How to Copy VHS Movies to DVD

The new technology and lower prices of DVD players have pretty much left VCRs in the dust. Even most video stores work almost exclusively with DVDs and have gotten rid of most of their VHS tapes. But what about your extensive home VHS library? It isn't financially feasible to throw away all of your VHS tapes and buy new DVDs to replace them, but there is another route you can take to reach the same goal. You can record your VHS movies to DVD as long as you have a DVD burner. This article will guide you through the process of transferring all of your movies over to DVD.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• DVD burner
• DVD-RW or DVD-W
• VCR
• VHS movies
• Television

1. Connect the VCR to the DVD burner by plugging a video cable into the "Video Out" jack on the VCR and connecting that to the "Video EXT 1" jack on the DVD burner. This allows you to see a picture from your VCR through your DVD burner.

2. Hook up the sound from the VCR to the DVD burner by using an audio cable to connect the audio input jacks on the DVD burner to the audio out jacks on the VCR. This should be a cable that has 2 plug-in devices on both ends. These cables are usually red and white.

3. Insert your DVD-RW or DVD-W into the DVD burner and your VHS movie into the VCR. Typically both machines will automatically turn to the "On" position when you do this. If they do not, turn them on.

4. Press the "0" on your television remote control and arrow down until you see the DVD burner menu page. This will be the channel you use to watch your DVD movies.

5. Find the button on your DVD burner remote that selects the channel or source you use for recording programs. Many remotes label this button as "Record Source." Press that button until you find the channel or source for the VCR. An easy way to find it is to play your VCR movie and keep pressing the "Record Source" button until you can see the movie playing. Then, simply rewind the VHS tape back to the beginning.

6. Press "Record" on your DVD burner remote and "Play" on your VCR. When the movie is finished, press stop. Then press "Finalize" on your DVD burner remote to make sure it doesn't get erased and also to allow the disc to play on other DVD players.

Tips & Warnings

• DVD stands for digital video device. DVD-RW stands for digital video device-read write. VHS stands for video home system. VCR stands for video cassette recorder.
• If your television remote has an "AV" button, this is another way to find your DVD burner viewing channel.
• In this article, the term DVD burner is used. These can also play the roll of a DVD player, but they also have the capability to record onto DVDs. Do not confuse this type of DVD burner with a TiVo or other digital video recording devices used with a satellite or cable.
• Some tapes are copyright protected and do not allow you to record onto DVD.

[busworley]

on 5/21/2009 WHAT IF THE VCR MOVIES HAVE A COPY CODE TO KEEP YOU FROM COPYING.

[jcb4green]

on 4/13/2009 Yes, VCR Movies can be copied to a computer, but it requires a special cable that would connect the VCR output jacks to input jacks on your computer if you have a special tv video card or buy a special cable for connecting them together and the software. Should be around $50 for the special cable and software. The only bad thing is that is ties up your computer for how ever long it takes to copy the movie.

[Ralphie]

on 10/4/2008 Can I copy my VCR movies to my computer and then burn them to a DVD. My computer has a DVD burner? I would need exact instructions.