connecting vcr to pc questions

[nomad2273]

Looking for your "expert" opinions. I am a newbie and wanting to connect my consumer level vcr to my pc to edit old vhs tapes using Studio 10 for ultimate output to dvd. I have been looking at the Plextor PX AV110U Digital Video Converter and the CanopusADVC 110 Input Adapter as possible units for needed connections. I have S-Video output on VCR and a card in PC with 1394 imput. Is there a unit or piece of hardware that experts like yourself would recommend, and/or am I going in the wrong direction? Thanks to all in advance.

[zoobie]

You can do a search here on the Canopus ADVC 110 and see that it's recommended. I have the DataVideo DAC 100 which is about the same. Never had a problem.

[Dr_Layne]

I have used both the Canopus ADVC110 and the Datavideo DAC100. I can find no difference in the quality of the output between the two using my own two eyes. Either one will work fine The Canopus will probably be easier to find.

[anonjon]

Do you have a MiniDV camcorder? If so, does it have analog passthrough? If not, would you like to have one? If these are home videos, you'll probably want to continue shooting footage and the miniDV seems like a pretty fine format to me. I'm very happy to use my camcorder for AV/DV conversion and you could do the same. It's an alternative to buying the Canopus which is worth looking into. My 3CCD camcorder is typically going for $200 on eBay these days and it would do video shooting as well as transfer. Look for PV-GS120 on eBay.

But, based upon what your computer specs say, you'll need a TON more hard drive space if you're going to do much video editing in DV format. 37GB won't cut it. DV runs 13+GB an hour; I've got 500~GB of it on my computer right now. You'll want another hard drive.

One of the biggest things you can do to improve your videos is to have a good VCR. Have you looked into this? If your tapes are in good condition, this may not be the biggest deal, but it's very important if they've got any time base errors built in. That would be the stretching video at the bottom or top of the screen or the scrolling video during playback. Have any of those? They'll kill your audio sync while you're capturing unless you take care of them.

[nomad2273]

Thank you to everyone for the really great information.
I'm glad to hear that both Zoobie and Dr. Layne are happy with the Canopus products.
I read some comments from Newbie types like myself that I might struggle with getting these devices to work or understanding how to use them. Is that just worry on my part or are they very simple to use for a novice such as myself? Also, I am interested in anonjon's discussion about using a camcorder to accomplish the task. I do have to share that I don't have the VHS-C camcorder any longer, just the original tapes and the adapter that enables me to play them on my VHS vcr. That is why I am assuming playing these tapes thru my vcr to my pc for editing, etc. is the way to get this done. Also, I do know I have a real problem with not having enough space on my hard drive and I am updating it to at least a 300G before I try all this....would anyone have any thoughts about why a particular drive is considered best for video editing purposes? Always very thankful for all your help and I anxiously await your further comments and suggestions...(this is a GREAT site!) Thank everyone.

[zoobie]

Yes...They are simple boxes any novice would be comfortable with. Nice thing about these converter boxes is that you can sell it on eBay when you're finished and they retain high re-seller value.

You may be able to rent a higher-end VCR to play your tapes in.

Maxtor (I read) doesn't like other HD brands so I made both mine matching Maxtors. I would also recommend a faster rpm like 7200 or even 10,000 for capture with a 8-16mb memory.

[nomad2273]

Thank you for your imput Zoobie. I went to Maxtor site and it looks like they offer a lot of good products. So, I think you're telling me that you matched two Maxtor HD's in your setup. Is that accurate? What would be a high end VCR name you would reccomend or what are the specs I should look for in such a unit? Thanks again.