How Do I...Transfer Old Home Movies on VHS Tape into My Family Story Vault?
Old VHS tapes hold a wealth of lifetime stories. Learn how to transfer them to digital files to upload to your Family Story Vault. Preserve those memories for future generations!
Transferring Old VHS Home Movies to Digital
Those VHS tapes sitting in your attic or basement hold something precious: your family's story captured on video. Maybe it's your kids' first steps, a wedding from decades ago, or holiday gatherings with relatives who are no longer with you. The good news is that converting these memories to digital format is more accessible than you might think. Whether you're comfortable tinkering with equipment yourself, or prefer to hand the job off to someone else, you have options. And if you're younger and VHS tapes feel like ancient artifacts, don't worry. The process is straightforward once you understand the basics. Let's walk through how to rescue those memories and get them safely into your own Family Story Vault.
VHS tapes record video as an analog signal, which means the information exists as continuous magnetic patterns on the video tape. Your computer, phone or tablet only understand digital signals. So transferring VHS content requires a bridge between these two worlds: something that can read the analog signal and convert it to a digital video file that your devices can play and store.
Option 1: Use a Professional Digitization Service
If you'd rather not deal with cables, converters, VHS players and software, several companies specialize in converting VHS tapes to digital files. You drop off or mail them your tapes, they digitize them, and you get back both your original tapes and digital copies, usually on a USB drive or via a download link.
VHS Digitizing Services
Legacybox, Southtree and Kodak Digitizing Box are the most popular options. All 3 companies are owned by AMB Media Group and use the same VHS digitization facility. You order a kit, pack your tapes in the prepaid box, and send them off. They digitize everything and send you a USB drive or a digital link to your files with cloud access for 30 days. Pricing starts from $15-$25 per tape, depending on which company and package you choose. Each of the companies often have specials, like the Legacybox $9 per tape sale.
Capture has been digitizing VHS tapes since 1999. They are the digitizing company behind major brands like Costco Next, CVS, Sam’s Club & Walmart Photo's digitizing services. Pricing starts at $19.99 per tape, with upscaling to HD quality available starting at $29.99 per tape. VHS tapes are Standard Definition (SD) and upscaling increases their resolution to High Definition (HD). You can mail your tapes in and get a USB drive or a digital link to your files with cloud access for 90 days. They will ship your original tapes back to you after digitization.
Walmart Photo Video Transfer can convert your aging VHS, 8mm/16mm film reels, photos, slides and negatives to digital files. Pricing starts at $15.96 for the first 30 minutes, then $5.46 for each additional 30 minutes of content, and since it's Walmart, you can drop off and pick up at your local store. You get a digital link to your files with cloud access for 60 days, or you can pay extra to receive your files on a USB drive or DVD.
PRO TIP : Local camera shops or video production studios often offer digitization services too. Search online in your area. Sometimes local businesses provide faster turnaround times and you can avoid shipping fragile memories across the country.
Option 2: DIY Transfer using Windows PC or Mac Computer
If you want to handle the conversion yourself and have a Windows PC or Mac computer, here's what you'll need and how to do it.
Equipment You'll Need
A working VCR (check thrift stores or ask family members if yours stopped working years ago)
A USB video capture device (this plugs into your computer using USB and accepts the video cables from your VCR)
RCA cables (usually yellow, red, and white) to connect the VCR to the capture device
A Windows PC or Mac with a USB port
Video Capture Devices
The Elgato Video Capture device runs about $80-100 and works reliably with Windows or Mac. It comes with its own Windows-compatible and Mac-compatible software, which makes the process fairly simple. You don't get the best quality, but it's an easy option. You can find the Elgato Video Capture device at most electronics retailers like Best Buy, or just Google the Elgato Video Capture device here to find it online.
The Diamond VC500 is a budget-friendly alternative at around $35-50. You can choose from Windows-only software, or get the software version that works with both Windows and Mac. It handles standard VHS conversions. Google the Diamond VC500 here.
Open Broadcaster Software publishes the free and full featured OBS Studio with Windows 10/11, MacOS 12+ and Linux versions that give you more control over your video capture settings - use this if you're really technical and want to tweak the input settings. Review their comprehensive knowledge base for How To guides.
The Setup Process
Connect your VCR or Camcorder to a power outlet and to your TV so you can see what's playing. (Note: If you don't have a TV screen, you'll be able to see the VHS content on your computer screen after completing the connection). Locate the "output" ports on the back of your VHS player or Camcorder. These are usually labeled "Line Out" or "Audio/Video Out" and consist of three RCA jacks: yellow for video, red and white for audio.
Plug the RCA cables into these output jacks. Connect the other end of the cables to your video capture device. Plug the capture device into an available USB port on your Windows PC or Mac.
