeps the memories already collected, bringing the newly recorded occasion alongside the older family footage.