Start with the £12 VHS listing and your actual recordings
The price list shows VHS Tapes £12 and identifies VHS and S-VHS recordings up to 3hrs in duration. That duration limit matters if a cassette contains several programmes or was recorded in a longer-play mode. Give the business the information written on each label and ask how a recording beyond the stated cap would be priced. The quoted entry does not specify VAT treatment or establish the total for every possible order.
Make a short inventory before requesting a quote: number each cassette, copy its label and add any known running time. Separate tapes you know contain family footage from recordings whose contents are uncertain. If the budget is limited, choosing a small first batch can help you decide how much of the collection you want transferred without losing track of the rest.
MP4 delivery, with a year to use the download link
Stinstoun Digital says its digital videos are carefully edited and delivered as MP4 files, compatible with most devices including Smart TVs. Ask what that editing involves if retaining the full recording is important to you. A familiar file format is useful, but it is still sensible to confirm how the files will reach you and try a sample on the device your family intends to use.
The website describes Dropbox storage with a direct link supplied exclusively to the customer. It says each link is valid for 12 months and can be shared worldwide. Treat that access period as time to download and organise your own copies. It is a link-validity statement, rather than a promise that your family archive will be maintained indefinitely.
When the files arrive, check the beginning, middle and end of each video, including sound. Match filenames against your inventory and note any unexpected gaps before putting the collection away. Keep the original tapes and save copies of the files in more than one place.
A quote should settle timing and collection arrangements
The website's order FAQ says work is usually completed within 7 days, with timing affected by the number of items and any cleaning or repairs needed. It also says an estimate is given with the quote. Use that estimate when planning a birthday or family gathering, rather than treating the usual timescale as a guaranteed deadline.
The same FAQ says payment is due once the order is complete, with no up front costs, and lists bank transfer or cash. Before handing anything over, confirm the complete price, delivery arrangements and how the originals will be returned. For a damaged cassette, describe the problem and ask whether assessment, cleaning or repair is possible and what it would cost. Avoid testing visibly damaged tapes in an old player yourself.
Stinstoun Digital publishes a Beith address and opening hours of Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, closed Sundays. These details do not establish a walk-in arrangement. Arrange your handover first.
Keep audio and photographs distinct in a mixed collection
If your recordings sit alongside other family media, Stinstoun Digital also lists audio conversion for cassette tapes, reel-to-reel tapes, CDs, MiniDiscs and vinyl records. Its audio information mentions MP3 and WAV output and prices starting from £9 per tape. That starting figure belongs to audio, so it should not replace the separate VHS price when estimating a video order.
The price list also includes 35mm slide or negative scanning at 1800dpi for 50p, and A4 photo scanning at 1600/3200dpi for £1 / £1.50. Keep separate inventories for each medium and ask for an itemised quote. A photograph of the people in a video, or a voice recording from the same period, can help relatives identify an occasion once the files are organised.
Turn the delivered files into a private family archive
Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital memories after conversion; it does not convert tapes or form part of Stinstoun Digital's service. You can store photos and home videos, arrange albums and invite relatives to add comments and stories. The free plan includes 2.0 GB of shared archive storage, with no card needed. Check the size of your delivered files before deciding what to upload.
Timeline accepts exact or approximate dates so a recording can be found by year even when nobody remembers the precise day. Invite a relative to help identify a wedding guest or narrow down the year of a seaside holiday. Preserve uncertainty in the date instead of turning a guess into a fact.
Live Watch Parties synchronise an uploaded home video using the host's play, pause and seek controls, with voice and text chat for relatives nearby or far away. The free allowance is 3 hours per month with up to 6 participants. For a reunion, Event Memories provides a secure occasion contribution link. Contributors sign in but do not need archive membership; their photos and videos enter the event album, and closing the link keeps the collected memories.