capture vhs tapes to pc

[glenpinn]

hi there, i originally posted a thread about the best capture method to get analog video to my pc using an internal capture card or an external capture device, and it appears that from what i have just been reading, the CANOPUS ADVC 50 would be the ideal internal method, and the ADVC 550 or 110 the best external device to get.
i prefer the external option as its portable cos i have 2 computers to run it with.
anyway, i deleted my original text cos i now know what to get from all the info i got in here, thanks everyone and if anyone wants to leave a comment about these devices, please feel free, im more than interested to hear what u say.

cheers....GLEN

[Cole]

Seeing as the ADVC-50 fits into a CD-Rom drive bay, can't it be installed into an external CD-Rom casing, thus turning it into an external?

Logically it shouldn't be a problem as this is only to give it a power source.

[Dragonsf]

The best device for VHS capture is IMHO the Canopus ADVC 300 with build-in TBC/Filters and so on. Captured more than 30 DVDs from VHS with no drop at all (counted them all).

[thecoalman]

and the ADVC 550 or 110 the best external device to get.

Keep in mind that the 110 performs the same as the better models do as far as converting. The higher end models have extra features that can be accomplished with other hardware. For example the 300 adds a line TBC & some filters, the LTBC will help in correcting horizontal sync but does little or nothing for horizontal sync. Personally instead of spending the money on the more expensive 300 I'd opt for the 110 and get a full frame TBC instead which where I live would add to a few more dollars.

[glenpinn]

hi there again.
thanks for your thoughts, i was just about to order a canopus ADVC 300 from a store in america but ive noted what u have mentioned about the 110 model. this is exactly why i wanted to ask about these devices in here cos u cant get this sort of help from the manufacturers websites.
i live in sydney aust, and my brother lives in minnesota and i was going to get him to order it (comes with free ground freight in usa) and he will ship it to me. the 110 model is about us$250 cheaper than the 300 model, so if they do the same virtually, what is this LINE TBC your talking about that i will have to get, and is it critical, by that i mean will i get similar results using either of these models, and is the extra $250 really worth the difference in cost.
also, i noticed the 110 model is firewire powered, what does this mean, i thought it would be powered by an ac adaptor with the analog and pc connected to both ends ???

the other way i have converted analog to dv is by using my dv camcorder.
i have a panasonic nv-gs70 dv camera, but it doesnt have dv passthru (not that i know of as i tried it and didnt work) otherwise i could go that option, although i have actually connected my old philips vhs camcorder to my dv camera using the s-video cable, and transfered the vhs tapes to dv tape, then transfered the dv tapes to my pc with firewire using DVIO 1.32 in uncompressed avi (13gb/hour) and from there edit/encode to dvd mpeg2 with tmpgenc 3.0 xpress, then author/burn with tmpgenc dvd author or dvd-lab pro and the finished results arent too bad. with audio still in sync.
i can get about 70min of vhs onto dvd @ 8,000 bitrate, 100 minutes @ 6,000 variable bitrate, or 130min @ 4,000 bitrate.

ill be doing a bit more research on these canopus devices now b4 i order one. if anyone has any valuable links to topics relating to these canopus devices id appreciate it.

thanks again everyone.....GLEN

[thecoalman]

the 110 model is about us$250 cheaper than the 300 model, so if they do the same virtually, what is this LINE TBC your talking about that i will have to get, and is it critical, by that i mean will i get similar results using either of these models, and is the extra $250 really worth the difference in cost.

What I posted was not to say that it isn't worth the extra money, the extra cash gives you extra features. I prefer to purchase devices seperately for the purpose they were intended. The 300 offers in addition to the analog to DV conversion a LTBC & filters basically. A LTBC only syncs a few lines at a time, a full frame TBC does just that, a full frame. This will help in correcting tapes that have vertical jitter, the ADVC isn't going to do that for you. If your tapes are in real good shape you probably don't need either. I never had the chance to compare the two side by side so I really don't want to comment further, just thought I'd mention it. You can check out the restoration forum for some more info on TBC's and other devices that will correct/enhance analog signals.

also, i noticed the 110 model is firewire powered, what does this mean, i thought it would be powered by an ac adaptor with the analog and pc connected to both ends ???

It does exactly that, you need a 6-pin firewire port on your comp and it will power it. The adapter does not come with 110. You'll only need it if your using it for something else like DV cam to VHS.

[glenpinn]

hi there again.
thanks again, if i get the 110 version, can i ask what kind of TBC should i get and how does it work, is it used in conjunction with the ADVC 110, or afterwards.

what sort of cost would i be up for to get a seperate TBC.

and the device simply gets its power from the 6pin firewire cable that connects the 110 convertor to my pc.

thanks, ill go check out the restoration section.....GLEN

[thecoalman]

hi there again.
thanks again, if i get the 110 version, can i ask what kind of TBC should i get and how does it work, is it used in conjunction with the ADVC 110, or afterwards.

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1115672#1115672

Refresh the link after it lo9ads, there's pics in that thread and screws up the post that the link shopuld take you too.

