Start with the photographs you want to use again
Ever Tidy's guide lists photo scanning at $1 per slide or negative and $1.25 per picture. Those are photo prices, so they should not be used to estimate a tape project. Ask for a current quote covering your particular collection and any applicable taxes or additional charges before committing.
The stated output for digital photographs is JPEG. Published scanning resolutions are 300 dpi for printed 4x6 photos, 1200 dpi for negatives and 3200 dpi for slides. If you want to enlarge a small print, crop a group portrait or make a new wall display, explain that intended use when discussing the scan. A useful selection might include both an album photograph and its negative, with a note identifying the duplicate rather than leaving the relationship to guesswork.
Decide what should happen to the albums
The guide says original photos will be returned in the condition received, with printed photo services including photo boxes. It also says the albums will be tossed or donated as the photographs are moved into smaller storage boxes. That is a significant decision if an album has handwritten captions, a dedication or pages arranged by a relative.
Discuss any album you want preserved before handing it over. Photograph captions and page layouts yourself, or ask how they could be captured as part of the work. Keep a short list of names, places and approximate years alongside each group. Organization is more useful when a future reader can identify the people, not just open a neatly numbered file.
Clarify the video files and the delivery drive
For video digitization, Ever Tidy's guide specifies MP4 files saved on a USB drive. A separate answer describes video access on a hard drive and says every package comes with a hard drive. Confirm which device your proposed package includes and whether the quoted total covers it. The distinction is worth settling before you plan how to copy or share the files.
The guide also describes receiving labeled clips instead of one long digitized tape. Ask how those clips will relate to your original recordings, especially if a tape contains several occasions. For VHS inquiries, provide the label on the cassette and mention any other formats in the collection. Ask about accepted recording standards, damaged shells and visible mold rather than assuming every tape can be transferred or restored.
Plan around the collection, not a fixed deadline
Ever Tidy gives an example of about two weeks for a medium-sized collection of 15 videos, while making clear that timing depends on the number being digitized. Treat that as an illustration, not a guaranteed completion date. If you hope to show a recording at a birthday or reunion, request a project-specific estimate before choosing the screening date.
Its guide says original videos are returned in the condition received. It also states that footage already deteriorated will not be digitized or charged for. Ask how any unreadable material will be identified in your collection. Before delivery, number the tapes and record their labels without trying to play anything visibly damaged. That inventory will help you reconcile the returned originals with the digital files.
Make the first viewing a careful check
Once your files arrive, open a selection of photographs and play sections from the beginning, middle and end of each video. Check that sound is present where expected and that the file names match your inventory. Write down any questions while the connection to the original material is still clear.
Keep the originals and make an additional digital copy on a separate device. Invite a relative to help identify an unfamiliar face or date, then save that information with the memory. Avoid replacing an uncertain year with a precise guess: an approximate date is more helpful than a confident mistake.
Bring the converted collection into a private family archive
Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital photos and home videos after conversion. It does not convert tapes and is not part of Ever Tidy. A free archive includes 2.0 GB of shared storage, with no card needed. You can invite relatives, arrange albums and add comments or stories.
Timeline uses exact or approximate dates so a family can find memories by year. For a reunion, Event Memories provides a secure occasion contribution link: contributors sign in, but need not be archive members. Their photos and videos go into the event album, and closing the link keeps the memories already collected.
Live Watch Parties synchronize an uploaded home video, with the host controlling play, pause and seeking. Relatives nearby or far away can join voice and text chat while watching together. The free allowance is three hours per month with up to six participants, useful for revisiting a short celebration recording together.