Start with the tape type and recording length
GetSet2Digitise explicitly lists VHS in PAL and NTSC, Betamax, VHS-C, S-VHS, S-VHS-C, Hi8, Video 8, Mini DV in PAL and NTSC, and Digital 8. It also converts video DVDs and MiniDVDs. Make a simple inventory with each format, label and known recording length; photographs of the labels can help relatives decide what to transfer first.
Its minimum digitising spend is $80.00. The published pricing bands cover tapes or DVDs with up to 3 hours 5 minutes of footage. Items up to 6 hours cost double the relevant band, and those up to 9 hours cost triple. Request an itemised quote that accounts for recording length, editing and your chosen delivery method; these notes alone do not establish a complete per-tape price.
Agree on editing before the footage changes
The video service lists removing gaps and static or blue screens between clips, improving brightness, contrast and exposure, and correcting colour casts. Its notes say the editing cost level depends on the work needed and is determined after conversion. Discuss how that cost will be agreed before committing to a large collection.
Decide what you want to keep as well as what you want removed. A pause between scenes may be expendable; a quiet conversation or a child trying to operate the camera may matter to the family. Ask whether an unedited transfer can be retained alongside any edited version. For cracked shells, mould or playback problems, describe the condition first and ask what can be assessed rather than assuming restoration is included.
Choose downloads or a drive you can use
GetSet2Digitise supplies digitised video as MP4 and uploads files to its cloud server for downloading. Its pricing page says cloud delivery includes download instructions. It can also supply and transfer files to USB, or accept customer-supplied USBs and hard drives that have been formatted first and contain no files.
If your internet connection struggles with large downloads, the business recommends USB or hard-drive delivery. Before supplying a drive, move any existing contents elsewhere and confirm the required format and capacity. Once the videos arrive, open each file, check sound and picture at several points, and compare the filenames with your inventory. A successful download is a good beginning, but checking the contents is what tells you the family has the right recordings.
Put collection and backup dates in the diary
The published video conversion turnaround is generally one to four weeks. Urgent requests can be discussed, with the business saying it will do its best to accommodate them. Its office is in Wellington CBD. Drop-offs are by appointment on Tuesdays to Thursdays between 10.00am and 5.30pm at an Egmont Street meeting point; days and times may occasionally vary. Arrange the appointment before travelling.
Original media is available for collection after completion, or disposal on request. Items must be collected within 21 days, after which GetSet2Digitise reserves the right to securely dispose of them. If you cannot collect within that period, the terms say to contact the business within those 21 days to arrange an alternative. Its terms state that files are deleted from the cloud server after 28 days and from its computer systems 24 months after completion. Download promptly, keep a second copy separately and collect the originals while checking the transferred files.
Bring the still photographs into the same story
GetSet2Digitise also publishes scanning for photos, slides and negatives. Its listed slide formats are 35mm, 110 and 126; negative formats are 35mm and 126. Photos are scanned at 600 dpi and slides and negatives at 2,400 dpi, with selected higher-resolution slide or negative scans available by enquiry for a separate price.
This can be useful when a video has no date but an accompanying photograph carries a handwritten year. Keep those clues together in your own notes. Ask relatives to identify faces and places while the material is being prepared, and distinguish remembered dates from confirmed ones. Their recollections can make a short, otherwise anonymous clip much easier to find later.
From a downloaded MP4 to a private family archive
After conversion, Memrial offers a separate private family archive for digital photos and home videos. It does not convert tapes and is not part of GetSet2Digitise. The free allowance is 2.0 GB shared across the archive, with no card needed. Keep your own backups alongside the archive, especially when deciding which longer videos fit within the allowance.
Invite relatives, arrange albums and add comments or stories. Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates so memories can be found by year. For a birthday gathering, a Live Watch Party can synchronise an uploaded home video, with the host controlling play, pause and seeking while relatives nearby or far away use voice or text chat. The free plan includes 3 hours monthly and up to 6 participants.
Event Memories provides a secure contribution link for an occasion. Contributors sign in but need no archive membership; their photos and videos go into the event album. Close the link afterwards and the collected memories remain.