If you have shelves packed with DVDs and Blu-rays or boxes full of VHS tapes, CDs, cassette tapes, and records, you probably have a collection worth protecting.
For some collectors, it is a favorite movie or album that is no longer easy to find. For others, the most valuable items are home videos, old recordings, or family memories that could never be replaced.
Streaming has made entertainment easier to access, but it has also made availability less predictable. A recent Cord Cutters News survey found only 33.9% of cord cutters still use physical media such as DVDs and Blu-rays, showing just how much home entertainment has shifted toward streaming.
Over the years, retailers have pulled back, too. Target announced plans to stop selling most DVDs in 2024, following Best Buy’s decision to leave the DVD and Blu-ray business. Back in April, Disney eliminated the team responsible for managing its DVD and Blu-ray sales.
For collectors, those changes make preserving the media already sitting on the shelf even more appealing.
Recently, we put together 8 digital converters that can turn old discs and tapes into a personal streaming library. Another guide to rescuing physical media and turning it into Netflix-like streaming looked at ways to move aging VHS tapes and other recordings onto modern devices.
As Amazon Prime Big Deal Days comes to an end, there are several tools for preserving a physical collection that are currently discounted.
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Start With CDs and DVDs
Newer laptops are increasingly built without optical drives, leaving people with stacks of CDs and DVDs but no convenient way to use them.
Rioddas External CD/DVD Drive — $17.76
Many newer laptops don’t have a built-in disc drive, but a cheap external model can bring an old CD or DVD collection back into regular use.
The Rioddas connects through USB 3.0, draws power directly from the computer, and can both read and write CDs and DVDs. It supports speeds of up to 24x for CDs and 8x for DVDs.
For collectors, it can be used to transfer music from CDs, access archived files on DVDs, or burn compatible discs for personal use. Its compact design also makes it easy to stash away when you’re done. Keep in mind: It does not support Blu-ray or 4K discs.
Blu-ray Collectors Need More Than a DVD Drive
Dainty External Blu-ray Drive — $71.99
If your collection includes Blu-rays, you’ll need a drive capable of handling them.
The Dainty external drive connects through USB 3.0 and includes USB-C connectivity, making it a practical option for newer laptops. It can read and write supported Blu-ray, DVD and CD formats, with maximum speeds of 6x for Blu-ray, 8x for DVD and 24x for CD.
It also includes an additional USB power cable designed to help provide a steadier connection during reading and burning.
Blu-ray playback and writing require compatible software, which is not included with the drive.
For collectors who still rely on discs, the hardware is becoming more useful as optical drives disappear from computers. We recently looked at a new Sony Blu-ray and DVD player designed to bring older DVD collections to modern 4K TVs.
Give Old Cassette Tapes a Digital Life
SEMIER Small Cassette Tape Player and Converter — $29.59
A box of cassette tapes can contain much more than old music. You might have a homemade mixtape, a recording of a local performance, or audio recorded by a family member years ago.
The SEMIER player can convert cassette audio into MP3 files, either directly to its included 16GB SD card or through USB using the included Audacity software.
It also works as a conventional cassette player, includes a built-in speaker and headphone jack, and can run from USB-C or four AA batteries. Keep in mind: It does not support Type IV or metal tapes.
For someone with a collection sitting untouched in storage, this gives those tapes a way onto a computer or other modern device while you still keep the originals.
VHS Tapes May Be the Most Urgent
VHS is one format where preservation can become a race against time. Old tapes can deteriorate, while working VCRs are becoming harder to find. A tape sitting in a closet isn’t especially useful if there is eventually no working equipment available to play it.
Cord Cutters News recently covered a video-to-digital converter designed to help preserve old physical media, while our VHS preservation guide looked at the problem from the perspective of aging home videos and tape collections.
Several Amazon deals give collectors different ways to tackle the job.
DigitPro USB 2.0 Video Capture — $14.39
At $14.39, this is the least expensive option in the roundup and could be a good starting point for someone who wants to experiment with transferring older video.
VIXLW Video to Digital Converter — $23.08
The VIXLW drops to $23.08, making it another affordable way to start working through a box of VHS recordings.
DigitPro VHS to Digital Converter — $79.03
For a larger collection, a dedicated VHS-to-digital device may make more sense than starting with the cheapest capture hardware.
The DigitPro model drops to $79.03, giving anyone with a stack of old tapes a more substantial option for working through the collection over time.
Portta VHS to Digital Converter With 128GB USB Drive — $109.99
Clariviews VHS to DVD Recorder & Digital Converter — $159.99
For collectors who prefer a more traditional preservation setup, the Clariviews VHS-to-DVD recording with digital conversion.
It costs more than the basic capture options, but it provides another route for preserving older recordings while creating copies that are easier to access on modern equipment.
Turn Vinyl Into Portable Digital Music
Vinyl remains popular with collectors, but records aren’t exactly convenient to take everywhere.
Digitizing favorite albums lets you keep the original records safely stored while carrying digital versions for listening on a computer or other compatible device.
FEKTIK 7-in-1 Turntable — $69.99
The FEKTIK supports 33 1/3, 45, and 78 RPM records and includes Bluetooth, built-in speakers, RCA outputs, and headphone connectivity.
The feature collectors should pay closest attention to is its ability to record vinyl directly to USB or an SD card. You can preserve a digital version of a favorite album while keeping the original LP protected.
It also works as an all-in-one music system for everyday listening.
DIGITNOW Bluetooth Record Player — $109.99
For collectors whose shelves span multiple generations of music formats, the DIGITNOW takes an all-in-one approach.
It combines a turntable, CD player, cassette deck, Bluetooth connectivity, AM/FM radio, and detachable stereo speakers. It can also record vinyl directly to USB or an SD card.
Instead of buying separate equipment for records, cassettes and CDs, this puts several formats in one machine while giving you a way to create digital copies of your vinyl.
You’ll Need Somewhere to Store It All
Digitizing a collection solves one problem, but can create another as digital files need somewhere to live.
Video files can consume a surprising amount of storage, especially when you’re working through years of home movies. Amazon is also discounting flash drives, SSDs, hard drives and other storage during Prime Big Deal Days, so this is a good opportunity to pick up storage alongside a converter.
For the recordings or files you absolutely cannot replace, consider keeping a second copy on another drive. A digitized family video isn’t much safer if only one copy exists and the drive holding it eventually fails.
Start with the material you’d have the hardest time replacing. A box of family VHS tapes might deserve priority over a stack of DVDs you can still find online. A rare concert recording on cassette may be worth preserving before the tape or the hardware needed to play it fails.
The originals can stay on the shelf. Digital copies simply give your collection another way to live, making older movies, music, and memories easier to access on modern devices.
Prime Big Deal Days ends today, October 7, so these discounts may not stick around after the sale.
Not an Amazon Prime member? Try Amazon Prime today.
Shop More Cord Cutting & Tech Deals
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days has laptops covering nearly every budget, but some deals stand out more than others. With Prime-only pricing and limited-time discounts in the mix, it’s worth checking the current price before adding one to your cart.
Don’t miss our picks of the best deals for Cord Cutters, featuring the latest markdowns on laptops, streaming gear, and accessories. Find massive savings with the latest MacBook discounts, video game consoles, promotions on streaming services, and much more.
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