How to get from VHS to DVD

[Balliol]

I am in the process of attempting to build a birthday video but as it's some time since I last did that I’ve forgotten practically everything I had learnt. I use Pinnacle Studio 10.6 and am alright as far as capturing photographs and building the actual video but I had forgotten how to capture the video clips that I want to use.
It took me hours before someone was kind enough to tell me that I needed a “capture card” if that is the correct term, to get the VCR to talk to the PC but as I did not know what such a thing would cost I tried another method to capture the VCR content.
Someone gave me a device called an, “Xpert DVD Maker” with “Power Producer Gold” software and I managed to get that talking to my PC but I could not work out how to save what it appeared to be capturing to my PC hard drive.
So, a couple of questions:
1. What sort of price would I expect to pay for a capture card?
2. Is it possible to get the results of what , “Xpert DVD Maker is obtaining into my PC hard drive?
3. Am I missing a point and is there a more effective way to do this?

[jman98]

1. Capture card prices are all over the place. Better PCI cards cost over $100 US (sorry, too lazy to figure that out in pounds). USB based cards are much cheaper, but I have no idea if the USB cards are OK or not as I have always used PCI cards for this.

2. Can't help you here. Sorry. Never used that device.

3. You could buy a standalone DVD recorder to do the job. Just hook up the VCR output to the DVD recorder input and go.

[SatStorm]

Fastest way, average results: DVD Standalone recorder.

The PC roots needs time! Much time! And top notch hardware. It is the expensive alternative. So the question is: Do you have the time and the money to spent?

[Balliol]

I'm a bit slow this morning so I wonder if you would care to expand:
1. Are you saying that using a DVD Standalone recorder is the fastest way but only gives average results which I interpret as not being as good as a direct capture from VCR to PC?
2. What do you mean when you use the expression, PC roots?
3. Why does it need much time?
4. What sort of top notch hardware?
5. Why is it the expensive alternative?

Last Saturday I finally worked out how to use a device that allowed me to connect a VCR to my computer and capture video through Windows Movie Maker nad I hope to upload the files to Pinnacle Studio to edit. True, it did take time.

[SatStorm]

1 - You can filter on PC. That can do the difference, but only if you know what you are doing. Also, you can control the encoding method on the PC. On the DVD standalone, you can choose 1, 2, 4 or 8 hours per DVD5 disc. The first setting (1 hour per disc) is the best, the rest are "average", with macroblocks and musquito noise (the more compression you use, the more noise you have)
2 - The P.C. root = Using the PC for this. We are all following the same path, the same "root" to capture / fiter / compress / author / burn our videos from the analogue sources. It's like a root, you can't go any other way.
3 - Because the encoding and the filtering of the source takes time. For example, I need around 18 hours for a 3hour VHS tape on my phenom II 940@3.30Ghz with all the filters I use. Also, you must add the time you gonna spent to learn all those things. There are no automatic solutions, everything is manual.
4 - Professional VCRs, a TBC unit and a professional capture card. Also you need the fastest PC you can afford.
5 - It is the expensive alternative, because a cheap DVD Standalone Recorder cost around 90euros. A VCR/TBC/Capture Card/PC/Software can cost - from scratch - around 2.500 euros. And also count the priceless cost of spending your time to learn all those stuff
The difference between those 2 alternatives visually is less than 8% for commercial VHS tapes and less than 10% for home movies, when you convert 1 Hour per DVD-R. The difference can be huge only if you restore your personal archive taped from TV over the years, so to eliminate reception problems recorded on tape, colour bleed or other issues. Is this the case here? If so, welcome to our hobby. If not, then don't waste your time and buy a nice DVD Standalone recorder. And you can always use it of other stuff too.

[Balliol]

Many thanks for such a full reply.

[sanlyn]

The biggest problem with a standalone DVD recorder (that is, one that doesn't have a hard drive) is that editing your recording isn't possible. There are ways around that, too, but Pinnacle Studio isn't a suitable workaround.

I see in the British press that many hard-drive recorders are available, still from Toshiba and Sony, that have edit facilities. While you can do only so much with their editor screens, it's better than Pinnacle and not as complex as trying to edit on a PC.

For a fuller range of editing and correction options, you could transfer the recorded DVD to your computer and use VirtualDub or any number of (free) video editors and re-encoders and authoring programs to get what you want. But it's a steep and precipitous learning curve.

[jman98]

2 - The P.C. root = Using the PC for this. We are all following the same path, the same "root" to capture / fiter / compress / author / burn our videos from the analogue sources. It's like a root, you can't go any other way.

The word you want is not "root". It is "route". The problem is that "route" can be pronounced like "rowt" (like "ow" - short vowel sound) or "root" in American English. Either is fine although because of a famous song, the road Route 66 is only pronounced as "root 66". Otherwise I've heard both used here, but there seems to be a slight tendency towards saying "rowt" most of the time. No American ever says "root" when pronouncing the word "router". That has the "ow" sound when we say it. However, in British and Australian English (and probably true for New Zealanders too), I only hear them say "root" to pronounce the word and they pronounce "router" like "rooter". I don't know which Canadians say.

[pepegot1]

Using a DVD recorder is the best way-granted you have a good recorder-that also improves quality as does my JVC. As for editing, I use VideoRedo + an assorted group of programs. Editing on the recorder cannot compare to editing on the computer, unless it's simple editing. Hence no need for an HD. However, getting a good recorder today is not easy.