How to capture video from VHS tape & VCR to DVD

This Step-by-Step guide will teach you how to capture video from Old VHS tape & VCR to your computer Hardrive, and then you can edit the video and upload to YouTube, MySpace, Twitter or your blog. With this guide, you can also burn the captured video to DVD to play on regular DVD player.

The Tool you need is AVS Video Recorder where you can free download from here.

Download AVS Video Recorder for Windows
Download Video Converter for Mac

Below are the key features of AVS Video Recorder:

  • Transfer video from VHS to DVD
    camcorders and VCR to your computer. Give new life to your old VHS tapes. Capture video on hard drive to MPEG 2 format or directly to MPEG 4 and save your computer free space.
  • Transfer video from WEB cameras, DVB cards, TV tuners.
    Capture live video or TV shows on hard drive to MPEG 2 format or directly to MPEG 4 and save your computer free space.
  • Transfer video from DV and miniDV camcorders
    to your computer. Capture video on hard drive to cameras’ native AVI DV format or directly to MPEG 4 and save your computer free space.

Step 1: Selecting Device and Setting Parameters:
After you download and install AVS Video Recorder, launch it. The wizard window will look differently depending on the capture device used. If you’d like to capture video from VHS cameras, you’ll need a TV tuner or a TV card. For example, if you are using a TV tuner as capture device, you should set the following parameters for video capturing at Step 1:

  1. Select Video Device from the list of the available video devices. It is the list of devices available in the system.
  2. Set Video Input. It will define the type of the input that receives the video signal.
  3. Set Video Standard from the list of available video standards. Sometimes it can be necessary to change this setting so that the video picture became colored instead of black-and-white.There are the following TV standards: NTSC (N, M, J) , PAL (N, M), SECAM.
    • NTSC is used in the United States, Canada, Mexico;
    • NTSC-M is used in the most of the Americas and Caribbean, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan;
    • NTSC-J is used in Japan;
    • NTSC-N is used in Paraguay and Bolivia;
    • PAL is used in the most of European countries;
    • PAL/SECAM is used in France;
    • PAL-M is used in Brazil;
    • PAL-N is used in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay.
  4. Select the Output size in the drop-down combo box.
  5. To modify audio parameters, first select Audio Device or mute it checking the appropriate check-box and select Audio Input and the output Audio Format.
  6. You can also adjust Audio input device parameters by clicking the Configure button located nearAudio Device Parameters box.

convert vhs tape to DVD

Step 2: Output File Format Settings

At Step 2, you should specify output file format settings. you can select between the several types of format: XviD (MPEG4) or DVD (MPEG2), and set the parameters of each format in the drop-down boxes below. In case you select XviD (MPEG4) video format you can modify video codec parameters clicking the Advanced… button. You can also change the audio track settings of the output video file.

convert vhs tape to DVD

Step 3: Output File Name and Location

At Step 3 you should enter the file name for your saved movie and set the location. Select Browse… in thePath drop-down box to open the standard windows explorer menu and select the movie location. At this step you can also split the output file by size or by time. Besides all, it’s possible to set start/stop capture parameters for your convenience.

convert vhs tape to DVD

Step 4: Capturing Video

You can find the capturing information at Step 4. To start/pause/stop capturing please use the appropriate buttons. You can visually judge the capturing process with the help of Preview. To switch the sound off or back on use the Mute check-box. If you want to speed up the capturing process, you should untick thePreview check-box.

convert vhs tape to DVD

Step 5: Preview the Result

After capturing process is complete, you get to the final step where you can preview and check the captured material by clicking the Play button located under preview window. you can rename, remove the captured files and burn them to an optical disc if you need to. To do it, just click Rename, Remove, Burn to disc buttons at the bottom of the AVS Video Recorder Step 5 window.

convert vhs tape to DVD

After it click the Close button to finish the work with AVS Video Recorder.

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