Number 282 - November 2006

VHS to DVD
by Vinny La Bash, vlabash@comcast.net, Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.
A lot of people would like to take their old VHS tapes and transfer them to DVD. Most folks don't know how to get started, so their VHS tapes continue to lie in a closet, unwatched, and slowly deteriorating. Let's see what we can do to get the material on DVD where it belongs.    Whoever manufactured your computer will be no help whatsoever as this really isn't a problem with a faulty piece of equipment. The problem is in not knowing how to make the computer do what you want.    The idea behind the procedure is quite simple. Transfer the material on the tapes into a digitally formatted file on your PC. Then edit the file to create your new video. When your editing is finished, you can transfer from file to DVD. Yeah, right! If you've never done this before it's a good idea to reserve an afternoon or even a weekend. The process tends to be time consuming until you gain some familiarity with how things are supposed to go.    Before you decide on the methodology, you have to understand that you are taking material stored on VHS tape, which is analog, and somehow turning it into a digital file that a computer can recognize.    You need some specific hardware and software for this task. Let's do a hardware check first. You obviously need a playback mechanism for your VHS tape which will most likely be a VCR with s-video or RCA video output. Attached to the video output will be a cable connecting to a video card on your PC. Here's where things can get sticky. A typical PC will have an S-Video or RCA video output attached to its video card.    Output to output won't work. You need a video card that has a video input connection so you can transfer the material from VHS to digital format on your PC. When you buy your new video capture card, be absolutely certain that it has a video-in connection which will be either an S-video or RCA input port. A coax cable TV connection won't do the job. That kind of connection is designed for something else.    After you have the proper connection, you'll need video capture software. If you're using Windows XP and want to do the job on the cheap, you can use Windows Movie Maker which is included in XP. Locate it in the Accessories Menu in the Entertainment submenu.    When you're ready, load a tape into your VCR. Don't press Play yet. There are a few setup steps you need to do first.    1. Open Movie Maker from the Entertainment menu.    2. From the File menu, click Capture Video    3. Under Movie Tasks, click "Capture from video device".    4. Your VCR should be the only device available. Select it with your mouse.	5. Give your video file a name, and then click Next. Take note of the folder name where you're saving the file.    6. Select the highest quality AVI setting listed, and click Next.    7. Choose "Capture parts of the tape manually."    Note: There is a checkbox labeled "Show preview during capture." It's probably best to leave this unchecked, unless you are absolutely certain your machine has enough power to handle the task without degrading the quality of the video file.    8. The Capture Video window will display a "Start Capture" button. After you locate it, press the Play button on your VCR, and then click the Start Capture button in the window.    9. If you've done everything right, your VHS video is being captured and saved as a digital file on your PC.    When the recording is finished, simply click the Stop Capture button, and close the program.    You can use Movie Maker to edit the file, and use any DVD burning program to record your movie to a DVD disk. If you own a PC with Windows Media Edition, you most likely already have everything you need to record from digital file to DVD. Unfortunately, you may still need to buy a video capture card if you bought a low-end machine.    Check your DVD manual to determine if your drive can support both DVD-R and DVD+R. Most drives accept both kinds of disks, but a little caution here will prevent you from wasting money buying disks you can't use.    Alternatively, you can buy an external DVD recorder, and connect it directly to your VCR, but you give up the ability to edit the file. If editing is not an issue this is a hassle-free method. The recorders are easy to use, and you don't need a computer.    If you enjoy a moderate challenge, you can have a fun-filled weekend learning how to use your computer in a new, exciting, and different way. Then again, you could always pay somebody to do it for you.    Copyright 2006. This article is from the July 2006 issue of the Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL 34277-1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and our publication.    The Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. has 1,100+ members and was established in 1982. We are members of the Assoc. of PC User Groups (APCUG), the Florida Assoc. of PC Users Groups, Inc., and we are members of the America Online Ambassador Program.
Number 282 - November 2006