Welcome to the digital age!!!

Welcome to the digital age

My first step was to transfer the video from the VHS tape to my computer. Because the video was on an old VHS tape instead of a newer digital video (DV) tape, I had to use a workaround to get the video onto my computer. My solution was to connect my DV camera to both my VCR and my computer. This way, I could import the video from the VCR through the DV camera to my computer using the Import Video feature in Windows Vista. (This process is sometimes called analog-to-digital conversion.) To learn more, see Import analog video to your computer by using a DV camera.

Even though I only wanted to use parts of the video for this DVD, I imported the whole two-hour tape. (I figured I should do it now while I had everything set up, and I wanted to edit some of the other video footage later on.) The time it takes to connect the different devices and import the video depends on how your computer and video equipment are set up at home, as well as the amount of video you want to import to your computer. For me, the process took about three hours.

As the video was being imported, I was able to see my parents when they were younger—in classic '60s and '70s style. Along with the fun of getting to see a time when plaid was really in style, watching the video was practical too. I wrote down the times (displayed next to Video imported in Import Video) when my parents appeared, so that I could find these parts quickly when editing the video in Windows Movie Maker. Noting key times is an easy way to help you find the video clips later on and speed up the video editing process.