How to Copy VHS Tapes Onto DVDs

Copy old VHS cassettes to DVD before this happens to your videotape collection.

Old VHS tapes can wear out and become brittle with age, so copying the contents onto a long-lasting DVD can preserve precious recorded memories. Getting spools of videotape onto a five-inch disc requires an analog-to-digital converter that can transform the VHS signal into digital information that a computer can process and burn to a DVD. Connecting the equipment takes only a few minutes. The conversion lasts as long as the VHS tape to be copied.

Things You'll Need

• VCR
• Composite AV cables
• Analog-to-digital converter
• USB cable
• Computer with video recording software and DVD burner
• Pre-recorded VHS tapes
• Blank, recordable DVDs

Instructions

Converting VHS to Digital Format

1. Plug the yellow, red and white cords on one end of the composite AV cables into the color-matching Playback or AV OUT jacks on the VCR, then connect the other ends to the jacks on the converter box.

2. Insert the plug on one end of a USB cable into the USB port on the converter and connect the plug on the other end to any free USB port on the computer.

3. Turn on all the equipment and load a pre-recorded VHS tape through the gate on the front of the VCR.

4. Open the video recording software on the computer by double clicking the name of the program, then click the "Record" button on the software screen.

5. Press the "Play" button on the VCR to begin playback of the VHS tape. Press "Stop" when finished playing the tape and click "Stop" on the video software to halt the recording.

6. Click the "File" tab on the video recording software, select "Save" and type a name for the copied VHS recording, then click "Save" to store it on the computer.

Copying Converted Content to DVD

1. Open the computer's media tray, insert a recordable DVD and close the tray.

2. Launch the software that manages the DVD burner, such as iMovie for Mac or Windows DVD Maker.

3. Open the "File" or "Video Folder" tab and select the converted VHS video stored on the computer by clicking and holding the name of the program with the left mouse button.

4. Drag the video file to the "Burn" field and release the mouse button to drop the file in a list. Repeat for as many video files as desired until the disc is full. A message displaying the available remaining time on the DVD will appear at the bottom of the "Burn" list.

5. Click "Burn" to copy the video file onto the DVD.

Tips & Warnings

• Wait for the disc to finalize before removing it from the computer. Finalization encodes the disc for playback on other equipment besides the computer.

• Disconnect all equipment from the electricity while hooking up AV and USB cables.

References

• RAM Electronics: How to Connect your Computer (PC/Mac) to your VCR
• Top Ten Reviews: Copying VHS to DVD