How can I copy my VHS tapes to DVD?

Question

I am thinking there is a machine that will do this. I have some vhs that I want to keep on dvd and trash the bulky vhs. Can it be done? What do I need? Thanks for your answers... I have about 150 movies I would like to keep in my library and I have purchased them on vhs and never thought they would be obsolete! Any hope for transfering them to DVD for my personal use? Is this allowed? I do not know?

Answer 1

Yes you can record your old VHS onto DVD. To do so follow these instructions.

1. Hook up your DVD recorder to your TV (including your cable and your audio/video wires).
2. Hook another set of audio/video wires from the output on your DVD to the input on your VHS machine.
3. hook up another cowaxal cable from the output on your DVD to the input on your VHS machine.
4. Set your TV to Video mode and with the remote control of your DVD set the TV to the channel your VHS is set to; (3 or 4)

Dol not use the TVs remote to change the channel as you will knock it off and it will not work. Only use the remote for the volume and start and play.
One thing; Follow the instructions of your DVD recorder to know the best DVD speed to use. DVD- recorders work better then DVD+. I have had alot of problems with the + and non with the - and I have been transferring for years.

Caution: you cannot record copyrighted VHS tapes.

Frank O'Connor
Image Designs
Toronto Canda

Answer 2

There are a couple of ways to do it.

If you are a do-it-yourself-er, a combo VHS/DVD recorder will work, as well as hooking up your current VCR to a DVD recorder. There is also software that can rip your VHS from the VCR to MPEG files, which can then be burned to a format readable by your DVD player.

If you don't want to do it yourself, there are several companies out there that will send you the shipping materials so that you can mail your tapes to them and they'll do the burning for you. These services range anywhere from $6 to $18 per tape, so it can get rather pricey.

Answer 3

You would probably need a TV card for the computer. You would then plug the VCR into it and record it with the included software.

You will not be able to get a company to do it for you since you can't copy copyrighted material.

I know that there are stand alone DVD burners that connect to a media system. Maybe there is a way to interconnect a VCR and the DVD burner. If the burner has analog inputs I don't see why not.

Answer 4

buy a vcr/dvd recorder and copy from the vhs to the dvd
you wont be able to copy movies with a copy write on them

Answer 5

Yes- there are [ or were ] machines to do exactly what you ask...and there are companies that will do this for you [ for a fee, of course ].
look here :
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,125517-page,1/article.html
or here:
http://www.signvideo.com/conv-v-to-d.htm
and lastly :
http://blogs.pcworld.com/tipsandtweaks/archives/002641.html

hope this helps.