by Christine Smith • 2020-06-10 10:46:01 • Proven solutions
'How can I convert VHS to MP4? What is the best VHS to digital converter?'
Memories make you happy and always give you pleasure. Everyone wants to stick their precious glimpse in a moment. In this advance era, man is lucky to save their life in photos and videos. In the past, a VHS camera was used to store a video on a VHS tape. When digital media familiarize, CD, DVD and Blu-ray disc replaced VCR and VHS tapes. VHS tapes required a lot of space and care. So, the best solution is to convert VHS to MP4, DVD, CD, and other digital media formats.
Like everyone else, I'd like to convert them to digital to preserve the memories before the VHS tapes stop working. Here's what I want to do: Take the old VHS tapes and convert them into a digital files that I would leave on my computer, put them in iTunes and play them on AppleTV.
Do you want to convert your lovely VHS videos and movies to MP4 format? The solution is always available! You can convert VHS videos to MP4 format and edit them on a Mac or Windows computer, or even burn them into a DVD sometime later. Two parts are involved in this process: you can convert the VHS video to DVD and later convert the DVD format into the MP4 format. Maybe you have tried Handbreak or the Smart Format Factory, but the videos have not matched to your standards. To solve your problem, this article just recommends a great video converter that ensures the quality of your footage isn't lost as well as maintaining a much faster speed.
Part 1. Convert VHS Format into DVD Format on Mac and Windows
The simplest method to convert a VHS video to a DVD digital format is to use a VHS-to-DVD player that probably has the word 'combo' in the title. There are a variety of companies manufacturing these gadgets such as Philips, Toshiba, Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic among many more.
The best machine will transfer the VHS tape to a DVD, improving the mediocre image quality inherent with the VHS. The only drawback with these machines is that most of them record using the DivX or the MPEG-2 rather than the MP4.
To improve on this, you can use a PC to transcode them. The alternative, the simplest, is to plug the VHS player into a DVD recorder. Due to the fact, most modern machines are going all-digital, and you will require a one that accepts analog video input. These machines have got a SCART socket in which a 21-pin SCART cable is connected. SCART enables many videos that you can manage with the SCART conversion cable. Since the image quality is not an issue with the VHS tapes, parameters such as usability, price tag, quality, and reliability make the core factors to consider when selecting the software. In order to convert your VHS to DVD format, the following steps must be followed:
Steps on How to Convert VHS to DVD:
Step 1: Connect the VHS video player to a PC using the suitable cable or cables supplied with the software of your choice. You may need the special SCART cable that has red, white and yellow cords. Your player could come with these outputs as well. In case your player is regarded as the output device, you will not use the front-mounted white, red and yellow cables because these are always inputs, not outputs.
Step 2: Start your recording software on the PC, then play the VHS tape from where you want the recording to initialize. Digitalizing VHS tapes in this process is a straightforward technique.
Step 3: Stop your recording software at the termination of the video and then stop the video itself.
Step 4: If you are burning your video to a DVD, the recording software must enable an option for this. If not, you can use the Windows DVD maker for that matter. If the DVD Maker does not support your video file format, other converter utilities such as the Handbrake can be of very much importance.
Insert the blank DVD into the computer's DVD writer. There is little in burning your file to Blu-ray since the poor quality will make it as a waste of money. DVDs are much cheaper compared with VHS and ensure the quality of the video.
Part 2. How to Convert VHS DVD to MP4 on Windows/Mac
Wondershare UniConverter (originally Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate) is an all-in-one video converter which supports over 1000 video formats for easy conversion. You can add videos from DVD or other devices directly via a USB cable. It also supports video editing and compressing, so you can make any changes to your video easily. Free download and install Wondershare UniConverter on your PC/Mac and follow the simple steps below on VHS to MP4.
Wondershare UniConverter - DVD to MP4 Converter for Windows/Mac (Catalina Included)
- Directly convert DVD to MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV and 1000+ other formats.
- Convert DVD to MP4 in batch with 30X Faster speed compared with common converters.
- Burn MP4 to DVD to play with your DVD player with free DVD templates.