You also get the added benefit of the best Macrovision remover on the market. 8) *'m not trying to steer you away from the 300, it may just be the best solution for you. That $250 extra can get you other devices that may suit your needs better.

and the device simply gets its power from the 6pin firewire cable that connects the 110 convertor to my pc.

That is correct, that is the difference between 4-pin and 6-pin. 6-pin has power.

[glenpinn]

hi there again, well im gunna get the ADVC 110 for a starter and try it out (one step at a time as they say) if i need the TBC ill look into it.

so the firewire connector on the 110 is 6 pin to 6 pin, not 6 pin to 4 pin as in my dv camcorder, as the firewire connector on my pc would be 6 pin if im correct.

thanks again m8, now im a bit more clear on things. its one thing to work with digital video transfers from dv camcorders using firewire, but im getting a lot of people asking me if i do analog transfers and apart from doing it via my dv camcorder as mentioned earlier in my post, i have had to knock back a lot of work doing this analog stuff.

thanks and cheers.....GLEN

[nossorct]

Quick question that relates to this:

If I get a ADVC110 and a full frame TBC or a ADVC300 can I use any VCR I choose?

It would seem to me the purchase of an expensive VCR wouldn't be justified since the above combos would do the TBC and filtering. I'm doing this on a budget, so it would be awefully appealing to buy the ADVC300 and use my existing $100 VCR. Any thoughts/comments would be helpful. Thanks.

[thecoalman]

Quick question that relates to this:

If I get a ADVC110 and a full frame TBC or a ADVC300 can I use any VCR I choose?

It would seem to me the purchase of an expensive VCR wouldn't be justified since the above combos would do the TBC and filtering. I'm doing this on a budget, so it would be awefully appealing to buy the ADVC300 and use my existing $100 VCR. Any thoughts/comments would be helpful. Thanks.

They have composite/s-video/firewire inputs and outputs. NTSC/PAL compatible, so yes any VCR will work.

One thing the ADVC 300 does provide is filtering which a TBC does not. I have no experience with so I don't know how well it works or not.

[nossorct]

They have composite/s-video/firewire inputs and outputs. NTSC/PAL compatible, so yes any VCR will work.

No, no, I understand that much ... Let me clarify...

The ADVC300 seems to do the same things most of the expensive JVC VCR's do (TBC, some filtering). So does the use of the ADVC300 negate the VCR's quality as a factor in the capturing process? In other words, is the ADVC300 designed to pick up the slack of the old VHS tape or the cheesy VCR or both?[/quote]

[Dragonsf]

The ADVC 300 is designed to convert from all (good/bad/cheesy/whatsever) VHS tape.It can't do wonders, but the best any converter ca do. But be cautious with filters and noise reduction. Sometimes it produces a poster effekt (flattening details). I only adjust brightness and contrast (if necessary).
And MV removal works too.

[glenpinn]

hi again.

thanks everyone again, just need to clarify my question above re the ADVC110 firewire power, does this device use a 6 pin to 6 pin cable as opposed to a 6 pin to 4 pin cable that we use with our dv camcorders.

i just ordered a ADVC 110 and will try it out b4 i get a TBC device.
i have done a few conversions from analog vhs to my pc using the method of capturing from vcr to my panny nv-gs70 dv camcorder, then transfer to pc from the dv tape in raw avi. the tapes were perfect condition james bond videos, so that was a good start, and they ended up encoding with tmpgenc xpress and authoring/burn to dvd with brilliant results.
i also tried a few home videos filmed on blanks, or filmed over non blank tapes and they didnt turn out brilliand, but was comparable to the original and all audio was in sync so i was happy with that.

im looking forward to trying this device out as i want to do more of this kind of work.

thanks again everyone....GLEN

[thecoalman]

does this device use a 6 pin to 6 pin cable as opposed to a 6 pin to 4 pin cable that we use with our dv camcorders.

Correct, there's one provided with the device.

The ADVC300 seems to do the same things most of the expensive JVC VCR's do (TBC, some filtering). So does the use of the ADVC300 negate the VCR's quality as a factor in the capturing process?

I have no comparisons to the ADVC300 but I think the answer is no. If you look over in the restoration forum I have a post there with an example clip from the 9911. There's another poster Gshelley who has a lot of experience with restoration and it was his opinion that the JVC is one of the best devices on the market for removing chroma noise such as that exhibited by my example clip. If you burn that clip to disc and view on a TV the difference is quite a bit. The JVC also has features such as the stabilizer which can help with tapes to quote LS "can only be corrected during playback".

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=269801

Having said that, if your tapes are in good shape and your trying to get the most bang on a "budget" I'm sure the 300 is a good choice for minor correction and enhancement. It's just not as robust as using a full frame TBC and can't correct as well as a good VCR such as the JVC. It really comes down what's good enough for you....... course I'm just talking out of my ass here so take it as you will. :P

[glenpinn]

hi again.

about this JVC 9911 vcr, can someone please fill me in with a few details re this model, its correst or full model number, when was it made, its specs or a link to its specs, and would it be a good choice if i could buy one.
my analog devices dont have s-video connection which i believe is a better way to connect than using the composite cables like i do.

what does the "s" in the s-vhs vcr mean ?

if i get a TBC-1000 for example, does it connect between the vcr and the ADVC-110 device ? if not, where is it connected ?

apart from that, ive got about all i need to know from this thread, i had no idea this topic was so popular and ill continue to input if i have any queeries in the future.

thanks again everyone, has been a pleasure learning from you wonderful people.....GLEN

[thecoalman]

It's quite a popular model and AFAIK the current top of the line from JVC for consumers, googling it will bring up many results. It's not cheap though I purchasedmine a few months ago for about $350 US. ADVC+TBC+9911=$1000+ USD..... Add to that the comp, software and all the rest I'm looking at quite a hefty investment. wish I never heard of this VHS to DVD thing.....

what does the "s" in the s-vhs vcr mean ?

