A transfer option for a mixed video collection
Discovery lists VHS, VHS-C, 8mm/Hi8, Digital 8, MiniDV, Betamax, DV/DVCAM, Betacam SP, HDV, AVCHD, and PAL under available video formats. That is useful when the recordings came from different cameras or different periods of family life. A full-size VHS cassette and a small camcorder cassette should each be identified before you request a quote.
Write down the wording on each cassette rather than guessing from its size. If a recording came from overseas, mention that when asking about PAL. The published list is a starting point for a conversation about your particular media; it does not establish what equipment or additional work an unusual recording might require. Photograph unfamiliar labels so you can describe them accurately without playing the tape.
What the published MP4 price includes
The video page lists videotape transfer at $25 each, with a digital MP4 file that can be downloaded or viewed through the company's secure online storage system. It also lists a flash drive at an additional $15 per 16GB drive. Those are different parts of the project: the transfer creates the file, while the drive provides a physical place to save it.
Before committing a large collection, ask how the per-item price applies to long recordings, blank tapes, or cassettes containing several separate occasions. Confirm the total, any applicable charges, and how many drives your files would need. The published details do not specify a recording-length allowance or how long online access lasts. A downloadable copy is particularly useful because you can make your own backups once the project is complete.
Arrange the handover before traveling
In-person media drop-offs and pickups require an appointment through Discovery's online scheduling system. The contact page states appointment-only hours Monday-Friday, 9:00-5:00. Plan the collection and handover around a confirmed slot, and ask for a completion estimate if you are hoping to have a video ready for a birthday or reunion.
Confirm the suite when arranging your visit: the homepage gives Suite 100, while the about page gives Suite 102 at the same SW Barbur Boulevard street address. At handover, a simple inventory can help you and the provider agree which tapes belong to the project. Number the cases and note any cracked shells, loose parts, or visible mold. Ask whether damaged tapes can be assessed before attempting playback yourself.
Make the first viewing a careful check
Because Discovery describes MP4 delivery, consider how you want to use those files before choosing a storage option. Ask about file size and playback on your intended device, especially if a relative will watch on a television rather than a computer. Online viewing can help you review a transfer, but your downloaded files should also be checked independently.
Watch the beginning, a section in the middle, and the end of each file. Check sound, recognizable scenes, and whether the recording seems complete. Keep a note of questions to raise with the provider. Retain the original tapes and save separate copies of the files in more than one location. A flash drive can be one copy; it should not become the only surviving version of a family recording.
Let relatives help identify what survived
A tape labeled only "summer" may become much easier to understand when a relative recognizes a house, a school uniform, or a familiar voice. Ask family members for names and likely dates while keeping uncertainty visible. Approximate dates are more useful than confidently assigning the wrong year. Keep your inventory number in the filename so the digital recording remains connected to its original cassette.
After conversion, Memrial offers a separate private family archive for photos and home videos. It does not convert tapes and is not part of Discovery's transfer service. The free allowance is 2.0 GB shared across the archive, with no card needed. Compare your video file sizes with that allowance before uploading. Albums, invited relatives, comments, and stories can help turn an identified recording into something the family can find again.
Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates, helping relatives find memories by year. For a reunion, a Live Watch Party can synchronize an uploaded home video with the host's play, pause, and seek controls, plus voice and text chat for relatives nearby or far away. The free plan allows 3 hours monthly and 6 participants.
Event Memories can collect the reunion's new photos and videos 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 collected memories. That gives older footage and new contributions a place in the same family archive.