Introduction · Importing VHS · Encoding Settings · Burning onto DVD
Please note that it is not always within the boundaries of legality to back up VHS video tapes to DVD. If you are not certain, do not break copyright law assuming ignorance as a suitable defense. Ask someone who knows for help! As a rule of thumb, if the DVDs will only be used in academic settings and the VHS originals are rendered inoperable after the back up, the data move ought not be a problem.
That said, in order to convert a VHS tape onto a DVD the following are required:
- VCR (or other VHS playback device)
- VHS analog to digital converter box
- Appropriate cabling from the VCR to the converter box to the Mac
- iMovie (or other DV capture software)
- Toast Titanium
- Blank DVD
Connect your VCR to your analog/digital converter box (use S-video cables if supported- less hassle and slightly higher quality data transfer) and connect your converter box to your Mac (firewire preferred, as it runs faster than USB). Insert the VHS tape into the VCR and make certain that the converter box is powered.
- Open iMovie
- Click on Import
- Press play on the VCR and find the proper start of the recording
- Press pause on the VCR
- Click the record button
- Give the recording a name, and click Record
- Press play on the VCR
- When the recording has concluded, press Done
- Open Toast Titanium
- Click DVD-Video under the Video tab
- Locate the imported movie (it will be a .dv extension)
- Drag the movie file into the main window
- Click the custom button next to encoding
- Click More
- Click the Encoding tab
- Move the Average Bit Rate slider to an appropriate level (if it is too high, the movie will not fit onto the DVD- check this by looking at the memory readout on the bottom of the Toast window)
- If desired, a menu can be applied from the Menu tab
- Ensure all of the encoding settings are correct
- Click the large red burn button
- Make sure a DVD is in the drive, and click Record