Memories fade over time and some are easily lost forever, especially if they're stored on old VHS tapes. This is my guide on how to transfer your VHS tapes to your Mac, so you can store them for the future.
When I came home for Christmas eight years ago in 2010, my parents had organized all of their old VHS tapes from when I was a kid. When we watched some of them, I realized that these tapes needed to be transfered to digital form before they deteriorated further.
I took me seven years, but last year I decided to finally transfer these tapes to digital form as a Christmas gift to my parents.
Audio/Video Converter, 2.0 USB VHS to Digital Converter, Video Capture Card VCR TV to DVD Converter for Mac, PC Support Windows 2000/10 / 8/7 / Vista/XP/Android 3.9 out of 5 stars 395 $13.98 $ 13. Feb 26, 2018 Click Convert button at the lower right side to begin converting Blu-ray to the selected file format. You can get a more detailed guide here: Converting Blu-ray to MP4 file with Blu-ray Ripper. MakeMKV is a cross-platform free Blu-ray converter program for your Blu-ray disc as well as DVD and AVCHD. It is free to be used during Beta.
This is how I did it, step by step.
1. Getting the equipment
Transferring VHS tapes to a computer requires getting some equipment.
Luckily, my parents had already done a lot of the hard work by having not one but two VHS players in great shape (one broke down and we had to repair it for $72, but that's another story).
This is the equipment I used (excluding my Macbook):
VHS player
VHS players are easily found on websites like Ebay, unless you already have one laying around. If not, perhaps you know someone you can borrow one from.
VHS-C cassettes
Chances are your old VHS cassettes are of the smaller VHS-C format. These types of cassettes were introduced in 1982 and were primarily used in consumer-grade camcorders. They need a VHS-C adapter to be played on a VHS player.
VHS-C adapter
A VHS-C adapter is basically a battery-driven hollow VHS cassette in which you insert a smaller VHS-C cassette.
You insert it in your VHS player and play it like a regular cassette. You can buy these adapters on websites like Amazon.
Video capture dongle
There are lots of different video capture dongles available today. What they do is that they transfer the analog signal from the VHS player to a digital one that your computer can process.
The dongles are always bundled with some video capture software (right?) for recording the video feed and saving it as a video file.
I used Plexgear Moviesaver 600 from the Swedish company Kjell & Company. It works for both macOS and Windows and cost me about $50 (400 sek).
The bundled video capture software Empia (for macOS) is somewhat buggy and not that well designed, bit it is simple and does what it has to.
SCART to RCA cable
The Plexgear video capture dongle connects to your computer through one of its USB ports. However, it needs another cable to connect to your VHS player.
I connected it to my parents' VHS player using a brand new SCART to RCA cable that cost me about $24 (200 sek).
No TV?
Nope, with this setup the video feed will be displayed on your computer screen with the bundled video capture software.
2. Connecting the equipment
Once you've got all the hardware, the setup is quite simple as you can see in the image below.
Kjell & Company has also put together this product video (in Swedish) on how to connect their video capture dongle to your computer.
I took me seven years, but last year I decided to finally transfer these tapes to digital form as a Christmas gift to my parents.
Audio/Video Converter, 2.0 USB VHS to Digital Converter, Video Capture Card VCR TV to DVD Converter for Mac, PC Support Windows 2000/10 / 8/7 / Vista/XP/Android 3.9 out of 5 stars 395 $13.98 $ 13. Feb 26, 2018 Click Convert button at the lower right side to begin converting Blu-ray to the selected file format. You can get a more detailed guide here: Converting Blu-ray to MP4 file with Blu-ray Ripper. MakeMKV is a cross-platform free Blu-ray converter program for your Blu-ray disc as well as DVD and AVCHD. It is free to be used during Beta.
This is how I did it, step by step.
1. Getting the equipment
Transferring VHS tapes to a computer requires getting some equipment.
Luckily, my parents had already done a lot of the hard work by having not one but two VHS players in great shape (one broke down and we had to repair it for $72, but that's another story).
This is the equipment I used (excluding my Macbook):
VHS player
VHS players are easily found on websites like Ebay, unless you already have one laying around. If not, perhaps you know someone you can borrow one from.
VHS-C cassettes
Chances are your old VHS cassettes are of the smaller VHS-C format. These types of cassettes were introduced in 1982 and were primarily used in consumer-grade camcorders. They need a VHS-C adapter to be played on a VHS player.
VHS-C adapter
A VHS-C adapter is basically a battery-driven hollow VHS cassette in which you insert a smaller VHS-C cassette.
You insert it in your VHS player and play it like a regular cassette. You can buy these adapters on websites like Amazon.
