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I need help converting my old video cassette tapes to digital

Ephraim Becker

Ephraim Becker

Well-Known Member
V.I.P Member
I'm trying to convert vhs-c and 8mm video tapes from when I was a baby and a child to digital. What I need to convert my vhs-c tapes to digital is to get a vcr player. Luckiy, my grandparents are letting me keep their old unused vcr player home. Then i'm going to need to get a vhs-c to vhs adaptor from here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LB0QIY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and then i'm going to need to buy a vcr to digital converter here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1-p...08583612.html?spm=2114.search0104.8.22.oGHfcb. The problem is that my grandparents unused vcr player that they're letting me keep only has the left audio channel. The vcr to digital adapters that are being sold have the left and right channel. Is there any way that I can convert my vhs-c tapes to digital with stereo sound using something like a y shaped rca adapter?
 
Ephraim Becker said:
The problem is that my grandparents unused vcr player that they're letting me keep only has the left audio channel. The vcr to digital adapters that are being sold have the left and right channel. Is there any way that I can convert my vhs-c tapes to digital with stereo sound using something like a y shaped rca adapter?
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Most importantly is whether or not your original VHS-C tapes were recorded in monaural or stereo format. If the former, then using an "RCA y-adapter" should work just fine in transferring mono sound to a digital source.
However if the original signal was in stereo, you'd only be transferring a single audio channel. Which if the case, would likely well....suck in transferring it to a digital source.

The other consideration you must make is the inherent limitation of transferring a 360 to 480p source (VHS-C) to digital, even if played on a format like DVD that allows for a certain degree of upconversion say to 720p. It will still likely look well.....awful. Though I suppose if your sentimental about the original source material maybe that won't matter.

I've done it before, having transferred a VHS source on my Sony VHS recorder using a video-s connection to my Sony DVD recorder which then technically upconverts the source. It was something I couldn't find on DVD, so this was the best I could do. It still sucks though.

That all said, I agree with Sportster. Let the pros do it, given they are more likely to have much better equipment to optimally transfer one old format to a more current media format.
 
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Unless it's old Wedding footage or similar, forget it, old VHS tapes bought from shops are protected by Macros so you won't be able to legally copy them.
 
Rich Allen said:
Unless it's old Wedding footage or similar, forget it, old VHS tapes bought from shops are protected by Macros so you won't be able to legally copy them.
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No Macrovision copyguards would be involved or be encoded on a personal video in VHS-C as opposed to VHS prerecorded movies. Of course for the technically savvy, there are ways around Macrovision on prerecorded DVDs.

However it still won't effectively clean up a VHS source compared to High Definition sources and players.
 
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If you're looking to have your videos professionally done. I might be of some help. I used to be a broadcast engineer for a small tv station and I still have some of the old equipment from that time. The only thing I don't have is a VHS-C adapter. other then that. I got everything else.
 
I don't want the pros to do it for me. I want to do it myself because I want to have full control over it. So the only way I'll be able to convert my vhs-c tapes to digital in stereo audio is to get a vcr player with 2 audio jacks?
 
Ephraim Becker said:
I don't want the pros to do it for me. I want to do it myself because I want to have full control over it. So the only way I'll be able to convert my vhs-c tapes to digital in stereo audio is to get a vcr player with 2 audio jacks?
Click to expand...

It's not the only way in the most literal sense.

However it's the only way you'll get proper sound if the original source was two-channel audio to begin with. Or was the unit those tapes were originally recorded in monaural sound only ?

And ideally if the video output has an "s-video" connector, use it for better resolution than a mere RCA video jack. Assuming of course the input video has a proper s-video input as well.
 
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