Convert VHS to DVD Without a Computer

In today's digital world, old VHS recordings take up a great deal of space. Additionally, they are subject to the ravages of time and something as simple as setting a box too close to a stereo speaker in the attic can result in a box full of erased tapes. More and more people are making the decision to take their old home movies, and in many cases bought movies, and converting them from VHS to DVD. This is possilbe by using a VHS to DVD service or can be done at home. While the conversion is usually simpler with a computer, it is possible to salvage old videos and convert them from VHS to DVD without a computer.

The hardware needed to convert from VHS to DVD without a computer in the loop can be expensive. What one must have is a VCR or VCP in good working order and a DVD recorder. At latest estimates, a DVD recorder averaged about 200 USD. All one needs to do is connect the video cassette recorder or player to the DVD recorder, start the VHS tape at the beginning and hit record on the DVD.

In order to ensure compatibility with most devices, it would probably be best to use DVD-R or DVD RW blank DVDs. DVD plus R. And DVD plus RW will also work, but may not be compatible with older DVD players.

There are some drawbacks to using this system for converting VHS to DVD. First, one has no editing options. This means that the quality of video available from the tape is the quality of video that will be saved to the DVD. Additionally, many bought movies are copy protected, meaning that any attempt to make a copy either on another tape or on a DVD will result in wasted time and effort as the output will be scrambled.

If one has an extensive movie collection of VHS tapes that have been bought over the years, it would probably be easier and cheaper to repurchase the movies in DVD format or to download them from the Internet and burn them to DVD. However, for home videos created using a camcorder and VHS tapes that have been recorded off of television, converting them to DVD will generate a longer-lasting, more durable digital copy that will take up less space and be easier to use with modern equipment.

If one is not overly concerned about the quality of the video and audio feeds from a VHS tape when converting to DVD format, then VHS to DVD service without a computer can be an easier method that takes less time than trying to run the output through a computer. On the other hand, if the quality of the video is important, one should consider using a computer so that the video can be edited and brought up to standards.