Convert old media for a lower price

Family Ties Video (3601 Park Center Blvd., Suite 306, St. Louis Park, 952-929-6484, www. familytiesvideo.com) is discounting all of its audio and video transfer services 25 percent through March. The sale includes vinyl records, cassettes, reel-to-reel tapes as well as VHS, S-VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, Beta and mini-DV to DVD. Sale prices for the transfer of a standard LP or cassette to CD or MP3 are $18.71 per LP or cassette. A two-hour disc for video transfer from any format is $22.75.

All of the transfer work is done on-site. Original recordings are returned.

If you want to spend less money, search online. If you have a lot of LPs or cassettes to transfer, consider the Crosley Troubadour for $200 available at Bed, Bath & Beyond stores or www.bedbathandbeyond.com. It transfers cassettes or LPs to CDs. Save $40 by using the store's regular coupon for 20 percent off a single item. If you don't get the coupons, look in any issue of Real Simple magazine, which costs about $4 but will still yield a net savings.

Ultimate warrantiesFew experts recommend buying extended warranties on most electronics -- a hefty profit source for retailers -- but some consumers like the peace of mind. But consumers shopping for good deals at Ultimate Electronics might be wondering what happens to an extended warranty if the retailer goes out of business. Ultimate has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which typically means a reorganization, not a liquidation. Ultimate has not said whether it will close any of its six Twin Cities stores.

Ultimate's extended warranties are handled through a third party, Aon. If you're considering buying a new TV, do check Ultimate's prices. At a time when the company needs cash, the consumer is in the driver's seat. Nearly all brands of flat-screen TVs have good reliability so far, says Consumer Reports, so service after the sale should not be a big factor.

More on U.S. Bank dealLast Sunday, I praised U.S. Bank's START program, which allows customers to get a $50 or $100 reward for a commitment to saving $1,000. I should have stated that the $50 reward received after adding $1,000 to your money market account is in the form of a Visa stored-value card. If you keep the $50 in the account for one year, the second $50 also is in the form of a Visa card. Just keep in mind that the bonus money is reported as interest income to the IRS.

John Ewoldt • 612-673-7633 or jewoldt@startribune.com.