Suggestions for Video Capturing Device

[bennetts]

I want to capture my VHS tapes to DVD. What do you think about Video Capturing Devices? I see a few online like Pinnacle Dazzle DV Creator 80, KWorld Xpert DVD Maker USB 2.0, AVerMedia USB 2.0 etc. Is there any advantage from one to the other. If you know of another device that is great and reliable please give me your 2 cents worth. I have a D8 camera to put my D8 tapes in but need something put import VHS. I am using Ulead Video Studio 7 to capture and edit my videos.

Steve

[indolikaa]

Can you pass your VCR connections through your D8 camcorder and into the computer via FireWire?

I have a Sony DCR-TRV120 Digital8 and it works perfect for me.

I also use an ATI AIW 9000 Pro with a DataVideo TBC-1000 with equal success.

[tweedledee]

Can you pass your VCR connections through your D8 camcorder and into the computer via FireWire?

I agree, this is the method I prefer. I use POWERVCR and capture in MPEG 2.

[bennetts]

Both of you are saying the same thing. I do have a Sony TRV520 D8 camera and if what you are saying is the best method I would like to try it. Here is my question: How did you connect your VCR to your camera. My connections on my camera are an S-Video port, headphones, Mic, LANC/Digital I/O, DV in/out, and the Audio/Video ID-2 port that connects to the VCR to show video from the camer to the TV. Is there a way that the video can go back to the camera from the VCR?

[indolikaa]

My camcorder came with the necessary cable. It has a 1/8" Mini-Pin connector with 3 black rings on one end and the Red/White/Yellow RCA jacks on the other end. It plugs into the Audio/Video port on my camcorder, called 'Audio/Video ID-2' just like yours.

Turn your camcorder on in the 'VTR position. Press the 'Menu' button which should bring up the 'VTR Set' menu. You should see an option for 'AV->DV Out'. Activate this option. Plug your VCR into the RCA outputs with the attached camcorder cable, connect your FireWire to the camcorder and computer, load your capture software of choice (I use WinDV) and turn on your VCR.

If there is a 'TBC' option in your camcorder's VTR Menu, turn it on as well.

[tweedledee]

If you don't have the connection cable, then a quick chat with the guy from Radio Shack will get you an adapter that will do the job. On my camera (canon) I had to use a DV out to S-Video plus a Audio out to camera, but yours may be different

[bennetts]

I did what you said and turned the camera to VTR and selected the menu and activated the AV-DV Out. The TBC was already on. I connected the camera to the VCR and the camera to the computer via FireWire and my capturing software (Ulead Vedio Studio 7) came up. I turned the VCR on and the software then tried to read the tape that was in my camera. That was not what I wanted. I want it to read the tape in my VCR. I hit play on my VCR and nothing was showing on the computer. Am I missing a step here?

[maa]

Some cameras don't allow the signal to pass through.
In such cases you need to record the VHS to tape and afterwards transfere it to the computer via firewire.
My Canon MV450i is like this.

[bennetts]

In life there are some stupid people and then there are really stupid people. After thinking it over I was connecting the camera to the VCR through the "IN" and not the "OUT". I even decided to get the camera instruction book that I have looked at in ages and what do I see...detailed instructions to connect your VCR to the Camera to the Computer.

Thanks for your help.

[Sam Ontario]

I want to capture my VHS tapes to DVD. What do you think about Video Capturing Devices? I see a few online like Pinnacle Dazzle DV Creator 80, KWorld Xpert DVD Maker USB 2.0, AVerMedia USB 2.0 etc. Is there any advantage from one to the other. If you know of another device that is great and reliable please give me your 2 cents worth. I have a D8 camera to put my D8 tapes in but need something put import VHS. I am using Ulead Video Studio 7 to capture and edit my videos.

Steve

Alternatively, buy a DVD recorder. Save a lot of trouble, trust me.

[indolikaa]

In life there are some stupid people and then there are really stupid people. After thinking it over I was connecting the camera to the VCR through the "IN" and not the "OUT". I even decided to get the camera instruction book that I have looked at in ages and what do I see...detailed instructions to connect your VCR to the Camera to the Computer.

Thanks for your help.

You're welcome.

[dwight55]

Sam gave some good advice there when he mentioned a DVD standalone recorder. I debated hard for the Sony 510 or for my Sansui stand alone. I opted for the Sansui, am hoping to use it to pay for itself making copies of VHS & 8mm home tapes to DVD-R. Then I'll buy the Sony and a new computer.

May God bless,

Dwight

[dxj40c]

I recently purchased the Pinnacle Studio 9 AV/DV package (a capture card packaged with Pinnacle Studio 9 full version) to capture from analog VHS for DVD. I think it was mis-priced, I only gave $99.99 for the package (Studio 9, without the capture card, is the same price) so I decided I had nothing to lose.
It is wonderful, the DVDs look better than the original tapes. I haven't figured out why but the edges of the images are sharper, and that's at 55% quality (in order to make it fit on one DVD).
For what you want to do, I suggest this device, it has been good for me, just make sure you have a big hard drive (the whole process uses about 10 GB to do a 109 min. movie) and it takes a long time (about 5 hours) to do all the conversion and processing, after the capture, with a P4 1.8Ghz. I don't know if this is slow or fast as I haven't done this before. I just put in a blank disk, click the "Make Disk" button and go to bed. I am pleased with the results.

[donpedro]

...and it takes a long time (about 5 hours) to do all the conversion and processing, after the capture, with a P4 1.8Ghz. I don't know if this is slow or fast as I haven't done this before.

On my 1.4GHz Athlon you it takes about 4x video time. Just to give you a reference. 1h = 4h to make DVD to Hard Drive.

[dwight55]

I guess from what I am reading, I made a good decision with the Sansui DVD burner. I burn a 2hour DVD in 2 hours and 10 minutes. I can copy anything in the 8mm or VHS formats with the imputs on the machine, and the video quality is at least as good as the original. The last one I did for a friend, there was a lot of camera vibration in the VHS tape, but it did not show up in the finished DVD.
I am going in the near future to try to copy DVD to DVD using my RCA standalone DVD player feeding the burner. Don't know if it will work, but don't know why it wouldn't. I'll also do all the menus on the computer in MSPowerPoint, output it to my 8mm video camera and use it for the menus on my "Special" videos.
May God bless,
Dwight

[donpedro]

I made a good decision with the Sansui DVD burner.

We like to call them (standalone) DVD Recorders (as you mentioned in previous post)