VHS to DVD newbie questions

Colfax · Mar 17, 2007

I'm about to purchase my first Mac this week, either a MacBook or MacPro.

After I buy my first project will be to transfer a box of 2-hour VHS tapes to DVD. Not only am I Mac newbie I've never transferred VHS to DVD before, not on my PC either.

1) Is 120 GB of hard drive enough for transferring a 2 hour tape to DVD? I won't be using the Mac for ANYTHING else but tape transfer until the job is done. After I transfer these tapes, about 50 of them, I don't anticipate doing more video transfer in the future.

2) The VCR doesn't connect directly to a MacBook, correct? I have to get an "in between" machine to translate VHS analog to digital? Does Apple make such an "in between" machine? If not are there certain "translators" that are recommended to use with a Mac?

Thanks in advance.

p.s. the tapes are not copy protected and all legal to duplicate.

KoDorSean · Mar 17, 2007

I suggest you do a search on this forum and you will find some great info.

Dimitri · Mar 18, 2007

Colfax said:
I'm about to purchase my first Mac this week, either a MacBook or MacPro.

After I buy my first project will be to transfer a box of 2-hour VHS tapes to DVD. Not only am I Mac newbie I've never transferred VHS to DVD before, not on my PC either.

1) Is 120 GB of hard drive enough for transferring a 2 hour tape to DVD? I won't be using the Mac for ANYTHING else but tape transfer until the job is done. After I transfer these tapes, about 50 of them, I don't anticipate doing more video transfer in the future.

2) The VCR doesn't connect directly to a MacBook, correct? I have to get an "in between" machine to translate VHS analog to digital? Does Apple make such an "in between" machine? If not are there certain "translators" that are recommended to use with a Mac?

Thanks in advance.

p.s. the tapes are not copy protected and all legal to duplicate.

2) You'd need something that does analog to digital conversion. TV Tuner products like the kind Elgato or Miglia make have this capability. However, if you plan on editing this content, you'd do better with a dedicated converter box like Canopus makes, so you don't end up compressing to mpeg-2 twice, and losing considerable quality. The other option is if you have a DV camcorder that has analog inputs, this will also keep the quality high. If you don't have one, it'd probably be cheaper to get video converter as it seems manufacturers don't like to produce DV camcorders with analog inputs anymore except on higher-end models.

Good luck.

MartinS · Mar 18, 2007

I have a DVD/VHS recorder in the living room that'll record from tape to disc. You might get a cheap one on eBay that'd do the job more easily.

caribiner23 · Mar 18, 2007

Martin's hit it on the head.

I've converted over 30 VHS cassettes to DVD, and I just used my VCR connected to a $99 DVD recorder I bought from Wal-Mart. The transfers went just fine, and it required very little interaction from me.

Loading the movies into the Mac and reworking them into DVDs is a fun project, but it's extremely time-consuming.

chiffonhead · Jun 21, 2007

I have a question regarding this. I've been doing the same...copying various old VHS tapes to DVD and most are working fine, but several have that little tab on the left side broken off, I guess to protect from copying over stuff already on the tape. is that tab what actually makes the VHS protected and unable to copy to DVD? is there a way to "overwrite" that? I read somewhere that putting a piece of tape over that slot will make the reader think the tab is still there and actually copy to DVD, but I haven't found that to work. any tips or tricks?

btw, all the VHS tapes I'm trying to copy are not commercial tapes, but home movies and such.

bmcgonag · Jun 21, 2007

Make sure you put a fairly thick, tight, strong piece of tape. Usually works.

Brian

baggss · Jun 21, 2007

The tab being gone has nothing to do with not being able to copy from VHS to DVD. The tab will simply keep you from copying over the VHS Tape only. The tape over the tab trick is if you want to copy to the VHS tape again.

I also agree with copying from a VHS player to a DVD recorder. I got a combo VHS/DVD player/recorder and the thing has a built in mode for doing this. Put a blank DVD in and the VHS tape, tell it to copy and off it goes, you don't even have to watch it while it is being done.

sjtaylor84 · Jun 24, 2007

Yup I do exactly the same. Plugged my VCR into £50 DVD recorder then ripped the dvd onto my mac using Handbrake. Works great for me.

