How to convert old VHS tapes to digital

I am hoping someone can give me an overview of what kind of equipment/software is necessary to convert VHS tapes into a digital format that could be saved in iMovie. Do I just need the right cables for the VCR or something more complicated? Thanks!

macbook, Mac OS X (10.5.1)

Posted on Apr 29, 2008 1:19 PM

Top-ranking reply

Beverly Maneatis

Level 5

7,158 points

Posted on Apr 29, 2008 11:59 PM

I recommend that you download the free iMovie HD6 for those with iMovie 08 who do not have a prior version of iMovie HD6. You can get it here: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/imovieHD6.html

And, do this tutorial: http://www.apple.com/support/imovie/tutorial/

It is more capable of creative editing and you have a quite a bit more control over your iMovie with it.

+So, your method worked using just a VCR, a camcorder, and your computer? No special converters?+
Yes, I just used the AV connectors that came with my camcorder to hook the camcorder to the VCR....which was in a combo TV/VCR unit so I could see the footage on my tv, just to make it easier. The AV connector cable has a special prong that fits into the camcorder, and those white/red/yellow prongs at the VCR end. The TV/VCR is a few years old, certainly not anything fancy or new.
I didn't bother with a converter since I just used the camcorder.
My computer and that VCR are not physically close enough to try to import directly, and since I wanted the digital tapes of the original footage, recording first to the miniDV tapes worked for me. Canopus makes a couple of nice converters...they are around $150-250, I think.
Then, to connect to the computer with the camcorder you will need a 4-6 pin Firewire cable.

+I might do it sooner or I might put it off for awhile while I practice messing around with iMovie.+

The benefit of recording from VHS to miniDV tapes is that the tapes are digital, they store easily and the footage will not degrade before you get around to creating your iMovies and DVDs. iMovies can take up lots of drive space, so don't be thinking that you will just import them all and save them for editing later. You would need a huge amount of space for this. Most of my movies are just under 2 hours, and occupy between 25-40 GB each. A couple of my movies were well over 100-140GB!!!! Yes, that is correct. I have a couple of external drives that I use for my movies while I am creating them. I usually have about two or three that I am working on at the same time.

+We want to put them in a digital format that will be easier to store and play and safer from eroding over time, so I guess the end format I'm looking for is DVDs.+

Because DVDs can break/crack/warp/melt/etc, you should consider exporting your finished iMovies back to the camcorder so that you have the miniDV tapes for more permanent storage and as a backup to your DVDs.
That is one of the big reasons that I don't use iMovie 08---it does not permit exporting back to a camcorder.

Although I do not save my created iMovies on my computer after I have made the DVD and exported the edited movie back to tape, I do save all my iDVD projects as disk images. A disk image can be up to 4.7 GB--even my large movies were automatically compressed down when put into iDVD. The limitation in iDVD is the total length of the movie in TIME, not SIZE. I use single-layer DVDs, which can hold up to 2 hours of content. Creating disk images allows you to have an exact copy of your iDVD projects, self-contained so that you can delete the original iMovies and the original iDVD projects. You can use the disk image to burn your disks when you first create them, and any time in the future. It is a good backup for the entire DVD.

Enjoy being creative with your movie projects! Post back with any more questions, and feel free to email me if you want.

Regards,
Beverly

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22 replies

May 4, 2008 9:05 PM in response to sdl3

+So if I delete events or projects in iMovie '08, the iDVD projects that contain the same footage will not be affected?+

No, what I said was that if you create a *disk image* from your iDVD project, you can delete your original iMovie and your original iDVD project from which you created the disk image. It is the disk image that is self-contained, not the iDVD project. In fact, the iDVD project is just a temporary holding file, putting in your audio, photos and videos as it needs them for encoding. If you delete any movies, photos or audio used in your project, you will be unable to use that project unless you restore what you deleted.

So, to repeat, it is the disk image that you should save if you want to delete your iMovies and iDVD projects. If you ever want to reburn another DVD, just use the disk image. I save all mine to an external drive, and I also back them up to another external drive. Yes, they are smaller than the original iMovies because iDVD compresses the movies to fit the 4.7 GB size maximum (single layer DVD).

In addition, and one of the reasons I am still with iMovie 6, I export my finished iMovies back to my camcorder onto miniDV tapes so that I have a backup on tape of my movies. It is not a backup of the DVD project, but I figured that it would be less difficult to recreate an iDVD project than to have to redo an entire iMovie! DVD disks can crack, warp, get stepped on, melt in the sun, get various liquids and solids spilled on them (depending on the age of children in your house), may be given to a pet, left outside.....you get the picture! 🙂

I also am considering that DVDs may be replaced in the future with some newer technology, just as VHS tapes have nearly disappeared, and I think that digital tapes can be used to place my movies onto whatever new media comes next.
Of course, I am older than you, my latest 'baby' will be our second grandchild, due in the fall! 🙂

sdl3

Level 1

8 points

May 4, 2008 9:16 PM in response to Beverly Maneatis

Thank you, Beverly. You guys out here in cyberspace are amazing.

So, just to sum up what I'm getting from your response:

If I save my completed iDVD projects as a "disk image" (something I've never done before), I can safely delete iMovie events/projects and the actual iDVD project file and I would still be able to go back and burn additional copies of the DVD's in the future using the disk image?

May 5, 2008 2:07 AM in response to sdl3

You got it! 🙂
In fact, you should make a disk image with every project and use it to burn your actual disks....using Disk Utility....saves wear on iDVD! And, if there ever is a problem with an iDVD project, you can discover it during the disk image creation, saving you wasted disks.

Also, if you have any DVDs made with iDVD, you can make disk images from them, and burn more copies if needed, or have the disk image as a backup. I had DVDs from prior versions of iDVD which I did that. Before iDVD 4, you could not make a disk image.

May 5, 2008 5:08 AM in response to Michel Vézina

Thanks Michel. Neither one is the problem. It was me! There is an item under the TRV20's Menu=VCR Set=A/V-D/V Out=On. That did it. I just made a DVD of an old VHS class tape. No need to change versions. Thanks again.

May 5, 2008 5:15 AM in response to Beverly Maneatis

Beverly and the group: Yes, you can burn a Disk Image to iDVD's older versions. Here's the How-To: http://homepage.mac.com/geerlingguy/macsupport/mac_help/pages/0015-burn_idvdother.html

Also, there is a way to choose which DVD drive you want for iDVD 5 and up:
http://homepage.mac.com/geerlingguy/macsupport/mac_help/pages/00152-burn_idvd5.html

Yes, I too, rely heavily on Disk Images of my DVDs (of course I keep my original MiniDVs). Saving all those imovie reference files isn't worth it for everything--nor practical from a storage perspective.

jjzilla

Level 1

0 points

May 1, 2008 4:29 PM in response to Terabithia

Look at the Neuros OSD. It's made just for this purpose. I've used it to convert all of my parents' VHS tapes to MPEG-4. Once the videos are in that format, you can do with them as you see fit.

May 5, 2008 9:12 AM in response to Eric Basir

Exactly! 🙂

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How to convert old VHS tapes to digital