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  1. Member ZuTheSkunk's Avatar
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    Hi all. I am completely new to this, so any advice is greatly appreciated. I'll try to provide as much information as possible, with some photos too.

    I am on Win7 (64bit) and I want to capture a VHS to store on my PC. The program I got is Honestech VHS to DVD 2.5, but I also got 4.0. At this very moment, what I want to capture are the following movies:

    The Polar Express (Mostly as a test of whether this works)
    The Legend of the North Wind (The primary video I want to preserve)

    Here's the VCR I have:
    Front, Back

    Here are the cables I got for all this:
    http://imageshack.com/a/img823/1558/zv2sz.jpg

    Close-up of the input-output thingy:
    http://sklepwideo.pl/images/przejsciowka_scart_rca.jpg

    And here's where I plugged in the USB:
    http://imageshack.com/a/img853/9761/pha8.jpg

    The problem I have is that no matter what I do, the PC just doesn't seem to detect VCR being plugged in. Anyone has an idea what am I doing wrong?
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  2. Formerly 'vaporeon800' Brad's Avatar
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    Why not skip the SCART adapter and connect directly to the RCA outputs on the back of the VCR combo unit?
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  3. Member ZuTheSkunk's Avatar
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    I tried that. Neither using the adapter nor directly connecting RCA seems to make the computer detect the VCR.
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  4. Member DB83's Avatar
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    The capture device. Did that come with the 2.5 version of honestech or 4.0 ?

    It looks to me to come from neither. You need to install drivers for that device for the software to 'see' the device.
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  5. Member ZuTheSkunk's Avatar
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    The version I bought was 2.5. I also decided to get 4.0 version of the program just to see if it would detect the VCR.

    You mean that I should install drivers for it in addition to installing the program?
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  6. Member DB83's Avatar
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    So that usb dongle did NOT come with either of the softwares ?

    Of course you must install drivers for that. I thought Honestech came with a usb device. I am clearly wrong.
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  7. Member ZuTheSkunk's Avatar
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    Let me clarify. Here's what I bought: http://images.ges.cz/images/pictures/8/8804186.jpg

    The box contained a CD with Honestech VHS to DVD 2.5 and the cable that apparently was made by Digitus, but no mention of any drivers.

    I just found the driver on the Internet, will tell later if it works.
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  8. Member DB83's Avatar
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    Well that looks nothing like the earlier photos you posted.

    There MUST be drivers on that CD. Read the installation instructions. Find, and install those and not some random ones you find on the net.

    Honestech is just the capture software. That works with the device through its drivers.
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  9. Member ZuTheSkunk's Avatar
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    I just checked and there indeed was a driver on the CD... I feel dumb now.

    VCR is now being properly detected, and everything seems to work. Thank you very much for help! I will post later if there are any more problems.
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  10. Member ZuTheSkunk's Avatar
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    I am back, and I'm having a new problem.

    I already managed to convert a few videos more or less without problems. I got to the Legend of the North Wind VHS, the one I wanted to convert in the first place (I had to order a different one since that one from the photos was something else entirely, long story), but for some reason the recording program chokes up on it and doesn't even register it as playing. The VCR plays it fine on TV, and other cassettes I have are detected in the program without problem. What's going on? Is this some kind of protection?
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  11. Member DB83's Avatar
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    The tape possibly has macrovision protection.

    The capture display tends to indicate that with a picture that goes from light to dark. But some capture devices/software see the signal and simply refuse to even attempt a capture.

    No issues with a tv since this is analogue. The issues only become apparent in the digital realm.

    To capture a macrovision protected signal you need a full-frame time-base corrector between the VCR and your capture device.
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  12. Member ZuTheSkunk's Avatar
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    Whoa boy. Looks like I will have to do another expensive purchase. Oh well.

    Thank you very much for the information.
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  13. Member DB83's Avatar
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    Before you make that purchase, there is one other possibility.

    Check the VHS box cover. You may have a NTSC tape - I did a quick Google for that title and there is a NTSC VHS out there. Again, that will play perfectly on PAL machines in to a PAL tv but will not capture with basic capture devices.

