Creating DVDs from VHS

thegame22 · 22-06-2012, 11:55

Does anyone know how to copy VHS videos onto DVD. I've done some reseach and there seem to be various different devices however has anyone done this before and can recommend the most effective simple method?

Chasing Shadows · 22-06-2012, 11:56

The device you require is a scart cable.

Scart cable from VCR to DVD recorder. Press play on VCR, record on DVDR.

thegame22 · 22-06-2012, 12:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chasing Shadows

The device you require is a scart cable.

Scart cable from VCR to DVD recorder. Press play on VCR, record on DVDR.

My current VHS player has a VHS slot and DVD slot, would it be able to be recorded on there? I'm sure I've looked into this and don't think its recordable.

Chasing Shadows · 22-06-2012, 12:16

You can't record commercial videos to DVD - they are copy protected. You can archive videos you've taped yourself off telly.

chrisjr · 22-06-2012, 12:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegame22

My current VHS player has a VHS slot and DVD slot, would it be able to be recorded on there? I'm sure I've looked into this and don't think its recordable.

Exact make and model number will help. If the DVD side is play only then you are correct that it will not permit copying. If however it is a recorder then subject to copyright protection it should be possible.

mac2708 · 22-06-2012, 12:26

Your current VHS player may only have DVD playback and not record.
No matter which way you transfer VHS to DVD it's done in 'real-time' and little or no improvement in quality can be achieved.
Tweaks can be made but VHS is inherently low quality (certainly by today's standards)
Perhaps the easiest way is with a transfer/capture device which will allow you to record directly to the PC and is certainly more convenient for choosing the portions you want to transfer and for later editing.

If these are irreplaceable family tapes etc. then transferring to DVD will help preserve them but
most commercial VHS videos of films feature copy protection which will mean it's not possible to copy them to DVD. In this case, it's likely to be cheaper for all but the rarest of films to buy the DVD version, or download a digital version online.

thegame22 · 22-06-2012, 12:58

Sorry for confusion, these are personal family videos. I'm aware no improvement of quality is achieved however I wish to create back up copies. What kind of device is needed for caputuring onto a PC?

chrisjr · 22-06-2012, 13:04

You haven't said what make and model of DVD/VHS you have so no-one is able to say if you can do what you want on the unit you already have.

If the unit you have is a DVD recorder then that would be by far the easiest solution to the problem.

Next easiest would be plugging the unit you have into a separate DVD recorder (either one you buy just for this or one you borrow)

Less easy still is using a video capture device and a PC to transfer the material to PC and burn it to DVD.

thegame22 · 22-06-2012, 13:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisjr

You haven't said what make and model of DVD/VHS you have so no-one is able to say if you can do what you want on the unit you already have.

If the unit you have is a DVD recorder then that would be by far the easiest solution to the problem.

Next easiest would be plugging the unit you have into a separate DVD recorder (either one you buy just for this or one you borrow)

Less easy still is using a video capture device and a PC to transfer the material to PC and burn it to DVD.

I'll check the model when I get home.

flagpole · 22-06-2012, 13:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisjr

You haven't said what make and model of DVD/VHS you have so no-one is able to say if you can do what you want on the unit you already have.

If the unit you have is a DVD recorder then that would be by far the easiest solution to the problem.

Next easiest would be plugging the unit you have into a separate DVD recorder (either one you buy just for this or one you borrow)

Less easy still is using a video capture device and a PC to transfer the material to PC and burn it to DVD.

quite if the OP has a dvd recorder then that would be a neat solution. though they probably don't.

personally i bought one of those easycap things for like a fiver and i've been impressed with the results.

that having been said i could be classed as an expert at this sort of thing i guess.

i would say it depends on the scenario. if it's one video and it's your wedding then pay to have it done professionally.

the method via your computer is not difficult, and if you can't do it you are only 6 quid in the hole.

after that you are looking at a dedicated hardware dvd recorder.

grahamlthompson · 22-06-2012, 13:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegame22

Sorry for confusion, these are personal family videos. I'm aware no improvement of quality is achieved however I wish to create back up copies. What kind of device is needed for caputuring onto a PC?

