If you have a mountain of VHS in your basement filled with youth football matches and religious ceremonies from over 20 years ago, it might be time to adjust to 21st century technology. Professional VHS to DVD transfer services can be expensive if the number of videotapes is large, but you can do it yourself with professional results with the proper tools.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Use an Analog - Digital Video Capture Device
Step 1. Select an analog-to-digital video capture device
Typically, you can buy it for 50 or 100 euros. The most common models include:
- HDML-Cloner Box Pro
- Elgato Video Capture
- Roxio Easy VHS to DVD
- Diamond VC500
Step 2. Connect the device to the VCR with the supplied cable
Step 3. Install the software that manages the video capture device
You can use the supplied CD or download it from the manufacturer's website.
Step 4. Launch the application on your computer
Insert the VHS tape and fast forward (or rewind) to the portion of video you want to record.
At this point, try to start the VHS tape. You should be able to see it in a pop-up window of the installed software. Control audio levels and frame rates, making some adjustments to optimize playback quality. Then go back to the part of the video you want to record
Step 5. Click on the "Record" item of the software before pressing the Play button on the VHS tape
Make sure the software is in capture mode before you start playing the video or the recording will not include the very first few seconds of the tape. This process varies slightly depending on the software installed, but regardless, you will need to wait for the video to finish playing completely before moving on to converting the file to DVD.
Step 6. Once the video is finished, open it with any video player available on your computer to check its quality
At this point, if you want to edit the video, you can open it in iMovie or with a freeware program like VirtualDub to cut the unwanted parts.
Make sure the audio and video are in sync. If they are not, you can adjust the audio distortion by selecting "Interlace" from the audio menu and entering a positive or negative number for the audio delay. Once you understand how much to delay the audio, it will be useful to select "Show Audio" from the View menu
Method 2 of 3: Use a Combo Player for VHS - DVD
Step 1. Get a VHS - DVD combo player
While they generally lack High Definition Output (HDMI) and software packages, they are still the least complicated way to transfer video from VHS to DVD.
- A new Combo player will probably cost between $ 100 and $ 200, but maybe you can find a cheaper one on eBay or craigslist.
- Alternatively, you can connect a regular VHS player to a DVD player capable of recording. For this, you will need to have a regular set of two-way audio-video cables. Connect the outputs of the VHS player with the inputs of the DVD player and follow the rest of the instructions as if you were using a combo player.
Step 2. Clean the heads of the VHS cassette
Depending on the quality of your VHS tapes, this can be a simple preventive or even necessary step. If you're working with irreplaceable old family tapes or extremely dirty cassettes, make sure you don't ruin them by running them into the player.
- Pull back the protective tab to reveal the magnetic tape. Advance the ribbon by turning the spindles and wiping the ribbon with a soft cloth or piece of cotton.
- If the ribbon is wrinkled or twisted, gently smooth it with the cloth. If the ribbon is severely tangled, turn the spindles the other way to slide it. Be very careful.
Step 3. Insert the VHS cassette into the player and a blank DVD into the DVD recorder
Check your player's specifications on DVD formats to make sure it can write to DVD-R or DVD-RW discs and make sure you have the right type of disc for your player.
Step 4. Press Play and Record
This process varies depending on the available device, but usually you need to press Play on the VHS commands and Record on the DVD commands. Often, however, there will be a single "Register" button that will automatically start the entire transfer process.
Method 3 of 3: Use a Commercial Conversion Service
Step 1. Take your videotapes to convert to the electronics department of a local department store
If you don't want to go to the trouble of buying hardware to transfer just a few cassettes, many large electronics stores will complete the transfer for a small fee. This choice gives you less control over editing and curating your tapes, but will take you very little time. It is also a good way to convert older and lesser known formats such as 8mm or Betamax.
Walgreens, Costco, Walmart, imemories.com, Southtree, Target, CVS and Sam's Club all offer this service for between 10 and 30 euros per disc. Typically, a single disc contains two hours of VHS tape
Step 2. Deliver your tapes and instructions
If you want all your daughter's birthday VHS tapes to be on one disc and your son's on another, make a note and include these notes in the package. Make sure all tapes are clearly labeled and that you have already made copies of the most important tapes. Also worry about making staff aware of any fragility or damage on the tapes.
They may offer you custom editing options
Step 3. Wait a couple of weeks and collect them
This is a great option for people who only have a small amount of personal material to transfer, as they will avoid the additional costs of blank disks, hardware and software. There are also online services that offer the same transfer options, but they may be more expensive due to shipping costs.
