How to Copy VHS Movies to DVD

The VHS format is quickly becoming obsolete.

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. Although it may not be financially feasible to throw away all of your VHS tapes and buy DVDs to replace them, you can take another route to reach the same goal: You can record your VHS movies to DVD as long as you have a DVD burner.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• DVD burner
• DVD-RW or DVD-R
• VCR
• Audio/video cables

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 two plug-in devices on both ends, called an RCA jack. These cables are usually red and white.

3. Insert your DVDRW or DVDR 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 input button on your television remote control until you see the DVD burner menu page. This will be the input 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

• If your television remote has an "AV" button, you can use it to find your DVD burner viewing channel.

• In this article, the term "DVD burner" is used. These can serve as DVD players, but they have the additional capability of recording onto DVDs. Don't confuse this type of DVD burner with a TiVo or with other digital video recording devices used with a satellite or cable service.

• 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."

• Some tapes are copyright-protected and do not allow you to record onto DVD.