Best way to preserve VHS tapes?

[old_tv_nut]

I have not seen an affordable computer video transfer setup that gives good motion rendition, but maybe there are some lately. The problem I have seen with the software MPEG encoders is that motion beyond a certain speed is not tracked properly and multiple images result.

The best results I have had have been using a dual VCR/DVD recorder deck. Simple one-button operation. The resulting DVD then can be copied to your hard drive if you want to do that, or copies can be made.

Whatever you do for transfer to digital form, do not discard the originals. The life of digital media and the long-term availability of compatible hardware are not assured things.