What is included in a consultation?

Your consultation is an obligation free opportunity to discuss your home photo and movie collection with us. We understand that the items in your collection are precious to you. We want the privilege of digitizing them on your terms. We will create a personalized plan for your collection with clear expectations. You will receive a quote price based on the size and contents of your collection. You will receive a date by which you can expect our work to be completed, and your digital archive to be returned. Use this discussion to ask us about any special requests or rush orders you would like to place. We want to accommodate each need you have, and deliver exactly as you expect.

How long will it take to digitize my collection?

2 weeks is the general turnaround time, but it will, of course, depend on the size and quality of your collection. If you have only a few items, it should take less time. If items are dirty, or have deteriorated, it can add a couple days to the time it takes to complete the order as we want to maximize the quality of your digital memories.

Is Heritage helper local only?

Usually, yes, as this is the best way to guarantee your physical items will be safe and nearby. For those out of town wishing to ship items and use our service, we are more than willing to help.

I have a huge collection of photos and movies. Are some projects too big?

There is no project too large for Heritage Helper! We are happy to complete projects of all sizes, and at a more reasonable price point than large competitors. We have a $50 minimum order charge, but our local pickup service allows you to bypass hefty shipping costs that accompany moving your collection.

How should I pack my items to be picked up?

Many older media items are delicate. We want to respect the integrity of your collection. For this reason, we ask that photos be removed from albums and loose leaf only upon pickup. We also recommend that you seal each album/era of photos in its own separate plastic bag so your digital file is returned to you in an organized manner.

Do you offer retouching services for photos?

Yes, but our retouching is not the same service that is typically provided by photographers to reduce the appearance of facial blemishes or flaws. We offer retouching services specific to photo deterioration. We can reverse a photo’s signs of fading and damaged spots to make it appear closer to how it originally would.

For video media, will the Digitization service include ‘restoration’ of poor quality images?

No. We simply convert whatever video content is on your physical media and create a digital copy of it. We do not do any video editing or enhancements. We have many tools and machines we use to ensure that we are capturing the best possible image from your media. We are almost always able to eliminate static, color flickering, and audio sync issues that come with deterioration of physical media, but the footage you will receive from us is “raw” or “as-is”. We are not responsible for disappointing video quality that was originally shot in low resolution, in a dark setting, etc.

I have a couple of video tapes here and I am not sure what is on them. Do you charge for recorded TV Shows/Movies that I don’t want?

No. If we find a tape that is just a recorded movie or TV show, we will always tell you before we proceed with converting it. We will not convert it, unless you would like us to do so. In this case, the regular price will apply.

What happens to my physical photos, videos and audios?

Your original items will be safely returned to you as we received them and delivered by hand.

Why is there a price range for vHS and camcorder conversions rather than a fixed price?

We price VHS and camcorder digitizations on a sliding scale because they can be a few minutes to hours in length. $18 is our regular charge per item. Longer video tapes will be $20-$25. However, items less than 10 minutes in length are converted at only $1 per minute.

Can I receive a digital archive in more than one format?

Of course. We provide a USB drive free of charge, but we can burn as many extra USB drives you need at $10 apiece and DVD’s at $10 apiece.