One enquiry for VHS and camcorder recordings
VideoPoint lists VHS, VHS-C and S-VHS, plus Video 8, Hi-8, Digital 8, miniDV and DVCAM. Its list also includes Betamax, Betacam, MicroMV, camcorder DVDs and memory cards. That breadth is helpful when family recordings moved between cameras over the years: make a separate count for each format rather than treating every cassette as VHS.
Photograph the labels and assign a simple number to each item before contacting the business. Add any known dates, subjects and approximate running times to your list, but leave uncertain details marked as uncertain. If a tape has a cracked shell, visible mould or a history of getting stuck, describe that before trying to play it. Ask whether it can be assessed and what any additional work would involve. Format acceptance alone does not establish a repair or restoration service.
The price bands depend on length and output
The published DVD option lists £15.00 for up to 2 hours on 1 DVD and £20.00 for up to 4 hours on 2 DVDs. For USB conversion to MP4, the corresponding figures are £15.00 for up to 2 hours and £20.00 for up to 4 hours, with memory sticks extra at £8 each. The combined DVD and USB option lists £20.00 for up to 2 hours and £25.00 for up to 4 hours, again listing memory sticks at £8 each.
Choose the output first, then ask for an itemised total based on the actual tapes. Confirm tax treatment, postage and any work outside those duration bands, since those conditions are not established here. There is also a reason to check copy charges carefully: the USB price table lists extra copies at £8 per USB, while the separate extra-copies text says £10 including the stick. Resolve that difference before ordering duplicates.
DVD presentation or files for the family archive
VideoPoint says its DVDs come with a free library case and a free title printed on the disc. Its Premium service first transfers the video to computer, adds basic editing and tidying, chapter points and a personalised menu, then copies it to DVD. Published prices start from £45 per 2 hours on a disc, and the business explicitly distinguishes this from its more comprehensive editing service.
If your main aim is digital sharing, MP4 is the relevant published file option. Ask how individual tapes will be named and whether recordings will be delivered as one file or several. VideoPoint welcomes customers supplying their own memory sticks or portable hard drive; check suitability before buying or sending one. A file copy is also worth considering alongside a DVD when different relatives use different devices.
Arrange the handover before travelling
Local Maidstone drop-off is available, and VideoPoint also says tapes can be sent by post. Personal callers are welcome but are asked to call first. Its published address is Suite G4, Arcadia House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone ME16 0LS. Agree the handover arrangements when booking, especially if someone else will deliver the collection for you.
The website says single tapes are often completed within 24 hours on the standard service; larger orders may take longer depending on quantity. Treat that as an indication to discuss, rather than a guaranteed deadline. For a birthday or reunion, explain the date at the outset and ask when the completed work and originals will be available. Keep a copy of your inventory and agree how the originals will be returned.
VideoPoint confirms that its service is for UK customers. Its current website describes both local drop-in and UK-wide mail order from Kent. Confirm a visit before travelling, or agree the postal handover and return arrangements before sending your tapes.
Check the transfer, then add the missing family context
When the files arrive, open every one and sample the beginning, middle and end for picture and sound. Match the filenames to your inventory, retain the tapes, and make a second digital copy in a separate location. Invite a relative to help identify people and places while those details are still easy to ask about.
Memrial is a separate private family archive for those digital memories after conversion. It does not convert tapes. Its free allowance is 2.0 GB shared across the archive, with no card needed. Timeline uses exact or approximate dates to help you find memories by year, so an uncertain summer holiday can still have a useful place.
A Live Watch Party synchronises an uploaded home video, with host play, pause and seek controls plus voice and text chat for relatives nearby or far away. The free allowance is 3 hours monthly with up to 6 participants. For a reunion, Event Memories provides a secure occasion contribution link: contributors sign in without needing archive membership, and their photos and videos collect in the event album. Closing the link keeps the memories.