Forum Topic

VHS Video to computer/DVD

We urgently need to transfer a few clips from VHS video onto a laptop or computer in a format which can be used to make a DVD.Is anyone able to lend us an (easy to use) piece of equipment to enable us to do this? Alternatively, can anyone recommend the simplest way of doing this and where to buy the cable or whatever we need....I'd be really grateful for a reply asap.Thanks

Clare Gittins ● 5374d7 Comments

I had a feeling Supasnaps (is that the right name? its the photo delveloping shop in Ealing Broadway) did this vhs to dvd service.

Munira Khan ● 5373d

There are many pieces of equipment for transferring things to a digital format for a computer. I have one that transfers cassette tapes to digital MP3 format*, and I know that you can get stuff for video tapes to Digital/DVD I would check out Amazon and/or Maplins in Hammersmith or even Acton Computer Shop.*The only problem is that it takes as long as the tape is to transfer e.g. a 90 minute tape will take 90 minutes to transfer, maybe a shop like Snappy Snaps would be able to do it for you a bit quicker.

John Pollastrini ● 5370d

Thanks! It has been a bit of a nightmare but we ended up buying something called a Dazzle VHS converter from Maplin and, after our fantastically helpful, kind computer whiz Martin supplied the correct cable which Maplin hadn't, it worked. Now all we need to do is learn how to burn a DVD which can be read by a DVD machine. I'm sure that should be much more straightforward than the 'no images can be read from this disc' messages we keep getting. Any helpful ideas anyone?

Clare Gittins ● 5370d

Not that I am an expert on this but, as nobody else has replied, I would advise burning the files as 'data'.  What operating system are you using (some version of Windows?) and which program?

Geoffrey Berg ● 5368d

My son tried to do this one time for me but it wasnt a success. It took forever and a day to transfer and then it refused to play.

Munira Khan ● 5367d

We managed the whole caboodle in the end. My younger son had to edit all the clips endlessly - was worth it in the end and I intend to transfer the (very few) videos we have onto DVD in due course.

Clare Gittins ● 5367d

Oh dear but I'm happy you managed the transfer. I imagine we will have to do it all again in a few years when DVD is a thing of the past and we all have BluRay or the new system theyve invented.

Munira Khan ● 5367d