Start with the two-hour VHS listing
Horizon’s £20.00 VHS entry has an explicit limit of up to two hours. A cassette’s printed running time describes possible recording capacity, so it does not tell you how much footage is actually on the tape. If you are unsure of the recorded length, describe what you know and ask how the business assesses it. For recordings longer than two hours, get a quotation before agreeing to the work.
The transfer page also lists “Older Formats” at £15.00 for up to two hours, with “Most Formats Accepted”, and additional copies at £10.00 per copy. Those are separate entries; they do not replace the VHS price. Ask which category applies to each item and what the copy charge covers. The quoted details do not establish the VAT treatment or a completion time, so confirm those points when discussing the total.
A film reel needs a different conversation
Horizon also describes cine film transfers to DVD from Super 8, Standard 8, 16mm and 9.5mm, covering silent or sound films. That is helpful if your family collection mixes cassettes with reels: they can be discussed as distinct jobs. The cine description does not establish that a VHS transfer is delivered on DVD, and neither the £20.00 VHS entry nor the older-format price should be treated as a cine quotation.
Make an inventory that distinguishes VHS cassettes, other video formats and film reels. Photograph unfamiliar labels instead of guessing the format. For a reel with sound, mention that when enquiring; for anything fragile, describe its condition before considering playback. Keep the original labels and containers with each item so any names or dates remain attached to the right recording.
Choose an output that fits your family
Decide whether the main destination is a television, a computer or a private online archive. Then ask what Horizon can supply for VHS, whether a digital file is available, how it would be delivered and which devices can play it. If a disc is offered, clarify whether obtaining a separate file involves another step or charge. These are questions to resolve with the business, rather than features established by its VHS price.
For sharing, a playable file can be easier to organise than a physical copy passed between households. Ask whether recordings remain complete and whether any splitting or editing is proposed. A long tape may contain several occasions, and retaining an untouched transfer alongside shorter sharing copies helps preserve their original sequence. Agree any changes before work begins.
Prepare the handover and check the result
Number each cassette and write a short description, such as “school concert, probably late nineties”. Note uncertain dates as uncertain. Set aside tapes with visible mould, cracked shells or loose tape and ask about damaged items; do not assume that a transfer service includes restoration. Avoid playing a suspect cassette just to discover its contents.
Before handing anything over, agree how originals will be returned and how you will identify each finished recording. Once you receive the files, check the beginning, middle and end for picture and sound, and compare the contents with your inventory. Report unexpected gaps while the job is still easy to discuss. Keep the tapes and make a separate backup of the digital files before reorganising or sharing them.
Turn a transferred recording into shared family context
Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital memories after conversion. It does not convert physical tapes or form part of Horizon’s service. You can organise uploaded photos and home videos into albums, invite relatives, and add comments and stories. The free allowance is 2.0 GB shared across the archive, with no card needed; check your file sizes when deciding what to upload.
Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates, helping you find memories by year even when a cassette only says “summer holiday”. A relative might recognise the campsite or remember which cousin was there, making that uncertain date easier to narrow down.
Live Watch Parties synchronise an uploaded home video for relatives nearby or far away, with host play, pause and seek controls plus voice and text chat. The free allowance is three hours per month with up to six participants. For a reunion, Event Memories offers a secure occasion contribution link. Contributors sign in but do not need archive membership; photos and videos collect in the event album, and closing the link keeps the memories already contributed.