Video capture dongle
There are lots of different video capture dongles available today. What they do is that they transfer the analog signal from the VHS player to a digital one that your computer can process.
The dongles are always bundled with some video capture software (right?) for recording the video feed and saving it as a video file.
I used Plexgear Moviesaver 600 from the Swedish company Kjell & Company. It works for both macOS and Windows and cost me about $50 (400 sek).
The bundled video capture software Empia (for macOS) is somewhat buggy and not that well designed, bit it is simple and does what it has to.
SCART to RCA cable
The Plexgear video capture dongle connects to your computer through one of its USB ports. However, it needs another cable to connect to your VHS player.
I connected it to my parents' VHS player using a brand new SCART to RCA cable that cost me about $24 (200 sek).
No TV?
Nope, with this setup the video feed will be displayed on your computer screen with the bundled video capture software.
2. Connecting the equipment
Once you've got all the hardware, the setup is quite simple as you can see in the image below.
Kjell & Company has also put together this product video (in Swedish) on how to connect their video capture dongle to your computer.
When I first connected the dongle to the VHS player, I ran into some trouble. I had used an old SCART connector that didn't work. I don't know why, but it had only eight pins. The new one I bought worked fine and it had 20 pins. Coincidence?
3. Transferring the VHS tapes
When you transfer a tape, it's being recorded as it's being played. If a tape contains 30 minutes of footage, the transfer will take 30 minutes. Each transferred tape will then be saved as its own video file.
For using the video capture software Empia that is bundled with the Plexgear dongle, I have the following advice:
- Remember to set the input video source to composite video or S-Video depending on which one you're using.
- Set a long time limit (you have to set one) if you don't know how much footage a VHS tape contains.
- Start by recording just a few seconds of video to make sure audio is being recorded and that everything is working.
4. Compressing the video files
After transferring the first tape, the file size ended up being much larger than I expected. A recording of just around 30 minutes weighed 1.5 GB. Another tape with a runtime of two hours and six minutes took up a whooping 25 GB. I needed to compress these files.
Luckily, two friends of mine with lots of experience in video editing recommended the free video converter application Handbrake (available for macOS, Windows and Ubuntu).
Handbrake worked wonders and shrunk the 30 minute recording from 1.5 GB to 450 MB. The 25 GB recording was shrunk to just 1.5 GB. Quality stayed the same, nice!
5. Storing the video files
When it comes to storing the video files, I'd recommend storing them on as many places as possible. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket. I store them on:
- My Macbook
- My Time Machine backup hard drive
- My iCloud account
- A USB memory stick
My dad also stores the video files like this. I was going to store them on my Dropbox account too, but I didn't have enough space.
Do not just burn the video files on DVDs. These DVDs will deteriorate just like your old VHS tapes.
6. Editing the video files
How to make zip folder on mac. After transferring, compressing and storing your video files you might want to edit them. Several of my video files contained long moments with just a blank screen before the next segment.
When I find the time, I'll delete these moments using iMovie on macOS. How to play nintendo games on mac. If you're using Windows, the software Windows Movie Maker will probably be suitable.
Wrapping up
Transferring old VHS tapes to digital form is time-consuming, but very rewarding. It might be technically tricky and expensive, but once you've done it the video will be there forever (if you store it well).
Some memories will surprise you, many will make you smile and others will be bittersweet to watch.
Here is a short video clip from July 7, 1994 of my little bunny rabbit Snuffe. He turned eleven years old before he passed away in the Summer of 2004. I still miss him from time to time.
Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comment section.
/Alex
Summary: follow this article to rip and convert DVD to digital copies of MP4, MKV, AVI, HEVC, MPEG, etc. without much cost.
How quickly digital technology moves on! Nowadays we are accustomed to watch movies on YouTube, 4K smart TV, and Netflix, etc., and the once-dominant DVD shelf is no longer the focal point in your room. Those bulky boxes of discs are gathering dust on a shelf. In some ways, they are outmoded.
Would you feel a tad regretful that your favorite DVD discs are just quietly sitting in a box in the closet? Why not liberate your movie collection by making it easy to rip and convert DVD to digital copies for playback on your iPhone iPad? Trust me it couldn't be better if you do so, for you can watch your DVD movies on mobile device anytime anywhere. But how to make this happen? Well, read on and you will get it.
How to Digitize Homemade & Commercial DVD Discs
MacX DVD Ripper Pro can do it! No.1 fast speed to rip any DVD movies to digital MP4 MOV MKV AVI MPEG-2 VOB, MP3, etc. (commercial & homemade) without the bother of DVD encryption tech like CSS, Region Code, UOP, Disney X-project protection, Sony ARccOS, etc. 100% clean & safe, No spyware, malware, virus!