The process requires real time conversion from analogue to digital

There are basically 3 ways.

1 Use a cheap usb capture device these give pretty ropy pictures in my experience.

eg

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ClimaxDigita.../dp/B002Y4RA12

2 A graphics card with video and audio in and recording software. You may already have a suitable card.

3 The best but most expensive option.

A DV or Digital 8 camcorder with Video/Audio in and a PC with a firewire port (or a Canopus capture device). These convert analogue video to .AVI files using the DV codec. These are large at about 4GB for 20 minutes but convert very easily to mpeg2 programme stream files (.mpg) suitable for DVD.

See

http://www.videohelp.com/dvanalog

http://www.google.co.uk/products/cat...d=0CIcBEPMCMAI

A DVD recorder will be easier to source and offer similar quality to the latter.

thegame22 · 22-06-2012, 21:17

I've got a DVD/VCR player therefore I don't think I will be able to record from there.

thegame22 · 24-06-2012, 14:40

Do people think the device under 1 in the above post will be suitable?

thegame22 · 24-06-2012, 15:19

Would it be easier to buy a VCR Recorder, would this make it easier to convert to DVD?

emptybox · 24-06-2012, 15:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegame22

Would it be easier to buy a VCR Recorder, would this make it easier to convert to DVD?

You'd need a DVD recorder or a combined VCR/DVD recorder.

You still haven't given the make and model of what you already have though?

thegame22 · 24-06-2012, 15:32

This is what I currently have. Its is only a recorder.

http://www.p4c.philips.com/cgi-bin/d...tn=DVP3055V/19

I've seen prices for converters however I'm debating whether to buy a recorder instead. Would this be any good?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-DVR2...0547270&sr=8-2

mac2708 · 24-06-2012, 15:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegame22

Would it be easier to buy a VCR Recorder, would this make it easier to convert to DVD?

Vice-versa I think if you want to record from VHS (which you have) to DVD
On the other hand, you *may* already have the equipment?

emptybox · 24-06-2012, 15:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegame22

This is what I currently have. Its is only a recorder.

http://www.p4c.philips.com/cgi-bin/d...tn=DVP3055V/19

I've seen prices for converters however I'm debating whether to buy a recorder instead. Would this be any good?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-DVR2...0547270&sr=8-2

Yes you're right. Your current equipment is a DVD player only.

The Toshiba you linked to would certainly work, but might be a bit OTT for the specific job you are after?
However it would allow you to record to DVD from Freeview, which you can't do with your current unit, so might be useful for that.

If it was me I would probably look for a second-hand straight DVD recorder on ebay, if I had quite a few tapes to archive.
But then that wouldn't be much use afterwards, except as a spare DVD player.

thegame22 · 24-06-2012, 15:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by emptybox

Yes you're right. Your current equipment is a DVD player only.

The Toshiba you linked to would certainly work, but might be a bit OTT for the specific job you are after?
However it would allow you to record to DVD from Freeview, which you can't do with your current unit, so might be useful for that.

If it was me I would probably look for a second-hand straight DVD recorder on ebay, if I had quite a few tapes to archive.
But then that wouldn't be much use afterwards, except as a spare DVD player.

There are a number of videos to record over so I'm thinking I'm going to need some thing good. The video converter things seem to be expensive so I'm thinking whether its sensible to buy a recorder instead. Would the quality as same the VHS? As in no further deterioration? Its seems to be the most simplest away as well. Thanks for the tip, I'll have a look on ebay as well.