- Transfer DVD, MP4 videos to iPhone, iPad, and other devices directly.
- Download videos from YouTube and other 10,000+ video sharing sites.
- Edit videos with advanced video editing functions like trimming, cropping, adding watermark, subtitles, etc.
- All-in-one toolbox: Screen recorder, add metadata, DVD burner, image converter, GIF Maker, etc.
- Supported OS: Windows 10/8/72003/Vista/XP, Mac OS 10.15 (Catalina), 10.14, 10.13, 10.12, 10.11, 10.10, 10.9, 10.8, 10.7, 10.6.
The last process of converting VHS to MP4 involves converting the DVD format in Part 1 to MP4 format. Decades ago, having a massive collection of DVDs was a thing to be proud of. Owing to the Seinfeld collection, the Pulp Fiction, and the Star Wars saga made someone a celebrity among their friends. But nowadays, everyone wants movies or TV shows on their mobile devices. The following guide will show you how to convert DVD videos to the video files which can be watched on your devices.
There are several ways to convert DVDs to formats that are compatible with a wide range of devices. For such a purpose, an MP4 format is much preferred. With that in mind, there is a guide on how to convert DVD files to MP4 using either a Windows or a Mac OS X. It's important to understand that reproducing copyrighted materials is amerceable. Thus you must be mindful of whether the video you are ripping is protected. Here the guide goes:
Watch Video Tutorial on How to Convert DVD to MP4 on Windows, Similar on Mac
Steps to Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac/Windows:
Step 1 Launch Wondershare VHS to MP4 converter and add files.
Download and install the Wondershare UniConverter for Mac, launch it to enter the main interface. Then click the Load DVD button to import the files from your DVD or click the inverted triangle beside Load DVD and select one of the options in terms of your needs from the screenshot.
Step 2 Choose the target format as MP4 for DVD conversion.
Go to the format panel by clicking the inverted triangle beside Convert all tasks to:, select Video > MP4 and the related resolution. You're optional to customize the format with a special encoder, frame rate, bitrate, etc.
Note: You're optional to edit videos by clicking one of the editing icons under the video thumbnail, you can trim, crop, merge videos, add subtitles, etc. Learn more about how to edit DVD videos >.
Step 3 Convert DVD to MP4 Mac.
After all the settings have been finished, click the Convert All button to start the DVD to MP4 conversion. After a while, you can get the MP4 file soon. If you want to watch the video on your iPhone, Wondershare UniConverter can transfer video to your iPhone easily with just one click.
All steps above are based on Mac version, and Windows users can also follow similar steps to convert DVD to MP4 on Windows 10/8/7 easily and quickly.
Conclusion:
If you want to get the best video quality with fast conversion speed from a VHS format into MP4 format, the above-discussed process makes reliable video or movie conversion tools for you. Firstly, record VHS to DVD via a VCR/DVD combo player, and then convert DVD to MP4 easily with Wondershare UniConverter on your Windows/Mac. Free download it and follow the steps above to have a try.
'What is the best way to transfer my 8mm films to DVD/Blu-ray disc/Digital media?'
Many people are seeking for the solution of how to convert 8mm to DVD or transfer 16mm films to DVD. 8mm and 16mm tapes were the most popular ways for us to record our family happy time, however, they are degrading over time and your video memories are in danger, they started to have noticeable degradation after just 5 years, so transfer 8mm/16mm film to DVD or other digital files become more and more important. Unlike a 8mm/16mm tape, DVDs don't have to be rewound and you can easily watch your favorite family memories over and over. And DVDs take up less space than 8mm/16mm tapes so you have plenty of room for more family video memories. There's no wonder why many people would love to have a copy of their 8mm/16mm tapes on DVD for easily view back anytime. To convert 8mm camcorder tapes to DVD with zero quality loss or burn to a playable DVD, here we recommend the best 8mm/16mm to DVD burner to help you.
