Start with the recording, then contact Restore.tv
Describe what you actually have: full-size VHS cassettes, smaller VHS-C tapes, or another format. Read the labels on the cassette itself, since a storage box can contain mixed recordings. Mention roughly how many tapes there are and whether you know they were recorded in the United States or overseas. Different recording systems may need different playback equipment.
When contacting Restore.tv, ask whether it handles that format today and whether any work would be carried out elsewhere. Confirm the current arrangements for handing over and collecting tapes. The Lehi listing is a starting point for contact, rather than confirmation of opening hours, a walk-in service or a conversion facility.
Make a small first transfer worth assessing
If a suitable service is confirmed, consider beginning with one representative tape before sending a larger collection. Choose a recording that matters, but whose contents you can roughly identify. This gives you something meaningful to assess: whether the whole recording is present, voices are understandable and the delivered files are practical to use.
Ask for a written estimate explaining how charges are calculated, whether blank sections affect the bill, and what additional items might cost. Clarify whether the quote includes the delivery medium, any applicable tax and the return of originals. Ask for an expected completion date separately from any shipping estimate. Neither price nor timing is confirmed here for Restore.tv.
Choose files for the people who will watch them
The best delivery choice depends on what you want to do next. Tell the person handling the transfer whether you plan to watch on a computer, copy files to relatives or upload them to a private archive. Ask which file types and delivery methods are available, how large a typical file might be, and whether long recordings arrive as one file or several.
For everyday family viewing, a widely playable video file can be more useful than a disc alone. Still, ask about compatibility with the devices you actually use rather than relying on a format name. Keep any higher-quality master supplied separately from smaller sharing copies, and clarify what editing or image adjustments, if any, would be applied.
Give fragile tapes a careful handover
Number each cassette and photograph its handwritten label before handing it over. Make a simple inventory that connects those numbers with dates, people and events. Do not remove an original label simply to make the collection look tidy; an uncertain note can still help identify a recording later.
If a cassette has a cracked shell, a loose section of tape or visible mold, describe the problem and ask whether it can be assessed safely. Avoid repeatedly testing a suspect tape or attempting a repair just to prepare it for conversion. Agree how the tapes will be identified and returned. These are general precautions to discuss, not a description of Restore.tv's handling or repair policies.
Check the result before putting the tapes away
Open every returned file and check the beginning, a few points in the middle and the ending. Listen as well as watch. Look for missing portions, unexplained changes in sound or a file that stops early. Compare what you receive with your inventory, and ask about any concerns while the details of the job are still fresh.
Keep the original cassettes and maintain another copy of the digital files on separate storage. A single USB drive is easy to misplace. Invite a relative to help identify faces or narrow down dates, recording uncertainty honestly. That little bit of family knowledge can make an ordinary filename far more useful years later.
Bring the finished recordings into Memrial
After conversion, Memrial provides a separate private family archive for digital photos and home videos. It does not convert tapes or form part of Restore.tv. You can invite relatives, organize albums and add comments and stories. Free signup needs no card and includes 2.0 GB of storage shared across the archive. Check your file sizes before deciding what to upload.
Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates, helping you find memories by year even when relatives can only narrow down which summer a recording came from. Live Watch Parties synchronize an uploaded home video using host play, pause and seek controls, with voice and text chat for relatives nearby or far away. The free allowance is three hours monthly with up to six participants.
For a reunion, Event Memories offers a secure occasion contribution link. Contributors sign in without needing archive membership; their photos and videos collect in the event album. Closing the link keeps the memories, so contributions can remain part of the family record afterward.