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The Memory Lab: VHS digitisation in Colwyn Bay

The Memory Lab has a specific VHS digitising service alongside its photograph, slide and album scanning work. For someone in the Colwyn Bay listing area, that makes it a useful option to investigate when a family collection contains both moving pictures and still images. The VHS product page describes MPEG-4 video files supplied on 32gb USB storage, with the original tapes returned. Start by deciding which recordings matter most and what you want to do with the files afterwards.

Published by Memrial Updated 4 October 2026 5 min read

A USB handover with the tapes coming back

The published VHS arrangement is straightforward: digital video files are exported, compiled onto 32gb USB storage and returned with the original tapes. MPEG-4 is the stated export format. That gives you a concrete starting point for a conversation about how your recordings will be delivered, rather than leaving the output entirely unspecified.

Before ordering, ask how several tapes will be identified on the USB and whether a long recording will arrive as one file or several parts. If you plan to watch on a television, explain which device you use and check compatibility. Keep the supplied files as your main copies even if you later make shorter extracts for relatives.

Clarify the VHS quote before planning a deadline

The VHS digitising page displays £ 18.00. The quoted price alone does not establish a recording-length allowance, tax treatment or the total for your particular collection, so request a complete quote with those details. Include your tape count and any known running times, and ask what happens if a cassette contains little footage or cannot be played.

The website's FAQ describes images usually being scanned in around 1-2 days of receipt, depending on workload. That is an image-scanning statement, not a VHS completion promise. If the video is needed for an anniversary or family gathering, ask for a tape-specific timescale that includes delivery and return arrangements.

Pair the recording with photographs from the same occasion

The Memory Lab also publishes separate services for loose photographs, slides and albums. Its loose-photo service asks customers to estimate the quantity, remove photographs from sleeves and organise them into batches. It also asks you not to write on the photographs because fresh ink can smudge. Original loose images are returned in the order supplied, with digital images available on USB or through a password-protected online gallery.

These details can help when a wedding video has matching prints or a holiday recording has accompanying slides. Keep each medium clearly labelled and ask for the appropriate preparation instructions before dismantling an album. Photo delivery options should be discussed separately from the stated VHS USB arrangement.

Make a simple record of what you hand over

For your own reference, give each cassette a number and photograph its existing label. A short inventory can record the likely occasion, approximate year, people involved and any visible damage. Leave an uncertain date uncertain; a relative may recognise the event later. This is practical preparation advice, rather than a statement of the provider's requirements.

If a tape has mould, a cracked case or loose ribbon, describe it before sending it or trying to play it. Ask whether the provider can assess that condition and what any additional work would involve. Agree the handover method directly, and retain a copy of your inventory so the returned tapes and files can be matched easily.

Watch the returned files before putting the USB away

When the files arrive, open each one and check sections near the beginning, middle and end. Listen to the sound as well as watching the picture, and compare the content with your inventory. Older recordings may have gaps or picture problems already present on the tape; note anything unexpected so you can describe it clearly when asking a question.

Copy the files to another storage location and keep the USB too. Store the returned original tapes somewhere dry and stable. Invite a relative to help identify people, places and dates while the footage is fresh in everyone's mind. Those few notes often make the recordings much easier to find and understand later.

Bring the finished video into a private family archive

Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital memories after conversion. It does not convert physical tapes or form part of The Memory Lab's service. You can invite relatives, organise photos and home videos into albums, and add comments and stories. Free shared archive storage is 2.0 GB, with no card needed; check your video sizes when choosing what to upload.

Timeline uses exact or approximate dates so memories can be found by year. Live Watch Parties synchronise an uploaded home video with host play, pause and seek controls, plus voice and text chat for relatives near or far. The free allowance is 3 hours monthly with up to 6 participants. For an anniversary, Event Memories provides a secure contribution link. Contributors sign in but need no archive membership; uploads collect in the event album, and closing the link keeps the memories.

From the provider's website

Published service details

Website information checked 4 October 2026. Prices and availability can change. The original wording and conditions are included below.

Digital video files exported and compiled onto 32gb USB storage and returned with original tapes.

Your family space	How it works	A moment to try
TimelinePut the years back in order	Add dates to your photos and home videos, then explore them together by year. If you only know roughly when something happened, use an approximate date and let relatives help fill in the story.	Find the summer you all went away together. Add the names, place and little details that the camera never recorded.
Live Watch PartiesSame video. Same moment.	Choose a home video from your archive and invite relatives to watch online. Playback stays in sync, with the host controlling play, pause and seeking. Talk through voice or text chat while you watch, whether you are nearby or miles apart.	Put on an old birthday tape and pause when someone spots a familiar face. Hear the stories from the people who were actually there.
Event MemoriesEveryone's view, together	Open an event for a birthday, reunion, wedding or other occasion and share its secure contribution link. People sign in to add photos and videos to the event album without needing to be members of your archive. Close the link when you are finished; the contributed memories stay.	Collect this year's reunion photos in one place, then revisit an older reunion video together. The occasion gets its own album rather than another scattered message thread.
Your private archiveStart with 2.0 GB free	Keep photos, home videos and their stories in an invite-only family space. Your free storage is shared across the archive. Add a few favourite memories first, then invite relatives to contribute.	Give a short home-video clip a title your family will recognise. Ask who remembers the day, and keep their replies with the memory.

A USB handover with the tapes coming back

Clarify the VHS quote before planning a deadline

Pair the recording with photographs from the same occasion

Make a simple record of what you hand over

Watch the returned files before putting the USB away

Bring the finished video into a private family archive

Published service details

Make them part of family life again

Questions about The Memory Lab and your family videos

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