VHS to PC Capturing Devises

[tarzan54]

What does everyone think of these devises to capture VHS to PC to burn to a DVD, http://www.amazon.com/Blackmagic-Design-Intensity-Shuttle-BINTSSHU/dp/B003WSQTWU/ref=c...cr_dp_asin_lnk

http://www.amazon.com/Elgato-10020840-Video-Capture/dp/B0029U2YSA/ref=pd_cp_e_0

http://www.amazon.com/Hauppauge-610-USB-Live-Digitizer-Capture/dp/B0036VO2BI/ref=sr_1_...ords=hauppauge

[usually_quiet]

What does everyone think of these devises to capture VHS to PC to burn to a DVD, http://www.amazon.com/Blackmagic-Design-Intensity-Shuttle-BINTSSHU/dp/B003WSQTWU/ref=c...cr_dp_asin_lnk

http://www.amazon.com/Elgato-10020840-Video-Capture/dp/B0029U2YSA/ref=pd_cp_e_0

http://www.amazon.com/Hauppauge-610-USB-Live-Digitizer-Capture/dp/B0036VO2BI/ref=sr_1_...ords=hauppauge

The Hauppauge USB Live 2 and Elgato Video Capture are the better choices in your list for VHS capture.

When recording VHS, the Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle must be used with a full frame TBC or a DVD recorder connected between it and the VCR. Here is a review for the Thunderbolt version that shows what happens when an Intensity Shuttle is used for recording VHS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk_7zBj0Q9w

[tarzan54]

Seems like the Blackmagic could be a pain to setup but it is suppose to be a good devise once you get it working, The Hauppauge USB Live 2 and Elgato Video Capture devises seem easy enough to use, What is your opinion on this devise, http://www.amazon.com/Hauppauge-1212-Definition-Personal-Recorder/dp/B0018LX0DY/ref=sr...ords=Hauppauge or maybe I would be better off looking for a PCI card.

[usually_quiet]

Seems like the Blackmagic could be a pain to setup but it is suppose to be a good devise once you get it working, The Hauppauge USB Live 2 and Elgato Video Capture devises seem easy enough to use, What is your opinion on this devise, http://www.amazon.com/Hauppauge-1212-Definition-Personal-Recorder/dp/B0018LX0DY/ref=sr...ords=Hauppauge or maybe I would be better off looking for a PCI card.

The HD-PVR 2 can be used for capturing VHS tapes, but has some drawbacks See the following https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/359883-Question-about-Hauppauge-1212-and-VHS?p=2277...=1#post2277775
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/359883-Question-about-Hauppauge-1212-and-VHS?p=2278...=1#post2278576

Either a USB capture device or PCI/PCI-e card can work. However, it doesn't make sense to buy an HD-capable capture device for VHS capture if that is all you are going to use it for. SD capture devices can work just as well if not better for VHS capture and cost less.

[tarzan54]

Great point, Think I will go with the Hauppauge Live because of the name.

[PuzZLeR]

Either a USB capture device or PCI/PCI-e card can work. However, it doesn't make sense to buy an HD-capable capture device for VHS capture if that is all you are going to use it for. SD capture devices can work just as well if not better for VHS capture and cost less.

I agree. HD devices would be overkill, at best. For just VHS capture, all you need as a capture device is just a good one for the USB port. And it seems that just because they're USB sticks, many don't take them seriously.

Do take them seriously. Good ones are the Hauppauge USB-Live2 (610), StarTech SVID2USB2, ezcap.tv (the REAL one, from the site of the same name) and the ATI USB 600. All excellent.

I feel like I'm repeating these products' names alot. I have all four (and more). Maybe I can put together some sort of comparison or guide on them? But wouldn't know where to start. Let me know if anyone's interested.

[jman98]

[QUOTE=PuzZLeR;2377226]

Maybe I can put together some sort of comparison or guide on them? But wouldn't know where to start. Let me know if anyone's interested.

