How to convert VCR tapes to computer

How to convert VCR and 8mm tapes to computer

The first question is: how to get video into your Mac?
My answer is: use a DV camcorder as a translator. Most Canons and Sonys do this. Here are some general steps:
1. connect the video and audio outputs of your VCR to the input jacks of the camcorder. (If the video is on an S-video jack instead of the conventional yellow phono jack, it will be a little bit better quality.)
2. Using your camcorder's menu, set it to "AV IN->DV OUT". This will vary according to the model of your DVCAM. One hint: all camcorders have a 3-position camera/off/play(vcr) switch. In this application, most of them use the PLAY position.
3. Connect the DV out of the camcorder to a firewire port on the Mac. This requires the cable that comes with the camera...it's a mini-firewire on one end, and a regular firewire 400 on the other. (If your Mac has only a FW 800 jack, you may need another adapter.)
4. Turn on the DVCAM. Usually, iMovie will automatically open and be ready to record...if not, start it.
5. Hit PLAY on the VHS machine. You should see the video in the iMovie window. When you see what you want to save, press iMovie's button to start recording. You're free to edit the movie in any way you want.
When you have enough for a DVD, save it and use iDVD to burn a disc.
Alternatively, if you want to save a step, you can skip the iMovie step and just open up iDVD and select the feature...I forget the exact name...but it's like "Quick Movie" that will just save it as one stream.

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How to convert VCR Tape to DVD on MACbook Pro?

Any insight into how to convert VCR tapes to DVD on Macbook Pro would be much appreciated!

The first question is: how to get video into your Mac?
My answer is: use a DV camcorder as a translator. Most Canons and Sonys do this. Here are some general steps:
1. connect the video and audio outputs of your VCR to the input jacks of the camcorder. (If the video is on an S-video jack instead of the conventional yellow phono jack, it will be a little bit better quality.)
2. Using your camcorder's menu, set it to "AV IN->DV OUT". This will vary according to the model of your DVCAM. One hint: all camcorders have a 3-position camera/off/play(vcr) switch. In this application, most of them use the PLAY position.
3. Connect the DV out of the camcorder to a firewire port on the Mac. This requires the cable that comes with the camera...it's a mini-firewire on one end, and a regular firewire 400 on the other. (If your Mac has only a FW 800 jack, you may need another adapter.)
4. Turn on the DVCAM. Usually, iMovie will automatically open and be ready to record...if not, start it.
5. Hit PLAY on the VHS machine. You should see the video in the iMovie window. When you see what you want to save, press iMovie's button to start recording. You're free to edit the movie in any way you want.
When you have enough for a DVD, save it and use iDVD to burn a disc.
Alternatively, if you want to save a step, you can skip the iMovie step and just open up iDVD and select the feature...I forget the exact name...but it's like "Quick Movie" that will just save it as one stream.

How to convert cassette tape to macbook pro

hi
i have a 2009 macbook pro and want to convert cassette tape of me giving a lecture to cd so I don't lose it. the cassette is 35 years old and still works well. my mbp does only has a headphone out jack outlet, not anything for input so I can't see how to connect a cassette player.
any info very wanted and welcome - with thanks

Probably has a combo port.
⌥ > System Profiler…
(ie, hold down Option and choose System Profiler… from the  menu) and post what you get for Hardware Overview > Model Identifier. That will tell us exactly what machine you have. Or you can find out the specs for yourself in Mactracker
<mactracker.ca>
You should also check the user guide which came with your machine.
My guess would be that you can connect your tape player with a 3.5 mm analogue jack and switch to input.
As for the rest, if you search the forum you'll find several threads about digitising audio tapes.

How to convert dvc tapes from Sony DCR camcorder to format recognized by iMovie 11?

Our Sony Handycam DCR-HC36 is no longer recognized by iMovie. When we bought the iMac I was able to import tapes from the camcorder, but since updating iMovie it no longer recognizes the camera. Is there a converter which will read the DVC tapes we have and import them into the iMovie?

Maybe you can try this: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/video-mate/id592736614?mt=12 (you can try the software directly by clicking the "Yuri Wang Web Site") , a video converter that accepts almost all format videos' conversion.
You can do the conversion in three steps after installing it: add file->choose output format ("Convert to" bar->iMovie)->convert
batch converting is available.

How to convert audio tapes to MP3s?

I have some audio cassette tapes I want to convert to mp3s.
I have a tape recorder with line in, line out and a mic and headphones socket.
I have a jack adapter, which you can see in the photo below.
My imac 10.8.4 has a headphones port.
I've got garageband and audacity.
In System Preferences, in Sound, I've got the Input tab on Internal Microphone; and the Output tab is on Internal Speakers.
I've tried all possible combinations with the jack adapter; but I can't get anything from the tape deck on to the mac.
What am I doing wrong?
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

You don't have a line in. Headphones are a line out. You can get various USB things that will take a line in. For instance
http://store.griffintechnology.com/catalog/product/view/id/623/s/imic/category/6 2/

Convert vcr tapes to digital?