Simon

MacNewbie · Jul 5, 2007

caribiner23 said:
Martin's hit it on the head.

I've converted over 30 VHS cassettes to DVD, and I just used my VCR connected to a $99 DVD recorder I bought from Wal-Mart. The transfers went just fine, and it required very little interaction from me.

Loading the movies into the Mac and reworking them into DVDs is a fun project, but it's extremely time-consuming.

wouldnt there be

1.) considerable quality loss by recording from vhs to dvd recorder?

and 2.) i wouldnt be able to edit the footage into different chapters correcT?

baggss · Jul 5, 2007

MacNewbie said:
wouldnt there be

1.) considerable quality loss by recording from vhs to dvd recorder?

Yes, there always will be.

MacNewbie said:
and 2.) i wouldnt be able to edit the footage into different chapters correcT?

You can import the footage from the DVD to a workable format on the Mac and then burn it back once it's edited. If you do it right, there will be little to no quality loss.

MacNewbie · Jul 5, 2007

baggss said:
Yes, there always will be.

You can import the footage from the DVD to a workable format on the Mac and then burn it back once it's edited. If you do it right, there will be little to no quality loss.

thanks for the advice.

so what can i do to minimize quality loss? would using something like (www.elgato.com) maintain higher quality than using a dvd recorder?

i have NO idea whatsoever how to use this el gato thing i dont even know the diffference between ane elgato eyetv and the elgato hybrid stick.

baggss · Jul 5, 2007

My advice is still to get a DVD/VHS combo player and copy the tapes that way. Then you can use an App like Handbrake to record the DVD into high bit rate MP4, edit in Quicktime Pro, iMovie or iDVD, then rip the edited video back to DVD.

I've done this, just only using Quictime Pro to edit the video and then Toast to go back to DVD. As long as I use a really high quality in Handbrake, the video on the final DVD is as good as the original VHS tape, and sometimes seems better even.

MacNewbie · Aug 5, 2007

baggss said:
My advice is still to get a DVD/VHS combo player and copy the tapes that way. Then you can use an App like Handbrake to record the DVD into high bit rate MP4, edit in Quicktime Pro, iMovie or iDVD, then rip the edited video back to DVD.

I've done this, just only using Quictime Pro to edit the video and then Toast to go back to DVD. As long as I use a really high quality in Handbrake, the video on the final DVD is as good as the original VHS tape, and sometimes seems better even.

ok im a complete newbie so pls bear with me ...

1.)
when i purchase a dvd/vhs player how can i record from the vhs to the dvd?
do i just stick the vhs tape in there and a dvd and then....?

2.) does imovie allow for you to create a "menu" and scene selections?? because i need to break up the video by chapters..

3.) how do i rip/burn the video back onto dvd from my mac? do i need a special program?

and lastly 4.) how is doing this better than doing it the other route with the elgato and whatnot? do you maintain better quality this way??

Dixon Deeper · Aug 5, 2007

1.) You can purchase a combo VHS/DVD recorder. Most, if not all, will have a COPY button, that will begin playing the tape and burning the DVD, all in real time. This method requires little interaction from you. You hit 'Copy', walk away, and after your tape has played through and the DVD copy process has verified, you will have a DVD copy.

If you use two separate machines, you will need to connect the video and audio output of the VCR into the DVD burner. An S-Video connection will yield slightly better quality picture, but purchasing an S-Video cable is not worth it if your VHS tape is of poor quality to begin with.

2.) iMovie will let you create chapter breaks, edit/trim unwanted footage, add scene transitions, add photos, music, or text to your video.

iDVD allows you to actually 'build' the DVD. You can pick how the menu looks, add pictures to the main menu screen, add text to the menu, add menu music, etc. You export your finished movie from iMovie into iDVD. iMovie lets you mess with the actual footage you want on the DVD. iDVD gives you control over menu things that you see when you first pop in a store bought DVD - ie, the menu picture, the little chapter/scene windows, what you want the chapters to say, how you want everything in the menu positioned, pictures, music, etc. iDVD gives you several templates to use to customize how your DVD menu looks. If you are making a DVD to document travel, there are templates with travel themes...globes, passports, etc. They have 'drop zones', where you drag and drop photos of your own, and these will scroll with the DVD menu animation. You can also pick a song you like to play in the background. The DVD menu will loop over and over again until you scroll and pick a chapter or movie with your DVD remote control.

