COPY OLD VIDEO .com
FREE Tips on Converting Movies to Digital Formats
Copy Old Video
Do you have boxes of old video tapes that are deteriorating?
The shelf life of video tape is maybe 10 years.
After that, the picture and audio start to fade until there is nothing left.
Every time you copy video tape to another video tape you lose quality.
NOW is the time to copy old video to a digital format so it will last forever.
Once it is in a digital format, you can edit and copy it all you want without losing quality.
Don't let your memories fade away with old video.
COPY OLD VIDEO NOW!
We tell you how to do it for FREE here at CopyOldVideo.com
We have articles on:
Copying VHS and Beta to DVD
Copying Hi-8 to DVD
Copying Digital Video Movies to DVD
Copying Movie Film Reels to DVD
Copying Video Tape to Computer Hard Drive
On this page you will find:
Copying Video
Installing a DVD Recorder
Operating a DVD Recorder
Copying Video
If you are like a lot of people you have a closet full of old video tapes that are decaying. Video was a flawed format that fades with age. After a decade or so, the picture and sound recorded on a videotape starts to disappear. If you put an old videotape in a VCR you may find that parts or all of it is blank. It therefore makes sense to transfer your video to a more permanent digital format like DVD.
There are several ways to transfer video to a more permanent digital format. The easiest way is with a DVD burner or a DVD capture device. They are designed specifically for transferring video. You can also use your computer and a video editing program by converting your video to DV format. You could also pay someone to copy your video for you. There are many companies that specialize in video transfer.
If you leave your memories on videotape they will eventually fade then disappear. Videotapes were not designed to last forever and deteriorate even if they are carefully stored. If video is transferred to another video tape, it loses quality in the transfer. The new tape will also eventually deteriorate. If video is transferred to a digital format like DVD or a hard drive, it will not fade and can be copied indefinitely with no loss of quality.
Transferring video to a digital format can be cumbersome, time consuming and frustrating. Computers sometimes freeze or crash when crunching the massive data it takes to upload VHS tapes. This can cause many people to procrastinate or give up altogether. A little patience and tinkering can produce great rewards. Once you finish transferring your video to a digital format you can throw away those old video tapes.
The time it takes to transfer a videotape to a digital format depends on the method you use. If dubbing a videotape directly to a DVD burner, it can be done in real time. That means two hours of videotape will take two hours to copy. If you are downloading your video to a hard drive then burning it to a DVD later the process could take several hours for each hour of video.
The easiest way to transfer video to a digital format is with a DVD burner. Simply connect cables from the VCR output to the DVD recorder input. Play your video tapes and press record on the DVD recorder. You will get a DVD in real time. A video transfer device is similar but converts video tapes to MPEG2 files. Connect your analog VCR to the digital MPEG2 converter box. Press play and record. The device will burn you a DVD. You can also go through the editing program on your computer. Your program must convert your VHS tapes to DV format. This will encode it to an MPEG2 file. You can then burn a DVD on your computer. Consider reducing the resolution when converting VHS tapes to MPEG2 files. Many devices and software allow you to convert at half resolution. The quality is still pretty good and it will allow a lot more information to fit in a limited space on a DVD.
Installing a DVD Recorder
While installing a DVD recorder, it is important to pay attention to where all the cables are going. Specific outputs on one device must lead to specific inputs on another device for the DVD recorder to receive the proper signal. Installing a DVD recorder correctly the first time will prevent a lot of future frustration while attempting to make DVD copies.
Unplug all the devices that you are hooking up. This includes the DVD recorder, television, cable box, satellite box, VCR, DVD player, video camera or anything else you are attaching. This will prevent you from getting an errant shock of electricity.
Find the input jacks on the DVD recorder. Most DVD recorders have three input areas designated by the word "input" and a number. Usually two of these input groups are located on the back of the DVD recorder while one is located on the front. The two on the back are for devices that you leave attached for long periods of time. The input jacks on the front are for a video camera or device that you attach occasionally.
