Watch Video Tapes – You’ve just stumbled upon a dusty cardboard box labelled “Home Movies” and curiosity has gotten the better of you, you want to watch video tapes but don’t have a player. After asking your dad about it, you quickly realize that your family’s old VHS tapes are tucked away inside. You’re hit with a wave of nostalgia as you flip through the tapes, each one meticulously labelled, featuring everything from your 7th grade battle of the bands performance to your sister’s ballet recital to the whole family vacation to the Lake District and more. It’s a treasure trove of memories.
But, as you dig through the box, you quickly realize that there’s no VCR in sight. And even if you wanted to, you wouldn’t know where to find one since they are rare these days. So, how can you relive these cherished moments without a VCR? Here are four ways to watch your old VHS tapes without one.
1. Find a VHS Player to Watch Video Tapes
The first and most obvious option is to try to find a VHS player. You can search for one in flea markets, yard sales or ask store employees if they have any working VCRs in the stock room. If you’re lucky, you may be able to find a DVD player/VCR combo since those are newer. Once you get your hands on a VCR player, you’ll need RCA cables to connect it to your TV. If your TV doesn’t have RCA video input, you’ll need an adapter for use.
2. Find an Old TV with a Built-in VCR
Another option is to search for an old TV with a VCR built-in. Although these TVs may be 30 years old at this point, they’re worth looking for if you want to watch old, cherished family memories. You may be able to find one at a flea market or a garage sale, and the sellers will likely be happy to get rid of it.
3. HDMI Converter Box
An HDMI converter box is another solution to watch video tapes without a VCR. This box connects to your VCR and TV for VHS video playback. This analogue to digital converter allows videotapes to be played on digital video devices. This means you can play your cassette tapes on your TV or computer.
4. Get Your VHS Tapes Digitised
The easiest way to watch VHS tapes without a VCR is to get them converted to digital. You can use digitisation services to do the heavy lifting and send you a USB stick with all of your precious home videos as digital files. This will allow you to watch on your computer and save backups to your hard drive for easy access.
Digitise with Supaphoto and Watch Video Tapes
Supaphoto offers a comprehensive digitisation service that can help you relive your glory days while preserving the past, allowing you to watch video tapes without a video player machine. All you need to do is pack your old VHS tapes into a well-sealed box and send them our way. More information here.
Once received, our team of professional digitisers will get to work converting your old VHS tapes into digital formats while providing personalized updates along the process. In just a couple of weeks, you’ll receive all your old tapes back along with shiny new digital formats, including cloud download, thumb drive, or DVDs.
Instead of tackling this yourself, let Supaphoto take care of everything for you. Our economical tape transfer offer can help you preserve those precious memories before they fade away. With our service, you won’t have to worry about finding a VCR or an old TV with a built-in VCR. You can sit back, relax and enjoy watching your old home videos with family and friends.
