A transfer service for more than VHS
The robis transfer page lists VHS, Betamax, Mini DV, Compact VHS, Hi-8 and Digital 8, alongside 8mm and 16mm movie film. That range is useful if a family recorded memories across different generations of equipment. A full-size VHS cassette, a small camcorder cassette and a reel of film should be identified separately when requesting an estimate; their presence in one collection does not make them the same type of job.
Start with an inventory grouped by the labels on the media. Give each item a simple number and record any handwritten title, date or family name beside it. Photograph the labels before drop-off. If you cannot identify a cassette, describe it or ask for help identifying the format rather than guessing. This preparation makes it easier to connect the finished recordings to the physical originals later.
Decide between discs and files before drop-off
For transferred video footage, robis lists DVD, Blu-ray, USB drive and cloud servers as delivery destinations. These options suit different viewing habits. A disc may be useful for someone with a compatible player, while files can be more convenient for copying to a computer and arranging in a family archive. Choose around the equipment your relatives actually use, rather than assuming everyone can play the same disc.
A USB drive is a delivery device, not a description of the files it contains. Ask what file type you will receive, whether it plays on your chosen devices and whether each tape will be supplied as a separate file. For cloud delivery, ask how downloading works and how long access remains available. If you want both a disc and files, confirm whether that combination is available and what it would cost.
Make the store handover specific
The published process begins with dropping off video, movie or audio media at the store. Before taking in a large collection, ask for an estimate based on your inventory and an explanation of how the work is charged. Current pricing, processing time and the treatment of damaged tapes need direct confirmation. Describe any cracked shells, loose tape or visible contamination before attempting playback; ask whether the item can be assessed safely.
Choose a modest priority group if the collection feels overwhelming: perhaps the tapes believed to contain a wedding, a graduation or a relative whose voice you especially want to preserve. Keep your numbering consistent across that first group and any later batches. At handover, agree how the order will identify each item, what output you have chosen and how you will be told the work is ready.
Returned originals still have a place
robis states that it returns all original media after the process is complete. Retain your inventory and compare the returned items against it. Once the digital copies arrive, check the beginning, middle and end of each recording, along with any particularly important scene. Listen as well as watch. If something seems missing or a file will not open, note the item number and the approximate point in the recording when contacting the store.
Keep the original tapes and make a second copy of the digital files on a separate storage device. A useful filename can include the inventory number, a short description and a known year. Leave uncertain dates uncertain until someone can help identify them. Save an untouched copy before making shorter clips or edits, so a convenient highlight never becomes the only surviving version.
Turn finished recordings into shared family context
After conversion, Memrial offers a separate private family archive for digital photos and home videos. It does not convert physical tapes and is not part of robis. The free allowance is 2.0 GB shared across an archive, with no card needed. Check the size of your finished files when deciding what to upload first.
Invite relatives to help name people and add stories. Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates, making memories easier to find by year even when a tape label only says something like a summer holiday. A reunion recording could sit alongside photographs from the same occasion without requiring everyone to remember the precise day.
Live Watch Parties synchronize an uploaded home video, with the host controlling play, pause and seeking while relatives near or far join voice and text chat. The free plan includes 3 hours per month and up to 6 participants. For a new reunion, Event Memories provides a secure occasion contribution link. Contributors sign in but do not need archive membership; their photos and videos collect in the event album, and closing the link keeps the memories already contributed.