A clear starting point for slides and negatives
PME says that slides and negatives are scanned at a minimum of 4000 dpi, and that photos and slides are hand placed. Those are specific statements about its photographic work. They do not describe the resolution of a video transfer or guarantee how every faded photograph will look after scanning.
Before ordering, explain what you have: mounted slides, loose negatives, printed photographs, or a mixture. Ask what files you would receive, whether any adjustments are included, and how the originals should be grouped. For a large collection, a small representative selection can help you decide what matters most before committing to the whole project. Include both ordinary pictures and difficult examples, such as a dark indoor scene or a faded print.
Make the VHS question explicit
The published material available here does not confirm VHS transfer, supported tape formats, video outputs, or a tape conversion price. A business name containing Audio/Video is a reason to enquire, not a substitute for those details. If tapes are your priority, ask about that first so a discussion about slide scanning does not leave the main question unanswered.
Describe each cassette by the label on its case, rather than calling everything VHS. Note whether it plays, whether the case is cracked, and whether you can see mold or a damaged tape edge. Do not try to run a suspect cassette just to establish its length. Ask whether damaged tapes can be assessed and what happens if a recording cannot be transferred.
For any confirmed transfer service, request the total price basis, file format, delivery method, expected completion date, and return arrangements for your original tapes. A file suitable for uploading and sharing is worth discussing separately from a disc intended for playback on older equipment.
Pickup arrangements and the distinction between film and tape
PME publishes pickup and delivery within a 5 mile radius. For areas beyond that, it asks customers to call so arrangements can be made via UPS or FedEx. Confirm how that applies to your address, what charges apply, and how fragile items should be packed before arranging a handover.
Its pricing information also says film is returned at the end of the job. That statement concerns film; it does not establish a return policy for VHS cassettes, photographs, or slides. Ask for the return arrangements for every type of original you submit. Keep a simple inventory with identifying labels and photographs of the items, particularly if the collection contains several similar reels or unmarked cassettes.
Keep the family order through the digital handover
Decide on an order while the originals are still easy to recognize. A slide tray might represent one vacation, while a tape could span several birthdays. Keep that distinction in your notes and use short descriptive labels. Ask relatives to identify people or places where they can, but record uncertainty instead of turning a guess into a firm date.
When digital files arrive, open them before putting the project aside. For photographs, check orientation, cropping, and whether the expected images are present. For transferred video, sample the beginning, middle, and end, listen to the sound, and compare the files with your inventory. Keep originals and a separate backup of the digital files. A shared archive helps relatives enjoy the collection, while a backup helps you recover it if a device fails.
From scanned pictures to a private family archive
Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital photographs and home videos after conversion. It does not convert tapes and is not part of PME. You can invite relatives, organize albums, and add comments and stories so a scan has more context than a filename. The free allowance is 2.0 GB shared across the archive, with no card needed.
Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates, helping you find memories by year even when nobody remembers the precise day. A collection of childhood photographs can sit under an approximate year until someone supplies a better date. For uploaded home video, Live Watch Parties synchronize playback with host play, pause, and seek controls, plus voice and text chat for relatives nearby or far away. Free Watch Parties allow 3 hours per month and up to 6 participants.
For a family anniversary, Event Memories provides a secure occasion contribution link. Contributors sign in but do not need archive membership, and their photos and videos go into the event album. Closing the link keeps the collected memories. That offers a practical way to combine newly taken pictures with older scans without asking every guest to join the ongoing archive.