Expert: Alessandro Machi - 8/10/2007

Question
can't seem to find a suitable category so figured i'd give you a shot.  i would like to convert a vhs tape to a format i can burn to dvd (e.g., avi), but can't find a simple solution for it.  i found an article describing the use of virtualdub and avisynth, but it's incredibly complicated.  ideas?

Answer
Hi Steve. This is a speciality of mine.  I can archive from any analog video format at a surprisingly high quality. The vhs transfer work I do would usually be of a high enough quality that it can be used by a television show for broadcast purposes.

For your purposes you can either use a video duplication facility such as Film and Video Transfers of Northridge, California, or you can do it yourself.  

You can buy a standalone dvd recorder such as the ones made by pioneer, or you can purchase the two in one combination units that are both a vhs player and a dvd recorder, such as those made by JVC and others. Sometimes these two in one units automatically lay chapter skips whenever there is a break up of video signal (meaning nothing was recorded on the tape for a short while), this can be a bad thing if the dvd records continues to record after the videotape has finished playing.

The ideal way to do a vhs to dvd transfer is to use a higher end vhs playback unit that has time base correction built in.  The Time Base Corrector or T.B.C., stabilizes the vhs image so that it can be encoded onto a digital format.  Plus, you can then use the tracking knob to adjust the tracking for optimal position.

You should still keep your vhs originals even after making your DVD copies as DVD's that you burn yourself may not last as long as you may think. DVD's are highly compressed so they are not the ideal editing format to store your cherished family archives on. What DVD's are is a terrific way to view video footage that already exists on videotape. This allows one to preserve the tape by not running it as often and buys time until a true archival format is invented, at which point one would transfer from the original vhs tape again.

Ultimately, a video duplication facility that has years of experience and the proper equipment to match that experience should usually produce a solid product for you if you choose to go that route.

If you decide to use a duplication house, always give them one test vhs and see how well they do with it before giving them more tapes. Hopefully you can find a facility close enough to you so that you can drive there as this will reduce the chance of an error happening via shipping.  If you do ship your videos, don't send them all in box, always put your address information on each and every video (on the face label part), and use a shipping service that offers a reliable tracking number service.  Be sure to use the proper labeling and apply it properly or that can interfere with the playback of the videotape.

Keep in mind I haven't even addressed the issue of audio quality. Knowing how to extract the right audio from the VHS original requires being able to monitor both the Hi-Fi tracks and the linear mono track or stereo linear tracks to determine which one you want to transfer onto the new archival format, and without an audio mixer between the two units you are using you will have very little control over the audio levels that will be recorded onto the dvd.