Top 10 Best VCR to DVD Converters [2023]

Introduction

VHS tapes are a thing of the past and it is a no-brainer that you would want to digitize these tapes. Good for you that the market is filled with many VCR to DVD converters. You can use one of them to convert VCR tapes to DVDs and keep your movie safe from the damage that happens with time to tapes. And it is not that you will keep getting good VCR players in the market for a long time anyway!!

Top 10 VCR to DVD converters

There are 2 types of VCR to DVD converters. One is a DVD recorder with 1 slot for VHS tapes and the other for DVDs. The second one is adapters which you can use with your VCR to connect it to a PC. This is usually a cheaper option if you already have a VCR player. Let's look at both these options in detail.

Convert VCR tapes to DVD with DVD recorders

These recorders have a VHS slot and a DVD slot, as mentioned above. Such recorders are no longer manufactured and hence it will be difficult to find them in your local shops. You might find them in places selling old products like pawn shops or websites like eBay and Amazon. If you have a separate VCR and DVD recorder, you can connect your DVD recorder to your DVD player with an analog cable. What you use depends on what you have and either of the combinations works.

Below I am listing the converters which you can still order online. These are first-hand products but are of old manufacturing data (usually a decade old!). But before we go and list these products, let’s see how you can convert VCR to DVD with these devices. The steps are the same for all these devices.

1. Pop your VHS tape into the VCR
2. Insert a blank DVD into the DVD recorder
3. Set your recorder to record from VHS to DVD (not the other way round!!)
4. Click on the Record button.
5. Press the Play button on your VCR and wait till the end of the playback.

Magnavox ZV427MG9 DVD Recorder/VCR Combo

This is a one-touch VCR to DVD converter. You just pop in the VHS tape and a blank DVD and hit the dubbing button. Make sure to finalize the DVD recording if you are using R- or R+. It can take a few hours to do this task but is a cheap investment if you have loads of VHS tapes lying around. However, if you have only a few such tapes, this VCR to DVD recorder will be too expensive for you. You can get this model in both new and refurbished condition.

● 1080p Upconversion and 2-way dubbing
● Brand new cost is $599 and refurbished it can be bought between the range of $200 - $300.
● Supports DVD RW, R+, and R-
● 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR

Emerson ZV427EM5 DVD/VCR Combo DVD Recorder and VCR Player

This is a more recent product released in 2015 and is still supported by the manufacturer. It runs on triple 2A batteries and is a DVD player, recorder, and VHS player. You can record any protection-free VHS tape videos on DVD within the same player.

Sony RDRVX515 DVD Recorder

This device can convert VCR to DVD as well as DVD to VCR. It is compatible with DVD+RW/+R, and DVD-RW/-R recording and supports one-touch dubbing. For big videos, you can use it to record up to 8.5GB worth of content on DVD+R-DualLayer Discs. It has Built-In NTSC Television Tuner Parental Control, Dolby Digital, and DTS Decoding Compatible TV Virtual Surround and comes with a Multi-Brand TV Control. It is powered by 2 AA batteries. Though it first came out in 2005, it is still supported by the manufacturer.

Convert VCR tapes to DVD with a PC

The above solutions need you to buy an expensive piece of hardware that is prone to malfunctions and for a few VHS tapes, it looks expensive. Instead of this, if you already have a VCR player, it makes more sense to get your VHS in digital format on a PC and then burn it to DVD. This method allows you to perform video editing tasks by using video editing software and then burn it at the quality you want to a DVD or even Blu-ray.

These connectors connect to your video and stereo ports and the other end to your PC USB port. Most such connectors will come with their DVD burning and video editing software. However, you can make use of your software utility too.

Roxio Easy VHS to DVD 3 Plus

Roxio Easy VHS to DVD 3 Plus lets you convert videos from VCR, Hi8, V8 or analog camcorders to DVD. In the box, you get DVD-burning software on a disc that helps you clean up your old VHS movie and a USB capture device with which you can plug in your VHS or camera to your PC. The software helps you add transitions, and rolling credits and burn your video to a blank disc.

It automatically identifies the titles in your VHS and gives you the freedom to copy the video to your computer. So, instead of burning a disc, you can even save the video on your computer or transfer it to a smartphone. If the video on your VHS is too big and your disc has limited space, you can split your video and burn it on multiple discs. Common video editing tools like cut and crop are also present in the software.

