The simplest way to handle a video compact disc (VCD) to digital versatile disc (DVD) conversion is through the use of one or more computer software programs. Depending on what you are willing to pay for these programs and how experienced you are with using computers, you may need up to three separate programs or a single more powerful program that can handle the entire process for you. To convert from VCD to DVD, you will need to rip the video and audio from a VCD, convert it to the proper format for burning onto a DVD, and then burn the information to a DVD. This means you will also likely need a DVD burner to convert VCD to DVD.
A VCD is a compact disc (CD) very much like an audio CD that allows for video as well as audio storage on the disc. These are both similar to a DVD, however, a DVD can hold a great deal more information, and therefore store video and audio of much higher quality. The video object (VOB) files used on a DVD also allow for other layers of information, such as menus and similar features to be included in the final product on a DVD.
To convert from VCD to DVD, you will first need to get the audio and video information off of the VCD. For this you will simply need a DVD or CD drive connected to a computer — either external or internal will work fine. You will need to rip the data off of the VCD, using some type of software program. A single program may be able to complete all three of these steps, or three different programs could be used instead.
You will then need to convert the information ripped from the VCD into a file format that can be burned to a DVD. This is not especially complicated and numerous computer programs can be found to help with this process. Since a DVD can hold much more information than a VCD, you will likely not need to compress the data when converting from VCD to DVD. Depending on the program you use, you may also be able to add menus, break the video into chapters, and incorporate similar features into the final DVD.
Finally, you will need to burn the converted data to a DVD. This will require that you have a DVD burner connected to the computer you are using, which can be the same drive used to rip information from the VCD. You can also use professional video services and pay someone else to convert data from a VCD to DVD, though this will likely be more expensive than doing it yourself. With a little practice and experimentation, however, you may find you enjoy performing your own VCD to DVD conversions.