I have boxes of older, personal VCRs I want to put in digital format.
I've been trying to use Elgato Video Capture, but it either crashes or just stops recording at random points, making it all but useless. I've spent hours working with their tech support over a couple of months, but with no results.
Someone told me that I might be able to get some sort of digital conversion device to pull in output via USB or FireWire on my MacBook Pro, and then use iMovie to capture and save the input on my HD....
Can anyone recommend a device for this? (Or even an alternative to Elgato Video Capture that is more likely to work?) The final product does not need to be in the highest quality - just reasonable audio/video quality.
Thanks
Mark

If you use iMovie to do the digitizing (and you could use other apps, it's the iMovie Discussion Group, so I'm using that as an example) you open the Import from camera. The Video digitizing device you use will be considered a 'camera' in this context. When you capture video it will ask you 'where do you want to save this stuff'. At that point if you have already have the hard drive attached and have recognized it in iMovie and also gone to the View Menu > Group Events by Disk, then your external hd (whatever it is) will be recognized as a legitimate place to store Events AS THEY ARE DIGITIZED. This is a function of iMovie, not the Mac OS or the digitizing hardware you decide to purchase. So take what the Apple sales folks and Best Buy sales folks have told you and also consider they aren't using iMovie as regularly as participants in this Discussion Group.
Also know this, your Video Tape will playback from your VCR in Real Time (meaning 2 hours of tape material will take 2 hours to playback and subsequently 2 hours to digitize as it playsback). That is the limiting factor in ALL of this. You can digitize faster than the tapes will play back. So hard drive speed only comes into play when your moving stuff AROUND (internal <-> external). If you are digitizing straight to External HD you don't have to move anything at all. So maybe neither the hard drive nor the Mac processor speed will make any difference in this case. Save some more money, and buy more medium quality, medium speed hard drives as opposed to a Thunderbolt SSD?! Some more things to consider I guess.

Transfer vcr tapes to macbook pro

Does anyone know how to transfer vcr tapes to the mac? I have some 20year old tapes of my kids I want to edit on the mac, but not sure how to get them on the hard drive. Also would the editing be done with Imovie? I dont have Finalcut. Not sure if I need it.
Thanks
Jeff

You need to convert your video to DV if you want to edit it in iMovie (or Final Cut, for that matter).
There are services that can do this for you. If you want to do it yourself (which I recommend over the services), you will need an analog-digital converter like the Canopus ADVC-110. You would connect your VCR's video and audio outputs to the converter and connect the converter to your Mac via Firewire. Then play the video in your VCR and capture it in iMovie.
If you have a miniDV camcorder that supports analog-digital passthrough (many do) then you could use the camcorder as the converter. (Connecting the VCR outputs to the camcorder a/v input and the camcorder to your Mac via FireWire. You don't need to record to the tape in the miniDV camcorder, just use the camcorder in the middle as the converter.)

How to convert analog SD video from VCR tapes to DVD

What is the simplest way to convert analog SD video signals from VCR tapes for input to a mac intel mini so that I can create DVDs? Any help would be appreciated.
Owen

not sure about doing it on a mac mini, but based on the costs of the equipment needed to do it and the time, your best bet is to take your vcr tapes to costco and let them transfer them to DVD...
then editing pieces of the dvd's to make a compilation would be fairly easy using any number of software tools for the mac.

How to hook up VCR to my computer?

Hello,
I'd like to hook up my vcr to my computer to convert my vhs tapes to dvd. I have 8866-VTP video card and have WinProducer, Asus DVCR and Premiere 6.0. So far have been unable to get it right. Using composite cables with sound going to line-in on my SB Live 5.1 card and video composite into s-video adapter. Have 4.13.01.2750 drivers but do not know how to install 3000 drivers once downloaded from the internet. Bios is 4.17.00.24.76. Any help/suggestions would be great!

to be 100 percent uninstall existing nvidia graphics drivers from add/remove then reboot
dont let windows install old drivers again
then just click on file you d/l and it should install
no idea on the other only just got a gf capable of it myself

How do I upload VCR tapes into MacBookPro?

How do I upload VCR tapes into MacBookPro?

The hardware to do such a conversion is expensive and fussy.
My recommendations to find a local store that can copy these into a digital form for you. Once in ANY digital form, then can be freely copied and converted to other digital forms.

How to convert old VHS tapes to digital

I am hoping someone can give me an overview of what kind of equipment/software is necessary to convert VHS tapes into a digital format that could be saved in iMovie. Do I just need the right cables for the VCR or something more complicated? Thanks!

