Converting and Uploading Those Old VHS Videos April 20, 2008
Posted by Nalts in : Making Videos, Online Video , trackbackI’ve got two or three plastic bins in my basement, packed with hundreds VHS tapes. Among a lot of junk (Simpsons episodes, SNL reruns) lies some of the first video shorts I’ve made… um… two decades ago. So I spent hours this morning researching ways to convert them, and it comes down to a few complex choices with big tradeoffs:
- Ship your tape to a service provider (I found AMB Media Services via a Google text ad). For the price of $5 to $9, you can transfer VHS, VHS-C, Mini-DV, or Hi-8/8mm tapes. If you only have a few tapes, and want a low-maintenance solution (because your VHS still blinks 12:00), this is your best option. But when you add the shipping (about $9), converting a few tapes will cost more than buying a device. Some pharmacy and photo shops offer this service, and maybe shipping is less expensive.
- Use a camcorder with an analog input. Then you can connect your ol’ VHS to your camcorder and record it digitally. Next, you simply convert your digital tape to your computer as you would any new footage. Unfortunately my high-end Canon HV20 doesn’t have analog in. But I used an earlier camcorder to convert and upload “Woodblock Doll,” “Mint and Treats,” and “Attack of the Killer Slinky.”
- Buy a “Black Box” Device. Pinnacle’s Dazzle was the first device I bought to convert my Mini-DVs to digital footage more than 8 years ago. I researched the space, and paid maybe $200 for the device and editing software. Now there’s an AV-to-digital converter that’s selling for less than $50. There are other “black box” solutions like the Canopus ADVC-1110, but it’s pricey at $200 plus. Here’s one of the highest-rated VHS/DVD devices on Amazon (the Sony VRDMC5 DVDirect DVD Recorder). This Sony device got a favorable review from PC Magazine as well as CrunchGear, but a few customers have complained about audio problems.
- DVD/VHS Combination Units. Wired’s “Gadget Review” compares a number of other solutions, that include simple consumer decks that have both DVD and VHS. Some of these allow you to dub a VHS to a DVD… but this appears oddly complicated. Further, you’ll need software to “rip” that DVD signal to something you can edit, compress and upload. This ‘DVD/VHS combo option leaves you with a full DVD copy of your tape without all the editing and manual work.
- Additional Options and Sources. In researching this post, I did find a nice review of options by “AskBobFranklin.” And two reviews worth mentioning: Video converter software compared and Video editing software compared. I also like this post by SignVideo that describes the method and gives you tips on preserving the quality.
So what’s the bottom line? I’d go with a service (online or at a local store) if you just have a few tapes. But if you have six or more then it’s much more affordable to get a device. While writing this post, I bought the Pinnacle Dazzle DVD Recorder ($44 at Amazon.com). Then I realized that it had a few bad reviews on Amazon, and… oh… it’s not Mac compatible. D’oh. So now maybe I’ll spring for the Sony VRDMC5. Or maybe I’ll tell wifeofnalts it’s on my birthday-wish list. The black box is convenient but it’s another darned device that has limited functionality beyond this purpose.
Here’s my description of “the perfect device,” but I doubt it exists:
- It costs less than $200, and has a VHS deck and a DVD burner.
- The DVD is playable on a regular DVD player, but it also automatically chunks the video into segments that can be viewed via thumbnails. Or you can set it to chunk in 5/10-minute increments.
- You’d store the entire DVD as a safeguard against the deteriorating VHS tapes (although obviously burned DVD are far from permanent archives). Still, I suppose we’d actually watch our wedding tape more than once a decade if it was on DVD.
- But the DVD would also allow for easy exporting in the form of Quicktime, .mov or .mp4 files… so that you don’t need to use software to “rip” the entire DVD, convert, edit and upload. Too many steps!
Would appreciate any feedback if this device does exist. I’d love to dust off some of the videos in the basement, like these vintage Nalts clips (see “more” for details).
- My meeting Chevy Chase when he was on the set of “Fletch 2″ in New Orleans. He took my camera and pointed it at his fake hairpiece and teeth, as I wave euphorically in the background.
- Tracey Ullman asking me when I would turn off the camera as I got footage of her doing an MTV segment on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras. At this point the Simpsons was still a segment of her show.
- My first video ever — a stop-action karate thing that featured my classmates, still in their uniforms after school. Oh it’s bad. But it will give hope to aspiring viral-video geniuses.
- A highschool play (”On the Razzle”) I was in with Mo Rocca. He was a better actor than me and has subsequently done some decent projects like “The Jon Stewart Show.” But he has fewer than 500 subscribers on YouTube, so eat your heart out Mo.
- My musical number in a 1986 production of “West Side Story” (I was originally cast as the understudy to Tony, but when I stepped down and was given the pitiful role of “Mouthpiece”). Still, I did a mean “Officer Krupke,” and was probably in the best physical shape of my life. But it will become clear to viewers why I decided to not pursue acting.
- Clips of my grandfather having ice cream (okay, that’s more for me than YouTube).
- Some footage of me doing a “sites around New Orleans,” only to discover I was standing in a pile of red ants… cursing ensued with “you can turn off the camera now, a-hole.”
Comments»
It’s funny you should make this post today, as just last night I was thinking about asking you how I can convert my mini tapes from my old cam corder (old - bought in 2002) to digital. I have four hours of video from our time in Kazakhstan, including my first meeting with Hank, and I would love to post some of that on youtube, but I don’t know how to do the converstion. Zipster has some device he bought for $40, which I can’t remember the name of. It just took forever. I don’t know whether he ultimately liked it or not.
i have a dvd/vhs comibination deck thing. they’re ally easy to use u just put both in, press a button and it records it on dvd… my dad had loads of old vhs tapes he used to record on with a big ass camera .. so yeah we converted it all.. and i guess u could just put the dvd in ur computer and edit it if u want..?
I bought a hard drive video recorder a while back. Records TV RF signals direct to hard drive. It also has a DVD writer built in, and dubs to MP2 or MP4 on any DVD (+R,-R, RW etc). So play your VHS as normal, tune the HDD to the frequency of the VHS player and it is all done. Editing is also possible (deleting part, combining) The DVD is easy to copy to your computer for further refining if you have software to dolly it up. Here we operate on PAL, but our machines are all now multi-system (including NTSC and SECAM) and DVD machines are multizone. I have no idea why they went to so much effort to divide the world in the first place. Money I suppose.
I still have my first DV camera, a Canon ZR-60. Even though the chip is busted, I can still use it as an editing deck AND it has a Analog In so I use to use it to record TV shows and DVDs for editing. Now I have a Sony Vaio with a capture card and I hook up anything to it and it captures it.
Plug it into Quicktime Pro, Put it on the Mac in Final Cut, and there you have it.
If you can find a used Canon ZR camera, they have analog in. NEVER use those DVD recorders. By the time you have it on your computer to edit you spend more time cleaning and de-interlacing that it just isn’t worth it.
read the youtube blog for upgrades on email amoung other things!
links and pictures guys! oh, I have some super8s too I’d like to convert
thanks
Do you have old videos of your mother? Maybe you should call her.
You’ve been making home videos for 20 years? I’ve only been doing it for 3. No wonder I don’t have sciatica (yet).
Loved the “OLD VIDEOS” .. and look how young you were…. and with hair
My old Mac G3 has video input, so I’m going to transfer my old VHS-C through AVID then to iMovie
yay me. I’m working on getting a “real” video camera soon. And on a serious note, you make it all look too easy Kevin. Thanks for all the inspiring vids… I would had mentioned words but you never respond to emails anyway, or maybe it’s just mine that get no replies??