How Long Does It Take to Convert VHS Tapes to DVD?

Several factors determine the time it takes to convert a VHS to DVD or VHS to digital, including:

1. Tape Preparation time.
2. Amount of tape in the VHS cassette.
3. Length of Video on the tape.
4. Camera settings when the video was recorded.
5. Edit time.
6. Encode time.
7. Burn time or copy time.

Tape Preparation Time

Each tape must be prepared before the conversion process can begin. At a minimum, tapes must be fully rewound. Professionals will fast forward each tape to the end before rewinding to achieve the optimal tension on the tape for playback. This takes approximately 5-10 minutes per tape.

If tapes must be spliced or otherwise repaired, that will add time as well. Repair time can vary between a few minutes up to half an hour.

Also Read – How Do I Copy VHS Tapes to a Computer or DVD?

Amount of Tape in the VHS Cassette

A standard VHS tape cassette holds about 1,400 feet of tape. Most tapes that are purchased in stores or online are this size. However, there are some tapes that are smaller and custom tapes can be any size up to 1,400 feet.

For example, bungee jump, diving, and skydiving companies that offer video of your experience with then often have very shorter tapes that match the time of the outing. TV commercials are another example of short tapes.

Since every tape that is converted to digital must be played in real time, that time varies according to the length of the tape itself.

Length of Video on the Tape

Regardless of the length of the tape, most tapes are not full. In other words, a 1,400 foot tape that can hold 2 hours of video many only have a few minutes recorded. Or, the desired footage is only a few minutes at the beginning of the tape and the hours of TV reruns after that are not desired.

Again, the conversion time depends on the length of recording that must be played in real time in order to capture it.

Camera Settings

VHS videotape could be recorded at 3 basic speeds: SP (standard play), LP(Long Play), and EP(Extended Play). SP records about 2 hours, LP records 4 hours, and EP records 6 hours. A number of variations on these formats were available from different manufactures, but these recording options illustrate the impact on VHS to DVD and VHS to digital conversion.

Remember that the video must be played in real time in order to capture it into digital format. A full tape recorded in EP format would require 6 hours of capture time to play and capture the video. The tradeoff with the longer tapes is that more video information must be stored in less space on the magnetic tape. The result for older tapes is that the playback quality is often lower quality on EP tapes than SP tapes.

PAL and SECAM tapes (two formats outside of North America) also use different recording rates (frames per second) and that can affect play time as well.

Edit Time

Captured video can be played directly after it is captured. This is a common short cut for amateur or mass produced VHS conversions. Most capture technology will capture the whole ‘frame’ for every frame recorded on a videotape. Most cameras, however, don’t record cleanly to the edge of every frame. The result is that there is black or flutter for 3% to 7% of the video’s border.

Another common shortcut is to just capture the entire tape. As noted above, tape lengths as well as recording length variations mean that there will be blank tape after the desired recording. Mass conversion operations will simply deliver the entire digitized video including large amounts of blank space at the end.

The solution is simple but requires a small amount of time and some basic video editing skills. IN addition to cutting out dead space and creating a clean frame, light and color adjustments can be enhanced as well.

Edit time can take 5-10 minutes per tape for a normal conversion.

Encode Time

Once appropriate edits are created, they must be applied to the original video using an encode process to produce a final digital video. Encoding combines the original captured video with the specified edits via computer software that produces a consumer-ready video in their required format. Encoding video is a very CPU intensive process that requires a varying amount of time depending on the power of the computer being used.

For example, computers with average power can encode a 1-hour edited video with basic edits to apply in 30 minutes. A medium range computer (like most conversion companies) can encode a 1 hour video in as little as 6 minutes.

Burn DVD, Copy to Disc, or Upload to the Cloud

Once encoding is completed, the new digital file can be burned to DVD, copied to USB or hard drive, or uploaded to the cloud.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each option depending on customer needs.

Convert VHS to DVD or Digital:  Next Steps

1. Call or text Jamey (About Jamey) at 720 204-5464.
2. Set an appointment (every project receives my individual attention).
3. Drop off your tapes (and records, cassettes, slides, or negatives, too). Check Pricing!

In a week or less, pick up your new digital conversions.