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How do I Choose the Best Service to Convert VHS to DVD?

Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen

Video home system (VHS) was once one of the most popular formats for home movies, and many personal media libraries still contain these analog tapes. Since VHS has been largely replaced by digital video disc (DVD), you may be interested in migrating your collection to the newer format. To help defeat this technological divide, there are a number of different service providers that can convert VHS to DVD for you. Local providers may offer a sense of security when dealing with your invaluable home movies, while online conversion businesses sometimes offer unique tools to improve the experience. Choosing the best service to convert VHS to DVD will typically involve examining aspects such as convenience, time, and presentation.

Businesses that convert VHS to DVD may be locally based or offer their services through the Internet. When choosing the best service, your first step may be to determine which of these routes to take. Locally, you may find both small businesses and big box stores that offer similar conversion services. This can create a convenience factor and you may not have to travel far to drop off your tapes and pick up your discs. Local operations also have the benefit of potentially saving you time, since you will not need to wait for shipping transit.

VHS tapes were once the most popular medium for recording movies and TV shows.
VHS tapes were once the most popular medium for recording movies and TV shows.

Conversion operations that have an online presence can also offer a convenience factor, in that you may simply mail your tapes and do not need to travel anywhere. Certain services not only convert VHS to DVD, but also allow you to to edit the files online. Both local and Internet conversion services will typically offer some type of editing, including the addition of menus and background music, but online editing can allow you to tweak everything to fit your tastes. This type of service may also allow you to share your videos electronically, either through your own hosting or web space provided by the conversion business.

VHS to DVD conversions make it possible to watch old home movies using a standard DVD player.
VHS to DVD conversions make it possible to watch old home movies using a standard DVD player.

If time is a important factor, then a local operation may be your best choice to convert VHS to DVD. Shipping times to remote locations may not be that lengthy, but it is sometimes possible to drop a tape off locally and receive same day service. If cost is a bigger concern, then you may want to consider both types of conversion service. Since there can be a large amount of competition in the business of converting old media to DVDs, you may often be able to find discounts or specials.

Discussion Comments

parkthekarma

No matter who you use, I highly recommend anyone with VHS home movies get this done. The tapes definitely degrade over time, and having them digitized and put on disc makes them way more portable and durable.

I had boxes of tapes from when my girls were little, and if I hadn't had them put on DVD they would have eventually been unwatchable. I'm sure the rest of the family would breathe a sigh of relief they didn't have to sit through my infamous Thanksgiving dinner video fests, but I don't care. I love those movies.

Even though the service really wasn't that expensive, I still consider it one of the best purchases I have ever made.

MaPa

@horsebite - I have found that what you save in shipping with a local company you often pay back in terms of a higher price. Still though, I like to use local companies when I can, since I feel they have better customer service a lot of the time and you can establish a relationship with them.

Anyway, it's pretty common and easy to be able to transfer VHS to DVD these days, so I would think you could find several people pretty close to home unless you live in a really rural area.

horsebite

Personally, I would either use a local guy or a big, well known online company with a good reputation. It stands to reason you only have one copy of a lot of these tapes, and if they get lost or misplaced they are a lot easier to find if they are right in your own hometown rather than in some huge warehouse in another state or country. Saves money on shipping, too.

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    • VHS tapes were once the most popular medium for recording movies and TV shows.
      By: windu
      VHS tapes were once the most popular medium for recording movies and TV shows.
    • VHS to DVD conversions make it possible to watch old home movies using a standard DVD player.
      By: toocan
      VHS to DVD conversions make it possible to watch old home movies using a standard DVD player.