Part 1. 8mm vs 16mm Film
1. What is 8mm camcorder film?
8mm camcorders use a small video cassette with a longer playing time and slightly better sound than VHS. The 8mm video format refers informally to three related videocassette formats for the NTSC and PAL/SECAM television systems. These are the original Video8 (analog) format and its improved successor Hi8 (both analog and digital), as well as a more recent digital format known as Digital8. However, with the development of technology, most video formats now are digital and there are no more adapters anymore. So for people who have a lot of 8mm tapes in their home, converting 8mm films to DVD is very important.
2. What is 16mm camcorder film?
16mm refers to the width of the film your camcorders produced, the same as 8mm films. Not like 8mm films as one of the most popular format of Sony camcorders, 16mm was also the most common film format in the past years. Another camcorder film frame size is 35mm for professional fields, while 8mm and 16mm is usually for family and personal. As the develop of technology, 16mm film has many variant such as Digital 16mm, Super 16mm, Standard 16mm, and more.
The difference between 8mm and 16mm is that the 16mm can contain more details when your are shooting videos. Also, the 16mm is more expensive than 8mm film tapes. So, after 8mm camcorder tapes came into the market, more people choose 8mm as their daily video recorder. Nowadays, for those who love making old films, 16mm is also their best choice.
Part 2. How to Convert 8mm Tapes to DVD on Windows/Mac
Here is an easier and faster way to transfer 8mm/16mm to DVD on Windows directly. Wondershare DVD Creator is the most recommended software to burn your 8mm/16mm films to DVD by yourself with simple steps. With this software, you can add 8mm files from camcorder to DVD directly on Windows version. For Mac users, transfer 8mm/16mm films to your Mac first, then take similar steps to convert 8mm/16mm to DVD. It supports most popular video formats such as MP4/AVI/MOV/MKV/WMV and burn videos from mobile and camera devices directly. Before burning 8mm films to DVD, you can make customization on videos and create DVD menu to make your DVD more attractive.
Wondershare DVD Creator
- · Convert 8mm and 16mm videos to DVD/Blu-ray Disc/ISO file/DVD folder with customized features.
- · Transfer 8mm and 16mm films to Data Disc with no quality loss and super fast converting speed.
- · Burn 8mm/16mm films to DVD and playback on TV with NTSC/PAL standard.
- · Edit 8mm/16mm films before burning to DVD with features of cropping, trimming, adding watermarks, editing subtitle, etc.
- · Customize 8mm/16mm film to DVD menu with 100+ free menu templates and customization on music, background picture, text, chapters, and more.
- · Toolbox with additional functions of ISO to DVD, Data Disc, Photo Slideshow, Video Editor, One-click to burn DVD/Blu-ray Disc, etc.
- · Supported OS: macOS 10.14 (Mojave), 10.13 (High Sierra), 10.12, 10.11, 10.10, 10.9, 10.8, 10.7, 10.6, Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista.
Watch Video Tutorial to Learn How to Burn 8mm/16mm Films to DVD
Steps to convert 8mm camcorder videos to DVD on Windows (the same as 16mm):
Step 1 Install and Launch 8mm to DVD Burner
Download and install Wondershare 8mm DVD Burner on your PC/Mac first, then launch it and you can see the interface below, choose Create a DVD Video Disc option to start.
Step 2 Load 8mm Film to DVD
Connect your 8mm camcorder to your PC via a USB cable. Click the ' + ' icon on the interface to open the search window, and you can find your 8mm camcorder films in your computer disk. Choose videos to add or simply drag and drop 8 mm videos to the program.
You can also import 8mm files by clicking the File >> Add from phone... button on the left-top corner, then a Import from Device window will open and all your videos in the device will be displayed as thumbnail. Select files and click Add button to import.
Step 3 Edit 8mm Film Before Burning to Disc
All added films will be displayed as thumbnail on the left panel. You are allowed to edit your 8mm film with the built-in editing tools. Click the pencil-like icon on the thumbnail to open the Video Editor window, from where you can rotate, trim, crop videos and add effects or watermarks to the 8mm film. Hit the OK button to save your changes on videos.
Step 4 Customize 8mm to DVD Menu Templates
Click the Menu tab to choose a DVD menu template for your DVD. 100+ free menu template designs are provided on the right column. You can make further customization by hitting the icons upon the active window, where you can change background music or picture as you like, or add text and chapters on your 8mm DVD.
