The tape length question comes first
Forget-Me-Not Media lists VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, Digital8 and MiniDV tapes together at $19 per tape for tapes under 1 hour and $29 per tape for tapes over 1 hour. That gives you a concrete basis for a conversation about the collection. The wording leaves a tape of exactly one hour unassigned, so ask how that case is charged. Also establish whether the length means the recording itself or another measure, and confirm the total including any applicable taxes or additional charges before committing.
A cassette's printed capacity does not necessarily tell you how much family footage it holds. You may have a long cassette with only a short recording, or several occasions on one tape. Make a simple inventory from the labels without assuming a duration you cannot verify. For uncertain tapes, write 'length unknown' and ask how the provider will assess them. This makes the price discussion more useful than multiplying the tape count by a single rate.
Agree the Wasilla handover before traveling
The website asks customers to make an appointment if they want to hand their media over in person. It also describes a secure drop-box outside the home and asks customers to arrange an appointment to collect the completed order and original media. Confirm the destination and which handover option to use before traveling to Wasilla. The website invites customers to text or call, and also provides email contact, making it possible to discuss your collection before bringing anything over.
Before handover, number each cassette and photograph its label. Keep a copy of that list so you can match returned files to the originals later. Set aside anything with a cracked case, loose tape or visible mold and describe the problem when making contact. Ask whether it can be handled and whether assessment or repair would cost extra; a transfer service listing alone does not establish a restoration service. Agree a completion estimate and the delivery method during the same conversation.
MP4 for video, with different decisions for other media
The business describes its standard outputs as MP4 for video, MP3 for audio and JPG for images. For a VHS order, ask how the MP4 files will be delivered, how they will be named and whether separate recordings remain together or become individual files. Try an example file on the device you expect to use for family viewing if one is available. These are useful compatibility questions, rather than reasons to assume a particular resolution or delivery medium.
Other formats have their own published pricing. Audio cassettes and vinyl records are listed at $19 per cassette or record without track separation, with an additional $10 to separate each music track into its own file. Silent 16mm, 8mm and Super 8 film are also listed, as are slides and negatives. Keep reels separate from 8mm video cassettes when describing your collection: similar names do not mean the same physical media, transfer process or price.
Check the recordings while the labels still make sense
When you receive the digital files, compare them with your inventory. Open every file and sample the beginning, middle and end, checking that picture and sound play together. Note unexpected gaps, missing recordings or a file that will not open, then discuss specific examples with the converter. Avoid judging an entire collection from the first few seconds of one tape.
Keep the originals after conversion and retain a separate backup of the digital files. A relative may recognize a person, a school performance or a holiday that you cannot identify, so involve them before finalizing names and dates. Preserve the original delivered files while adding descriptive copies or album titles. A title such as 'Grandad's birthday, year uncertain' can be more helpful than an unexplained tape number, provided you keep the link back to that number.
Bring relatives into the memories after conversion
Memrial is a separate private family archive for photos and home videos after conversion; it does not convert tapes and is not part of Forget-Me-Not Media. Its free plan includes 2.0 GB of storage shared across the archive, with no card needed. Check your files' combined size when deciding what to upload. Albums, invitations to relatives, comments and stories help turn a recording into something the family can identify and revisit.
Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates so relatives can find memories by year. Live Watch Parties synchronize an uploaded home video, with the host controlling play, pause and seek while relatives nearby or far away use voice and text chat. The free allowance is 3 hours per month with up to 6 participants. For a family reunion, Event Memories provides a secure occasion contribution link: contributors sign in without needing archive membership, their photos and videos collect in the event album, and closing the link retains those memories.