Transferring VHS to DVD-R

I've got several bookcases full of VHS tapes, and I can put the equivalent on two shelves of a bookcase, in those cases where you have plastic sleeves and can put 4 CDs to a sleeve.

So that's what I've been doing. While I hate seeing the trusty VHS go south - or west, whatever - the space savings is important in my new house!

If you have VHS that you've taped off the TV and want to put them on DVD-R, here's how to do it.

If I may talk about a different kind of technology today...I'm having a lot of fun converting my VHS tapes to DVD-r. And its easier than I thought it would be.

I'd originally thought that I'd need a special machine to make the conversion, but not so. All you need is a VHS player - the one you've got now, if you've got one, is fine, and a DVD player that also records. Those are pretty inexpensive, you should be able to get one considerably less than a hundred dollars.

These days, the backs of these machines are color coded, so you know exactly where to plug in the coaxial cable and the other cables, the names of which I admit escape me, but have red, orange and yellow connectors.

You set the machines up so that the VHS machine plays into the DVD-r, which shows on your TV screen. You then just hit record as you normally would. Of course the tape records to the DVD-r in real time, not in super speed.

Easy.

I'll edit this entry tomorrow to attach photos (I'm typing this at night and my camera flash isn't working, and the light's too dim.)

For now, here's what you need to know.

Coaxial cable
Connect this from Antenna-IN of the VCR to Antenna-In of the DVD-R

Connect the cable with white, orange and yellow connects to the VCR-OUT of your VHS machine, to the DVD- Video IN of your DVDR

Connect another cable with these same collor connects, from the DVD-R OUT to the Video IN of your TV.

And there you go.

Of course when I say I'm having fun... I've got about 300 tapes, most of which I haven't watched since the day I taped them off the TV. Right now I'm going through about 50 Perry Mason tapes starring Raymond Burr. Fun and nostalgic to watch!