Convert VHS to DVD
Let's face it... your old VHS tapes with treasured family memories won't last forever. Even if the VCR doesn't eventually jam and eat the tape, a VHS recording uses fragile magnetic tape that degrades over time -- whether you watch it or not. Don't count on those VCR tapes lasting longer than a few years, convert VHS to DVD format today, and save those memories for posterity.
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How to Convert VHS to DVD
You have several options to convert VHS to DVD. Let's look at them one by one and then you'll be ready to choose the one that's best for you.
Combo Units
If you own a combination DVD and VCR player/recorder, available almost any place where electronics are sold, it's almost painless to pop in the VHS tape and a blank DVD, press a few buttons and directly record the old tape to a shiny new DVD disc. (A slight variant on this method is to connect your VCR to a separate DVD recorder unit.) If you don't need to modify the video at all (editing, adding chapters and custom menus), this method is the easiest and most direct.
Using a Video Camera
Just about any video camera (camcorder) can serve as the tool to help you copy directly from your old VCR into a digital format. Usually it just requires hooking up a cable (may need to be purchased separately) from the VCR's Video Out port (the red, white, yellow connectors) to the Video In port on the camera and pressing a few buttons. Each camera works a bit differently, so follow the instructions in your video camera's manual for recording from an auxiliary input. This is a slow process because it is a re-recording of what is on the tape to the new DVD format, but it is fairly simple and requires no additional hardware if you already own a video camera.
Using a Black Box
Special devices like DVD Xpress or Instant DVD from ADSTech make it easy to transfer directly from VHS tape to a DVD disc. Basically, this is an external device that takes the place of the video camera in the previous scenario. You connect the VCR to the device with a standard red/white/yellow cable and then connect the device to your computer with a USB cable. These devices may be more cost effective than a video camera (about US$100) and a little easier to use.
More Geeky Solutions
Other options exist, for those interested in all the technical bells and whistles of video transfer, conversion and compression. Check out BitYard for a point-by-point, nearly human explanation of using an MPEG-2 capturing device that transfers and compresses the video to a smaller file size.
What Hardware and Software Do I Need?
Most computers sold in the last few years (Windows or Mac) will have the basic system requirements needed for dealing with the digital version of your VHS recording. You should have a Pentium 4 or higher, 1GB or more of RAM and at least 10GB of hard drive space available.
Oh, and a DVD burner of course, and a stack of blank DVD discs. Some computers have combination CD/DVD drives, which may or may not be able to burn a DVD. Don't assume that because you can burn a CD, you can also burn a DVD. Consult the documentation if you're not sure. If you need a DVD burner, the external USB-connected models are very easy to connect.
Once you capture the images on your computer, you can use movie editing programs such as Windows MovieMaker, QuickTime or iMovie to manipulate the video as desired, add subtitles, chapters, etc. Also check out VideoHelp.com for excellent video editing software and tutorials with wonderful step-by-step instructions.
The Low-Tech Solution
A final option for those who don't care to dirty their hands with wires, bits and bytes is a service bureau. Many services offer to receive your VHS tapes by mail and return it with a DVD equivalent. One example is Home Movie Depot. For anywhere from under $20 to a lot more (for damaged tapes) they can walk you through the preparation process and help you get the tapes to them for conversion.
How Long Do DVDs Last?
All that I've read indicates the expected longevity of dye-based DVD discs is anywhere from 20 to 250 years. Some formulations (notably phthalocyanine) are more stable and last longer, so look for those when purchasing DVD discs. However, many manufacturers don't list this on the packaging; so just be aware that some of the el-cheapo DVD discs may last just a few years, and buy quality name-brand discs.
There have been some confusing reports published recently, notably the claim by a guy from IBM Germany that CD and DVD discs will last only 2-5 years. This report has been WIDELY criticized and so far I haven't seen ANYONE come out in support of it. Nonetheless, popular news media (online and offline) trumpet it as fact and then mass confusion ensues...