BastardBeaver · 24-06-2012, 16:00

My mum took some old vhs' to a photo/video store recently and had them converted there. It cost about £15 per video, but it was worth it for the family memories and just another option if nothing else works

thegame22 · 24-06-2012, 16:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by BastardBeaver

My mum took some old vhs' to a photo/video store recently and had them converted there. It cost about £15 per video, but it was worth it for the family memories and just another option if nothing else works

Thanks, do you know which store it was? I've seen some places online.

emptybox · 24-06-2012, 16:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegame22

There are a number of videos to record over so I'm thinking I'm going to need some thing good. The video converter things seem to be expensive so I'm thinking whether its sensible to buy a recorder instead. Would the quality as same the VHS? As in no further deterioration? Its seems to be the most simplest away as well. Thanks for the tip, I'll have a look on ebay as well.

A unit like the Toshiba should be able to dub to DVD without any loss of quality.

In my experience, using a capture card on a computer can give mixed results, and sometimes the quality is degraded. Depends on what you buy and the software used really.
But obviously it's fairly cheap to buy one of these USB capture devices, and try it out.
Or it's possible your PC might have video capture capability already; in which case you'd just need a cable.

'sup to you.

BastardBeaver · 24-06-2012, 16:04

I'm not sure but will find out. Maybe a Kodak store? But like I say, I'll find out.

BastardBeaver · 24-06-2012, 16:08

Although if you do get them converted and you have children, don't decide to show all the videos of them as toddlers to their friends when in the video they are doing their best Torvil & Dean, Bolero impression... It's embarrassing!

Chasing Shadows · 24-06-2012, 16:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegame22

Would it be easier to buy a VCR Recorder

Obvioulsly not, as you made it perfectly clear you don't want to record videos, you want to record DVDs. Also, where in this day and age do you think you could buy a video recorder?

22-06-2012, 11:55	#1
thegame22 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 426	Creating DVDs from VHS Does anyone know how to copy VHS videos onto DVD. I've done some reseach and there seem to be various different devices however has anyone done this before and can recommend the most effective simple method?

22-06-2012, 11:56	#2
Chasing Shadows Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,536	The device you require is a scart cable. Scart cable from VCR to DVD recorder. Press play on VCR, record on DVDR.

22-06-2012, 12:12	#3
thegame22 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 426	Quote: Originally Posted by Chasing Shadows The device you require is a scart cable. Scart cable from VCR to DVD recorder. Press play on VCR, record on DVDR. My current VHS player has a VHS slot and DVD slot, would it be able to be recorded on there? I'm sure I've looked into this and don't think its recordable.

22-06-2012, 12:16	#4
Chasing Shadows Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,536	You can't record commercial videos to DVD - they are copy protected. You can archive videos you've taped yourself off telly.

22-06-2012, 12:23	#5
chrisjr Forum Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Reading Posts: 27,916	Quote: Originally Posted by thegame22 My current VHS player has a VHS slot and DVD slot, would it be able to be recorded on there? I'm sure I've looked into this and don't think its recordable. Exact make and model number will help. If the DVD side is play only then you are correct that it will not permit copying. If however it is a recorder then subject to copyright protection it should be possible.

22-06-2012, 12:26	#6
mac2708 Forum Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 3,196	Your current VHS player may only have DVD playback and not record. No matter which way you transfer VHS to DVD it's done in 'real-time' and little or no improvement in quality can be achieved. Tweaks can be made but VHS is inherently low quality (certainly by today's standards) Perhaps the easiest way is with a transfer/capture device which will allow you to record directly to the PC and is certainly more convenient for choosing the portions you want to transfer and for later editing. If these are irreplaceable family tapes etc. then transferring to DVD will help preserve them but most commercial VHS videos of films feature copy protection which will mean it's not possible to copy them to DVD. In this case, it's likely to be cheaper for all but the rarest of films to buy the DVD version, or download a digital version online.

22-06-2012, 12:58	#7
thegame22 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 426	Sorry for confusion, these are personal family videos. I'm aware no improvement of quality is achieved however I wish to create back up copies. What kind of device is needed for caputuring onto a PC?

