How to Digitize VHS Tapes

Digitize your VHS tapes and create digital copies that you can duplicate as many times as you want, edit and archive with other videos on your computer's hard drive. With just a few simple cables--which can be picked up at just about any electronics store--you can convert your old VHS tapes to digital videos.

Things You'll Need

• 1/8-to-RCA Cable Composite Video Cable VCR Computer (with video capture card)

Instructions

1. Plug up your VCR in a power outlet near your computer. Insert the tape you want to digitize into the VCR and forward the tape to the point where you want the digital recording to begin.

2. Connect the VCR to your computer with your composite video cable. Insert one end of the cable into the yellow "Video Out" port on the back of the VCR--plug the other end of the cable into the composite port on your video capture card.

3. Connect an audio cable between your computer and the VCR. Match the red and white audio RCA ends of the 1/8-to-RCA cable to the red and white "Audio Out" ports on the back of the VCR--plug the1/8 end of the cable into the "Line In" port on your computer's sound card.

4. Download a free copy of VLC player (see Resources) to digitize your video. After the file has downloaded, install it and then launch it.

5. Click on the "File" option in the top left corner of VLC player, and then select "Open Capture Device" from the drop down menu. Check the box under the "Advanced Options" heading labeled "Stream/Save," and then click on "Settings."

6. Select the option labeled "File," and then click on "Browse." Browse the folders on your computer for a location to save the digitized version of your VHS. Press the "Play" button on the VCR, and click "OK" in VLC player to initiate your recording.

Resources

• 1/8 to RCA Cable
• Composite Video
• Downlaod VLC Player