VHS was king throughout the 1980s and ’90s. Pushing an awkward videotape into a clunky machine to view a movie on an analog TV was considered “high tech.” Many home movies were shot on VHS. DVD technology, introduced to the market in 1997, eventually made the VHS format antiquated. Today, VHS tapes can benefit by being transferred to the higher quality DVD format.
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You’ll Need:
VHS player
RCA tri-cable
Analog to digital converter
“Firewire” cable
PC with “firewire” port
Video editing software
DVD burner
DVD burning software
Step 1
Connect the analog to video converter with RCA cables.
Connect a VHS player to the video converter. Plug the three RCA cables into the back of the VCR. Plug the white end into the “audio out left” jack; plug the red end into the “audio out right” jack and plug the yellow end into the “video out” jack.
Step 2
Connect the converter to a computer using a “firewire” cable
Connect the analog to digital converter to computer. Connect one end of the “firewire” cable into the “firewire” port on the converter. Plug the other end of the cable into a “firewire” port on the computer.
Step 3
Download and capture the VHS video onto your computer.
Capture VHS video on computer. Access the video editing software. Open the video capture menu. Monitor the VCR on the video editing capture screen. Rewind VCR tape to the beginning of the video you want transferred. Click “capture video” on your capture screen. Press “Play” on the VCR. Click “end capture” when you want to stop the transfer. Stop the VCR.
Step 4
Import the captured video into the timeline of your video editing software. Click “file” then “import video.” Drag the video file into the timeline at the bottom of the screen. Render and save the project as an AVI or MPG file.
Step 5
Export video to DVD. Import the video file to DVD burning software. Name the DVD. Add any publishing tools such as titles and graphics to enhance the DVD menu. Save the DVD settings. Insert a blank “DVD-R” or “DVD-RW” into the DVD burner. Click on “send to DVD” or “Burn DVD.” Eject the DVD and play it on a DVD player to verify it was recorded.a
