- How can I convert VHS to DVD?
- Can you make a DVD of a VHS video movie I bought at a store? An X-rated movie?
- Is DVD better than VHS tape?
- Can recorded DVDs be played in my DVD player?
- What tape formats can you convert to DVD?
- I would like to have a DVD in PAL, but I have an NTSC tape. Can you convert it?
- I am worried about the quality of output movie. Does conversion from VHS to DVD degrade the quality?
- Why is there a limit of 2 hours per disc?
- Will my DVD be playable in other world region?
- Will my DVD be copy - protected?
- What difference between DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW?
- Do you view our home movies?
- Do you keep a any copy of our video?
- My question is not answered here. Where can I obtain more information?
Q: How can I convert VHS to DVD?
A: You can do it with video capture card on your computer. There are cheap and very expensive cards, depending on the use you're aiming at. What this card does is that you connect your VHS player on it via video and audio input jacks and it records in real time the video on your hard drive, in many formats (usually avi or mpeg). Mind you for better results you need to have a good processor, plenty of RAM and HDD space. Of course you need software too. You can choose Pinnacle Studio, VHS to DVD 3.0 or Ulead VideoStudio. More about video capture and video editing.
You can archive old home movies onto DVD without ever touching a PC. You can buy VCR and DVD recorder. All equipment could cost between $100 and $1000. More about it...
Of video transfer there are couple of steps:
- transfer or capture
- edit (if required)
- encoding
- authoring
- burning
We offer you our VHS video tapes to DVD service to do it easer.
Q: Can you make a DVD of a VHS video movie I bought at a store? An X-rated movie?
A: We cannot transfer (convert, copy, record) any copyrighted material including commercial movies, concerts, sport events, TV shows, etc. unless you procure us with a written permission from the copyright owner.
While it is true that according to "fair use" regulations you are entitled to make yourself a backup copy on another medium (DVD for example), we, as a third party charging money for our services, cannot legally do it for you. We can accept X-rated videos for the conversion.
Q: Is DVD better than VHS tape?
A: Yes. If you want to learn why, please take a look at our "Why DVD?" page.
Q: Can recorded DVDs be played in my DVD player?
A: Most DVD players can play recorded DVD. We estimate that about 95% of players available on the market are DVD-R compatible. Please check your player before placing an order.
We use the best discs available on the market. They are very reliable and playable in the widest range of DVD players. We no longer offer cheaper generic discs because they are unreliable.
Q: What video tapes formats can you convert to DVD?
A: We are able to transfer your movies from the following formats: VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Super8, Digital8, Hi-8, 16mm, MiniDV, MicroMV, Betamax/Super Beta, Betacam/Betacam SP, video tapes, both in PAL and in NTSC. S-VHS, and U-matic video tapes are currently accepted only in the NTSC. Additionally, we accept different video files (MPEG, QuickTime, AVI, Windows Media), DVDs of all types, audiocassettes, vinyl records and reels, as well as digital pictures.
Q: I would like to have a DVD in PAL, but I have an NTSC tape. Can you convert it?
A: With custom orders we can record DVDs in either NTSC or PAL standard regardless of input tape standard. Simple orders are restricted to region free NTSC DVDs.
Q: I am worried about the quality of output movie. Does conversion from VHS to DVD degrade the quality?
A: Just the opposite! The quality of output movie is usually slightly higher but you should not expect a dramatic improvement. We do not perform any additional movie cleaning but digital quantisation itself brings some noise filtering. Of course the higher original quality, the better final result. When the source movie is on a digital tape, there is no analog to digital conversion and the result is excellent.
Q: Why is there a limit of 2 hours per disc?
A: While it is possible to fit more than 2 hours of video on a DVD, we do not produce such discs because of quality degradation. In order to fit more data on a DVD-R more compression is required. MPEG2 compression used in DVDs is lossy: the more you compress the lower quality you get.
Q: Will my DVD be playable in other world region?
A: With simple orders we produce NTSC region-free DVDs (US, Canada, Japan). With custom orders we can produce discs in any region needed and they can be either NTSC or PAL.
Q: Will my DVD be copy - protected?
A: DVDs we record are not copy - protected.
Q: What difference between DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW?
A: In DVD-R and DVD+R can record data once, like CD-R. DVD-RW and DVD+RW can be rewritten hundreds of times, like CD-RW. DVD-R was first available in autumn 1997, DVD-RW came out in Japan in end of 1999, but wasn't available in the U.S.A until spring 2001. DVD+RW became available in autumn 2001. DVD+R was released in summer 2002.
DVD-R/RW was developed by Pioneer, based on CD-RW technology.
DVD+R/RW is supported by Dell, Sony, Yamaha, Philips, Ricoh, HP, and has recently been endorsed by Microsoft. DVD+R allows multiple layers for one disc where as DVD-R only allows one layer. Multi layer DVD+R can allow extra capacity per disc.
Q: Do you view your customers home movies?
A: Your videos are private and we don't view videos sent to us, but we'll spot check the final DVD for quality assurance purposes.
Q: Do you keep a any copy of your customers video?
A: After successfully transferring video data is erased and we don't keep any video copies of our customers. Only upon special request and for an additional charge will we keep a copy of your video, should you need future duplicates.
Q: My question is not answered here. Where can I obtain more information?
A: For general questions about DVD, try reading DVD FAQ. Questions about our service should be directed to: info@vhs-to-dvd.com. We will respond personally and promptly.
