DVD recorders cost between $100-$200 at major electronic stores or online. You can also usually find one between $50-$75 in good condition on Ebay. With a DVD recorder, you don’t have a lot of flexibility as far as menus, buttons and chapter settings, but it’s the fastest and easiest way to convert VHS to DVD. If you have a VCR or camcorder with Firewire connections, you can get a DVD Recorder with Firewire connections and transfer tapes at a higher quality. Firewire ports look similar to USB ports, except they are flatter and tapered at the end.

Both your DVD Recorder and your VCR should be able to connect to an RCA or S-Video cable. RCA cables are red, white and yellow and connect to their corresponding colored ports on both the DVD Recorder and VCR. S-Video cables have four small, round pin connectors. Check the back of both your devices to see what kind of cable you need. If you don’t have the correct cable, you can find it at an electronic store or online for $5-$10. If you’re using a camcorder, the cable that came with it should connect to your DVD Recorder. If you no longer have it, you can find the right cable at an electronic store or online for $5-$10. If your DVD Recorder and VCR/camcorder have Firewire ports, make sure your Firewire cable matches them exactly. The number of pins and the shape of a Firewire cable can vary slightly—they aren’t all the same. If you don’t have the correct cable, you can find it at an electronic store or online for $5-$10.

If you reach the end of your tape and your video stops automatically, your DVD recorder will stop recording automatically.

This method will take several hours of work for one hour of video—but you likely have most of the equipment already, besides the converter. This method also gives you the flexibility to edit the video as much as you want, adding transitions, special effects, music, etc. Analog-to-digital video converters cost anywhere from $15 to $75 and can be found at electronic stores or online. The more expensive converters come bundled with advanced editing software.

On a Mac, this is iMovie. On a PC, the is Movie Maker. Movie Maker comes standard in Windows Vista, XP, and 7. Windows 8 and 10 users can download it. [2] X Research source

In iMovie, select File > New Movie and select a theme. Then select the “import video” button at the top (this looks like a downward pointing arrow). Follow the prompts to import your video. In Movie Maker, select File > Import from Digital Video Camera, and follow the prompts to import your video.

On a Mac, select File > Share > File and save your movie file. You’ll need to download and install burn software if you don’t already have it, such as Burn for OS X. [3] X Research source . Use this application to export your movie to DVD. On a PC, you can do this in Movie Maker. Click the menu icon in the top left corner, select Save Movie > Burn DVD. Follow the prompts to burn your DVD.

On a Mac, you can do this under System Preferences > Energy Saver. On “Turn Display Off” move the setting to “Never” and select “Prevent Computer from Sleeping Automatically”. Make sure to restore these settings back to the default after you’re finished—your computer does need sleep! On a PC, go to Start > Control Panel > System and Security > Power Options > Select a power plan > Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings > Advanced settings. Change both “Sleep after” and “Hibernate after” to “Never”. Make sure and restore these settings to the default after you’re finished!