Identify the cassette before estimating the cost
Familyography lists Video 8, Hi8, Hi8XR, Digital 8 and MiniDV alongside its VHS formats. The list also includes DVC Pro, Beta, Betamax, Betacam and uMatic. If your collection combines large living-room cassettes with smaller camcorder tapes, record the wording printed on each shell. Similar sizes do not necessarily mean the same recording system.
PAL VHS support is particularly relevant when relatives brought recordings from abroad. Tell the provider which tapes may use PAL rather than assuming every cassette follows the same standard. For an unfamiliar format, a clear photo of the cassette label can help frame the enquiry. Avoid opening the shell or playing a fragile tape just to identify it.
VHS pricing depends on recorded time
The published rate for VHS, S-VHS and VHS-C is $12.50 for up to 1 hour of recording, with $5.00 for every additional hour or part thereof, per tape. The partial-hour wording matters: a recording that runs slightly beyond the first hour reaches another charging increment. A handwritten label saying “two hours” may describe cassette capacity rather than the length of the footage.
Hi8 and 8mm videotapes have a separate published entry at $12.50 for up to one hour of recording per tape, then $5.00 for every additional hour or part thereof. MiniDV and Digital 8mm are listed at $17.50 per tape. Keep those categories separate when making your inventory; one flat estimate across a mixed collection could be misleading.
Use these rates to prepare a conversation, then request a total for your actual collection. Ask how recording duration is established and whether delivery media, tax or other charges affect the final amount. Confirm the completion estimate at the same time, especially if the videos are intended for a birthday or family gathering.
Plan around MP4 files and returned originals
Familyography says its videotapes are converted to MP4 video and that your videotapes are returned to you. MP4 gives you a practical starting point for watching and organizing digital copies. Ask how the files will be delivered, how recordings are divided and whether filenames can follow your numbered tape inventory. The audio service’s CD, DVD and flash-drive options should not be treated as a promise about videotape delivery.
Before handover, number each tape and photograph its label. Write down known people, places and occasions separately, keeping uncertain dates marked as uncertain. If a cassette has visible mold, a broken housing or loose tape, describe the problem and ask whether it can be assessed. Do not attempt a repair or assume conversion includes restoration.
Keep film reels separate from camcorder tapes
Familyography also publishes a film-transfer list covering 8 mm, Super 8mm, Super 8 with sound, 16 mm, 16 mm with sound and 9.5 mm Pathe film. An “8mm” label therefore needs context: a reel of film and an 8mm video cassette belong in different parts of your inventory.
For the Columbus enquiry, the published address is 4147 North High Street and the phone number is (614) 824-5075. The website also lists Parma and Shaker Heights locations. Specify Columbus when arranging a handover, and confirm the current arrangements before traveling with the collection.
Review the conversion while labels are still handy
When the files arrive, match them against your inventory and check the beginning, middle and end of each recording. Listen as well as watch, and note any missing sections or playback concerns with the filename and time position. Try a file on the device you expect relatives to use before organizing a group viewing.
Keep an untouched copy of the delivered files and a separate backup. Retain the original cassettes with their labels. Ask relatives to identify an unnamed face or place, but preserve the difference between a confident identification and a guess. Those details can make an otherwise anonymous recording much easier to find later.
Make the next family viewing easier with Memrial
After conversion, Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital photos and home videos. It does not convert physical tapes or form part of Familyography. Its free plan includes 2.0 GB of shared archive storage, with no card needed. Check your video file sizes before deciding what fits.
Timeline uses exact or approximate dates so relatives can find memories by year. Live Watch Parties synchronize an uploaded home video, with host play, pause and seek controls plus voice and text chat for relatives near or far. The free allowance is 3 hours per month with up to 6 participants.
For a reunion, Event Memories provides a secure occasion contribution link. Contributors sign in, but do not need archive membership; their photos and videos go into the event album. Closing the link keeps the collected memories, bringing the new reunion pictures alongside the older recordings.