Start with the VHS duration, not just the tape count
EZ3 Video lists its VHS price as $3/15min up to 1 hour. Keep that duration cap in mind when comparing quotes. A cassette capable of holding several hours does not tell you how much was actually recorded, and the published line does not explain pricing beyond one hour. Ask how longer tapes are charged and how partial 15-minute intervals are counted before agreeing to an estimate.
Make a simple inventory with a number for each cassette, its label and any approximate running time you already know. Leave unknown lengths marked as unknown rather than playing fragile recordings solely to time them. For a first order, you might choose the tape with an important family gathering or a recording nobody has seen recently. A smaller initial batch can help you decide how to organize the rest.
A mixed collection can mean several different rates
The service list extends beyond VHS. MiniDV is advertised at $12 each, while audio cassettes are $20 each and reel-to-reel audio is $2.40 per minute of audio. Those are separate formats with separate prices; an audio rate is not a guide to the cost of transferring a video cassette.
For film, EZ3 Video lists 8mm/Super8 at $3.60 per minute of footage and 16mm at $75 plus $0.20 per foot. Photos, negatives and slides are listed at $1 each. Sorting these materials into groups before your appointment makes the conversation more useful: a reel of movie film, a camcorder cassette and a photographic negative need different descriptions. Request an estimate by format, including any additional charges and applicable tax, so you understand the total before handing over the collection.
Book the appointment and plan the collection date
EZ3 Video asks customers to call, text or email for an appointment. Use that conversation to describe your materials, ask about the expected completion date and agree on how the finished files will be delivered. If a cassette has mold, a broken casing or a history of playback trouble, mention it before bringing it in. Ask what can be assessed or handled rather than assuming damaged tapes can be restored.
There is also a specific collection policy to plan around. Customers agree to pick up their order and all associated media within 30 days of completion. A $10-per-week storage fee begins on the 31st day if they do not. This is a pickup deadline after completion, not a processing-time promise. Arrange a reminder once you receive the completion notice, and confirm the pickup arrangements if someone else will collect the order.
Make MP4 useful for the way your family watches
EZ3 Video describes digital formats such as MP4, optimized for cloud storage and playback on smart TVs, computers and mobile devices. Ask whether MP4 will be the format for your particular VHS order, which delivery method is included and whether separate recordings will arrive as separate files. A familiar format is helpful, but file organization still affects how easily relatives find a particular birthday or holiday.
When the files arrive, check the beginning, middle and end of each recording for picture and sound. Compare the filenames with your inventory and note anything that appears missing or mislabeled. Keep an untouched copy of the delivered files before making edits or shorter clips. Retain the original tapes, and maintain another digital backup on a separate drive or storage service. A shared family archive serves a different purpose from that independent backup.
Bring dates and relatives into the digital collection
After conversion, Memrial provides a separate private family archive for photos and home videos. It does not convert physical tapes and is not part of EZ3 Video. The free plan includes 2.0 GB of storage shared across the archive, with no card needed. Check your delivered file sizes against that allowance before deciding what to upload first.
Invite relatives to help identify people and add comments or stories. Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates, making memories easier to find by year even when a cassette says only something like summer holiday. Live Watch Parties synchronize an uploaded home video, with the host controlling play, pause and seek while relatives nearby or far away join voice and text chat. The free allowance is three hours per month with up to six participants.
For a family reunion, Event Memories offers a secure occasion contribution link. Contributors sign in but do not need archive membership, and their photos and videos collect in the event album. Closing the link retains the memories. That gives relatives a practical way to add present-day pictures alongside an older reunion recording, without losing the context that makes both meaningful.