I recommend that you download the free iMovie HD6 for those with iMovie 08 who do not have a prior version of iMovie HD6. You can get it here: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/imovieHD6.html
And, do this tutorial: http://www.apple.com/support/imovie/tutorial/
It is more capable of creative editing and you have a quite a bit more control over your iMovie with it.
+So, your method worked using just a VCR, a camcorder, and your computer? No special converters?+
Yes, I just used the AV connectors that came with my camcorder to hook the camcorder to the VCR....which was in a combo TV/VCR unit so I could see the footage on my tv, just to make it easier. The AV connector cable has a special prong that fits into the camcorder, and those white/red/yellow prongs at the VCR end. The TV/VCR is a few years old, certainly not anything fancy or new.
I didn't bother with a converter since I just used the camcorder.
My computer and that VCR are not physically close enough to try to import directly, and since I wanted the digital tapes of the original footage, recording first to the miniDV tapes worked for me. Canopus makes a couple of nice converters...they are around $150-250, I think.
Then, to connect to the computer with the camcorder you will need a 4-6 pin Firewire cable.
+I might do it sooner or I might put it off for awhile while I practice messing around with iMovie.+
The benefit of recording from VHS to miniDV tapes is that the tapes are digital, they store easily and the footage will not degrade before you get around to creating your iMovies and DVDs. iMovies can take up lots of drive space, so don't be thinking that you will just import them all and save them for editing later. You would need a huge amount of space for this. Most of my movies are just under 2 hours, and occupy between 25-40 GB each. A couple of my movies were well over 100-140GB!!!! Yes, that is correct. I have a couple of external drives that I use for my movies while I am creating them. I usually have about two or three that I am working on at the same time.
+We want to put them in a digital format that will be easier to store and play and safer from eroding over time, so I guess the end format I'm looking for is DVDs.+
Because DVDs can break/crack/warp/melt/etc, you should consider exporting your finished iMovies back to the camcorder so that you have the miniDV tapes for more permanent storage and as a backup to your DVDs.
That is one of the big reasons that I don't use iMovie 08---it does not permit exporting back to a camcorder.
Although I do not save my created iMovies on my computer after I have made the DVD and exported the edited movie back to tape, I do save all my iDVD projects as disk images. A disk image can be up to 4.7 GB--even my large movies were automatically compressed down when put into iDVD. The limitation in iDVD is the total length of the movie in TIME, not SIZE. I use single-layer DVDs, which can hold up to 2 hours of content. Creating disk images allows you to have an exact copy of your iDVD projects, self-contained so that you can delete the original iMovies and the original iDVD projects. You can use the disk image to burn your disks when you first create them, and any time in the future. It is a good backup for the entire DVD.
Enjoy being creative with your movie projects! Post back with any more questions, and feel free to email me if you want.
Regards,
Beverly

I recorded VCR tape onto DVD-R but will not play on my MacBook Pro. I have already recorded multiple DVDs. How can I get it to play on my Mac?

I recorded VCR tape onto DVD-R but will not play on my MacBook Pro. I have already recorded multiple DVDs. How can I get it to play on my Mac?

"I recorded VCR tape onto DVD-R"
How? Using what equipment/software?
"The DVD plays on the device on which it was recorded."
Just a guess: You're using a VCR-DVD combo recorder. DVDs produced in this way will play on the device that made them, but won't play on anything else until they're "finalized." In fact, Macs will recognize unfinalized DVDs as blank discs until the discs are finalized. Check the manual that came with the recording device for instructions.

How to convert EZ vinyl/tape converter files to itunes

itunes

soupcake wrote:
how to convert EZ vinyl/tape converter files to itunes
What format are they?
Windows XP, how do i find lost music
Where is it lost from?

How can I convert MiniDV tapes to DVD? I've use a Canon GL 2 and an iMac about 1 year old. I'm trying to use iMovie and I've installed the latest drivers.

How can I convert MiniDV tapes to DVD? I've use a Canon GL 2 and an iMac about 1 year old. I'm trying to use iMovie and I've installed the latest drivers.

MiniDV was a great format, one I still use often. I also still use iMovie HD6 to process it and, for all the iterations of iMovie that followed it, I still believe it was one of Apple's greatest movie software programmes, next to Final Cut Pro, using a timeline method of editing. That was also in the day which Apple put Superdrives into their computers, so that you could not only make your movie in iMovie, but you could render it to iDVD and then burn the DVD. Now you need to buy an external burner.
Since iMovie HD6 and iDVD 6 were "universal" software, it has continued to work through the many OS releases since it came out with Tiger, I believe it was. So, it may still work with Mavericks too and, if you could locate a copy of iLife 06, probably used, you might enjoy the difference that HD6 has over all iMovie releases since then.
Not saying you can't process your MiniDV with current iMovie versions, but I'm not the one to speak about that.

How to convert beta into imovie

Hey everyone, I'm new to macs and imovie.... Im trying to find out how to convert my old home videos into dvds but the problem is I don't know what adapters to use and how to do it. The home videos are in beta and I don't know how to get them onto my mac... any help would be appreciated. thanks

We'll see how new you are. If this makes sense to you, you're doing okay!
If you have a digital camcorder, the first thing to try is a passthorugh.
Connect your Beta machine to the video inputs on your camcorder. Connect your firewire OUT of your camcorder and IN to your mac.
Fire up iMovie and see if it detects your camera. Try playing your Beta tape and see if it appears in iMovie's monitor on your computer.
Now, some cameras can't do this, but give it a try. Also, search the threads here. You may find a link which will help.

How to convert VCR tapes to computer

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