Do you have old VHS tapes containing memories from the past but no way to access
them? If so, you\u2019re not alone. I recently came across a box full of VHS tapes from well
over twenty years ago but, having no VCR, they were unwatchable.<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rootdig.genealogytipoftheday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/digitpro.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
The first thing I did was search Amazon and eBay for VCRs. There are no new VCRs
being produced, of course, but there are several used ones, and even a few that the
sellers claim have never been opened. They are not cheap, however, and tend to range
from around $50 on eBay for used ones that are missing the remote control and may or
may not work to upwards of $500 for ones on Amazon Marketplace that claim to have
never been opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are many services out there that offer VHS to digital transfer services. On
average, they charge $25 per tape. If you only have one or two cassettes, that\u2019s
probably your best option. If, however, you have a boxful of tapes, that can add up really
quickly, especially if you think you might have more tapes somewhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In order to save money, I decided to take a different route. I purchased a used VCR
missing the remote from Samaritan Shop (a local thrift store) for $5. I was amazed when
it powered on, and I was able to successfully insert and eject a tape. But did it really
work? I had no way of knowing for sure, because my modern-day television didn\u2019t have
the proper audio\/video inputs to connect to the VCR. And even if I could view the tapes
on my television, how long would the tapes last? VHS tapes don\u2019t last forever, and I had
no guarantee the tapes I\u2019d found would even be watchable. My best bet was to convert
the tapes to video files, so I could preserve them without further degradation. But how
could I do that myself?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I began researching VHS-to-digital converters, and there are a lot of them out there.
Some require attaching your VCR to a PC or laptop, so I concentrated on ones that
would work independently because I didn\u2019t want to have to shove the VCR into an
already-crowded spot on my desk. Those sell for around $100 to $210. They all range in
quality and what\u2019s included with the device, and I ended up going for a $119 option
called DigitPro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DigitPro <\/a>comes with a 3.5-Inch high definition LCD screen and built-in stereo
speakers that allow for real-time playback of recorded videos\/audio without having to
rely on an external device such as a laptop or a television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to supporting transfer from VCRs, the DigitPro <\/a>also works with DVD players,
Hi8 players, camcorders, and other players and camcorders. The best part about it? It\u2019s
very easy to use, and comes with a very clear instruction manual. There are many
things you can do with it, but if all you want to do is transfer videos it\u2019s amazingly easy
to do. Highly recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n