Convert VHS tape to a DVD format??

Ron,

Welcome to the discussions!

The first step is to convert the analog video on the VHS to a digital format (DV) that iMovie can understand.

Some miniDV cameras allow you to do this using a pass through function. You hook up a VHS deck to the camera and hook the camera up to your computer. The camera then takes the analog signal and converts it and passes it along to your computer and iMovie.

Alternatively, you can purchase a digital to analog converter. This would make it a bit easier if you have a lot of tapes to convert.

Some examples:

http://www.canopus.us/US/products/ADVC110/pm_advc110.asp

http://www.miglia.com/products/video/director2/index.html

Matt

Welcome to this Forum:

This subject, involving A/D converters or DVCam(FW), iMovie and iDVD is discussed many times on the Forum. This assumes you want to edit your material on your VHS tapes. Search is your friend. You could try a search via Google etc. in case you want to spend even more time.

Or, do it the lazy, no- edit way. Buy a DVD recorder and connect to your VCR as described in the directions enclosed in their boxes and press a button or two and you will have your analog VHS tape material on DVD to watch.

From VHS to DVD
Give New Life to Old Movies
http://www.macworld.com/2004/05/features/fromvhstodvd/

hello matthew
I was looking at the canopus advc-100 and the canopus advc-110.
what is the difference? this is a bit confusing. any help would be greatly appreciated.
ron

Ron,

I think the 110 is just the new improved version of the 100.

If I'm not mistaken the 100 has been discontinued though you may still find them for sale.

Matt

hello matthew
you could be right. i looked these two up and found one was released in 2003 (100) and the (110) was released in 2004.
so it must be the new and improved version.
thanks!!
ron

I bought an analog to digital converter and it is a cool gadget because you can use it for other things as well, good choice...once you plug the VCR into the converter, and the converter into your Apple, open up iMovie, hit play on your vcr and click import in imovie and you should be rolling! Good luck!

Or, do it the lazy, no- edit way. Buy a DVD recorder and connect to your VCR as described in the directions enclosed in their boxes and press a button or two and you will have your analog VHS tape material on DVD to watch.

Before I bought my camcorder with the pass-through feature, I did just as you suggested: I connected my VCR to my DVD recorder, and created a DVD copy of what was on a VHS tape (in real time, mind you). Plays back great when I play the resulting DVD in the DVD recorder, but is not recognized at all when I try playing the same disc in my computer. Seems that when I made the VHS>DVD copy, I forgot to "finalize" the disc! I'm wondering if I can still go back and finalize the disc (on the DVD recorder that produced the disc) so that it can be played on my computer?

I'm wondering if I can still go back and finalize the disc (on the DVD recorder that produced the disc) so that it can be played on my computer?

Yes, the disc can be finalized at any time.

yes i love it. i bought the canopus advc-300 over the canopus advc-110. i thought for what the 300 does its worth the extra $162
the quality is amazing and i am very happy.

hello ron
look up "canopus" on the net. my hook-up is quite simple.
I bought the canopus advc-300 for around $405 and a very nice panasonic 4-head vcr player.
connect the vcr to the canopus advc-300 ... and connect the canopus advc-300 to the computer. i am using a firewire adapter to connect the canopus to the computer.
when running imovie you click on "import" and your a happy camper. just make sure that approximately for every 30 minutes you have at least 16gb of space on your hard drive.
right now i am looking into an external hard drive.
from imovie you can transfer to idvd and it does the rest.
good luck!