I'm a newbie; so, please keep your answers fairly simple. 1) I want to convert short VHS videos (3-5 minutes) to a format that can be downloaded from the Web. Which format (eg., MPEG) is the best as far as picture and sound quality, file size, etc.? 2) What do I need to convert them (hardware and software)? How do I find out which is the best equipment- is there a magazine or a Website that rates the equipment? 3) Without sacrificing quality or sync, how much disk space would a 5 minute video (with sound) use? I have a Pentium II 400 Mhz computer, with Windows 98SE, 320 Megs of RAM, and 30 Gigs of disk space free. I don't need anything that does special effects. I just need something that does a straight copy from VHS to PC to Web.
You might need a video capture card with either rca (3 or 2) or s-video inputs. The card's software will determine the quality and size. Mpeg-1 (vcd) is usable and small. avi-Divx is better quality but not huge. 5 minutes in mpeg-2 is less than 1 gig. 5 minutes in avi-divx may be about 10 megs.
Thanks! Is there a place (Website or magazine) where they rate the video capture cards and software? I have read a lot about dropped frames, deterioration, incompatibility, etc. I want to be sure to buy a good product.
