extreme newbie questions

[TurboMike]

got a AMD 1800Xp, 256ddr, 60gig, ATI 7500 radeon.

I'm attempting to take home video from a VCR and make movies for downloads. I have tried using the MMC 7.7 that comes with the ATI card and I have ulead videostudio 5.0. What format should I use?

Can someone give me SIMPLE directions on the procedures of transfering tape to PC? I captured about 30 seconds and it was around 75mb and the playback pic was distorted and choppy. help and patience appreciated. (told ya I was a extreme newbie)

[Scott_R]

While a newbie myself, I have been doing much the same thing for the past month. I capture from a VCR using an antique capture card and Ulead VideoStudio 5.0. There are several good guides posted here for improving performance, but I use the simplest possible method. I suspect that your choppy playback is due to the default compression of the capture software. Be sure and select uncompressed video from the video format menu of whatever software you use. Any compression you then apply to make the file small enough for "downloads"; will result in lost resolution.

[TurboMike]

what format should I copy from my VCR to my harddrive? Would AVI be ok? what resoulution?

[montythedog]

Read the How To section on the left or do a forum search (or do both), thus saving everyone the time of having to answer the same questions over and over again.

[Scott_R]

Or more specifically:

1. Open Ulead -> click the G button on far left -> select change capture plug-in -> change to the "use vfw capture plug-in";

2. Click the G button again and click on the name of your capture card, which should now appear in the middle of the list.

3. Click on the icon to make a new project and select "template from capture settings" -> name the project and click ok.

4. You should now be able to view the tape in the Ulead window. Click on the "video menu" icon and select "video format", the best that is likely to work is 320x240 with 24 bit RGB. Click the "video menu" icon again and select "video codec", then select "full frame uncompressed".

5. Start the tape and click the "capture" icon. Only capture about 10 minutes at a time. At convent times just click the "capture icon" twice to stop the capture and then restart it. It is easier to work with the smaller files and paste them together later.

When you are all done, save the movie in whatever format you like.