Start with the slides and negatives you can identify
The website lists 35mm slide scanning at $1.25 each and 35mm negative scanning at $1.50 each. These are prices for those specific photographic originals, not videotapes. Before committing a collection, confirm the current quote, how individual negatives are counted, and whether any other charges or tax apply. A strip of negatives and a box of mounted slides need different counting methods, so give a clear description of what you have.
You do not need to identify every face before asking for help. Start by separating slides from negative strips and keeping existing envelopes, handwritten captions, and slide-box labels with their groups. Photograph those labels for your own reference. If you find unusual film sizes, torn strips, or material that appears damaged, describe it and ask whether it can be handled before sending or dropping anything off.
Choose between a photograph collection and a slideshow
Virtual Computer Services describes photo slideshows available as an HD .mp4 movie file or a DVD. That is a distinct choice from receiving the individual scanned photographs. A slideshow can suit an anniversary or a family gathering, while separate image files let relatives browse pictures, add names, and choose their own favorites later. Ask what is included in the slideshow project and whether you will also receive the individual images.
For a slideshow, choose a small group with a clear thread: a wedding, successive family homes, or one person through the years. Put the pictures in your preferred order and keep a separate note of names and approximate dates. Discuss any captions, music, or changes you want before agreeing the project. The published format options do not establish editing allowances, running time, or a delivery schedule.
Plan how the digital images will reach you
For digital images, the website offers upload to Google Drive for you to download, or copying to a new USB drive. You can provide that drive, or the provider can purchase one for you. Confirm any drive cost and ask about image file types and scan resolution before ordering. The Google Drive and USB options are described for images; they do not establish how a hypothetical tape transfer would be delivered.
Choose a route you can comfortably use on your own computer. When the images arrive, open a selection from the beginning, middle, and end of each group. Check that orientation is sensible, the expected pictures are present, and filenames let you connect scans with the originals. Download files to your own storage and keep a second copy elsewhere. Retain the original slides and negatives after scanning.
Bring documents into the story, and ask separately about tapes
The business also describes personalized document scanning and OCR, with custom folders using filenames of your choice. That could be relevant when letters or family papers accompany the photographs. Discuss those materials as their own project: ask what the finished files will contain and how you should supply the folder names. The document-scanning description is not a statement about how long customer files are retained.
For VHS, make a separate inquiry. Ask whether Virtual Computer Services currently transfers that format, what tape systems it accepts, and what output it supplies. If you have damaged cassettes, ask about assessment rather than assuming repair is available. Keep labels intact, number each tape, and note any known contents or playback problems. Avoid repeatedly trying a tape that sticks or makes unusual sounds.
Let relatives add the details after digitization
Memrial is a separate private family archive for digital photos and home videos after conversion. It does not scan originals or convert physical tapes, and it is not part of Virtual Computer Services. Its free plan includes 2.0 GB shared across the archive, with no card needed. Invite relatives, arrange albums, and use comments and stories to record details that one person might remember differently from another.
Timeline helps you find memories by year using exact or approximate dates. You might know the precise day of a wedding but only the decade of a beach photograph; both can still have a place. For an uploaded home video, Live Watch Parties synchronize playback with the host controlling play, pause, and seek, alongside voice and text chat for relatives nearby or far away. The free allowance is 3 hours a month with up to 6 participants.
For a family reunion, Event Memories provides a secure occasion contribution link. Contributors sign in but do not need archive membership, and their photos and videos collect in the event album. Closing the link keeps the memories already gathered. This gives newly scanned photographs somewhere to meet present-day pictures and family explanations, while your own backup copies remain useful outside the archive.