AKB: How to copy DVD to computer?

[Op2]

The first step was to copy VHS tapes to DVD, which I was able to do by borrowing my brother's joint VHS / DVD players. That is done.

So next I hooked up the DVD player to my computer. I have it plugged into a USB in the back of my computer. I expected it to then show up on one of my drives in Windows Explorer, see the names of the DVD segments, and then copy those onto my computer and voila, I would have computer copies of what started out to be VHS tapes.

But alas, that last step didn't work because after I hook the DVD player up to my computer, I don't see the DVD player on any of my computer drives. So I'm at a loss as to what to do next. Any ideas? Any info is appreciated.

 

[SheldonJoe2215]

The first step was to copy VHS tapes to DVD, which I was able to do by borrowing my brother's joint VHS / DVD players. That is done.

So next I hooked up the DVD player to my computer. I have it plugged into a USB in the back of my computer. I expected it to then show up on one of my drives in Windows Explorer, see the names of the DVD segments, and then copy those onto my computer and voila, I would have computer copies of what started out to be VHS tapes.

But alas, that last step didn't work because after I hook the DVD player up to my computer, I don't see the DVD player on any of my computer drives. So I'm at a loss as to what to do next. Any ideas? Any info is appreciated.

Keep the DVD plugged into the USB and reboot your PC and hopefully your PC will recognize it after the reboot.

 

[Op2]

Keep the DVD plugged into the USB and reboot your PC and hopefully your PC will recognize it after the reboot.

I just tried that and unfortunately it didn't work.

 

[91Joe95]

You could just stick the dvd in the computer and use dvd ripper software.

 

[Op2]

My computer doesn't have a DVD drive. But that reminds me, I think you can get portable DVD drives that plug into the back of the computer. Has anyone here ever tried that?

 

[dailybuck777]

I have used Roxio VHS to computer to capture VHS tapes on my computer. (Not dvd) While it is doing so, the VHS tape is playing. I don't know what software you use to transfer the VHS to the DVD but probably the images on the VHS would be playing while transferring to the DVD. If so, you could use screen capture software such as Snagit. Also, maybe you could consider using roxio to just transfer the VHS tapes directly to your computer.

I have used Snagit and it works very well. I think it costs about 50 or $60 and I am pretty sure there are multiple other programs. My program is about 5 years old and going strong. I will bet the newer versions are better.

Good luck.

 

[heckmans]

My computer doesn't have a DVD drive. But that reminds me, I think you can get portable DVD drives that plug into the back of the computer. Has anyone here ever tried that?

Do a little googling on how to get a computer to recognize a "DVD player." There might be a utility you can download, but I'm not sure.
Mostly what you would hook up to a computer is a DVD drive. To answer you question, yes, you can buy a DVD drive that is made as computer accessory (vs an Audio/Visual device).
One thing to note is that, to a computer, a DVD is just a piece of media, like a floppy disk. You can store computer files(data) on it or you can store music or video files on it. Video is often a different format than traditional computer data. Even with a DVD drive, you may need to download a video player to read the video format on the DVD.
The VLC player is one I remember. Good luck

VLC: Official site - Free multimedia solutions for all OS! - VideoLAN

www.videolan.org

 

[PSUSignore]

My computer doesn't have a DVD drive. But that reminds me, I think you can get portable DVD drives that plug into the back of the computer. Has anyone here ever tried that?

Yes, small external optical drives are readily available and cheap. I keep one on hand now since most laptops no longer have optical drives. I think I paid $25 for one several years ago.