VCR tapes often exhibit a video picture that jumps, or "flips," while the tape is playing. Converting a VCR tape that has the problem must be corrected before being converted to a DVD, or the flipping will also be copied. A VCR tape that is flipping can be fixed by modifying the video signal so that it looks normal before it is converted into a digital file to be changed to a DVD. The process is not complicated but requires a device known as time base corrector for modifying the video signal of the VCR tape.
Instructions
Setting Up the VCR Tape
1. Turn the VCR player on. Insert the VCR tape into the open slot at the front and wait as the VCR tape is pulled into the slot. Press the "Rewind" button on the VCR player to rewind the VCR tape to the beginning.
2. Attach one end of the S-Video cable into the S-Video output of the VCR player. Attach the other end of the S-Video cable into the S-Video input of the time base corrector.
3. Attach one end of another S-Video cable into the S-Video output of the time base corrector. Attach the other end of the S-Video cable into the S-Video input of the analog-to-digital converter, such as the Easy VHS to DVD, which works on both Mac and PCs (see the link in Resources below).
4. Attach the left and right plugs of the audio cable into the audio outputs of the VCR player. Attach the other ends of the audio cable into the left and right audio inputs of the Attach one end of another S-Video cable into the S-Video output of the time base corrector. Attach the other end of the S-Video cable into the S-Video input of the analog-to-digital converter.
5. Plug the USB connector from the analog-to-digital converter into a USB port on the computer. Turn the time base corrector on. Press "Play" on the VCR player. Adjust the fine-tuning knob of the time base corrector so that the meter showing the video signal being fed into it from the VCR player is set to "Normal." Press the "Stop" button on the VCR player and rewind the VCR tape back to the beginning by pressing the "Rewind" button
Converting the VCR Tape to a Digital File
6. Eject the disc tray of the DVD drive. Put the the disc that came with the analog-to-digital converter onto the disc tray. Close the disc tray. Double-click on the icon of the disc when it appears on the desktop. Follow the prompts to install the analog-to-digital converter program to the computer's hard drive. Restart the computer after the installation has completed.
7. Run the analog-to-digital converter program. Follow the prompts to select "S-Video" and "Stereo Audio" from the menus. Press the "Play" button on the VCR player.
8. Press the "Record" button on the analog-to-digital converter program to record the VCR tape to the computer. Adjust the knob of the time base corrector as needed to keep the meter showing "Normal" and the video signal being kept from flipping while the VCR tape is playing.
9. Press the "Stop" button on the analog-to-digital converter program when the VCR tape has finished playing. Eject the VCR tape from the VCR player and put it away. Turn off the time base corrector. Disconnect the cables from the VCR player, the time base corrector and the analog-to-digital converter. Remove the USB cable from the USB port of the computer.
10. Press the "Save" button on the analog-to-digital converter program. Navigate in the window that appears to the desktop of the computer. Press the "Save" button to close the window. Wait as the VCR tape is converted to a digital file that does not exhibit any flipping of the video signal. Quit the analog-to-digital converter program once the digital file has been saved to the computer's hard drive.
Making a DVD From the Digital File
11. Download and install a DVD burning program to the computer's hard drive, such as the free Burn for the Mac or the trial version of Burn My Files for the PC (see Resources).
12. Eject the disc tray of the DVD drive. Put a recordable DVD onto the disc tray and close the tray.
13. Run the DVD burning program. Select "DVD-Video" from the drop-down menu on the main screen of the DVD burning program.
14. Drag the digital file that was made from the VCR tape into the main screen of the DVD burning program. Name the DVD that is going to be made in the blank column at the top of the DVD burning program.
15. Press the "Burn" button on the DVD burning program to burn the DVD. Eject the DVD when the burning is completed and quit the DVD burning program.
Tags: analog-to-digital converter, base corrector, time base, time base corrector, cable into, burning program, analog-to-digital converter program