How to Remove Macrovision Protection on a VHS Movie

By Andrew Todd

Updated February 10, 2017

The yellow RCA cable transmits video, while the red and white are used for audio.
i Clavija RCA amarilla image by ANTEQUERANUS from Fotolia.com

Macrovision was created to deter piracy of VHS movies. Macrovision cannot be removed, but instead must be decoded. If you would like to make a copy of a tape with Macrovision, you must purchase a Macrovision decoder. See References to a link to an affordable Macrovision decoder.

Insert the VHS tape into the VCR.

Plug one end of one of the RCA cables into the red, white and yellow output jacks on the rear of the VCR, matching the cable color to the jack color. For example, the yellow cable will be plugged into the yellow jack.

Plug the red and white cables on other end of the RCA cable that is plugged into the VCR into the red and white input jacks of the recording source.

Plug the other end of the yellow RCA cable that is plugged into the VCR into the video input jack of the Macrovision decoder.

Plug the yellow cable of the second RCA cable into the video output jack of the Macrovision decoder and plug the other side into the video input jack of the recording source. The second set of red and white cables will remain unused. You can now record the Macrovision-protected VHS tape onto whichever format you chose, as the Macrovision will be decoded in real time by the decoder.

Items you will need

  • VCR

  • Macrovision decoder

  • RCA cables (2 sets)

  • Recording device (VCR, DVD recorder or PC)

Warnings

Always make sure that you have permission from the Copyright holder to copy any form of media, including VHS tapes.

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