Software and Capture
Most capture devices (like Elgato and Diamond) come with their own software. Install it following the manufacturer's instructions, or install OBS Studio as mentioned above.
Open your capture software and make sure it recognizes your video capture device. You should see a preview of whatever is currently playing on your VCR. Insert your VHS tape and rewind it to the beginning.
In the software, select your recording quality. For most home movies, standard DVD quality (720x480 resolution) works fine and keeps file sizes manageable. Higher quality options exist but create much larger files (video files uploaded to your Family Story Vault will automatically be transcoded for optimal size and quality).
Press record in the software, then press play on your VCR. Let the entire tape play through while the software captures it in real time.
⚠️ A two-hour tape will take two hours to digitize. You can't speed this up since you're capturing analog playback in real time.
When the tape finishes, stop the recording. Your software will save the video file to your computer, typically as an MP4 or AVI file.
Option 3: Transfer Using an iPhone or iPad
This option surprises people, but yes, you can digitize VHS tapes using an iPhone or iPad with the right equipment.
What You'll Need
You'll need a video capture device that works with iOS devices. The Elgato Video Capture device mentioned earlier does not work with iPhones or iPads, so you'll need something different.
The Digitnow Video Capture Converter is one option that connects through the Lightning port (or USB-C on newer iPads). It runs from $18-30 from various retailers like Walmart or Amazon.
You'll also need the RCA cables to connect your VCR to the capture device.
The Process
Connect your VCR to the capture device using RCA cables, then connect the capture device to your iPhone or iPad. Download the companion app required for your specific capture device (the manufacturer will specify which app to use).
Open the app, select your video source, and you should see a preview of your VHS playback. Start recording in the app, press play on your VCR, and let the tape run. The video saves directly to your device's Photos library.
Keep in mind that video files are large. A two-hour tape might create a 4GB file or larger. Make sure you have enough storage space on your device before starting.
Option 4: Transfer Using an Android Phone or Tablet
Android devices can also handle VHS digitization with the proper equipment.
Equipment Needed
Look for a video capture device with USB-C connectivity if you have a newer Android device, or micro-USB for older models. The August VGB300 is a USB video capture adapter that works with many Android devices and costs around $30-40.
You'll need an app that can record video from an external source. USB Camera Pro (available on the Google Play Store) works for many devices, though compatibility varies by phone model.
Setup and Recording
Connect your VCR to the capture device with RCA cables, then plug the capture device into your Android device's USB port. Open your chosen app and grant it permission to access the USB device.
You should see a preview of your VHS playback. Hit record, play your tape, and wait for it to finish. The video file saves to your device's storage.
Android options can be trickier than other methods because device compatibility varies widely. Not all Android phones support video input through USB. Check reviews and product compatibility before purchasing equipment.
Option 5: Transfer Using a Dedicated VHS to Digital Converter Device
If you have a lot of VHS tapes to digitize and don't have a PC/Mac computer or mobile device to spare for the hours it will take, you could invest in a dedicated VHS to Digital Converter.
What You'll Need
You can find devices like the Portta VHS to Digital Converter priced at $130 on Amazon. These devices connect the RCA cables from your VHS player directly to the Digital Converter device, which has a view screen so you can see what's playing. You'll likely need to plug in your own storage device to record to, like a USB drive or an SD/TF memory card. Start recording then start playing the VHS and your tape will be digitized automatically at HD quality.
Plug your USB drive or compatible memory card into your computer to transfer the files to your local drive, cloud storage or upload to My Family Story Vault.
Check the details and read the reviews to see which Digital Converter will work best for your situation. Digital Converter Category on Amazon.
After You've Digitized Your Tapes
Once you have your digital video files, you can upload them to My Family Story Vault. Videos will be automatically transcoded and compressed for quality and size, so that you don't have to worry about running out of storage space for your loved one's memories!
Tips for Better Results
Clean your VCR heads before starting. You can buy a head cleaning tape for about $10 at most stores that sell electronics. Dirty heads cause tracking problems and poor picture quality.
If a tape looks damaged or the playback seems shaky, don't force it. Professional services have equipment better suited for handling deteriorating tapes without causing further damage.
VHS tapes degrade over time. The magnetic coating literally falls off the tape as it ages. If you have old tapes, don't wait years to digitize them. The quality won't improve with time.
Label your digital files clearly with dates, events, and people in the video. Your future self will thank you when you're searching for a specific memory among dozens of files.
The Bottom Line
Whether you choose to send your tapes to a service or tackle the project yourself, getting those VHS memories into digital format preserves them for future generations. The technology feels like a bridge between two eras, but once you understand the basic concept (converting analog signals to digital files), the process becomes manageable.
Your family's stories deserve to be saved, and now you know exactly how to do it.
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