Minimum Computer Specs for VHS Capture & Editing

[TazDave]

Hi, could someone please tell me the minimum computer specifications I need for VHS capture & editing.
I don't know a lot about computer but do I need an i3, i5 or i7 processor? How much ram should be installed? How big a hard drive & do I save and edit from external hard drive?
What sort of graphics card (Not capture card), sound card? and anything else I may have forgotten.
I understand you can spend thousands buying the ultimate machine but as a newbie I just want the minimum specs.

Thank you

[KarMa]

What are your current computer specs, cause I bet it's more than enough.

[jagabo]

Hi, could someone please tell me the minimum computer specifications I need for VHS capture & editing.

About a 1 GHz Pentium 3 with 128 MB DRAM.

[johnmeyer]

You can capture with ANY computer made this century, and actually with some that are older than that. If you capture using DV, the computer really doesn't do much because the encoding is handled by the camcorder (if you are using pass-through) or by your DV capture device.

More modern external capture devices will require a USB port and probably Windows 7.

FWIW, I still capture DV on a fifteen year old computer running Windows XP Pro SP1 (I never upgraded) and I've never had a problem.

[TazDave]

Thank you for the reply everyone. My computer is a Dell Optiplex 780 SFF. E8400 Core Duo 2, 3ghz, 8GB Ram.Windows 10 64 bit

I don't actually have a problem capturing videos it's out of sync issues I'm dealing with & maybe I'm wrong but I think because my PC is SFF & I'm using on board video and sound could be the culprit.

My VCR is connected to a Panasonic DMR-ES10 which has a great TBC which is then connected to USB capture, like everyone else watching the capture is flawless but playback is driving me crazy.
I've tried virtual dub & a couple of other programs with no success so I just need to confirm in my own mind it's the PC that doesn't have the grunt or something else.

Thank you

[jagabo]

Your system is fine for standard definition video capture. What is your capture device?

Use a fast lossless codec like huffyuv while capturing. Don't compress the audio while capturing. Don't play the audio in VirtualDub while capturing -- ie, disable Audio -> Enable Audio Playback. Turn off VirtualDub's resync options (Capture -> Timing... -> Resync Mode -> Do Not Resync...

Or use another program to capture. AmarecTV is often mentioned as an alternative when VirtualDub has sync problems.

[TazDave]

My capture device is a generic ezycap called easiercap. I downloaded AmeracTV but I'm yet to figure out how to use it, I will watch the video link on the download to figure it out.
If that fails I will give the settings you suggested in VirtualDub a try but my lousy USB capture device might be causing all the sync problems.

[jagabo]

My capture device is a generic ezycap called easiercap.

Shoulda got an EasiestCap! LOL

[TazDave]

I've tried for over an our trying to install huffyuv on Windows 10 64 bit following advice from many forums, it's just not happening for some reason.

[TazDave]

I've had a thought which can be a dangerous thing. The VCR I'm using is NTSC playback which I record PAL. At the back of the VCR there is only White & Yellow inputs, not red. Could this be the reson for the audio lag?

Thank you

[jagabo]

I've tried for over an our trying to install huffyuv on Windows 10 64 bit following advice from many forums, it's just not happening for some reason.

Then try UT Video Codec. It has a modern installer for 64 bit Windows. It will install both 64 bit and 32 bit versions of the codec (64 bit programs need 64 bit codecs, 32 bit programs need 32 bit codecs).

I've had a thought which can be a dangerous thing. The VCR I'm using is NTSC playback which I record PAL. At the back of the VCR there is only White & Yellow inputs, not red. Could this be the reson for the audio lag?

No. White+red is stereo audio, White only is mono.

But why are you trying to capture NTSC output as PAL -- that is likely to explain your A/V sync problem. PAL VHS decks output PAL60 when playing NTSC tapes. That is NTSC timing with PAL chroma encoding. You capture as NTSC to get the timing right, but you will only get a greyscale picture. To get the correct timing and color you need a device that can capture PAL60.

[TazDave]

I bought an LGEC290SW VCR from a guy on eBay that sells hundreds of refurbished VCR's. I explained to him at the time what I wanted to do, he recommended this model to transfer VHS to DVD.
It has NTSC playback but works on PAL. Am I using the wrong VCR?

I installed the UT Video codec, I opened virtualdub but there is a lot of choices in the list, which one do I choose?

Thank you

[jagabo]

One that matches what your capture device is putting out. In VirtualDub's capture module select VIdeo -> Set Custom Format. Set it to 720x480, and try YUY2 or one of the other YUV 4:2:2 options -- whichever gives you a picture. Then set the UT codec to YUV422 BT.601.

[TazDave]

No dice, still out of sync, I'd try AmaRecTV but after I downloaded it I had to install a codec you had to pay for which is a pity they don't give you a trial mode.