As far as I'm concerned, the National Institute of Standards and Technology's report on CD/DVD Care & Handling is the most authoritative and accurate source of information on the subject of CD/DVD life expectancy. In that report, they say:
The useful life span of CD and DVD discs is affected by temperature, humidity, exposure to light and day-to-day use. So keep your DVDs in a cool, dry place, avoid direct exposure to sunlight, and they should last for several decades.
Have you converted your VHS tapes to DVD format? Share your experience and tips you've learned here!
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Posted by Bob Rankin on January 11, 2006 03:03 PM
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Most recent comments on "Convert VHS to DVD"
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Help please! I'm techno challenged & older, so bear with me. EDITOR'S NOTE: I read some postings on VideoHelp.com and came away with no clear answer. I suggest you post your question there, with as much detail as possible. People seem pretty friendly and helpful there. |
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My bro-in-law was really great to offer to tape my wedding, but he used 3 different cameras that consisted of 2 kinds of VHS and 1 memory card. I want to transfer my VHS into DVD so that I can edit them all together. I am trying to find information online about the best way to go about it, but I go glassy-eyed with too much techno-talk; I am a basic techno-girl. Is there a difference between transferring to DVD and transferring to a digital file (like MPEG-2, etc)? If so, and I already bought something that was advertised to be transferred to DVD, can I convert it into an editable file? EDITOR'S NOTE: MPEG is a video format that should be editable with most video editing programs, such as Windows Movie Maker or Sony Vegas. DVD is a physical disk, onto which you can burn a video file (such as an MPEG). In short, you need to convert the VHS footage into some video file format (MPEG is fine), open the video files with a video editor, edit as needed, then burn to a DVD disc. |
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I have been using a Pinnacle studio program for years to convert my home VHS tapes to DVD. They now have the Dazzle which allows you to connect your VHS player to the computer's USB port. |
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I dont know about dvd's. But I have burned cd's in the past, to be more especific in the year 2000 and now they are just blank cd's I was using RWcd's, the documents, pictures and music disapear. The computer read the cd as blank and full at the same time on the properties screen. So I know for experience that they go bad especially the RW They last it about 5 years. I dont use RW CD's or RWDVD's no more I prefer to use the others since until know I have never have a problem. |
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I am a big movie fan, been collecting for over thirty years, with over a thousand VHS movies, many not available on DVD. As a present my husband purchased a Samsung DVD-VR357 so that I could copy my old VHS (Fox, Disney, etc...) to DVD for my personal use, absolutely not to sell. Some work and some will only copy a few seconds and then state copyright protected. What do I need to copy these movies. Help we are running out of room and please go slow..... new technology is not my thing. EDITOR'S NOTE: Judy, please look through the comments for info about Stabilizers. The Sima CT-200 or similar devices should do the trick. |
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Arkiva.com provides a really great digital conversion service. They not only convert VHS to DVD, but also convert many other forms of legacy media to digital, such as film reels, slides, records, betamax, etc. Plus they do it really fast and also upload the video online your personal Arkiva homepage. It's really easy to use and has all the features of a disaster recover software program, media sharing site, and digital conversion service. |
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I want to tell you about interesting information related to combo DVD VHS recorders found on Dimax Grex FAQ page - http://www.xdimax.com/grex_faq/faq_vcrdvdcombo.html. It is generally impossible to DUB protected VHS to DVD but using Grex and instructions mentinode above you can do a tricks with your combo and make it record protected VHS to DVD without any external player or recorder. |
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Is it possible to put VHS tapes directly onto an external hard drive and bypass the computer completely? EDITOR'S NOTE: No, you need something to read the data from the tape, and write it to the disk. I don't know of any VHS player that can write directly to a hard drive. |
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You may want to have a look at the TVIX PVR R-3300. It can record to MPEG via S-Video or Composite inputs. This allows one to avoid scratchable media, tapes, etc., and go fully digital. |
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i am using tevion dvd maker usb 2.0 to convert my home made movies from vhs to dvd and it comes up that they are copyrighted. I am using my new laptop with vista. is there something that I need to change. EDITOR'S NOTE: You need a stabilizer. See the comments for more info. |
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