Learn How to Convert
Your Old Videos to DVD


Convert videos to DVD! Learn how to convert your collection of
old videos, stored on VHS or MiniDV tapes, to DVD.




Remember the time when all the videos would be stored on VHS tapes?

Do you still have your old videos stored on the VHS tapes?

If yes, then it is time to convert all your old videos to DVD!


Any Problem with Tapes?


When VHS was in vogue, it was the only medium available to us to store our videos. But now, with better storage mediums available, using VHS does not make sense.

Some of the pain points of using tapes as a storage medium!

  • They tend to wear out with time and use
  • They take up a lot of space
  • The technology is obsolete
  • With time, the tapes can come out and get entangled in the video player



    • How to Convert Video Tape to DVD?


    A much better alternative is to convert all those old video tapes to DVD. Using the right equipments and armed with a little technical know-how, you can do all your video to DVD transfers.

    You can even make those videos look professional, if you want to, and that too at a much lower cost.

    Convert video tapes to DVD


    Here is what you need to do to be able to convert your tapes to DVD.


    Equipments Required!


    You will need a DVD recorder!

    DVD recorders have the ability to play DVDs and it can also record programs from your television onto DVD.

    Use your Computer to transfer all your videos to DVD. Your PC will need to have a DVD burner; it should have video inputs or a video capture card. For better performance, an external video capture device that plugs into the USB port of your computer is recommended. If your videos are on MiniDV tapes, you only need a Firewire port on your computer and a cable to connect your camcorder to the computer.

    You will need to buy blank, recordable DVD discs! If you are going to use a DVD recorder to record your videos, make sure it can record on those DVD disks (refer the user manual).


    How to Setup the Connections!

    If you are using a DVD recorder, you will need to get it hooked correctly to the VCR and the television. Refer the user manual of the DVD recorder for a detailed diagram on how to set up the connections correctly.

    If you are using your computer to transfer video tapes to DVD, you will need to setup the DVD burner and the video capture device. You will also need to install the software that comes along with these devices.

    Refer the documentation provided to learn how to use your DVD burner.


    Video Tape to DVD Transfer Process

    For best results, choose the highest video quality while recording and put around an hour of video on each disc.

    DVD recorders provide basic editing tools that enable you to only record what you want. It also lets you create a menu and chapters/title for your DVD.

    If you are using your PC, get your video on the hard drive of your PC using the video capture card or software, or by using a Firewire that connects from your camcorder to your PC.

    Once the video is on your hard drive, you will need to use DVD authoring software to convert your digital video into an MPEG-2 file that can be burned to a DVD.


    Summary

    Storing your old videos on tapes is not a good idea if you want to retain them for a very long time. The information provided here should help you to do these tapes-to-DVD transfers on your own. In fact, you can even make them look more professional by adding menus & titles. So go ahead and copy all those old videos on DVDs!





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