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It’s no doubt that many households today still own video taped copies of memorable life events, such as weddings, graduation, proms, anniversaries, recitals, baby’s firsts, and many more.  However, you might be facing difficulty when playing these again in video tape formats knowing that VHS players have long been out of production.  And even if you still have a unit running, there’s no guarantee it will last longer or if it’s still in its best shape to deliver high quality videos. 

Now, you can save memories in digital format and make them last for many generations to see by converting VHS video tapes to DVD format.

There are several options to convert VHS to DVD. Take a look each of them and select what would be most suitable for you.

(1) VHS to DVD Conversion Service – the easiest option that involves the least hassle, but this can get expensive if you have plenty of tapes to convert.

(2) Using a standalone DVD recorder – uses a DVD recorder designed to record to DVD without a computer. It will record from analog to digital sources like VHS players, older cameras, cable TV, camcorders and DVD players.

A DVD recorder is unable to convert copyrighted films. You also have lesser flexibilities when it comes to menus, buttons and chapter settings, but it is the fastest way to convert VHS to DVD. If you can get a Firewire connection between your DVD recorder and source device then you could convert the tape to DVD at even higher quality than using analog connections.

If you decide to buy or borrow DVD recorder just simply follow the step-by-step guide below:

Step 1: Connect the DVD recorder and the source. If available, utilize the S-Video connection for higher quality result, otherwise, use the standard RCA cables for both video and audio.  From the output port of your VHS, connect it to the input port of your DVD recorder. Connecting DVD recorder to a digital source may produce different results. Always check the manufacturer’s manual to make sure.

Step 2: Prepare your blank media.  Most DVD recorders can burn DVD+R and DVD+RW discs. If you are going to record into a re-writable media always make sure to erase all data previously recorded in it. Refer to the manufacturer’s manual on how to erase data in re-writable media.

Step 3: Setup DVD recorder to preview input signal. Typically, you can tell by pressing the record and pause buttons.

Step 4: Make sure the video tape that you want to copy is positioned at the very beginning of the movie and then check the recorder’s input. This is a very important step that needs to be done properly or you will be wasting your recordable media.

Step 5: Start the recording process and then play the source VHS tape. You will need to start the recording process first before playing the VHS tape, otherwise, the beginning of the movie will be cut-off.

Step 6: Stop the recording process right after the very end of the movie you are recording to get rid of blank screens and static at the end of the tape. If you have a number of short recordings that would go well together, change tapes, and add these to your DVD recording. Multiple recordings will show up as different titles on the DVD menu which you can also label for easy playback.

Step 7: Creating chapter menus. If you want to create “chapter stops” just refer to your recorder’s manual on how to define chapters.

Step 8: Finalize the process. Every DVD needs to be finalized so it could be played on a standard DVD player.

(3) Using a capture card – this is a highly recommended method of converting VHS to DVD as this method is much less expensive. This is preferable if you already have a DVD burner and a large hard disk space available.

This method gives you more flexibility and more control over the captured videos. You will have the ability to edit the recorded videos in your hard drive using different utilities that may enhance your final videos before burning them to DVD.
 
The drawback of this method is that it requires a huge amount of free hard disk space. Quality can also suffer as it will undergo two conversion processes: first, by capturing the video from an analog source (videotape) and then compress it into an AVI format. And second, by converting the AVI into DVD format. Both processes can degrade the quality of your final video.

Capture Card Method
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to convert VHS to DVD using the capture card method.

Step 1: Configure your capture card. A capture card normally comes with a utility software that you need to install in your PC.  You can change the settings and configuration of your capture card through its utility software. You can choose a high quality setting for better results but this will require a bigger hard disk space. Or you can just leave it to the default setting which is usually set to normal quality.

Step 2: Connect your VHS to the capture card. Use the S-video connection if available; otherwise, use the standard RCA connector.

Step 3: Test record with your current settings. Try recording a short portion of your video and check if you are satisfied with the results before start with the whole recording process. Adjust the settings until you get your desired quality.

Step 4: Start recording.  Monitor the recording process. Always keep an eye on the file size. Standard AVI is limited to 2GB in size and can be up to 4GB in size if other methods of handling AVIs are used. Stop the recording process immediately when video is finished.  Do not wait for the end of the tape to get rid of the static.

Step 5: Edit the AVI file as needed. You may want to enhance your recorded video before burning to DVD.