I am going to be transfering many VHS tapes I have of old home movies over to DVD format. We have about 20-30 tapes. Now I have been given a budget to get some hardware to perform this task. About 400-500 bucks. I want to keep it around 400 if possible. So my question is this: What do you guys think the best route would be to accomplish this? Here are my 3 current options (that I have come up with) 1) Get a VHS to DVD standalone unit (Circuit City has a sony unit $400 on sale for $330) and get raw movie footage from the tapes that I can then rip, edit and reauthor on my PC (downside being dvds wasted on raw footage xfer and extra time, as I would have to dup on that unit, and then rip and edit, etc...) 2) Get an ATI all-in-wonder and use that to rip to my PC and then edit the footage I capture through there 3) Get some other 3rd party encoding hardware for the PC and use that (I don't know if I would then need a video card to do the encoding work as well???? but I have an nVidia 6800GT) so if you guys could give me some advice, I want to get the hardware this week so I can get started on this project Thanks!
I wish someone would give some advice I have the some of the same questions. I have considered the ATI all in wonder or one of the dazzle units. I have read on some other links that users were having alot of problems with Studio 9&10. What software works best? Some advice would be great! Thanks!
OK noobs.First of all your wasting your time if your going to by a stand alone play with a dvd recorder.My friend bought a stand alone DVD recoder from panasonic a DMR-ES30V the things such a peice of crap it will only burn home videos and my rush tapes because they don't have macro protection on them.So either I had to go online to search for a device to bypass the protection or look elsewhere.First of all your video card needs to support VIVO video in video out and have NOTHING in the manual in regards of copying a comercial VHS.I have a nvidia pci-e card and it only supports video out to a TV.Also if you go to store and you see a composite box to convert VHS to DVD read the package, most likely it will say that it will not copy comercial VHS.So your best bet is a video card with VIVO capabilities or a TV tuner card with a S-video connection.Your lucky that I'm giving you advice because nobody else in here never gave me credit for helping them out.So this is my last time posting on this issue.So make sure you read it and if you can't figure it out from there then you really need some help.First of all before you drop 400 dollars you bet make sure that you getting what you paid for.I went to compUSA and bought a tv tuner that you can hook up a vcr to.I only cost me $40 dollars and it makes up for what the $300 dollar dvd recorder couldn't do.It was called a norwood micro tv tuner card from compUSA.I ask an employee if it would copy VHS tapes. We opened the package and it supported that feature and it said nothing on about running into copy protetion from a comercial VHS.So i got it and it kicks ass for the price and the features.All I did was install the card hook up a s-video and and a mini-plug with two male RCA plugs to plug in the back of the VHS play and record the whole movie whith the program that came with it as one AVI file and bun with nero vision with create you on DVD option and import the file.Create a menu with a pic and add chapters if needed and burn.It's that easy when you got the right stuff don't make it to hard.
Wow could you be more of an arrogant ass??? Your comments are totally worthless. Did you even read my post?? I am looking to transfer VHS tapes of old home movies, not copy commercial VHS tapes over to DVD. So copy protection is no issue for me. Thanks for wasting your time posting all about it though. I am no noob, I am actually a 6+ year computer programmer. Just because I don't deal with video/audio editing all day doesnt mean I know nothing about it. Thanks for making this your "last post" on the subject.. because I really wouldn't want to hear anything else from you.... And you wonder why no one gives you any credit? Maybe you should be a little more considerate when you post. You could have simply not posted and that would have been all the better... so if anyone has any information that relates to what my actual questions were, I would be more than happy to hear it. I am sure not all people on this forum are as obnoxious and arrogant as peanuts2 Thanks!
Wow ! I too am looking for help in this area. I have alot of old (5-17 year old) VHS tapes I want to copy to DVD. Don't necessarily need to edit them, mainly to save for future viewing and getting rid of all my old VHS tapes. How are the DVD/VHS combo units ? AM I better off somehow saving them to my PC and then burning ? I know it takes alot of hard drive space and time etc.. Thanks !
it depends on what is worth more, 300 dollars or 10+ hours transfering, capturing, editing, rendering, and finally burning doesnt sound like your into that, so go with a standalone vhs+dvd converter/player and do it that way best of luck
well after I get the raw footage off the tapes, I do plan on editing them. I have software to do that and I am pretty familiar with how to get all the editing done. I also have software for DVD menus and creating the correct file structure for the DVD. Basically I am wondering which will produce the best xfer quality??
yeah I am kind of an bumhole if it's a home video go to the store a buy the device a read the manual first hook it up or put the vhs tape in and burn to disc what so hard about that? I'm sure a programmer can do that yet along a 12 year old.No copy protection on your home video so it's not rocket science there klienman.
peanuts2, I really don't need your input, as you provide nothing at all of any value. I am sure you have provided no help at all to anyone EVER, which is why no one ever thanks you for the diarrhea that spews from your mouth. Really? No copy protection on my home videos???? you don't say!!!!! wow that is just amazing.. thanks for letting me know that!!!! I would never have guessed! shiroh, I will check out that app for denoising. thanks
burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrned, haha these forums arent for showing off how much more you know than everyone else, you can show your knowledge by providing helpful comments
I ended up purchasing a canopus ADVC-300 today http://www.canopus.com/products/ADVC300/index.php it has gotten good reviews, and seems to do exactly what I am looking to get out of it. Got it for $405 USD shipped.
So how would someone backup an old copy protected vhs tape? I can capture to avi but a 2hr movie is what 120g? What would the options be there? I wish shrink could capture.
Would a video stabilizer between my tape deck and my capture device work or will it still see it as copy protected?
After all this I would still like to know what other people use to convert home videos or any other videos to DVD. I would like advice on hardware as well as software. Please supply some info!
you know you dont have to capture in avi, you can cap in mpeg 2 with a variable bit rate or wmv with a bit rate of maybe 2000 kb avi isnt the only option
I'm not sure I can be of much help but I'm in a similar situation. I have a fansite and I wanted to be able to get copies of this guys TV appearances on there. So I bought a dvd recorder. I don't have s-video out on my vcr so I use a different kind of wire (sorry I'm not techy and have no idea what it's called). The quality at which the shows burned to DVD was terrible and by the time I'd got it onto the computer it was even worse. I gave up after that because I didn't have anymore money to throw at it. However I would like to know the best way to do this, for future reference.
