VHS was overtaken by DVD years ago. Most retail stores no longer sell VHS tapes. Movie rental sources (including online and offline) often don’t maintain a VHS inventory. However, millions of people still have a collection of VHS tapes in their homes. These can include movies, home recordings and other memories captured on tape. For years, there were few options for transferring the recordings from VHS tape to DVD. But, times have changed. Today, transferring VHS to DVD can be done easily, allowing people to maintain their movie collections and preserve valuable recorded memories. In this quick tutorial, you’ll discover how to transfer your VHS tapes to DVDs.
Step #1: Buy A Video Capture Card
You can either purchase an internal or external video capture card. The prices of these cards vary wildly. Some cost hundreds of dollars while others can be purchased for less than $70. A low-priced model should be sufficient for transferring the content on your VHS tapes to DVDs.
Step #2: Configuring The Card
You’ll be able to select the quality of the image capture from your VHS tapes. I recommend that you choose the standard format (720 X 480). Next, configure the card to deliver the content from your VHS tapes to your preferred location. If you have an external hard drive with plenty of space, consider using that drive for the transfer.
Step #3: Make The Connection
If you have it available, use an S-video cable to connect your VHS player to the video card. S-video cables are dependable and constructed with high-quality. If you’re unable to find an S-video cable, use a cable that has RCA connectors on it.
Step #4: Conduct A Test Run
Start playing your VHS tape and record a small segment onto your hard drive. Then, stop the recording and check the segment on your computer (it will be recorded in .AVI format). Make sure the size, the quality of the video images and the sound levels are acceptable.
Step #5: Ready To Roll The Tape
Once you’ve checked the sound and video quality, it’s time to record the entire tape (or, at least the portion you’re interested in preserving). Start the recording on your computer and start the VHS tape. As it’s recording, keep an eye on the size of the file. Most files in .AVI format can be as large as 2 GB. If your file approaches 2 GB, stop the recording. You’ll need to create a second .AVI file.
Step #6: Burn To DVD
Once you’ve recorded your VHS tape to your hard drive in .AVI format, it’s time to burn that file onto a DVD. There are several software solutions available to do this including those from Adobe, Pinnacle and Roxio. All have inherent limitations, but each should be able to burn your .AVI file to a DVD. If you needed to split the recording into multiple .AVI files due to the the amount of content on the VHS tape, the DVD burning software will allow you to connect the segments.
Preserving Your Collection
Whether you’re trying to prolong the life of a VHS movie collection or preserving the integrity of recorded family memories, transferring the content from VHS tapes to DVDs is a good idea. Tapes degrade. DVDs can last for decades. While the process isn’t free, it’s far less-expensive than having a specialized service make the transfer. With some hardware and a bit of robust software, you can start transferring your VHS tapes to DVDs today. The longer you wait, the higher the likelihood of losing the content on your VHS tapes.
I bought a dvd/vhs combo unit, that will burn dvds, and it does the charm quite nicely if you just want to record straight over. If you want to edit the video, your steps are dead on. Thanks for the blog.