3.) If you use a DVD recorder to go directly from your VHS tapes to DVD, yes, you will need a special program. These programs are free. Handbrake or Mac the Ripper will do the job. The files on DVD's are .vob files. iMovie cannot work with them. Handbrake or Mac the Ripper will pull the .vob files off the DVD and convert them to mp4 files that iMovie can work with.

4.) It's not necessarily a 'better' way of doing things, but it involves less interaction on your part than using a video capture device plugged in to your Mac. I can't see quality being better than one or the other, really. Both are doing the same thing, and the default setting for either a DVD recorder or Daystar or Elgato or whatever is likely better quality anyway than the original VHS tape. However, you will have more control over things with the Daystar Xtraview vs. a DVD recorder. With a DVD recorder, it just copies the tape...that's it. Daystar Xtraview software gives you control over many of the parameters involved with the conversion.

Fact is, you are going to have to jump thru some hoops and invest a considerable amount of time to convert your analog VHS tapes to digital files no matter what you do - unless you pay someone to do it for you, and then it will be quite expensive if you have a lot of footage to convert. Most places charge, at minimum, 20 dollars per 50 feet of tape - and this is conversion to DVD only - no editing whatsoever. Editing is entirely up to you.

I decided to convert with the Daystar Xtraview, as I noted in your other thread. I've used iMovie and iDVD to put everything together into a package, and I've had fantastic results. Like I said... It's time consuming and you will have to jump thru a few hoops unless you pay to have it all done for you. My respect for what Apple software and Macs can do has only shot thru the roof. I tried doing all of this originally on my Windows machine, and it let me down time and time again when it came to editing movies and burning DVD's. Now with a Mac, I actually get results and an excellent finished product that I'm proud to hand out to family and friends.

Oh, and yes... 120gb's of storage is plenty for conversion. I have no idea how many tapes you have to convert though. This all hinges on if you want to keep the footage you convert, or if you plan on trashing it after you have made DVD's. I keep all of my important footage, but I had more than 800gb's of storage to begin with.

MacNewbie · Aug 17, 2007

Dixon Deeper said:
1.) You can purchase a combo VHS/DVD recorder. Most, if not all, will have a COPY button, that will begin playing the tape and burning the DVD, all in real time. This method requires little interaction from you. You hit 'Copy', walk away, and after your tape has played through and the DVD copy process has verified, you will have a DVD copy.

If you use two separate machines, you will need to connect the video and audio output of the VCR into the DVD burner. An S-Video connection will yield slightly better quality picture, but purchasing an S-Video cable is not worth it if your VHS tape is of poor quality to begin with.

2.) iMovie will let you create chapter breaks, edit/trim unwanted footage, add scene transitions, add photos, music, or text to your video.

iDVD allows you to actually 'build' the DVD. You can pick how the menu looks, add pictures to the main menu screen, add text to the menu, add menu music, etc. You export your finished movie from iMovie into iDVD. iMovie lets you mess with the actual footage you want on the DVD. iDVD gives you control over menu things that you see when you first pop in a store bought DVD - ie, the menu picture, the little chapter/scene windows, what you want the chapters to say, how you want everything in the menu positioned, pictures, music, etc. iDVD gives you several templates to use to customize how your DVD menu looks. If you are making a DVD to document travel, there are templates with travel themes...globes, passports, etc. They have 'drop zones', where you drag and drop photos of your own, and these will scroll with the DVD menu animation. You can also pick a song you like to play in the background. The DVD menu will loop over and over again until you scroll and pick a chapter or movie with your DVD remote control.

3.) If you use a DVD recorder to go directly from your VHS tapes to DVD, yes, you will need a special program. These programs are free. Handbrake or Mac the Ripper will do the job. The files on DVD's are .vob files. iMovie cannot work with them. Handbrake or Mac the Ripper will pull the .vob files off the DVD and convert them to mp4 files that iMovie can work with.

4.) It's not necessarily a 'better' way of doing things, but it involves less interaction on your part than using a video capture device plugged in to your Mac. I can't see quality being better than one or the other, really. Both are doing the same thing, and the default setting for either a DVD recorder or Daystar or Elgato or whatever is likely better quality anyway than the original VHS tape. However, you will have more control over things with the Daystar Xtraview vs. a DVD recorder. With a DVD recorder, it just copies the tape...that's it. Daystar Xtraview software gives you control over many of the parameters involved with the conversion.