Step 5 Burn 8mm Videos to DVD
Move to the Preview tab to check all your creations. You are allowed to make changes if you're not satisfied with something. Then go to the Burn tab and choose Burn to disc option, selected Burning Settings such as Disc Label, Burner, TV Standard, and others, finally, click the Burn button to convert your 8mm films to DVD within a few minutes.
The left space of the disc is shown on the disc space bar at the bottom; You can select the size of burning DVD between 'DVD-R4.5G' and 'DVD-R9.0G'; The output quality is also up to your choice, you may select 'Fit to disc', 'Standard video quality' or 'High video quality'.
Part 3. How to Burn 8mm/16mm Film to Data Disc as Digital Backup
If you just want to copy your 8mm/16mm films to a DVD as a digital backup so that you can keep it more longer and convenient, burn a data disc with Wondershare DVD Creator is your best choice. It can help you to burn your 8mm/16mm files to DVD or Blu-ray disc with no quality loss and super fast burning speed. You can also add your 8mm/16mm films directly from a camcorder, and finish the burning process with simple steps. Then you can hold you 8mm/16mm film digital backup in DVDs without loss and damage.
Steps on how to transfer 8mm/16mm files to data disc as digital backup with Wondershare DVD Creator:
Step 1 Choose Burn Data Disc Option
Once you have download and install Wondershare DVD Creator to burn 8mm/16mm files to data disc, launch it and choose Data Disc option from the homepage.
Step 2 Add 8mm/16mm Files to Burn
Then you'll come to a new interface to import your 8mm/16mm files, like burning a video DVD with Wondershare DVD Creator, just click the ' + ' icon on the interface to open the search window and add your films. You can also drag and drop your files to the program directly.
Step 3 Burn 8mm/16mm Files to Data Disc
All added films will be displayed as thumbnails on the interface, You can add or delete your added files by clicking the icons on the left-top corner. Then give a disc label and choose your burner, click the Burn button to burn your 8mm/16mm films to data disc without any quality loss.
Your digital data disc will be burned at a super fast speed within a few minutes. Then you'll own a copy of your 8mm/16mm files and you can open it on your computer or other devices.
Part 4. How to Transfer 8mm/16mm Films to Computer
There are many ways to capture videos from 8mm/16mm camcorder tapes to computer, such as capture card or digital camcorder. The former requires extra hardware and a fast enough computer. But if you have a Digital8 camcorder or a digital camcorder with analog pass through or capture ability, you can use the camcorder to convert the analog signal on-the-fly which can be captured by a computer. Below are the general steps to convert analog signal to digital signal which could be captured with video capturing software either the one coming with your capture card, VirtualDub (Free) or your favorite software.
Step 1: Connect your 8mm/16mm tape source (camcorder or player), to your capture card on a computer or digital camcorder (already connected to the computer) using Firmware, USB cable, or S-video cable.
Step 2: Run the video capturing software on computer.
Step 3: Insert the 8mm/16mm tape into the 8mm/16mm tape camcorder or player, and find the spot in the tape where you want to begin the capturing process.
Step 4: Select either Options or Settings in the video-capturing software and make sure that the output format, which could also be labeled capture format, is MPEG-2 because it is best for burning to DVD.
Step 5: Select Capture on the video-capturing software and select Play on the 8mm tape camcorder or player. When it is finished, the footage from the 8mm tapes will be on the computer's hard drive.
Tips to capture 8mm/16mm tape video:
8mm Tape To Digital Converter
- Not all new digital camcorders necessary accept analog input (better to watch the lower-end models).
- Before capturing, fast-forward 8mm/16mm tape to the end of the tape and then rewind back to the beginning before playing. This will allow for smooth playback while capturing the video.
- If your source device has S-Video output, make sure you use that instead of composite (RCA) video output. S-Video delivers a better picture quality than composite video.
- Make sure you have enough space on your hard drive.
- Learn more about 8mm/16mm tape video capture.