VIDBOX Video Conversion Suite (2020)

This product includes multiple products - a software key along with the download link for the VIDBOX application. There is a download link for both Mac and Windows OS applications. In the box in addition to the cards, you also get a USB video capture device, USB Cable, RCA AV Cable, and 2 Quick Start Guides. It works with any video player that has an RCA (composite) and/or S-Video output. This VCR to DVD converter supports NTSC, PAL, and SECAM standards.

ClearClick Video to Digital Converter 2.0

This VCR to DVD converter has the advantage that you don’t need any software with this converter. There is an external device that comes along with the cables and a USB drive (32GB). It gives you SD quality videos at SD 720x480 pixels. You connect the cables to and from the converter to VHS, connect the USB to the converter and play the record button on the device. The 3.5-inch LCD on the device shows you the video that is being transferred. There is no PC involved here. You can also use the Auto Record functionality to preset when the recording will stop or you can press the same button again to stop the recording.

Once the recording is complete, remove the USB from the converter and connect it to a computer to get the video. This video can now be shared or burned to a DVD.

Pinnacle Dazzle DVD Recorder HD

In the box, you get video editing software on DVD, a USB video capture device, and the user manual. Connect the device and your PC with the connectors provided. It supports capturing video from modern video players as well like Xbox, and Playstation as well as from other devices like VHS, Hi8, and V8 cameras. With its video editing software, you can create furnished videos with titles and transitions.

You can use its advanced options to upload the videos to an external or somewhere online.

DIGITNOW VHS to Digital Converter

This device can not only help you convert your VCR tapes to DVD but can digitize your Hi8, Camcorder, DVD, TV BOX & Gaming Systems as well. Connect the cables and then with a touch of a button you can save your recording to a 4G TF Micro SD card that comes along with it.

It has a small display and battery that makes it a standalone recorder from any source. Once the video is recorded into your SD Card, you can plug it into your PC and burn a DVD.

UCEC USB 2.0 VHS VCR TV to DVD Converter Adaptor

This is the cheapest way to convert VCR to DVD. It is a simple set of connected cables one end of which connects to your VCR and the other end to your PC. It runs on various Windows versions - Win 2000/Win XP/Win Vista/Win 7/Win 8/Win 10. It doesn’t need any power source and supports recording in DVD+/-R/RW, DVD/-VR, and DVD-Video.

On the PC you will need to have ShowBiz 3.5 software or OBS Studio software.

Diamond VC500 USB 2.0 One Touch VHS to DVD

This is yet another product like the previous one albeit a bit more costly. It is USB powered and plugs into your PC from the USB end and through the cables to your VCR. You can use it for any video player that supports Composite RCA or S-Video outputs. After connecting the cables, it will install the drivers on your PC, and on top of that, you will need Cyberlink Power Director Capture to burn the DVD directly. It works with Windows 10, Windows 8.1, 8, and 7.

Extension: VHS to DVD converters

If you are using your PC to convert VCR to DVD, you will need software that lets you do create attractive menus, provides templates, add subtitles, choose tracks and do video editing like crop, trim, etc and then burn the DVD. DVDFab DVD Creator is a powerful tool that lets you do all this and more. You can use it to burn a DVD or create an ISO or a DVD folder.

Note: For doing video editing, you will need to use the DVDFab Video Editor in the Converter mode, generate the output file, and then use that file with DVDFab DVD Creator.

Steps to Convert VHS tapes to DVD:

Step 1. Load the video source by adding it to the DVDFab application UI. Select Creator from the top menu and choose DVD Creator from the profile switcher.

Step 2. Click on Menu Settings to select a menu template for the DVD. You can choose your custom image for the Menu. Click on OK after you are done.

Step 4. Click on Advanced Settings and choose whether you want DVD 5 or DVD 9 format. Change the TV Standard between PAL and NTCS and choose an aspect ratio. You can customize the video quality or set it to fit the disc size automatically.

Step 5. Click on OK once you are done, insert a blank DVD in the DVD drive and click on the Start button to start the DVD burning. With its GPU acceleration technology, it will utilize your GPU power to speed up the process and burn in DVD in a much shorter time.

Lastly, we have picked out a post introducing some free ways to convert VHS to DVD, which might be useful for you.