If you have two hours of VHS and transfer it to a DVD, you may find a decline in quality. If your program allows, change the resolution from 720×480 to 352×480. A VHS-to-DVD recorder basically gives you a DVD copy of your tape in real time.
Read more about video to dvd conversion here.
IMemories is one of the most popular transfer services for video tapes, slides, pictures, and reel to reel film. Hire a service.This is the more costly option, but you’re paying for convenience. Costco and Walgreens offer transfer services for a number of video formats, including VHS, VHS-C, and the long-departed Betamax. Hire a service.Costco, Walgreens, and local photo shops have services for converting photo prints—and, in some cases, negatives—to digital. Costco, for example, charges $20 for the first 62 images, then 32 cents per image. The cost includes two DVDs and online access to digital files.
Do that, and if you lose files, you may be able to get them back from friends and family. If you or a family member was a prolific photographer back in the day, you may have a number—okay, scores—of photo albums or shoeboxes full of loose prints stuffed into closets. Sadly, these start to feel like unwieldy clutter and can’t be easily shared with relatives, copied, or organized the way digital photos can be. And always test a new acquisition with a tape you don’t care about.
Prepare VHS Videotapes
That way, you don’t lose anything important if the VCR or camcorder destroys the first tape you insert. If you don’t want to buy any gear or can’t afford the time to digitise all your VHS tapes, various companies provide a commercial service but prices will soon add up if you have lots of tapes. Finally, switch on your computer and wait for the message telling you that Windows has found your hardware. Now you can insert the first of the VCR tapes that you want to digitize and turn your attention to your VHS capture software. If not, locate the resulting file on your computer and open it in iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, VLC, or a similar program that can burn your footage to DVD. You can also use these programs to edit the length of your videos. The burning process will vary depending on what software you choose, so consult instructions for further clarification.
LegacyBox Video Transfer
(Blu-rays are more expensive.) You can start your order online, then take your tapes to a local store. The process takes about three weeks, and you get your original tapes back as well as the files on DVD.
Tapes can be converted to MP4 and stored on a thumbdrive for an additional $83.95 or as a digital download from a Cloud service starting at $42.95. The VIDBOX Video Conversion Suite includes a capture device that connects your computer’s USB port to the audio and video outputs on the VCR or camcorder, and has support for both Mac and PC. You also get all the cables you need—both USB and RCA analog audio. (If you want to use the slightly higher-quality S-video connection, you’ll need your own S-video cable, though).
If you have boxes full of old VHS tapes containing home movies, then you might have considered VHS to digital conversion to preserve the memories. Then, you can purchase video editing software to add digital labels and organize them properly. You can also enhance colors and resolution with some software options. Our Device Digitization Service converts your old memory cards and analog devices to the latest digital formats to digital formats within 30 days. On the higher end is the Elgato Video Capture ($87.11). The USB-to-composite converter plugs into your VCR and computer to digitize those old tapes.
To simplify things for everyone else, here’s a guide for converting VHS to digital and getting your old media out of the attic and ontoyour computer. In 2006 Peter Hilton unearthed a collection of homemade VHS tapes in his dad’s basement. There were hours of concert footage from 2000 to 2003, when Peter’s high school band—Down in Flames—briefly gained a following and toured the country.