How to Convert an Old VHS to a DVD Without a Camera

Burn a DVD from your old VHS tapes.

You don't need a VHS camera to convert old VHS tapes to a DVD. Any VHS cassette tape player should be able to assist you in doing the job. If you have old, clunky VHS video cassette tapes laying around collecting dust in your home and would like to transfer their contents to a digital format on a DVD, it can be accomplished in a short amount of time when using the right tools.

Things You'll Need

• VHS tape player
• Analog-to-digital converter box
• Phono tri-cable
• Computer with firewire port
• Video-editing program
• DVD burner
• DVD burning software
• Writable DVD
• IEEE 1394 cable

Instructions

1. 

   Connect the VCR to a converter box using phono cables.

   Connect the ends of the phono cables into the "Audio Out" and "Video Out" jacks located on the back of the VHS player. Plug the other corresponding ends of the phono cables into the "Audio In L," "Audio In R" and "Video In" jacks of the converter box.

2. 

   Connect the converter box using a IEEE 1394 cable.

   Plug the IEEE 1394 cable into the "DV I/O" jack of the converter box. Plug the other end of the cable into the IEEE 1394 jack on the computer.

3. 

   Capture VHS videos onto a computer.

   Power on your VHS tape player. Put the tape in and rewind it to the starting point of the content you want to transfer. Open the "Capture" menu of your video editing program and click "Capture Video." Press the "Play" button on the tape player to start the transfer. When the tape is over, click "End Capture" on the editor and press "Stop" on the player.

4. 

   Save and render the captured VHS content with the video editing program.

   Open the video editing software, click "File," then click "Import" to bring the captured video into your editor. Click the imported video file and drag it into the timeline. This is the area at the bottom of the editing screen labeled "Audio" and "Video." Click "File," then "Render." Click "File," "Export" and MP2 as the file format. Click "File," then "Save." Choose a destination location on your computer to save it to.

5. 

   Transfer the saved file onto a DVD.

   Access the DVD burning software. Choose the file you have saved. Insert a blank, writable DVD in the burner and click "Burn DVD." When the progress bar reaches the end, the VHS tape will be transferred to a DVD.

Tips & Warnings

• Phono cables are also called "RCA" cables.

• An IEEE 1394 cable is also called a "firewire" cable.

References

• Tech.blorge: How to Convert Aging VHS Tapes Into DVDs
• PC World: Making Movies: From VHS to DVD

Resources

• Proactionmedia: Recordable DVD Media Format Guide
• Grassvalley: ADVC110 High-Quality Analog/Digital Video Conversion