How to transfer DVDs / VHS to your computer

If you have videos that you would like to get online, but you only have the standard video equipment, then this is the ehow for you. Using a simple DV camera with firewire port, your computer/firewire, a VCR or DVD Player, and some RCA cables and a firewire cable - we can get your videos or DVD's online!

First you want to turn on your computer and get it up and running. If you are using a MAC - open up iMovie. If you are using a PC running XP - open up windows movie maker. This is found in the Start Menu --> Accessories --> Entertainment --> Movie Maker. If you do not have this, then download the XP service pack online, and it will be in there.

Alright - now that your computer is up and running, and your video software is ready, we want to connect our DV camcorder to the computer. Plug your DV camcorder into your computer using the firewire. Your DV camcorder is going to act as the translation device between your VCR or DVD Player and your computer to import your video.

Now that your DV camcorder is plugged into your computer via the firewire, you will want to plug in your DVD Player or your VHS player into your DV camcorder. When doing this, look at the input type your DV camcorder accepts. Most DV camera's have three RCA inputs on them, similar to the outputs/inputs on your DVD Player or VHS player. These are the Yellow, Red, and White video jacks. If you have this on your DV camcorder, then you simply plug the RED, WHITE, and YELLOW RCA plugs into the camcorder's "VIDEO/AUDIO IN" jacks, and then into the VCR or your DVD player's "VIDEO/AUDIO OUT" jacks. They are labeled on the back.

If your camcorder has an audio/visual input jack that looks like a headphone jack instead of the RED, WHITE, and YELLOW RCA jacks - then this is a 3.5mm jack. It still attaches to the RED, WHITE, and YELLOW jacks on your DVD Player or your VCR player, but then plugs into the single 3.5mm jack on your camcorder. Take a look at the picture to see what you need. Connect the camcorder to your DVD or VHS player.

No that your computer, camcorder, and VCR or DVD player are all hooked up - turn on your DV Camcorder in the playback mode or VTR or VCR.

Turn on your VCR or DVD player. Test the connection by playing your movie from your DVD or VCR tape. You should see the movie playing on your DV camcorders screen. If not - make sure that you connected the RCA jacks to your DVD or VCR players "VIDEO OUT" and "AUDIO OUT" jacks. If you see and hear your movie, move on to the next step. If not, make sure all connections are properly connected.

Now on your computer, using either iMovie or Windows Movie Maker, you want to select import video from camera or import video.

When you do this, you should see a small video screen appear within the program on your computer. If you play your video it should show up on the camcorder and computer. If it does, then you are ready to import. Rewind your video tape, or go to the first scene in the DVD, hit import, and then press play on the camcorder and the VCR / DVD player. Your movie should start to import.

Now, you will want to make sure that you have plenty of memory on your computer, because video storage takes up a lot of space! You can test this as you are importing video, and make adjustments as needed. I purchased a "MyBook" external storage drive to store my videos.

Once you are done importing the video that you want, press the stop import button on either windows movie maker or iMovie. Go ahead and save the project on your computer. Do this to avoid any issues before the next step.

If you are using windows movie maker, you will want to wait for the clips to render into the program. Once they are there, go to the file menu and choose select all. This will select all of the clips. Drag and drop these clips into your movie timeline. Do the same in iMovie.

Now you want to export your movie for viewing on the web. In iMovie, simply go to file, export, and then play with the viewer and setting of your choice. For Windows MovieMaker, go to File, save movie file. Your video will export, and you can then publish it online. Done!