# What can I do with old VHS video tapes?



## Conshine (20 Oct 2008)

I have spent many years taping various films from TV and built up quite a collection over the years. I have quite a few originals as well.

It pains me to do it, but the time has come to decide what to do with the boxes of tapes that have been gathering dust for the last few years.

VHS tapes are not the most popular purchase on eBay, so dont think thats an option.

Any ideas?

I would like to get a few €€€'s for them if possible.


----------



## d2x2 (20 Oct 2008)

Don't even think of selling those tapes anywhere. Unless you have bought the copyrights of the shows in question, your tapes are 100% illegal.

Time to declutter! Bring them to a recycling centre; www.dublinwaste.ie if you are in the Dublin area will help you find one.

This may be a bit harsh but... if they have been gathering dust for years, perhaps it's time to acknowledge that they are not very valuable at all. Just let go and you will feel better for it!


----------



## dinjoecurry (20 Oct 2008)

transfer them to DVD and hold on to them Never know may have a value someday and you can always relook at them


----------



## tonora (21 Oct 2008)

Any suggestions on how to transfer VHS to DVD? 
I sent a VHS wedding video to a profesional transfer to DVD company. They returned DVD but it would only work on my computer DVD player and not on regular DVD player onTV.


----------



## extopia (21 Oct 2008)

tonora said:


> Any suggestions on how to transfer VHS to DVD?
> I sent a VHS wedding video to a profesional transfer to DVD company. They returned DVD but it would only work on my computer DVD player and not on regular DVD player onTV.



Have you tried it in a number of DVD players? You should explain the problem to the professionals who created the DVD for you. Failing that, it's reasonably straightforward to convert the DVD to another DVD that will work in your player.


----------



## DeclanP (21 Oct 2008)

Conshine said:


> I have spent many years taping various films from TV and built up quite a collection over the years. I have quite a few originals as well.
> 
> It pains me to do it, but the time has come to decide what to do with the boxes of tapes that have been gathering dust for the last few years.
> 
> ...



Any cowboy films in that lot? A transfer to DVD sounds like the obvious way to go if you are interested in holding onto the content. However, if you want to retain the videos as a collector's item in the future, then you have a long time to wait I'm afraid.


----------



## zztop (21 Oct 2008)

Buy a dual tape to DVD player.Cost a few hundred but worth it
especially if you have home tapes that you want to keep.You
can transfer them on to your computer later.


----------



## extopia (21 Oct 2008)

However unless these are rare films, and with the price of DVDs falling all the time, the time and hassle of converting them may pale in comparison to just replacing them with cheap DVD versions of the same movies.


----------



## Conshine (22 Oct 2008)

Ok, a few ideas here ... Will look into getting some on to DVD.

What about the actual cassettes? Any suggestions on what can be done with them? Seems wasteful throwing them in the bin.


----------



## aircobra19 (22 Oct 2008)

The hard facts are, they are not worth anything and will degrade over time. In these days of high def and DVD quality no wants VHS.


----------



## zztop (23 Oct 2008)

Bring them to your local civic amenity site for recycling.


----------



## birdy (24 Oct 2008)

If you list the videos on one of the free to give away websites www.jumbletown.ie or freecycle ( not sure of their web address) you might get somebody interested in a few of the titles. It's amazing the range of stuff people offer and want on these webites


----------



## c00lcarl (25 Oct 2008)

tonora said:


> Any suggestions on how to transfer VHS to DVD?
> I sent a VHS wedding video to a profesional transfer to DVD company. They returned DVD but it would only work on my computer DVD player and not on regular DVD player onTV.


 
Sounds like they recorded it to r- whereas your dvd player only plays r+ or vice versa, most modern dvd players will play both formats, try making a copy of the dvd using your PC onto a fresh disk and use that in the player(or else get a new player nowadays you can get them for peanuts at places like power city)


----------



## orency (6 Nov 2008)

aircobra19 said:


> The hard facts are, they are not worth anything and will degrade over time. In these days of high def and DVD quality no wants VHS.


----------



## orency (6 Nov 2008)

Try offering them free on www.jumbletown.ie. I got rid of a load to a playgroup a few months ago. There should still be plenty of takers for them.


----------



## nlgbbbblth (8 Nov 2008)

Likewise. Accumulated about 2,000 tapes [not including films / tv I bought] over the years and they're a bugger to store. Got a DVD recorder in the summer of 2006 and haven't looked back. One with a hard drive is essential. 

Most of my tapes are boxed up or stored behind my CDs and DVDs as the shelves are wide. Periodically I will convert some stuff to DVD but in reality if I want to watch something that I taped _I'll just play the tape_.

One thing in their favour - they last - contrary to what aircobra19 asserts. 

I have some tapes of programmes recorded in the early 1980s and they still play fine.

I have DVD-Rs of films I recorded a few months ago and a couple of them don't play.

The last thing I will do is dump them as I do not consider recordable DVDs a 100% reliable format.


----------



## june (8 Nov 2008)

Donate them to a homeless shelter or similiar ?


----------



## aircobra19 (8 Nov 2008)

Mind all started having problems, especially the ones I watched the most. Same with my Audio casettes. They'll obviously last longer if you look after them and don't play them that much.


----------



## Mumha (10 Nov 2008)

If you are thinking of getting a Video/DVD Recorder Combi, do NOT get a FUNAI (from Argos). They are a heap of rubbish. The one I had broke down after 13 months (outside the warranty), and I subsequently found that this is a common Funai Combi issue.

I took the plunge again but this time with a Phillips combi and it seems to be fine.


----------

