Digital to VHS: How Can I Do It?

[privatetl516]

I would like to take a previous VHSrip encode and put it back on VHS, what would the process be like for this?

What kind of hardware/software would I need?

For capturing I use virtualdub.

[Skiller]

The easiest is make a DVD, play it in any DVD-player connected to any VCR, hit record on the VCR.

To make the DVD, for beginners, AVStoDVD is recommended.

[privatetl516]

The easiest is make a DVD, play it in any DVD-player connected to any VCR, hit record on the VCR.

To make the DVD, for beginners, AVStoDVD is recommended.

Is it really that simple? Just burn the encoded ISO to your DVD-R, insert it into the VCR combo, insert your blank tape, turn on your CRT, and just hit record? When you're done do you just hit the record button again and then its saved to the tape?

If possible I'd love to see a video of this if anyone can find one, if not that's ok, it's probably easy to figure out.


If the above is true, does that mean if you record a 20 minute clip if you go to the end of the 20 minutes where it cuts to static you can hit record and add even more to the blank tape, and it can be different content?

Can you also record OVER something? Like record over the 20 minute clip you did and have it completely replaced?

[jagabo]

Yes, you can do anything you could do with any other composite video source. The hard part is finding a DVD player with composite output and a working VHS deck.

[privatetl516]

Yes, you can do anything you could do with any other composite video source. The hard part is finding a DVD player with composite output and a working VHS deck.

But once I have a working combo VCR I'm set? Nothing else I'd need, assuming I just want to transfer stuff from an un-copy protected DVD-R onto a VHS?

[dellsam34]

Considering the amount of time it takes to burn a DVD, discs wasted, and the quality loss the whole process will incur because of the shitty mpeg-2 compression, it is better to record from the captured file using a media player with a HDD or flash drive and connect directly to the VCR using analog outputs on the media player. play the file and hit record on the VCR, that simple.

[privatetl516]

Considering the amount of time it takes to burn a DVD, discs wasted, and the quality loss the whole process will incur because of the shitty mpeg-2 compression, it is better to record from the captured file using a media player with a HDD or flash drive and connect directly to the VCR using analog outputs on the media player. play the file and hit record on the VCR, that simple.

That sounds like a good plan! What would the setup be like if I wanted to hook up my laptop to the VCR to do this, i.e. what would I require? Like an HDMI2AV thing, right?

[dellsam34]

What format the files you are trying to record?

[privatetl516]

What format the files you are trying to record?

They are all VHSrips, the file types vary but most commonly:

AVI, MP4, and MKV.

[privatetl516]

Wait, do you need to connect your CRT as well in order to record? Or just use the HDMI2AV to hook up to the VCR and thats that?

[jagabo]

You don't need a CRT. Though having something to monitor the video is helpful. If you use an HDMI to composite converter with HDMI passthru (or an HDMI splitter) you can use any HDMI display to monitor the video. Beware that cheap converters may not deliver great quality.

The easiest option is to get a media player with HDMI and composite output.

[privatetl516]

You don't need a CRT. Though having something to monitor the video is helpful. If you use an HDMI to composite converter with HDMI passthru (or an HDMI splitter) you can use any HDMI display to monitor the video. Beware that cheap converters may not deliver great quality.

The easiest option is to get a media player with HDMI and composite output.

I would rather not use a media player, just a laptop/pc.

Also, I figured out that in order to make absolutely certain there are no black bars in the recording you NEED to change Windows 10 to a 4:3 aspect ratio, this is 100% crucial.

I think I'm all set, there shouldn't be anything else I'm missing. Once my HDMI2AV arrives and my blank tape I will try this.

[dellsam34]

Windows is never good at delivering a full 4:3 frame, you will always have weird aspect ratio, black border or other problems, But it all depends on your computer HDMI driver and the HDMI converter you get, If you have problems the media player route is the way to go.

[privatetl516]

Windows is never good at delivering a full 4:3 frame, you will always have weird aspect ratio, black border or other problems, But it all depends on your computer HDMI driver and the HDMI converter you get, If you have problems the media player route is the way to go.

I don't think the media player will support all the files I would like to play, so if possible I'd try and figure out a solution to the AR issue instead of having to transcode files every time I want to transfer.

[dellsam34]

Windows is never good at delivering a full 4:3 frame, you will always have weird aspect ratio, black border or other problems, But it all depends on your computer HDMI driver and the HDMI converter you get, If you have problems the media player route is the way to go.

I don't think the media player will support all the files I would like to play, so if possible I'd try and figure out a solution to the AR issue instead of having to transcode files every time I want to transfer.

It depends on how much you want to spend on a media player, I have one from 2010 that can playback any file type up to 1080, 60p. The problem nowadays will not be the media types, but rather a media player with analog outputs. The other problem is that with files in widescreen there will be compromises, crop the sides or have black bars on top and bottom (letterboxing), squeezing is not wise, unless viewed on a widescreen TV by stretching horizontally restoring the original aspect ratio (called anamorphic).

[privatetl516]

I have no plans to use 16:9 video for any of my tapes. If the HDMI2AV laptop method does not go well I'll look into media players.