Fact is, you are going to have to jump thru some hoops and invest a considerable amount of time to convert your analog VHS tapes to digital files no matter what you do - unless you pay someone to do it for you, and then it will be quite expensive if you have a lot of footage to convert. Most places charge, at minimum, 20 dollars per 50 feet of tape - and this is conversion to DVD only - no editing whatsoever. Editing is entirely up to you.

I decided to convert with the Daystar Xtraview, as I noted in your other thread. I've used iMovie and iDVD to put everything together into a package, and I've had fantastic results. Like I said... It's time consuming and you will have to jump thru a few hoops unless you pay to have it all done for you. My respect for what Apple software and Macs can do has only shot thru the roof. I tried doing all of this originally on my Windows machine, and it let me down time and time again when it came to editing movies and burning DVD's. Now with a Mac, I actually get results and an excellent finished product that I'm proud to hand out to family and friends.

Oh, and yes... 120gb's of storage is plenty for conversion. I have no idea how many tapes you have to convert though. This all hinges on if you want to keep the footage you convert, or if you plan on trashing it after you have made DVD's. I keep all of my important footage, but I had more than 800gb's of storage to begin with.

thank you SO Much for this lengthy reply......
where exactly ru located?

1.)
and daystar extraview is basically like elgato right? whats the difference?

2.) wow how did u get 800gbs of storage? im probably going to have to end up buying extra storage because i only have 20 gb left.

right now my biggest concern is just quality loss. i want to hav the highest quality possible in regards to video footage.

thanks again for ur reply its helped alot.

Dixon Deeper · Aug 18, 2007

MacNewbie said:
thank you SO Much for this lengthy reply......
where exactly ru located?

1.)
and daystar extraview is basically like elgato right? whats the difference?

2.) wow how did u get 800gbs of storage? im probably going to have to end up buying extra storage because i only have 20 gb left.

right now my biggest concern is just quality loss. i want to hav the highest quality possible in regards to video footage.

thanks again for ur reply its helped alot.

1) Yeah, the Daystar and Elgato technically do the exact same thing, it's just that the software packaged with the Daystar gives you more options as to what your source video will convert to. The Elgato EyeTV converts to formats that must be converted again by another program before you can work with the files on the Mac. The Daystar can render the video directly into a format that is Mac friendly. The other thing I prefer about the Daystar is that the actual unit is just better constructed. The EyeTV has a coaxial jack that you plug your cable in to, and there is a separate cable with a tiny connector that plugs into the EyeTV plastic housing - and this cable is what you plug your video/audio in from your VCR. The connector just feels flimsy, and it's so tiny... I actually accidentally pulled this tiny cable out of the EyeTV once or twice while trying to convert video. The Daystar doesn't have the same flimsy connector. It's all one piece. No little cable to connect or pull out on accident.

2) I have 80gb internal to my Mac, and I have two Lacie Porsche external hard drives. One is 250gb, another is 500gb. You can purchase the same 500gb one I have at macmall.com for $117, if I remember correctly. Large hard drives are really quite reasonably priced now.

Quality loss isn't a huge issue. Yes, you can lose quality depending on the settings you use, and you might want to experiment to find that line between excessive file sizes and loss of video quality. Keep in mind that in general, the default quality settings for the converter are likely going to exceed the quality of the source tape you are converting. A mistake would be to use a very high quality setting for the converter, which will yield very large file sizes. A very high quality setting will give you unnecessarily large file sizes because your raw digital file can't improve on the analog video that it is being fed. Your digital files will only ever be of equal or lesser quality than the condition of the video on your VHS tape. The trick is finding a happy medium in file size vs. quality. Video quality may be exactly the same on a 'medium' quality conversion setting vs. a 'high' or 'very high' quality setting - does that make sense? 'Very high' quality settings on the converter cannot make the source VHS video any 'better' - a 'medium' quality conversion setting will likely already exceed the quality of any VHS source video you can input. This knowledge could be the difference between you having a 10gb file vs. a 750mb file with absolutely no difference in video quality.