    Read the forum for devices that will capture PAL60. One that is recommended by one member here is a Hauppuage. Much cheaper than a TBC. The problem is that you could still run in to macrovision issues with certain tapes.
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  14. Member hech54's Avatar
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    I've never come across Macrovision issues here in PAL World(via SCART). I would just check all of the software settings before giving up or buying anything else. Also make sure the tape you bought is not NTSC/North American.
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  15. Member DB83's Avatar
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    There are plenty of mv protected PAL tapes out there. I am looking at one "Under Milk Wood - Universal" right now. And Disney have a shed load.

    Scart will not fix that. But some devices - hauppuage are one - that ignore mv. So that may be why you have never seen it.

    But I, on reflection, do believe that the OP has a NTSC tape here.
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  16. Member ZuTheSkunk's Avatar
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    I don't know whether this is NTSC or not (I don't even know how to check that), but I got this VHS by ordering it from USA (I'm in Europe), so I presume it's NTSC. I can show a photo if it helps any: http://imageshack.com/a/img538/4990/44TDFB.jpg

    Either way, changing the setting of the capturing program from PAL to NTSC didn't do anything, it still chokes up on the VHS in just the same way.

    Originally Posted by DB83 View Post
    Read the forum for devices that will capture PAL60. One that is recommended by one member here is a Hauppuage. Much cheaper than a TBC. The problem is that you could still run in to macrovision issues with certain tapes.
    Do you mean something like this? {link} If yes, then it doesn't seem that much cheaper than a TBC, assuming that I would be getting this one: {link} (I would appreciate a recommendation if you think something else would be better; I could also buy this one, but it's almost 40$ more expensive: {link})
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  17. Member hech54's Avatar
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    Have you been able to see or capture ANYTHING via this device?
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  18. Member ZuTheSkunk's Avatar
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    Yes, I have many other VHS cassettes and only this one has this kind of a problem. And I already captured a few and were able to burn them on DVDs.
    Last edited by ZuTheSkunk; 29th Jul 2014 at 14:43.
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    Originally Posted by DB83 View Post
    t. But some devices - hauppuage are one - that ignore mv. So that may be why you have never seen it.
    That depends on the Hauppauge device. Hauppauge's USB Live 2 (hech54 has one) is supposed to be adversely affected by Macrovision, but some of their older products such as the WinTV PVR-250 aren't.

    [Edit] I think hech54 may be trying to find out if the Digitus Video Grabber might have a problem capturing a PAL60 signal, which is produced when an NTSC tape is played by a PAL VCR. If PAL60 is a problem, a TBC won't correct it.

    Only some capture devices can record a PAL 60 signal. As it happens, Hauppauge's USB Live 2 is one that can record PAL60. I don't know if any devices in the Hauppauge HD-PVR series can deal with a PAL60 signal.
    Last edited by usually_quiet; 29th Jul 2014 at 14:55.
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  20. Member DB83's Avatar
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    Well, you can be pretty certain that a tape bought from the USA will be NTSC
    Would have been good to know that before one started double-guessing.

    Just to back up what u_q has stated, only the usb-live from Hauppuage is the currently available device that can deal with Pal60. I have a quite old PCI card WinTV Express that can do it as well plus it can also deal with mv.

    If you are desperate to get that on to dvd - I assume it is not available on commercial dvd which really would be a cheaper option - the hauppuage would set you back about £50.
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  21. Member hech54's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by DB83 View Post
    If you are desperate to get that on to dvd - I assume it is not available on commercial dvd which really would be a cheaper option - the hauppuage would set you back about £50.
    ....and it's still not "easy" to get PAL60 to work with the USBLive2. I've only found the one software (a certain version of WinTV), and you need to dig a little into WinTV's settings. Basically you need to wipe out your channels/input devices and and reset WinTV to PAL60 via channel setup. If you need to go back tho straight PAL....you need to again delete the channels/inputs and reset to normal PAL.
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