Researching for VHS digitizing setup. Soliciting feedback, recommendations.

[avurgesser]

Wanting to set-up a VHS capture system for family. Goal is to archive old VHS tapes. The highlight of the collection being original release Star Wars. Target budget (can move if required): $300 USD minus host computer and VCR. I am waiting for technical details of the already owned "very good" VCR.

My research suggests the optimal solution would be a used ATI All In Wonder card running MMC 9.02 on Windows XP with a TBC (AVT-8710 or TBC-1000). Is there a better value solution?

Assuming that is the best value solution, I have some questions:
Any reason to run 64 bit Windows XP for this? I remember XP32 having fewer issues (though it has been half a decade since I last used XP)

• Is there a preferred Wonder card model? AGP would be harder to source a system for.
• Advantages disadvantages between the AVT-8710 and TBC-1000?
• Is there anything I should ensure is included (or independently source) with a used AIW card?
• The guides call for a beefy processor but lack context. Will a Pentium D820 (2x2.8 Ghz) be sufficient or should I aim for more (clock or cores)?
• Capture disk speed: how fast should it be? will 5400 RPM hard drive be good enough, should I capture to SSD?
• I assume MMC 9.02 is preferred because it is the newest version the guide claims as more stable. Arguments to the contrary?

Thank you for any help you can provide.

[usually_quiet]

Did you solicit advice at the digitalfaq.com forum? A few members there know the AIW cards quite well.

[orsetto]

Regarding the original version Star Wars films: I would skip attempting to digitize those from VHS in favor of tracking down the studio DVD versions released about ten years ago. The picture quality of those DVDs is as good as we're going to get until George Lucas drops dead or Disney/Fox decides to over-rule his pigheadedness and restore them for BluRay. SW, Empire and Jedi were released in dual-dvd sets where one disc has the abominable computer-retouched versions and the "bonus" disc contains the original unadulterated versions. Naturally, Lucas behaved like a punk and made sure the originals were letterboxed (not anamorphic) and not restored in the slightest. These dvds don't look great on a 50" LCD, but they're tolerable if you don't zoom in, and better than what you could manage digitizing the old letterboxed VHS set yourself. (The tapes were polluted with MacroVision, getting thru that entails another PQ penalty beyond the low res VHS letterboxing).

The DVDs you want are the "Limited Edition" versions: $49 new each on Amazon, perhaps half that or less if you shop carefully on eBay.

Example here.

If for some reason you wanted 4:3 pan-and-scan format instead of widescreen, those are also available, usually much cheaper: check the package or listing notes carefully (the dvd boxes look identical).

[Brad]

The 2006 bonus discs were letterboxed even in the "fullscreen" set, to make the laziness even more obvious.