How to Record From Video Tape to DVD
Video tapes were the standard medium for recordings for years. They revolutionized the storage and commercialization of moving pictures but were inherently flawed---they are prone to deterioration that allows for signal loss. To protect and give a more secure format for these videos, a DVD recorder connected to a VCR will make a digital copy of the old tape and safeguard it from degradation, making it easy to further duplicate, edit, or archive the video for decades.
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Things You'll Need
- DVD Recorder
- VCR
- TV
- Video connection cables
- Recordable DVD's
- Video tape
Instructions
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1
Connect a VCR and a DVD recorder by connecting them with video cables. Standard component cables, S-video cables, and coaxial cabling will work. Connect one end of the cable into the Video-Out port of the VCR and the other end into the Video-In port of the DVD recorder.
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2
Attach the DVD recorder to a television set using the Video-Out on the DVD recorder and the Video-In of the TV. This will enable you to verify settings and monitor the recording.
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3
Verify that you have the right type of recordable DVD's for the recorder used. Certain recorders are designed for use only with a specific media type. Check the recorder's manual for the disc type required.
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4
Choose the video signal quality required for the recording. The highest quality will record one hour onto the DVD. VCR quality is not nearly as high as digital quality, so a lower resolution setting for the DVD may be selected without seeing any signal degradation.
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Press record on the DVD recorder, and then immediately pause the machine. Press play on the VCR, and as the video you want recorded appears, press pause again on the DVD recorder. When the video ends, stop the recording and play back.
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Choose the appropriate menu settings, chapter breaks, background, titles and index pictures to establish the disc structure. Finalize the disc, making it usable in most DVD players, and then label the disc with a permanent marker.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid recording more than two hours to a single disc. More than that will cause picture quality to suffer.
Be sure to finalize the DVD. If the recorder is damaged in some way before finalization, the disc will be useless.
If the video tape is very old, don't preview the tape prior to burning. The more times the tape is started and stopped, the more the chance the disc will fail.