[jagabo]

No dice, still out of sync, I'd try AmaRecTV but after I downloaded it I had to install a codec you had to pay for which is a pity they don't give you a trial mode.

Are you sure you can't run it without paying for the codec? In the comments section, on Feb 28 2016, JVRaines said it wasn't necessary to pay for the codec. If the software has changed since then search through posts about it and find a link to an older version.

[usually_quiet]

No dice, still out of sync, I'd try AmaRecTV but after I downloaded it I had to install a codec you had to pay for which is a pity they don't give you a trial mode.

AmaRecTV may be installed and used without installing the codec. I have been doing so for years.

[Edit]I'm using the latest version linked to at VideoHelp's software page. AmaRecTV allows you to add and use other codecs that are already installed on your system.

[SameSelf]

I posted a small guide a while back on how to get AmarecTV up and running. Make sure you are running version 3.10 as version 4.x is payware.

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/379847-I-O-Data-GV-USB2-NTSC-Capture-Test#post2460027

[TazDave]

Thank you for the AmarecTV advice, I tried again, followed the guide everything & is working except when I press record I get the error - Cannot support colorspace by video codec
Can anyone tell me how to fix this error please?

Thanks again

[jagabo]

Which codec are you using? And what colorspace are you capturing?

[TazDave]

I used Lagarith & went through the list & tried every codec in the list. I'm assuming the tab under Graph 1 (Device) relates to colorspace.
I've only got 4 options to choose from
w=352 h=288 fps=30 fcc=MJPG bit =24
w=640 h=480 fps=30 fcc=MJPG bit=24
w=352 h=288 fps=60 fcc=MJPG bit=24
w=640 h=480 fps=60 fcc=MJPG bit=24
I tried all those but I have no idea what codec will work with what size, as I use PAL I tried the 640 settings but still got the error code

[jagabo]

MJPG is already compressed. You want to capture uncomrpessed video, 720x480 29.97 fps (NTSC) or 720x576 25 fps (PAL) ,YUY2, UYVY, something like that. See section 3 in this image:



If your card only captures as MJPG I don't know if Amarec can handle it. Try not selecting a codec. Maybe you'll get MJPG in an AVI file.

[TazDave]

I'm capturing via an easiercap USB Video Capture which is probably why I can't get it to work in Amerectv & possibly the source of all my problems as it's cheap and nasty.
I don't have a card so the 4 settings I mentioned is all I have so I doubt I'll be able to use it which is a pity.
I appreciate your help.

[johns0]

Try virtualvcr for capturing,i used it for years with no sync issues as long as the video was clean.

[TazDave]

I tried virtualvcr, same sync errors but my VHS tapes are pretty old with lots of noise

[jagabo]

I doubt I'll be able to use it which is a pity.

But you said it worked in VirtualDub (aside from the sync problem). So it should wofk in amarec. All you have to do is pick the right device and settings.

[TazDave]

I have attached a copy of my settings. Yes virtualdub works with dropped frames, I actually found some settings from another forum that worked without dropped frames but that was using a Roxio USB capture & I could not apply the same settings to my generic easiercap because they were using a line in & I have on board video & sound.
My video capture device is USB 2.0 PC Camera & my sound works the Amerec Audio Capture.

[jagabo]

What do you get when you press the Device Settings button?

[SameSelf]

The fact that you only have four options in the format list and they are all MJPG tells me that AmarecTV either does not recognize your card or the device is faulty. At this point, I would purchase a known card and punt on the cheap Chinese knockoff. Caveat Emptor!

[johnmeyer]

If you are going to change capture devices, switch to capturing via DV. It will not drop frames and will not have audio sync problems. The problems you are having is why I always give this recommendation, even though some people don't like the minor colorspace issues with DV. You'll never notice these minor issues when capturing VHS whose colorspace is already severely compromised (it's the nature of how NTSC stores color).

[TazDave]

I have attached the AmarecTV device settings. I tried iuVCR which actually did better than virtual dub. I then tried iuVCS which I believe if the upgrade from iuVCR & that did a worse job.
I can't capture via DV, I have a low profile Dell that won't take a capture card so unless I go out and spend $100+ on something like Roxio, Happauge USB Live 2 or something decent that is better than my rubbish easiercap USB.

There are hundreds of posts from people with the same problem all over the web so it's just no me having the issue. I'm seriously considering just connecting my Panasonic dmr-es10 to my VCR and then to my TV and ripping the DVD to my PC later for editing or I could use the tbc-1000 I have to achieve the same result.

I highly appreciate everyone's input and feedback, those dodgy videos you see make it seem so easy to just capture and burn a VHS tape to DVD when the reality is it's a lot harder than it looks.