Build the tape quote around running time
The published digital conversion price is $25 per videotape for VHS, VHS-C, Hi8 and miniDV, under the option for mp4/mp3 files on USB or hard drive. There is also a listed charge of $5 per hour for videotape over two hours. A long recording therefore needs a different conversation from a short camera tape, even if both occupy one cassette.
Before arranging the job, count each tape type and note any running times written on the labels. If the actual duration is unknown, say so. Ask how the extra hourly charge is calculated, whether partial hours are rounded, and what the total includes for storage media and any applicable tax. The published details do not settle those points. A written estimate is especially useful when several relatives are contributing tapes or sharing the cost.
A 2K upgrade for videotape or DVD is listed at $5 per tape. Ask what that option would change for your particular recording and intended use before choosing it. A larger output image cannot, by itself, establish that more original detail has survived on the tape.
Choose files that fit how the family will watch
Reborn Audio Video lists mp4, several ProRes options and AVI for converted videotape and digitized film. Its website describes mp4 as the most popular and widely used choice, and ProRes as a format for more professional or publication use that takes more than double the storage compared with mp4. AVI is also available.
For everyday family viewing, discuss an MP4 output that works on the devices you actually use. If someone intends to edit a documentary or a substantial family film, ask about the relevant ProRes option and its storage needs. File format and delivery method are separate decisions: the business offers USB thumb drives or external drives, with email or cloud delivery available for small jobs.
Before handing over a collection, agree how tapes will be named in the returned files and ask whether long recordings will remain together or be divided. Keep a simple matching list of tape labels and proposed filenames. That makes it easier to recognize a birthday recording later, even when the first few minutes contain something unrelated.
Arrange the Lakewood appointment with a clear inventory
The published process is to set an appointment, drop off the material and pick up the new digitized video in a week or less. Treat that advertised timing as something to confirm for your collection and required date. Reborn Audio Video provides a call-or-text contact option, which can be useful for coordinating the appointment before traveling.
Make an inventory without opening cassette shells or attempting repairs. Give each tape a temporary number, photograph its existing label and flag any visible damage or signs of damp storage. Ask whether damaged tapes can be assessed and whether that changes the quote. If a recording is irreplaceable, explain its importance when discussing the job; that does not establish a restoration guarantee.
Consider the photographs and voices alongside the video
The service list extends beyond videotape. Published prices include audio cassettes at $25 per cassette, 8mm and 16mm film at 30 cents per foot with a minimum of 50 feet per reel, and photos, slides and negatives at 30 cents per image with a minimum of 20 images. Audio transfer choices include MP3 and WAV.
Those different charging units matter when planning a mixed collection. Keep film lengths, image counts and cassette quantities separate from the videotape estimate. You might choose one occasion first: its home video, a few photographs and a recorded voice can help relatives identify people and dates. Discuss the relevant audio options separately rather than assuming every tape has the same terms.
Review the transfer, then bring relatives into the archive
When the files arrive, check the beginning, middle and end of each recording, listen to the sound and match each filename to your inventory. Try playback on your usual device. Keep the originals and make a separate backup of the digital files before relying on one drive or one online copy.
Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital memories after conversion. It does not convert physical tapes. Its free plan includes 2.0 GB of shared archive storage, with no card needed. You can collect photos and home videos into albums, invite relatives and add their comments and stories. Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates, so a recording remembered only as a summer in the 1990s can still be found by year.
For a family reunion, Live Watch Parties synchronize an uploaded home video while the host controls play, pause and seek, with voice and text chat for relatives nearby or far away. Free Watch Parties include three hours monthly and up to six participants. Event Memories provides a secure occasion contribution link: contributors sign in without needing archive membership, their photos and videos enter the event album, and closing the link keeps the collected memories.