22-06-2012, 13:04	#8
chrisjr Forum Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Reading Posts: 27,916	You haven't said what make and model of DVD/VHS you have so no-one is able to say if you can do what you want on the unit you already have. If the unit you have is a DVD recorder then that would be by far the easiest solution to the problem. Next easiest would be plugging the unit you have into a separate DVD recorder (either one you buy just for this or one you borrow) Less easy still is using a video capture device and a PC to transfer the material to PC and burn it to DVD.

22-06-2012, 13:40	#9
thegame22 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 426	Quote: Originally Posted by chrisjr You haven't said what make and model of DVD/VHS you have so no-one is able to say if you can do what you want on the unit you already have. If the unit you have is a DVD recorder then that would be by far the easiest solution to the problem. Next easiest would be plugging the unit you have into a separate DVD recorder (either one you buy just for this or one you borrow) Less easy still is using a video capture device and a PC to transfer the material to PC and burn it to DVD. I'll check the model when I get home.

22-06-2012, 13:41	#10
flagpole Inactive Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 43,524	Quote: Originally Posted by chrisjr You haven't said what make and model of DVD/VHS you have so no-one is able to say if you can do what you want on the unit you already have. If the unit you have is a DVD recorder then that would be by far the easiest solution to the problem. Next easiest would be plugging the unit you have into a separate DVD recorder (either one you buy just for this or one you borrow) Less easy still is using a video capture device and a PC to transfer the material to PC and burn it to DVD. quite if the OP has a dvd recorder then that would be a neat solution. though they probably don't. personally i bought one of those easycap things for like a fiver and i've been impressed with the results. that having been said i could be classed as an expert at this sort of thing i guess. i would say it depends on the scenario. if it's one video and it's your wedding then pay to have it done professionally. the method via your computer is not difficult, and if you can't do it you are only 6 quid in the hole. after that you are looking at a dedicated hardware dvd recorder.

22-06-2012, 13:45	#11
grahamlthompson Forum Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Redditch Worcs Posts: 17,293	Quote: Originally Posted by thegame22 Sorry for confusion, these are personal family videos. I'm aware no improvement of quality is achieved however I wish to create back up copies. What kind of device is needed for caputuring onto a PC? The process requires real time conversion from analogue to digital There are basically 3 ways. 1 Use a cheap usb capture device these give pretty ropy pictures in my experience. eg http://www.amazon.co.uk/ClimaxDigita.../dp/B002Y4RA12 2 A graphics card with video and audio in and recording software. You may already have a suitable card. 3 The best but most expensive option. A DV or Digital 8 camcorder with Video/Audio in and a PC with a firewire port (or a Canopus capture device). These convert analogue video to .AVI files using the DV codec. These are large at about 4GB for 20 minutes but convert very easily to mpeg2 programme stream files (.mpg) suitable for DVD. See http://www.videohelp.com/dvanalog http://www.google.co.uk/products/cat...d=0CIcBEPMCMAI A DVD recorder will be easier to source and offer similar quality to the latter.

22-06-2012, 21:17	#12
thegame22 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 426	I've got a DVD/VCR player therefore I don't think I will be able to record from there.

24-06-2012, 14:40	#13
thegame22 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 426	Do people think the device under 1 in the above post will be suitable?

24-06-2012, 15:19	#14
thegame22 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 426	Would it be easier to buy a VCR Recorder, would this make it easier to convert to DVD?

24-06-2012, 15:28	#15
emptybox Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Scottish Borders Posts: 11,995	Quote: Originally Posted by thegame22 Would it be easier to buy a VCR Recorder, would this make it easier to convert to DVD? You'd need a DVD recorder or a combined VCR/DVD recorder. You still haven't given the make and model of what you already have though?

24-06-2012, 15:32	#16
thegame22 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 426	This is what I currently have. Its is only a recorder. http://www.p4c.philips.com/cgi-bin/d...tn=DVP3055V/19 I've seen prices for converters however I'm debating whether to buy a recorder instead. Would this be any good? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-DVR2...0547270&sr=8-2

24-06-2012, 15:33	#17
mac2708 Forum Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 3,196	Quote: Originally Posted by thegame22 Would it be easier to buy a VCR Recorder, would this make it easier to convert to DVD? Vice-versa I think if you want to record from VHS (which you have) to DVD On the other hand, you may already have the equipment?

