Do you have a valuable memory such as a wedding, birthday, or graduation recorded in this old format? If you want to digitize it and keep it, follow these steps!
Some valuable videos still remain stored on a VHS, so digitizing them is the best option you can take to preserve them. Despite having been extremely popular during the 80s and ’90s, VHS has been completely displaced with the appearance of new formats such as DVD, Blu-Ray, and not to mention more modern trends such as video streaming. However, it is likely that many of the people who lived during the aforementioned decades still have important memories stored on these cassettes.
Given that the passage of time is unforgiving and sooner or later the material may be lost due to some accident or due to the very conditions in which these articles are stored, it is best to digitize the content and preserve it on a computer, storage such as a USB or an external hard drive or, of course, in the always reliable cloud.
So how can I transfer these files to my computer? There are several methods to digitize VHS videos, so here we explain each one with its own particularities.
VHS/DVD player
Before starting, it is important to mention that digitizing videos recorded on VHS or another old format always involves an investment since we need tools capable of carrying out the process. There is a huge variety of options on the market with models and price ranges, but, for this guide, we will choose those that ensure good video quality and transformation at an affordable price.
That said, the first option – and the simplest – is to use a combined VHS and DVD player since this will allow you to record from one format to another quickly, and then you can insert the disc into your computer’s drive to obtain the digital file. Simply insert the cassette and blank disc into the corresponding slots, press the record and VHS video playback buttons, and wait. It is recommended to use this method if you plan to open a kind of business for digital conversion of VHS videos since the heavy investment made could be recovered over a certain period of time.
VHS player to DVD recorder
If the model of your VHS or VCR player is compatible with a DVD recorder, you can connect it directly to this device using an RCA or S-Video cable ($7-10 on Amazon each) depending on the specific case. Then you just insert the cassette and blank disc into their slots, start recording, and play the tape. The played video will be copied to the disk. Just make sure to stop recording at the right time. Like the previous one, this option involves a large investment of money since, now that the VHS format has become obsolete, the players are sold at higher prices compared to previous years.
Video Capture
This is the most “economical” method but it can be a bit more complicated than the previous two. How to capture VHS? To get started, you will need to purchase a VHS-to-DVD video capture device. Additionally, you must have special software to record the content on your PC. Based on our experience, we would recommend Movavi.
Once everything is ready, with the cables connected and the software open on your computer, you should play the tape on your VHS/VCR player and stop the software and the player when the video is finished. If you wish, you can save the material to your hard drive or other storage unit or burn it to a DVD or other more current format.
