This is the standout advantage of having a VHS-C tape compared to an 8mm tape which you want to convert to digital. I was very fortunate to get hold of the manual adapter and I thought it would make a good comparison to show people what is/was available online.

If you have no interest in editing the footage or uploading it to the internet then the other ArcSoft ShowBiz options will be of no interest.After a few seconds, the motor sounds stop, and it’s ready to be loaded and used just like a regular VHS cassette. It just so happens I still have my Sharp VR-C2CA VHS-C adapter which I used to digitize my early VHS-C memories. This is a deluxe battery-operated (single AA) motorized unit. When no cassette is loaded, a red triangular tab protrudes from the side to prevent insertion into a VCR. Step 1 is to slide the bottom switch to allow the front door to open. The cassette is slid into the opening, which also releases the flap of the VHS-C cassette. Copy-protection. A good VHS converter should be capable of bypassing the copy protection that many VHS cassettes have. Without this option, you can’t digitalize the content of a VHS to watch it on your computer.

Due to how VHS VCRs record and read audio, they are not equipped to read the AFM ( Audio Frequency Modulation - similar to audio for FM radio) audio recorded on an 8mm or Hi8 tape. To maintain rigidity, the base plate is made out of metal. We can see the supply reel uses the original reel, but the take-up reel is connected via gearing to a plastic hub mounted inside the converter itself. The second option is through computer video capture as explained above. After capturing video and storing it as a digital file on your computer, you may proceed to burn it is as a DVD.

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The VHS-C cassette will usually slide into place straight down without issues. That being said ( always a catch) some tapes may need a gentle nudge or wiggle to make them slip into place.

As a precaution on field usage, it seems that both sides of the tape have a “cleaning” wiper that pushes the tape against a roller to seal the reels against excessive dust being taken into the reel.Transferring your VHS-C tapes to MP4 doesn’t have to be complicated and it really boils down to how you want to spend the time converting the tapes yourself. The ezcap 116 and this ezcap 1568 use the same software to capture to MP4, making this easier for you to convert. Along the gear-side, a plastic dimple is used to release the flap latch mechanism, so it can be opened normally. Note that the lid doesn’t cover the tape completely, with the tape exposed to the air on both sides. This would save the money of sourcing for almost-obsolete equipment and setting them only to store them away after the conversion.

I have a post that shows 17 different capture devices that can be used to transfer your home videos. Finally, we have a piece of springy metal at the edge of the shell, which holds the lid-flap in the closed position until the side dimple is depressed. That’s all there is to it. The VHS-C Adapter The tape-side has a thin flap, not quite the depth of the cassette, covering the tape as a form of protection. It’s not particularly robust, and can be flipped open accidentally even against its “latch”. Another killer of these adapters that I’ve encountered is the battery leaking, which of course is going to happen after twenty odd years left in a box.If you’re using the video capture software that came with your video capture device, follow the instructions in the manual.