Start with the USB files you want to use
MyVideoMemories includes one USB flash drive per order. Additional copies are listed at $10 for a drive up to 64GB and $20 for a larger-capacity drive. Confirm the capacity your collection needs, especially when siblings want separate copies. The included drive is not a separate drive promised for every tape.
Before agreeing to a transfer, ask which video file type you will receive and whether it plays on your intended computer, television or phone. A USB drive is a storage device; the file format determines how a video opens. Also ask whether each cassette becomes one file, whether long recordings are split, and how the files will be named. These are useful questions, rather than confirmed details of this provider's process.
Decide what you need from the first batch. If the immediate aim is to watch a particular birthday or graduation with relatives, identify that tape clearly. A smaller, well-described starting order can help you establish an organization method before tackling a larger collection.
Arrange the Waukesha drop-off before traveling
The contact page lists a local drop-off location and asks customers to call or text before bringing media. It also advertises flexible appointment availability on weekdays, evenings and weekends by appointment. Treat that as an invitation to arrange a time, rather than a set of walk-in opening hours. Confirm the meeting details when you make contact, especially if you are bringing a substantial collection.
The business describes itself as family-owned and operating since 2009, serving Waukesha County and beyond. That background may appeal to someone who prefers a local conversation about their recordings. It does not establish a particular shipping arrangement or travel boundary, so discuss the handover directly if you cannot use local drop-off.
Make a short inventory before the appointment: a tape number, the label wording and anything you know about the contents. Photograph the labels as a reference. Keep the originals with their cassettes and avoid relabeling over handwritten clues that another relative may recognize later.
Get the scope and cost clear for your tapes
The website identifies VHS transfer, but the published details here do not establish a transfer price, completion time or a complete list of supported cassette types. Give MyVideoMemories an accurate count and describe the formats you have before requesting a quote. A camcorder cassette should be identified separately from a full-size VHS tape, even when the two were stored together.
Ask what the quote covers, how longer recordings are charged, whether blank sections affect the charge, and whether any additional costs apply. The included USB drive is a specific published benefit, but it is not a complete price for the transfer itself. Agree on the expected completion date and the return of original media as part of the order discussion.
Mention cracked shells, loose tape, visible mold or past playback problems before handing anything over. Do not try playing a suspect cassette to discover whether it still works. Ask whether it can be assessed and whether specialist attention is needed; repair or restoration should never be assumed from a general transfer service.
Check the returned videos while the labels still make sense
When you receive the files, compare them with your inventory. Open every video and sample the beginning, middle and end, listening as well as watching. Check for missing recordings, unexpected file breaks and a mismatch between the filename and the tape label. Raise any concerns promptly while you can describe exactly which cassette and moment you mean.
Keep an untouched copy of the delivered files before renaming or editing them. Make another backup in a separate location, and retain the physical tapes in a dry, stable place. The USB drive included by MyVideoMemories is a convenient handover, but a single drive should not be your only copy. Invite a relative to help identify people and dates, recording uncertainty rather than turning a guess into a definite caption.
Bring relatives into the memories after conversion
Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital photos and home videos after conversion. It does not transfer physical tapes and is not part of MyVideoMemories. You can invite relatives, arrange albums and add comments or stories. The free plan provides 2.0 GB of shared archive storage with no card needed; consider the size of your videos when choosing what to upload.
Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates so memories can be found by year even when a cassette label is vague. For a family reunion, Live Watch Parties can synchronize an uploaded home video for relatives nearby or far away. The host controls play, pause and seek, with voice and text chat alongside playback. Free Watch Parties allow 3 hours per month and up to 6 participants.
Event Memories offers a secure contribution link for an occasion such as an anniversary. Contributors sign in but do not need archive membership; their photos and videos collect in the event album. Closing the link keeps the memories already gathered. It is a practical way to place a transferred anniversary recording beside new photographs and relatives' contributions.