A studio handover with an appointment first
The contact page says visits are by appointment only. The website describes dropping material off at Roy’s Hamilton Township studio and picking it up afterward. Its video transfer page explicitly says there is no shipping or subcontracting. This is a service to plan around an agreed visit, rather than a parcel you can send without discussion.
Before arranging that visit, make a short inventory with a number for each cassette, its format, and whatever its label says. Photograph the labels if they contain handwriting you want to preserve. You can use the same numbers when checking the returned files, which helps distinguish two tapes both marked Christmas. Tell Roy which recordings matter most if you intend to start with only part of the collection.
VHS and camcorder tapes can be considered together
The listed video formats are VHS, VHS-C, Video 8, Hi8, Digital 8, Betamax, and Mini DV. That range matters when family recordings span more than one camera generation. A small camcorder cassette should be identified by its printed format, not simply counted as a smaller VHS tape.
The broader FAQ also lists 8mm and Super 8 film, vinyl records at 33 1/3, 45, and 78 RPM, audio cassettes, loose photographs, 35mm slides, and negatives. Keep those items separate in your inventory because their transfer requirements and prices are different. Ask about any format you cannot identify before bringing it in.
If a cassette has a cracked case, tangled tape, or visible mold, describe the problem before attempting playback. The FAQ says Roy can often work with minor mold, tangles, and age-related deterioration, and will inspect tapes to assess recovery before commitment. That is an assessment of the individual tape, not a guarantee that every damaged recording can be recovered.
The tape count changes the published price
The pricing page lists $15 per tape for five or more tapes, and $20 per tape for fewer than five. It also states up to two hours each, plus tax. Count your cassettes before requesting an estimate, but explain if you believe any recordings run longer than two hours so the quote addresses that limit.
Roy’s FAQ offers free, no-obligation quotes over the phone or in person and says cost depends on format, quantity, and condition. Use that conversation to confirm the total for your actual collection, the chosen output, and any work needed on damaged media. A published per-tape figure is a starting point for that discussion.
The video transfer page gives a typical turnaround of one to two weeks based on availability. The FAQ adds that quantity and condition affect timing, and says rush turnaround may be available. If you are preparing for a birthday or reunion, explain the date when booking and agree on an estimate for your project.
Choose the video files around how you will use them
Ask which outputs are available for your particular tapes and whether you will receive digital files that play on your intended devices. Discuss filenames, how multiple recordings will be separated, and how you will receive the files. A playable file is especially useful if your aim is to organize recordings and share them privately with relatives later.
After collection, check each recording at the beginning, middle, and end, listening as well as watching. Compare it with your inventory and note any unexpected missing section or silent passage for discussion. Keep the original tapes and preserve an untouched copy of the returned files. Make another backup in a separate location before editing clips or renaming your working copies.
Let relatives help identify the newly playable footage
Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital memories after conversion; it does not convert tapes or form part of Duplication Solutions. Its free plan provides 2.0 GB of shared archive storage with no card needed. Check the size of your returned videos when deciding what to upload first.
Invite relatives to add comments and stories, then use Timeline with exact or approximate dates to find memories by year. A relative might recognize a school concert or narrow an undated holiday to a particular summer. Keep uncertainty visible instead of assigning a precise date nobody remembers.
Live Watch Parties synchronize an uploaded home video, with the host controlling play, pause, and seek and relatives joining voice and text chat from nearby or far away. The free allowance is three hours monthly with up to six participants. For a reunion, Event Memories offers a secure occasion contribution link: contributors sign in without needing archive membership, their uploads enter the event album, and closing the link keeps the collected memories.