Digitizing VHS tapes yourself
The cheapest capture device with a price at its maker's store is the Hauppauge USB-Live2 at $49.90, and the software to record with it can be free. From three two-hour tapes that costs less than the cheapest service charges, if you already have a working VCR and a computer. The cost is time: capture runs while the tape plays, so ten two-hour tapes take twenty hours at the VCR.
Capture devices
| Device | Price | Records | Needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hauppauge USB-Live2 | $49.90 | 720x480 (NTSC) from S-Video or composite, saved as MPEG-2 | A Windows PC (11, 10, 8 or 7) with a USB port |
| Elgato Video Capture | $89.99 sold out | 640×480, saved as H.264 at 1.4 Mbit/s | A Mac or PC with Elgato's free capture software |
| ClearClick Video2Digital Converter 3.0 | $209.95 | Straight to a USB flash drive or microSD card, with no computer | A USB flash drive or microSD card of 512 GB or less, not included |
Prices at each maker's own store on 28 October 2026, before tax and shipping. A device without a price there isn't listed.
Hauppauge USB-Live2 at Hauppauge's store
Software
- OBS Studio: Free and open-source recording software for Windows 10 and 11 and macOS 13 or newer; records from any capture device.
- HandBrake: Free and open-source converter for Windows, Mac and Linux, for shrinking captures into smaller files.
For keeping the best possible copy, the Library of Congress counts FFV1 video in a Matroska (.mkv) file among its preferred formats for preservation. FFV1 is lossless: nothing is thrown away when the tape is captured.
Time and space
- Time: the tape plays at normal speed while it's captured, so 3 hours of tape take 3 hours.
- Space: at Elgato's 1.4 Mbit/s, an hour of tape takes about 0.63 GB, video alone. Higher-quality settings take more.
When a device costs less than a service
| Two-hour tapes | Cheapest service | Its total | Hauppauge USB-Live2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southtree | $39.99 | $49.90 |
| 2 | Southtree | $39.99 | $49.90 |
| 3 | Southtree | $57.98 | $49.90 |
| 5 | Southtree | $84.99 | $49.90 |
| 10 | Southtree | $169.99 | $49.90 |
| 20 | Southtree | $329.99 | $49.90 |
The cheapest service with every charge published, at regular prices, against the device alone. Not counted: a VCR if you don't have one, cables, and your time. Services' totals for any number of tapes: the calculator.
After capture, the picture is what the tape holds. Making it sharper and cleaner is a separate step: what restoration costs.
Quick answers
What do I need to digitize VHS tapes at home?
A working VCR, a capture device that takes its composite or S-Video output (from $49.90, Hauppauge USB-Live2), a computer, and recording software such as OBS Studio, which is free. A standalone recorder such as the ClearClick Video2Digital Converter 3.0 skips the computer and records to a USB stick.
How long does it take to digitize a VHS tape yourself?
As long as the tape plays: 3 hours of tape take 3 hours, plus setting up and naming the files.
Is it cheaper to digitize VHS yourself than to use a service?
In money, from three tapes, if you have a VCR and a computer: the Hauppauge USB-Live2 costs $49.90, and the cheapest service charges $57.98 for three two-hour tapes. A service also saves you the hours at the VCR.
The makers' own words
"Buy Now USB-Live2 video capture Part number 610 $49.90"
hauppauge.com/pages/webstore2/webstore_usblive2.html, read October 28, 2026
"Video digitizer: 720x480 for NTSC, 720x576 for PAL video sources Video source: S-Video or composite video Audio input: left and right stereo audio 50cm USB cable Video capture format: MPEG-2"
hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_usblive2.html, read October 28, 2026
"Microsoft® Windows® 11, 10, 8, 7 USB 2.0 or 3.0 port"
hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_usblive2.html, read October 28, 2026
"Sold Out $89.99 Add to cart"
elgato.com/us/en/p/video-capture, read October 28, 2026
"VIDEO RESOLUTION 640×480 (4:3) or 640×360 (16:9) VIDEO FORMAT MAC SOTWARE H.264 at 1.4 MBit/sec or MPEG-4 at 2.4 MBit/se VIDEO FORMAT FOR PC SOFTWARE H.264 at 1.4 MBit/se"
elgato.com/us/en/p/video-capture, read October 28, 2026
"Default Title - $ 209.95 USD"
clearclick.com/products/video2digital-converter-3-0-third-generation-record-video-audio-from-vcrs-vhs-av-rca-hi8-camcorder-dvd-turntables-cassette-tapes, read October 28, 2026
"(No computer is required to capture your videos and/or audio!)"
clearclick.com/products/video2digital-converter-3-0-third-generation-record-video-audio-from-vcrs-vhs-av-rca-hi8-camcorder-dvd-turntables-cassette-tapes, read October 28, 2026
"Plug in a USB flash drive or MicroSD card into the converter. (Not included, 512GB or less)"
clearclick.com/products/video2digital-converter-3-0-third-generation-record-video-audio-from-vcrs-vhs-av-rca-hi8-camcorder-dvd-turntables-cassette-tapes, read October 28, 2026
"Free and open source software for video recording and live streaming."
obsproject.com, read October 28, 2026
"Windows Supports Windows 10 and Windows 11 macOS Supports macOS 13.0 or newer"
obsproject.com, read October 28, 2026
"Free and Open Source Multi-Platform (Windows, Mac and Linux)"
handbrake.fr, read October 28, 2026
"It has to go the entire length of the film at real-time playback speed. This means 3 hours of VHS videos will take 3 hours to convert to digital copies."
legacybox.com/blogs/analog/how-long-would-it-take-to-digitize-your-own-vhs-tapes, read October 28, 2026
"FFV1 is a lossless intra-frame video codec developed by the FFmpeg project."
blogs.loc.gov/thesignal/2023/12/embracing-ffv1-matroska-container-preferred/, read October 28, 2026
"the Library of Congress decided to upgrade FFV1 (version 3) in Matroska (.mkv) container from an “Acceptable Format” to one of five “Preferred Formats” for the preservation and long-term access of video materials"
blogs.loc.gov/thesignal/2023/12/embracing-ffv1-matroska-container-preferred/, read October 28, 2026
Prices checked against each service's own pages on .