Plug cables into your chosen input jacks. There will be three color coded plugs. The one marked in yellow is for video while the red and white ones are for audio. Your cables should also be color coded. Attach the matching color cable to the appropriate input jack on the DVD recorder. It is important to get this right or the video and audio will not transfer.
Located the output jacks on the source device you wish to attach to the DVD recorder. This can be any device that plays something that you want recorded on DVD. Examples are video cameras, VCRs, DVD players, cable boxes and satellite boxes. Plug the other ends of the color coded cables into the output jacks on the source device. There may be cables already plugged into these jacks that are attached to the television. Unplug them before connecting the DVD recorder cables.
Take the cables that were connecting the source device to the television and plug them into the output jacks on the DVD recorder. The output jacks are located on the back of the DVD recorder. Leave the other ends of the cables attached to the television. The signal from the source device will now travel through the DVD recorder to the television even when you are not using the DVD recorder. If you did not have to remove cables from the source device outputs then you can skip this step.
Plug all the devices into electrical sockets. It is best to use a power strip with a surge protector. It offers more sockets for your devices and protects them from electrical surges.
Since most DVD recorders have three input groups, you can plug three different devices into it at the same time. Toggle between these devices by pressing the "input select" button on the DVD recorder remote control.
Operating a DVD Recorder
There are several things that you must be aware of before using a DVD recorder. There are multiple sources of input for the recording. Different DVD recorders use different kinds of discs. Recording can take place in real time or at high speed. The DVD must also be "finalized" before it can be viewed on another DVD player. Failure to consider any of these steps can prevent you from recording on a DVD.
Determine where the data for the DVD recording will come from. A video camera, VCR or DVD player can be connected directly to a DVD recorder with cables. Data can also come directly from a cable or satellite box. Be sure to plug both audio and video cables from the outputs of the source machine into the inputs of the DVD recorder. Many DVD recorders also have hard drives. This allows you to put a source DVD in the machine first, copy the data, then burn a new DVD in the same machine. You can also use data stored on the hard drive to copy to a DVD.
Select your input. Start by playing your source material. Look for a button marked "input select" on your DVD recorder or remote. Push it until you see your input playing. This lets you know that the data is coming into the DVD recorder. Stop your source machine and rewind it to the beginning if it is a recording. This step is not necessary if you are copying from a DVD recorder hard drive.
Select the proper type of recordable DVD. There are two types, DVD+ and DVD-. Both are widely used and they are not interchangeable. You must find out what type your DVD recorder uses and buy that kind. This is listed in the owner's manual. Rewritable DVDs also come as DVD+ and DVD-. These are exactly the same as regular DVDs except you can record over them multiple times.
Go to the DVD recorder home menu. Enter the "copy" menu. If the DVD recorder has a hard drive it will give you the option of recording from the HDD (hard disc drive) to a DVD, and the option to back-up a disc. If you select an HDD to DVD copy, you will be asked to choose the data from the hard drive to copy. This is handy since you can choose items from multiple recordings and can copy the DVD at high speed. If you select back-up disc, you must place the source disc in the tray first. Once the machine copies the data to its hard drive, it is ready to transfer it to a recordable DVD.
Place a recordable DVD in the DVD recorder tray. The machine will automatically scan the disc to determine whether it is acceptable. If it is not the proper format or is already full, the machine will tell you that it cannot proceed. If you don't get a warning then the disc is ready to record.
Press record. The data from the hard drive will transfer to the recordable DVD. If this is being done at high speed it will only take about 15 minutes for a 2 hour recording. If you are copying in real time from a video camera, VCR, DVD player, cable box or satellite box, you will need to play the source and press record at the same time. The recording will stop when you press the stop button on the DVD recorder or the 2 hour time limit on the recordable DVD is up.
Finish the DVD. In order for the DVD to be readable by another DVD player, it must be "finished." Return to the home menu and select "disc setup." From there select "finalize." It will give you options for setting up a menu. Tell the DVD recorder to finalize your DVD. This will take about one minute. Once it is finalized, the DVD is ready to go!
Rights protected DVDs and other material will not record in most commercial DVD players. A warning will appear on the TV screen informing you that you are breaking the law and not allowed to do it.
