VHS to DVD

[Jason Christenson]

What do I need to get video from a VCR to my computer so I can burn it to DVD? I have MANY videos of demos from my Woodturning Club that I want to preserve on DVD.

Thanks.
Jason

[Andrew Nemeth]

If you are bound and determined to use the DVD drive on your computer to burn DVDs than you will need a video card with S-Video, RCA, or coaxial inputs on it. Make sure your VCR has the same video out type as the video cards inputs. After installing the videocard you will need software to capture the video as you play it on your computer. Once captured you can then burn it to a DVD using software you probably already have on your computer.

An easier option, is to buy a DVD recorder with the same type of input as your VCR's output and hook the two up directly. There are even dual deck models that will play and record both DVDs and VHS tapes. This would certainly be the easiest option but probably the most expensive and it also puts all your eggs in one basket if something ever goes wrong with it.

Hope this helps,

[Mike Cutler]

There are other alernatives in addition to the method that Andrew outlined, but they all require the purchase of an interface device between your computer and the VCR. Canopus is one company that makes such devices.
The problem that you run into is that the video needs to be stored "raw" prior to compression and burning on the DVD. This takes a lot of hard drive space, or you have to do them one at a time. Very slow and cumbersome. I've done it.
There is a lot more to it than meets the eye, especially if you want the DVD to play on a wide range of devices.

If you have a lot of VCR tapes I would get the VCR to DVD recorder that Andrew mentioned. They've come down in price a lot since they first came out. You may even know someone that you can borrow one from.

[Curt Harms]

Here's a sampling of video capture devices. I suspect they'd all be tedious.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=Video+Capture

HTH

Curt

[Mike Cutler]

Here's a sampling of video capture devices. I suspect they'd all be tedious.
Curt


Curt. It was very tedious when I did it. Technology has hopefully improved since then.
I still have my Canopus ADVC unit, and haven't used it in years. Too much time in front of computer monitoring everything.

[Chris Padilla]

OT from this post but somewhat related:

I plan to try out one of those LP (yes, Vinyl record) to MP3/CD players that I've seen advertised.

I'd love to transfer all my LPs and cassette tapes to MP3 one of these days....

[Jason Christenson]

OT from this post but somewhat related:

I plan to try out one of those LP (yes, Vinyl record) to MP3/CD players that I've seen advertised.

I'd love to transfer all my LPs and cassette tapes to MP3 one of these days....

We got one of those for my father-in-law for Christmas. Haven't gotten any feedback on it yet.

Jason

[David G Baker]

I have about 20 minutes of 16mm motion picture film that I want transfered to DVD but haven't found any place that does it in my area.
I purchased a bunch of equipment to transfer all of my vinyl to cd but never put the system together. One of those projects that may get done before I get to old to appreciate the music, then again, maybe not.

[Mark Patoka]

A few years ago I purchased the Pinnacle Video Creator 150 to capture my VCR tapes to computer to convert to DVD. The capturing part worked well but I never could get a fully working DVD recorded. Not sure if it was my computers DVD drive or what but it either wouldn't work at all or you could only access several of the chapters/scenes. After a few attempts I just haven't gone back to it. The included Studio software did do a good job at creating MPEG files that could be shared on the computer and I liked the editing. You do need a large external hard drive or some way to store the video files while you are working on them.

It is a very tedious process. Once you get the raw file on your computer, you will most likely want to create a title screen and divide it into appropriate chapters, maybe edit out some footage, etc.

I did try a CyperHome brand DVD recorder hooked up directly to the VCR but it also was limited in its ability to just copy from VCR to DVD. Everytime the DVD recorder sensed a brief static spot on the tape where the camera had been turned off it would stop recording. You'd have to stop the VCR, rewind back to where the DVD stopped recording and then start the process again from that point. It also wasn't very easy to create chapters or break points once the DVD was finished.

I have about 20 years of home movies my wife would like put onto DVD and I'm looking for something fairly easy. It would be nice to be able to just copy from one to the other like the old dual tape decks of old.

[Mike Cutler]

OT from this post but somewhat related:

I plan to try out one of those LP (yes, Vinyl record) to MP3/CD players that I've seen advertised.

I'd love to transfer all my LPs and cassette tapes to MP3 one of these days....

Not really OT Chris.
There are a lot of similarities in the manipulation of huge uncompressed files, be they audio, or video.
I have a co-worker that has just about made this his "lifes work".
He has an incredible studio of audio/computer hardware. Amazing end results.

[Bill Cunningham]

I'm no audiophile but I just hooked up my record deck to the soundcard input on the computer and dropped the needle on the record as I clicked the record button on the widows recorder.. You can hear your record through the speakers, and it saves to a .wav file. There are dozens of converters on the web that will convert the .wav files to mp3's.. but like I said, i'm no audiophile and what I hear sounds ok to me!!

[Jason Christenson]

Just an update, the guy who does our IT at work hooked me up with a Dazzle* Digital Video Creator 150 that his wife used to use for this kind of transfer. It's not fast but it does a great job and I'm in no hurry anyway.

Jason

[Peter Stahl]

I have about 20 minutes of 16mm motion picture film that I want transfered to DVD but haven't found any place that does it in my area.
I purchased a bunch of equipment to transfer all of my vinyl to cd but never put the system together. One of those projects that may get done before I get to old to appreciate the music, then again, maybe not.

Worked with a guy years ago before the DVD days and he set up a Video (VCR type) camera to record his old 8mm film he had. He said it came out really well just projecting it on the wall while he recorded with the video camera. I also pass a place on the way to work called Delaware Digital Video Factory (www.ddvf.com) that does what you are looking for. I'm not sure if they would do mail order for you, you'd have to call them. I've never used them, I just pass by the store.

[David G Baker]

Worked with a guy years ago before the DVD days and he set up a Video (VCR type) camera to record his old 8mm film he had. He said it came out really well just projecting it on the wall while he recorded with the video camera. I also pass a place on the way to work called Delaware Digital Video Factory (www.ddvf.com) that does what you are looking for. I'm not sure if they would do mail order for you, you'd have to call them. I've never used them, I just pass by the store.
Thanks Peter, I will check out ddvf. My kids have been bugging me for years to get the transfer done.