VHS To DVD Articles & Tips

VHS is now the old man of the video formats. Initially starting out in the seventies it gained huge popularity in the eighties and was eventually superseded by DVD in the nineties for movies and remained popular for home recording for a few more years. The advent of PVR systems like Sky Plus and Virgin’s TV Drive along with home PVR systems and DVD recorders has all but eliminated VCR usage over the last five years.

That said, whilst you may not have a VCR any more you likely have a bunch of VHS tapes and odds are some of these contain memories that you don’t want to lose. Your wedding and honeymoon? The kids when they were still adorable? Family members that are no longer with us?

Whatever the reason, the fact remains that VHS tapes will not last forever. The standard quoted lifespan is fifteen years but there are no hard and fast rules and a tape that has seen a lot of use will suffer worse than one that has seen little wear and tear. Equally, a poor quality tape will not last as long as a high grade one.

The DVD format is well established, robust and it stands a good chance that you have a DVD player and maybe even a recorder at home – this makes it a good candidate to be used for preserving your VHS recordings.

So, how do you convert VHS to DVD?

There are a few options and you you may have everything you need without realizing it. As a general rule of thumb, the easier it is, the less flexibility you will have so read on and decide what option is best for you.

1. VHS to DVD Recorder

The easiest option is a combined VCR to DVD recorder. You can’t add menus or edit the video but you have a foolproof solution for getting your videos copied to DVD.

2. DVD Recorder

If you have a DVD Recorder you can just plug your VHS into the back of it and record with it much like how you would copy from the TV. Again, you can’t do anything fancy but it will transfer VHS to DVD.

3. Black Box Solution

There are several systems available to simplify getting video from your VHS tapes onto the computer without cracking the case and you will need a fairly modern computer with at least a USB 2.0 or firewire port. These packages provide you with device that plugs into the computer and your video player then plugs into this device. Generally, they will also provide software allowing you to create DVD’s from your video.

4. Video Capture Card and Software

If you are willing to get your hands dirty and open up your computer you will get the best results with a dedicated video capture card. Beware, this is the most complicated of all options and will require some reading and hair pulling to get it working.

5. VHS Conversion Service

There are many specialist companies that can provide a range of conversion services. This service is available on the high street (at a premium) or alternatively you can use on of the many internet companies.

Ready to get started?

There are plenty of options and everyone from IT wizards to your granddad should be able to find a technique they are happy with. Alternatively, if you are lacking in the time, inclination or don’t have enough VHS tapes to justify a buying some hardware to convert to DVD then there are plenty of companies that can help you.

Marcus Miller is the co-founder of Vinyl To Digital, the UK’s only Audio and Video conversion service where he has been providing a VHS to DVD service for over five years. Vinyl to Digital is based in the Midlands area of England, UK and provides a worldwide service.