Sony Click to DVD, vhs-dv camera to computer. Better way?

[ochsfamily]

Let me start with my system. Sony VAIO, 2.4 ghz, 512 ddr ram, 80 gig. XP Home. Right now Im just using the software it came with. Which to capture I have been using DVgate 2.6. I have only had this for 1 week. So im very new to this dvd burning.

I have a Panasonic DV701 Camcorder. I have successfully captured video taken from this camera on a DV tape into the computer via ilink. Using Click to DVD it captured and burned the DVD. I was happy with the results. Played nicely on the TV.

Now I want to take some VHS tapes: Home Movies, TV shows I have recorded..etc. I have hooked the VCR to the DV camera to the computer and captured to avi using the DVgate. I have not burned it yet, but as I watch it on the computer.. it appears darker? I wasnt impressed with the quality. Maybe this is what it should look like, maybe my expectations were not realistic. Maybe there is a better way or Im missing something.

Help?

[whitenoise]

Hi I'm not an expert user, so don't take everything I say as gospel.

Is the .AVI file being compressed? You should be capturing in DVAVI. I use a program called DVIO, (available on this site), it is free & simple to use, (there is no preview screen though).

Once captured you can play around and compress to size the file, (I use TMPGEnc). I have completed several vhs captures like this and I am very happy with the quality.

I also seem to remember reading that the darker picture may be a result of capturing interlaced video, (and the way pc monitors show it?). If you are wanting to use the file on your pc use TMPGEnc to de-interlace the video. If you want to output the file to dvd or back to vhs then you should find that it is back to normal, once viewed on a normal tv.

Like I said, don't shoot me if this isn't 100% correct.