A per-tape price worth matching to your collection
Video Dayton publishes the wording "$15 Per Tape - Flat Rate - No Surprises" in its VHS pricing. A per-tape figure makes an initial collection count useful: multiply the number of VHS tapes by the advertised rate to get a starting estimate. Treat that as a budgeting calculation, rather than a confirmed quote for your particular order. The published details do not specify tax treatment, recording-length conditions, or whether the destination disc or flash drive is included.
When you call or text, describe the number of VHS tapes and the output you want. Ask for the total payable amount and whether the same rate applies to each tape in your batch. Separate smaller camcorder cassettes or unfamiliar formats from ordinary VHS when making your list; the VHS price does not establish pricing or acceptance for those other formats. A written inventory helps you compare the answer with the collection you actually plan to submit.
DVD or flash drive: choose around future viewing
The website explicitly offers transfers of video tapes to DVD and flash drive. If you still use a DVD player, a disc could be a convenient viewing copy, but check that the finished disc will play on your equipment. If you want to edit clips, make backup copies, or upload home videos to a private archive, ask about the files supplied on flash drive.
The delivery label alone does not identify the file format, resolution, or how recordings are divided. Ask whether you receive one file per tape or several files, and whether those files play on your computer. If you want both delivery options, request a quote for that combination. Choose an output because it supports your next use, rather than assuming a flash drive will automatically work on every television or that a DVD provides a ready-to-upload video file.
Contacting the Oakwood address before a handover
Video Dayton’s website lists 933 Far Hills Ave, Oakwood, OH 45419, and invites customers to call or text 937.760.7561. Our address listing and map reflect that published Oakwood location. Contact the business before traveling to arrange how and when to hand over your tapes.
Prepare a short note with tape numbers, label wording, and any known issues. A cassette marked "graduation" may contain several unrelated recordings, so avoid promising relatives a particular scene before you have seen the transferred video. If a tape has visible mold, a cracked shell, or a history of getting stuck, describe that condition and ask whether it can be accepted. Do not run a suspect tape through a player just to check it, or attempt to clean the tape surface yourself.
Check the recording before putting it away
Once you receive a transfer, review the beginning, a section in the middle, and the end of each recording. Check that sound is present where expected and that files open on the equipment you intend to use. Record any apparent missing sections against your inventory, then discuss them with the converter. Old recordings can contain blank stretches or problems already present on the tape, so distinguish the original material from a possible transfer issue.
Keep the original cassettes after conversion. For digital files, maintain a second copy in a separate place and test that it opens. Rename copies with meaningful descriptions while retaining the original delivered files. Ask relatives to identify people and occasions, but preserve uncertainty: "possibly the summer before the move" is more useful than a confident date nobody can support. Their memories can make an ordinary clip much easier for the next generation to understand.
From a flash drive to a private family archive
Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital memories after conversion. It does not transfer physical tapes and is not part of Video Dayton. You can store photos and home videos, organize albums, and invite relatives to add comments and stories. Free signup needs no card and includes 2.0 GB of shared archive storage. Check your video file sizes before planning uploads, since that allowance is not unlimited.
Timeline lets you use exact or approximate dates to find memories by year. For a family reunion recording, even an approximate year gives relatives a useful place to begin. Live Watch Parties synchronize an uploaded home video, with the host controlling play, pause, and seek while relatives nearby or far away use voice or text chat. The free allowance is 3 hours per month with up to 6 participants.
Event Memories can gather more context around an occasion, such as a reunion celebrating the family’s older recordings. A secure contribution link lets people sign in and upload photos or videos without becoming archive members. Contributions go into the event album, and closing the link keeps the memories already collected.