Table of Contents
Convert Video To Digital Mac Software
Prior to the DVD digitization, let me ask you a question: do you know which digital format you want to convert DVD to, MP4, AVI, MKV, or ISO image? Alright, if you are uncertain about this, let me explain the mainstream digital format first.
Part 1: What is the Best Format for Storing Digitalized DVD Movies?
Case One: If you thirst for suitable file size and great video quality, you are recommended to digitize DVD discs to MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, etc. widely used video format so as to playback on iPhone iPad Android with no hassle.
For Apple iPhone iPad iTunes users, you are suggested to rip and convert DVD to digital MP4, MOV, M4V format, which are supported by iPhone iPad iTunes and can provide you with superb video quality and proper file size.
For Android Samsung Sony HTC users, it's advisable for you to opt for converting DVD disc to digital MP4, AVI or MKV. Not only they are accepted by Android device, but also they are able to address your specific needs. See, MP4 balances well between movie quality and file size. AVI is the second-to-none choice for the one who pursues with smallest possible file size. MKV, on the contrary, is bigger than others in size but better in quality.
Case Two: Providing you are itching to make a digital copy of DVD movie with 1:1 lossless quality without caring file size, then copying DVD to ISO image or a single MPEG-2 file fits the bill. Here backup DVD disc to ISO image is highly recommended.
Pros of Clone DVD to ISO image:
- Untouched DVD quality, better than MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV, MPEG-2;
- Directly playback DVD movies on VLC player, Mplayer, DAplayer, Stream Player, etc.
- Convenient for later DVD burning;
- Easily for DVD movie storing and DVD library building.
Part 2: How to Legally Make Digital Copies of DVDs on Mac and PC
After the above introduction, you might be clearer about what digital format you wanna convert DVD to. But here comes the question: how to rip and convert DVD disc to digital format like MP4, AVI, ISO image in a legal way? Well, you need a professional assistant to do you this big favor. Here the cutting-edge MacX DVD Ripper Pro is the one you can trust on.
Regardless of the homemade DVD or commercial encrypted DVD discs, it can easilyget rid of CSS, Region Code, UOPs, RCE, Sony ARccOS or Disney Fake. With this mighty DVD to digital software by your side, you are allowed to convert (encrypted) DVD to MP4, MOV, M4V, AVI, MKV, as well as copy DVD to ISO image or a single MPEG-2 file size with 100% unaffected video quality thanks to its High Quality Engine and De-interlacing tech. Of course, the converted digital DVD copies are only allowed to legally use for personal purpose.
How to Rip and Convert DVD (Protected) to Digital Format for Playback on iPhone iPad Android?
Here I take Disney movie Big Hero 6 DVD disc for instance to show you how to convert copy-protected DVD to digital format for playback on iPhone.
Step 1: Free download and launch this top-ranking DVD digital video converter on Mac, click 'DVD Disc' button to import the DVD movie Big Hero 6.
Tips: MacX DVD Ripper Pro is especially desgined for Mac users and works flawlessly on Mac OS X 10.12. But for PC users running even on Windows 10, you can check its windows version .
Step 2: To convert DVD Zootopia to digital format, you can go to Apple Device and select 'iPhone 12' mode.
Step 3: Specify output folder on your computer to save the output files. Click the 'Browse' button to choose the path where you want to save the output files in.
Convert Video To Digital Mac Backup
Step 4: Click 'RUN' to start to decrypt and convert Disney DVD Zootopia to digital MP4 for iPhone on your Mac computer. The whole copying process will accomplish with solely mins, and then you can find the digitalized DVD movies in the destination folder. Download flutter sdk mac.
How to Make a Digital Copy of DVD Movies with 1:1 Lossless Quality?
Step 1: Fire up this best- all-in-one DVD copy program on Mac, click 'DVD Disc' button to import the DVD movie you want to copy.
Step 2: Go to DVD Backup and select 'Clone DVD to ISO Image' mode. This DVD copy program also allows you to backup DVD to a single MPEG-2 file, make a digital copy of DVD main title and rip DVD to MKV format.
Step 3: Click the 'Browse' button to choose the path where you want to save the output files in.
Convert Mac Video To Pc
Step 4: Hit 'RUN' button to start copying DVD to digital ISO image on your Mac computer.
Convert Video Format Mac
Notice: We only advocate converting DVDs for legal personal use, instead of illegal reproduction or distribution of copyrighted content. Please obey your local DVD copyright law before doing it. DO NOT do harm to others' lawful rights and interests.