24-06-2012, 15:46	#18
emptybox Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Scottish Borders Posts: 11,995	Quote: Originally Posted by thegame22 This is what I currently have. Its is only a recorder. http://www.p4c.philips.com/cgi-bin/d...tn=DVP3055V/19 I've seen prices for converters however I'm debating whether to buy a recorder instead. Would this be any good? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-DVR2...0547270&sr=8-2 Yes you're right. Your current equipment is a DVD player only. The Toshiba you linked to would certainly work, but might be a bit OTT for the specific job you are after? However it would allow you to record to DVD from Freeview, which you can't do with your current unit, so might be useful for that. If it was me I would probably look for a second-hand straight DVD recorder on ebay, if I had quite a few tapes to archive. But then that wouldn't be much use afterwards, except as a spare DVD player.

24-06-2012, 15:53	#19
thegame22 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 426	Quote: Originally Posted by emptybox Yes you're right. Your current equipment is a DVD player only. The Toshiba you linked to would certainly work, but might be a bit OTT for the specific job you are after? However it would allow you to record to DVD from Freeview, which you can't do with your current unit, so might be useful for that. If it was me I would probably look for a second-hand straight DVD recorder on ebay, if I had quite a few tapes to archive. But then that wouldn't be much use afterwards, except as a spare DVD player. There are a number of videos to record over so I'm thinking I'm going to need some thing good. The video converter things seem to be expensive so I'm thinking whether its sensible to buy a recorder instead. Would the quality as same the VHS? As in no further deterioration? Its seems to be the most simplest away as well. Thanks for the tip, I'll have a look on ebay as well.

24-06-2012, 16:00	#20
BastardBeaver Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: In the bush Posts: 9,874	My mum took some old vhs' to a photo/video store recently and had them converted there. It cost about £15 per video, but it was worth it for the family memories and just another option if nothing else works

24-06-2012, 16:01	#21
thegame22 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 426	Quote: Originally Posted by BastardBeaver My mum took some old vhs' to a photo/video store recently and had them converted there. It cost about £15 per video, but it was worth it for the family memories and just another option if nothing else works Thanks, do you know which store it was? I've seen some places online.

DS Forums

Creating DVDs from VHS

24-06-2012, 16:02	#22
emptybox Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Scottish Borders Posts: 11,995	Quote: Originally Posted by thegame22 There are a number of videos to record over so I'm thinking I'm going to need some thing good. The video converter things seem to be expensive so I'm thinking whether its sensible to buy a recorder instead. Would the quality as same the VHS? As in no further deterioration? Its seems to be the most simplest away as well. Thanks for the tip, I'll have a look on ebay as well. A unit like the Toshiba should be able to dub to DVD without any loss of quality. In my experience, using a capture card on a computer can give mixed results, and sometimes the quality is degraded. Depends on what you buy and the software used really. But obviously it's fairly cheap to buy one of these USB capture devices, and try it out. Or it's possible your PC might have video capture capability already; in which case you'd just need a cable. 'sup to you.

24-06-2012, 16:04	#23
BastardBeaver Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: In the bush Posts: 9,874	I'm not sure but will find out. Maybe a Kodak store? But like I say, I'll find out.

24-06-2012, 16:08	#24
BastardBeaver Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: In the bush Posts: 9,874	Although if you do get them converted and you have children, don't decide to show all the videos of them as toddlers to their friends when in the video they are doing their best Torvil & Dean, Bolero impression... It's embarrassing!

24-06-2012, 16:24	#25
Chasing Shadows Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,536	Quote: Originally Posted by thegame22 Would it be easier to buy a VCR Recorder Obvioulsly not, as you made it perfectly clear you don't want to record videos, you want to record DVDs. Also, where in this day and age do you think you could buy a video recorder?