Roxio Easy VHS to DVD

If you still keep an archive of ageing VHS tapes, then Roxio Easy VHS to DVD is a simple means to give your old films a new lease of life.

In the box comes a small USB dongle equipped with connectors for composite or S-video inputs, while the bundled software takes you through the process step by step.

The software gives you the option of either capturing directly from a camcorder (or similar device) or Plug and Burn direct from a VHS player. You even have the option to digitise old LPs and audio cassettes.

Once you have connected your devices to the USB dongle, you are greeted with a preview window and various options to adjust the settings such as picture adjustment, quality and length of your captured video.

Choosing the Plug and Burn route worked in much the same way, but added the choice of setting up a DVD menu layout. Surprisingly, the included presets were worth using, easy to set up and looked good when used in a finished video.

However, we did experience a few problems. On one occasion, despite the input signal being recognised and the preview window returning an accurate picture, we kept receiving a message saying ‘unknown capture error’.

Another time we were rewarded with a jerky picture and unsynchronised audio. A further attempt using the S-video connection meant no preview of the video appeared, despite audio coming through fine.

After several attempts and a return to using a composite connector, we readjusted the video format and output quality and managed to capture a passable result, but it wasn’t a case of just plugging in and burning, which is what the software is trying to achieve.

A handy menu-writing system and the addition of LP and audio cassette conversion make this good value for money. Just be warned that you may need to spare some time getting to know the software and checking that the connectors remain in place.