How to Convert a Tape Into DVD
Those old VHS tapes you have laying around with your favorite home movies are eventually going to become warped, damaged or lost. Losing your VHS tapes doesn't have to mean losing the footage contained on them, however. You can keep your recorded VHS videos by converting them from a VHS tape to a DVD. As long as you have the proper equipment hooked up to a computer, you can store the VHS data on your hard drive, and then burn it directly to a DVD.
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Instructions
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Check the ports on the back of your computer to see if it has a video capture card with an RCA connector. Plug the external video capture card's USB cable into a USB port on your computer. Insert the installation disc that came with the card into the computer's DVD drive. Follow the prompts on the screen to install the video capture software.
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Remove the VHS camcorder's or VCR's three colored RCA cables from the back of your television. Connect the RCA cables to the corresponding ports on the video capture card.
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3
Bring up the video capture software program. Click "Play" or the corresponding button for the specific capture card software you are using. Click and drag the video slide bar to find a specific segment of VHS video you want to convert.
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4
Select the option labeled "Record," "Capture" or something similar. Click "Stop" when you reach the end of the VHS segment you want to convert. Click "Save" and choose a folder on your hard drive where the VHS video should be saved.
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Insert a blank DVD into your computer's DVD-RW drive. Click "Burn a DVD Data Disc." Select "Mastered Disc" if you want to create a DVD that is viewable with a standard DVD player. Select "Live File System Disc" if you want to create a data disc that can be edited at a later date.
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Click the VHS file you transferred to your computer and drag it into the DVD window. Click "Burn" and then click "OK."
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Tips & Warnings
If you don't need to edit the video in any way and just want to transfer directly from an old VHS tape to a new DVD you don't have to use a capture card. Instead you can acquire an external DVD burner that hooks up to your television just like a standard DVD player. Simply place the VHS tape in the VHS slot, the DVD in the DVD slot, and press "Copy."
If your computer's operating system does not have a built-in DVD burning program, you can download a third party program.
The exact options you need to choose to transfer or edit your video will vary between capture cards and types of software. Check the manual that came with your card for exact details.