S-VHS has a higher resolution than regular VHS. It has to be recorded originally as S-VHS to take advantage of this. Whether the S-Video cable is required to take advantage of this higher resolution I'm not sure but the S-video cable splits the luminance and chroma.... again I'[m talking out of my ass :P..... so they don't crosstalk as I've heard edDv state. This produces better playback. Having said that I did some test capture with that example clip from my link above which is from regular VHS and there was no difference between composite or S-Video. I'm sure it would be noticeable difference if you had material recorded in the S-VHS format but I have no material to make comparisons.

Edit: there's a current thread right below or above this one about S-VHS.

if i get a TBC-1000 for example, does it connect between the vcr and the ADVC-110 device ? if not, where is it connected ?

It would be the only place you can put it in the chain.

[glenpinn]

just did a google on the jvc, looks like the model is the JVC HR-S9911 S-VHS VCR that you are referring to and sells new in usa for about $320 in some stores up to $463 in others (well according to this google search below)

http://www3.shopping.com/xPC-JVC_HR_S9911

and the "1 star" review posted in this site is here (is this guy alone with his view of this vcr, was it maybe a faulty machine, or was he just a dill ??? it couldnt have been that bad surely.

http://www3.shopping.com/xPR-JVC_HR_S9911~RD-183475736196

i live in sydney aust so ill do a search on ebay and a few retailers to find one.

cheers everone.....GLEN

[thecoalman]

just did a google on the jvc, looks like the model is the JVC HR-S9911 S-VHS VCR that you are referring to and sells new in usa for about $320 in some stores

That's about right, it dropped about 2 weeks after I purchased mine.

[glenpinn]

dam it coalman, your a fast mover, no sooner did i begin to type my google results and you had already posted another reply to my previos message, havent u got better things to do with your time ??? ha ha

yeah, this vhs to dvd thing really does get to u, i mean i only got some of my DV clients asking if i do analog and thought id try it out using my dubbing to my dv camcorder first method as ive mentioned earlier, which surprisingly worked well (or seems to anyway) and i was at least able to give these clients back thier old vhs tape, along with the mini dv tape with the footage on that, plus the final dvd copy. they all thought it was a nice bonus to get a copy of the video on a tiny dv tape as well, which i happily told them will one day soon become defunkt just like thier old vhs tapes (was half heartedly joking i think)

anyway, it gets into your system somehow and im finding it quite facinating, even more-so than when i was learning dv filming and dvd processing. its one thing to work with dv format, and everyone assumes you are also able to do the vhs to dvd thing, not neccessarily so.

again, thanks and catch up soon.....GLEN

[Dragonsf]

Do you have NTSC tapes or PAL tapes? There is no point using PAL VHS tapes in a NTSC S-VHS machine. Ihave a JVC S-VHS HR S7700 VCR, which is really good at S-VHS tapes, but play normal VHS tapes quite bad. For NTSC I'm using a Sony SLV NX15, which makes good DVDs for 90$.

[glenpinn]

HI DRAGONSF.

here in australia we use the PAL format for filming (our cameras are pal) and our television system is pal 4:3 or 16:9 widescreen, but if we buy a vcr or dvd player they are all multi format, therefore converting ntsc to pal b4 sending the signal to the tv.
the older model vcr recorders were nly pal so we cant play ntsc in those models.

usa uses ntsc television format, and use ntsc cameras to film in, but is it correct that in the usa your vcr and dvd players only play ntsc format, and cant play pal recordings on them into your ntsc televisions.

i ask because my brother lives in minnesota and if i film a family event (in pal) and make a dvd for family members, i encode the raw dv-avi file to dvd mpeg2 in pal 4:3 with tmpgenc xpress at 6000 vbr, but i have to encode a seperate ntsc version just for my brother to play in his dvd player onto his ntsc tv.

cheers.....GLEN

[thecoalman]

havent u got better things to do with your time ??? ha ha

I'm taking coal orders as I type this. I won't be hanging around here too much within a week, matter of fact probably tommorrow will be the last day I'll be able to visit regularly for about 2 or 3 months. "Time to make the donuts"..... that's from a Dunkin Donuts commercial..... I'll assume you've never seen it.

[Dragonsf]

That's nice, a VCR which can play NTSC and PAL both in native format. They are very rare and expensive here in Japan and in EU (where I come from). What model do you use for this?
(In EU they use NTSC on PAL which can`t be converted by any DV converter I know). That's why I use 2 VCRs.