VHS to laptop

jeff_chandler

Hi all. 
I have a lot of old VHS video cassettes of family film and want some of them transferring to digital. I do have a VCR but it needs connecting to my Samsung series 7 TV. Is there anything on the market which allows these cassettes to be viewed on a smart TV and to convert them. Really I'd like to connect the video to my laptop where I can try to copy the contents to a DVD external drive. 
I recently bought a TV combo to view the contents of the tapes, disposing of the ones of no use. 
Thanks in advance
Jeff

Vitor

How to watch VHS on Smart TV — MoneySavingExpert Forum

- Really I'd like to connect the video to my laptop where I can try to copy the contents to a DVD external drive - 

IMHO it'll be far, far easier and with better results to mark the tapes with content you want to retain and get a bureau service to transfer to DVD

jeff_chandler

Thank you for the reply. I'm part way through the tapes, I've found nine with film of family so far with a lot more to get through. I think it might cost me a fortune to get those cassette contents to either DVD of a pen drive. 
Thanks 
Jeff

gm0

there are several homebrew methods - one example

Quite a few miniDV video cameras e.g. Panasonic (obsolete form with smart phones filling most needs - so available cheap on ebay) some of these can be rigged to take a SCART output feed from a VHS deck as a video input to the recorder.  A more modern one would be SD card.  And older one mini DV tapes.  Connectivity varies a lot.

The video cam can make VHS RGB signal and audio pair - into a digital video.  
 Play on the VHS. Record (ext) on the Video cam.  

You will need to make up some adapters and leads as front room VCRs are generally SCART. And hand helds video cameras have a variety of "tiny" connector choices.  The iffy part with ebay will be getting an example with most of the original cabling.

The special codec video file can be played on the video camera and digital output "piped" to a PC that has an input for it.  That bit could be firewire or usb.  Once there.  The video camera codec (which was very common for home video once - can be trivially converted to MPEG4 (or format of choice from there) with free tools. 

I tried it with some old VHS we had.  And it worked. But definitely reminded me how few lines old VHS really had.  The end result was OK rather than splendid.  

It was enjoyable back in the day.  And playing VHS on CRT televisions was better matched and more forgiving, on smaller screens as well. So really not worth it for format shifting pre-recorded media other than unobtanium editions or movie cuts never released on anything since.  

For family memories it's different of course.  Format shifting to something before tapes decay and playback devices become too obsolete makes sense.

Good luck

jeff_chandler

Than

k you for the reply. 
I've watched a few of the videos through the Combi I bought and the picture quality is pretty decent. 
Before the smart TV's I had both the Video and DVD recorder (Sony HXD870) all linked together. I'm sure I could copy tapes to the DVD recorder as there are a few clips on the hard drive. Maybe if i found out what leads i need I might be able to link them up to this TV combo providing it has a SCART port. 

Jeff. 

chrisw

jeff_chandler said:

Thank you for the reply. I'm part way through the tapes, I've found nine with film of family so far with a lot more to get through. I think it might cost me a fortune to get those cassette contents to either DVD of a pen drive. 
Thanks 
Jeff

The trouble is, they have to be transferred in real time which can become rather tedious. Our local computer shop charges £7 per tape to transfer to USB stick. So it really depends on how valuable your time is.

Spelunthus

I've done this for VHS and DV tapes. You need special adapter, cables etc.   They will be very cheap on eBay. You may need a firewire interface on the PC, not cheap or easy. You need the skill to wire it up properly. Then you need the TIME it will take to complete the job.  Honestly, if I had to do it again I would find a local conversion service and give them the job.