Different recordings, one transfer conversation
The published services cover VHS and C-VHS to DVD, plus DV to DVD. For older film, Mountain View Productions lists 8mm, 16mm and Super 8 transfers to DVD. Audio services include cassette and 8-track to CD, as well as records to CD. This is a broader media-transfer offering than a VHS-only service, so describe your collection by format when you make contact.
Keep film reels, audio cassettes and video tapes in separate groups. A small cassette should not be identified just by its size: copy any format label from the casing, or photograph it if you are uncertain. For a mixed collection, ask for the estimate to distinguish the different media and outputs. That makes it easier to prioritize the irreplaceable recordings without confusing film or audio charges with the cost of a VHS transfer.
DVD or USB depends on how you will watch
Mountain View Productions heads its transfer offering as film and tape to DVD or USB. Its individual format list describes DVD transfers, so ask specifically what a USB delivery would contain for your tapes. The published wording does not establish the file type, resolution or whether a disc and USB copy are included together.
A DVD may suit someone who still watches through a disc player. Files are worth discussing if relatives want to watch on a computer or upload a home video to a private archive. Describe those plans before choosing the output, and ask which devices can play the result. If you want both a viewing disc and files for sharing, request that combination explicitly and have its cost included in the estimate.
Make a clear request before handing over originals
Prepare a short inventory with a number for each tape, the label wording and anything you know about its contents. Mention cracked cases, visible mold, loose tape or recordings that previously would not play. Ask whether those items can be assessed before transfer; do not try to open or repair a cassette yourself. A photograph of the label can also preserve details that become difficult to read later.
Request a current quote covering how the job is charged, any additional media costs, taxes, damaged-tape assessment and the expected completion date. Confirm how to arrange a handoff and collect your originals. The contact page provides two phone numbers, 406-334-0081 and 406-334-0491. The published details here do not provide a price schedule or processing timeframe, so those points belong in the conversation before you commit.
Check the returned recording while the labels are fresh
Once you receive a transfer, compare the tape inventory with the delivered items. Open every file or disc and check the beginning, a middle section and the end, listening as well as watching. Note anything missing or unexpected against the tape number so you can explain the issue clearly. Keep the physical originals even after the new copies seem satisfactory.
For digital files, keep an untouched copy in a separate backup location before renaming or organizing viewing copies. Invite a relative to help identify people and occasions. A vague label such as Summer Trip becomes more useful when someone remembers the destination or an approximate year. Record uncertainty honestly rather than assigning an exact date from a guess.
From transferred footage to a private family archive
Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital memories after conversion. It does not convert tapes and is not part of Mountain View Productions. You can add photos and home videos, arrange albums, invite relatives and collect their comments and stories. The free plan includes 2.0 GB of storage shared across the archive, with no card needed. Choose what to upload with that allowance in mind and keep your separate backups.
Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates, helping relatives find a recording by year even when the cassette label is incomplete. For a family reunion, a Live Watch Party can synchronize an uploaded home video while the host controls play, pause and seek. Relatives nearby or far away can join voice and text chat. Free Watch Parties allow three hours per month and up to six participants.
Event Memories offers a secure contribution link for an occasion, such as an anniversary gathering. Contributors sign in but do not need archive membership to add photos or videos. Their uploads collect in the event album, and closing the link keeps the memories already contributed. That gives new family recordings a place alongside the older footage you have recovered.