VCR to Mac - Can I Upload?

[Jenny]

Hi.

I understand this may be very basic, but here goes:


Can I hook my VCR up to my IMac and record the VHS tapes on to my hard drive?


Is it possible to do this? If so, how?


Sorry for the basic-ness of this


Thanks.
Jenny

[FulciLives]

You need something like the Canopus ADVC-110 or the DataVideo DAC-100. These are external "boxes" that convert analog A/V (such as that from a VHS VCR) to a digital video file (DV AVI format).

So the box has analog video/audio inputs and connects to a MAC or a Windows PC via FIREWIRE.

Please note that these devices are both expensive (the DataVideo is the cheaper of the two but not by much). There are probably other cheaper options but both of these are considered very good video capture devices.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Jenny]

Hi.

Thanks for getting back so quickly!

Actually, I have a Canopus ADVC-100 that I bought four years ago.

I'm assuming this is ok to do the work?


I've used it with a PC, but will it work with a Mac?


Thanks.
Jenny 8)

[FulciLives]

Hi.

Thanks for getting back so quickly!

Actually, I have a Canopus ADVC-100 that I bought four years ago.

I'm assuming this is ok to do the work?


I've used it with a PC, but will it work with a Mac?


Thanks.
Jenny 8)

Lucky you !!!

Yes the Canopus ADVC-100 will work with a MAC as well as with a PC. I didn't mention it because it is no longer made ... replaced with the ADVC-110 model. However it will work and there is no reason to try and "upgrade" to the 110 as they are pretty much the same.

Anyways ... I don't have a MAC and cannot advise as to what software to use but I would think there are many choices.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[mhar4]

iMovie should recognize the Canopus and you can import directly from there. Or Quicktime Pro, or BTV, or few others.

[sdm]

vidi and toast will also work for capturing.

--sdm.

[Jenny]

Hi guys!

Ok, first, thanks for the responses - they are appreciated!


Just to get an understanding - my Canopus ADVC-100 will work with my IMac?


Thanks.
Jenny

[FulciLives]

Hi guys!

Ok, first, thanks for the responses - they are appreciated!


Just to get an understanding - my Canopus ADVC-100 will work with my IMac?


Thanks.
Jenny

Jenny ... how many times must you ask before you accept the answer?

Yes it works with a MAC including an iMAC.

You just need a FIREWIRE (aka IEEE 1394) cable to connect the Canopus ADVC-100 to your iMAC.

It is just that simple !!! ... well you do need software but other people have already covered that i.e., given you many choices.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
Please note that you will need a lot of HDD space as 1 hour of DV AVI (the format your capture will be in) will be about 13GB ... 2 hours would be 26GB ... 3 hours would be 39GB etc.

[Jenny]

Hey John.

Thanks - I guess I'm just freaked out, because some things aren't compatible with IMacs, or so I hear...


Thanks...I'm relaxed now


Jenny

[FulciLives]

Hey John.

Thanks - I guess I'm just freaked out, because some things aren't compatible with IMacs, or so I hear...


Thanks...I'm relaxed now


Jenny

Please note I edited my post above about HDD space.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[tomlee59]

Yes, do note the large HD space requirements. Since the Canopus box doesn't perform any signal processing (compression), the files are very large. This is great for quality, ease of subsequent editing, etc., but does demand a ginormous hard drive to hold everything. As long as you have sufficient HD space, you'll be ok, imac or no.

[FulciLives]

Yes, do note the large HD space requirements. Since the Canopus box doesn't perform any signal processing (compression), the files are very large. This is great for quality, ease of subsequent editing, etc., but does demand a ginormous hard drive to hold everything. As long as you have sufficient HD space, you'll be ok, imac or no.

Well technically DV AVI is using compression just not as much as a regular MPEG-2 DVD spec file.

Anyways just so you know ... once the capture is done ... you can then convert the DV AVI file to a regular MPEG-2 DVD spec file then burn a regular DVD. So it's not like you are STUCK with a format that takes up a lot of space and can't do anything with it.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Jenny]

Wow!

Thanks again guys - it is appreciated!


Jenny

[Cornucopia]

JUST to be technical also, what will be captured(transfered) is saved as a QUICKTIME-DV file, not a DV-AVI (as it's a Mac). This will then be converted to MPEG2, etc...

Scott

[FulciLives]

JUST to be technical also, what will be captured(transfered) is saved as a QUICKTIME-DV file, not a DV-AVI (as it's a Mac). This will then be converted to MPEG2, etc...

Scott

You damn MAC people LOL :P

- John "FulciLives" Coleman