Stumbled across your massive collection of home videos while cleaning? Under the fine sheen of dust that covers the VHS tape lies tons of memories and nostalgia, waiting to be viewed again.
Soon, you began looking for a VHS player to play those tapes again and walk down memory lane. However, you don’t have one handy and wonder how long will the tapes last.
While you stand there unsuspected, thinking about what to do, the iron oxide inside the tapes is slowly disintegrating from the plastic substrate, corrupting all your precious memories.
Here you can do two things. First, hire a VHS to digital service to convert the videos into digital format. Secondly, you can do that yourself at home as a DIY project. However, to go the DIY route, you will need specific skills and computer experience to convert the files correctly.
Hire a Professional Video Transfer Service
Table of Contents
Several reputed photo scanning services in the market can convert the videos on these tapes into digital format and store them on DVDs. If you have too many tapes to convert, outsource this task to a professional video transfer service with the right equipment and technology.
Professional VHS conversion services have experienced technicians and experts. They handle the VHS tapes with utmost care to clean and determine the total length of each recording. These services use professional VCRs, state-of-the-art equipment, and software to convert home video tapes to digital format or create a DVD.
In case your goal is to get the highest quality video and sound in digital format or DVD, it is best to go to a VHS tape conversion specialist. Usually, the conversion experts retain the resolution of the video during the conversion process to prevent quality loss.
So, if you are technologically challenged or have limited knowledge of the conversion process, give the tapes to a VHS digital service for a smooth transition.
The DIY Route: Taking Matters in Your Hand
If you want to be more involved in the process and have more control over it, be ready to spend money and time. Here is a guideline to help make the conversion process a little easier.
Things You Will Need
The first thing you will need is a VHS player. You’ll have to purchase one online if you don’t have one. Next, you will need an analog converter for your personal computer or MAC. Different analog converters are available in the market at various price points. Choose a converter that meets your budget and requirements.
Let’s Set Up
The first step of setting up is to plug everything together. Take the USB port of the analog converter and connect it to your PC or MAC. The other three plugs go into the VHS player. Make sure that you match the colors when plugging into the VHS. Here you might require an adapter as well.
Install the software that was provided with the converter. It can be like an editing program to help with the conversion process. Now, put the VHS tapes into the player and start the video. Using the installed software, you can pause the video anytime to modify the settings.
Once the settings are adjusted, select the timestamp from where you want the video to be converted. Now, mind you, if your tape was not stored in optimum conditions, certain parts of the video can be corrupted and might not be worth all of this trouble.
Converting Into Digital Format
When you see the video playing on your laptop or computer, press the record button on the screen. Whatever adjustment you make will be captured in the digital format as well. Once done recording on your laptop, name the file, and store it in the designated folder.
Where Can Your Store The Files?
Once you have saved the files, you keep them on the laptop, store them on an external hard drive, burn them on a DVD, transfer them to a USB, or store it in the cloud. You have multiple storage options, so choose the one that is best suited for you.
Lastly, you can edit your videos using basic or professional editing programs or on the software that came with the analog converter. This step is optional. If you want the
Your memories are precious. Digital conversion will help you restore them for a long time. Share it with your friends or family or on YouTube. If you do not want to go into all this trouble, hand over all your VHS tapes to a professional photo scanning service and get high-quality digital videos.
Check About: How much is the net worth of Cass Holland?
