Has anyone converted VHS or VHSC tapes to DVD???

[merekc]

I'd like to hear about how you did it. Did you buy something and do it yourself? If so what did you do and how much did it cost? Did you send them to a company and have it done? If so who do you recommend and how much did it cost? We have tons of tapes and want to get them to DVD, just don't know quite where to start. Thanks.

 

[MyGoofy26]

I have a DVD recorder (like a regular DVD player, but it records, LOL) So I hooked up my VCR to it and converted a bunch of stuff to DVD.

If you have a lot you want to convert, I think this is the way to go. It can get expensive paying someone to convert, so this type of unit would quickly pay for itself. I've converted a bunch of VHS, home video (I can hook the video camera up directly to the recorder)

I haven't priced them lately, mine was on sale for $200 when I got it last year, but I remember seeing some for a little over $100 around Black Friday and Christmas last year. If you watch for sales, you can buy blank DVDs for as little as 20 cents per disc. I usually buy packs of 100 for around $20.

 

[justkeepswimmin]

I used a DVD recorder we got for christmas. We have both the VCR and the recorder hooked up to the same TV and while the VHS tape is playing, we run our DVD recorder. It is a real time kind of transfer (copying a 2 hr movie takes 2 hours) but it gets the job done. Keep in mind, the DVD you create will not be "DVD" quality but it will allow you to watch old VHS movies on your DVD player. Our DVD recorder cost about $100 and we are very happy with it.

 

[The Disney Bunch]

What kind of DVD recorder would anybody recommend?

 

[MyGoofy26]

Mine is a Magnavox. My old roommate had the first one that came out, it was a Panasonic. When I got my Magnavox (since they're the same company) I started playing around and it was EXACTLY the same one her mom had paid $1000 for, except the little default background says "Magnavox" instead of "Panasonic" . .. plus, being newer, it was MUCH more compact, less than half the size, and ony 20% of the price, LOL!

I don't have any experience with any others, but I can definitely vouch for the Panasonic and Magnavox. I've had mine for two years and not a single problem. VERY easy to use once you play around with it for a little while and "learn" all the options.

 

[lbgraves]

We bought a software program & converter by Dazzle. This is a different system that they sell. I haven't tried to sit down to work on it yet...waiting for the kids to be in school so that I can actually get something done...but DH did transfer some of our cruise video to DVD & it looks really good on the TV.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7794755&type=product&id=1142291505850

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

Another nice thing about buying a recorder rather than paying someone to transfer them is, if you have the time and interest, you can edit (not record) scenes from the VHS tape. It is very time consuming, so after a few tapes, I just wound up transferring everything -- we had about 30 2-hr. VHS tapes of our children that I wanted to transfer to DVD.

If you have as many as we had, definitely would be pricy to pay someone to do this ($15-$25/tape), so go the buying DVD recorder route.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I have TONS of VHS tapes of music videos from the 80s...I didn't want to lose them, so I originally "frankensteined" my Duran Duran stuff onto 3 tapes and had it done by a company. That cost $20 for every 2 hours. Now that I want to do the rest (we're talking 8, 9, 10 6-hour tapes), I invested in a Sony VCR/DVD recorder that I purchased on sale for about $200. I keep a lookout for the recordable DVDs, too. It will cost a lot less than having someone do it! Plus, now I can record directly onto a DVD, say if there's a movie on TV that I want.

 

[WeLuvTink!]

It's really easy to simply convert these at home if you buy a good DVD Recorder (around $200) at Best Buy or Walmart. Wire them up so you play the VHS into the DVD Recorder, hit play and Record respectively and go. Now is a good time to edit them, but you'd have to sit and watch the whole thing. I don't have that kind of time so I load it up and walk away, come back when its over and do another tape. Loading them into a computer is way too time consuming too. In the long run this is soooo much cheaper and you'll have a nice DVD recorder when you are done, so you won't record to any more VHS tapes. I don't even have a VCR in my house anymore, and I'm a professional videographer/producer!

 

[louey]

We took our 8mm tapes to a company that converts to DVD, they charge $29 per tape no matter if there is 10 minutes or 60 on the tape because they have to watch the entire tape. If it ends up being blank then they just charge $10 or $15. It was well worth it they give you a master copy to stash away and 2 copies of each tape for a total of (3) DVD copies per tape. We have enjoyed watching them, it had some funny funny stuff on them of our kids when they were smaller. And now we actually get to watch them instead of them being in a drawer. Which ever way you decide to do it, you'll be happy you did.

 

[Imzadi]

We bought a software program & converter by Dazzle. This is a different system that they sell. I haven't tried to sit down to work on it yet...waiting for the kids to be in school so that I can actually get something done...but DH did transfer some of our cruise video to DVD & it looks really good on the TV.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7794755&type=product&id=1142291505850

I just bought a new computer with a DVD burner. I was wondering if there was a program such as this. It's even cheaper at Buy.com and if you wait & use a $10 off coupon Buy.com sends in emails every now & then, it really brings the price down. It's also at Amazon. The 2 reviews there say it's easy to install & use.
Amazon reviews

 

[brandylouwho]

We bought a cheap dvd player/burner at Best Buy for $100 (I think Cyber Home is the brand) and it has worked fine for us. We hooked up an old VCR and transferred some movies. We also like to Tivo movies or other kids shows and later transfer to dvd. The burner pays for itself in no time.

Dvds can be pretty cheap (a stack of 100 at Sams Club for $30 or $40). I like to take the home recorded dvds on vacation, if they get lost or stolen we aren't out big bucks.

We just bought a hard drive camcorder (it is so small-I actually want to use this one once in awhile) and now when it is getting full we transfer it to dvd.