It's a nice offer, but maybe it's not worth the trouble. Quality is often subjective. If you have real differences that anyone can see, like for example one device screws up the colors horribly and another doesn't, that might be worthwhile, but what I often see around here is a small number of people arguing over extremely trivial and incredibly minute problems that most people can't see at all or don't care about it. I've lost count of how many times some doofus will post 2 images of the same video capture, one done with device A and the other with device B, and the poster acts like one of them is the visual equivalent of dog poop. I'll take a look and I won't be able to tell any difference unless maybe I use a magnifying glass but the guy who posted it insists that the differences are huge and anyone can see them. Yeah right. I actually feel sorry for some of the people here because they are so focused on finding fault with videos that they've completely lost the ability to actually enjoy watching anything. So I don't see how you can get past the whole subjective issue here or avoid getting into more bs of "picture 1 is one thousandth of a percent better than picture 2, so picture 2 is completely unacceptable garbage". At this time I think we need to be realistic about VHS captures. People need to get them done before the tapes get ruined and stop worrying about perfection. Having a capture that's 90% as good than with a different device that costs 10 times as much may be OK for a lot of people. And based on posts here, a lot of the newbies who want to do VHS capture are EXTREMELY unrealistic about it. Good grief, some clown posted like in December that he had over 200 freakin' tapes that were all critical to save. Nobody, not even him, is going to watch all 200 tapes. And guys often get obsessed that they need to "save" old tapes for their wife and kids and none of those other people want to see the video again - ever. Nice offer, but I advise skipping it.

[lordsmurf]

Quality is not really as subjective as many would suggest.
Many things are flat-out video errors. There's nothing subjective about it.

[PuzZLeR]

When I compare all 4 mentioned, there's very little difference between them, and only somebody really neurotic may find reason to nag about one or the other.

As for flaws, errors, quirks, etc, among these 4, there were a few, but nothing serious. All were "random", such as color scratches with the ATI 600, white spots with the StarTech, oversharpening for the ezcap.tv (until you turn it down on the proc amp) or some softening with the USB-Live2.

However, since I capture VHS multiple times, and use median methods to negotiate the final result, (which is something I HIGHLY recommend) many such random issues are very easily resolved. In the end, neither of these would will make any real difference in my workflow.

If you really want to mention "errors", or "flaws", such items like the ATI 750 which had serious problems, or the 950Q, which had limited features for analog capture, come to mind in the definition of the terms. This is something that merits argument IMO.

Let's see if I have a little bit of time to put this together in a chart of some sort, and let the Forum decide if there's any need to stress over these. However, it's these 4 that I recommend for VHS capture.

[kasda]

Hi guys

i want to capture my vhs tapes so i am looking to buy something to do that.

In a local pc shop i found this

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lifeview-Not-Only-TV-Deluxe/dp/B0080DIBPU

and this one

http://www.amazon.com/MyGica-iGrabber-Nano-Video-Capture/dp/B005I63FWG

Its probably the same. The price is almost the same too, first one cost cca 25 euros, the 2nd one cost 30 euros.

The problem is, on my vhs player i cant connect cinch cable only scart, so i will probably have to buy this cinch-to-scart cable too

http://www.tsbohemia.cz/kabel-scart-na-3x-cinch-1-5m_d68496.html

So, i am asking you .. what do you think is this the good choice to get best possible picture quality from my old vhs tapes or not? Are those usb-capture cards a good thing, and will this cinch-to-scart cable be a problem for a video quality? or i really need to find some vhs player with cinch connectors

thanx

[TheMightyNumberNine]

Edit:

*snip*
I feel like I'm repeating these products' names alot. I have all four (and more). Maybe I can put together some sort of comparison or guide on them? But wouldn't know where to start. Let me know if anyone's interested.

[usually_quiet]

PuzZLeR made the offer to post a guide, not me.

[TheMightyNumberNine]

PuzZLeR made the offer to post a guide, not me.

Oops. Fixing now.