Converting Video tapes to VCD

[byron neil]

I am just starting this project. I have to purchase both software and hardware to do this task. Do I use a VCR for input?
I have a Rage LT PRD AGP 2X. Is this a video card? Do I use this card to interface with the VCR?
I also have a firewire card. Can I use it?
Thank you for some advice.
Byron

[likwid8]

ok, well you need to purchase a Capture card unfortunately, I made some research and I couldnt fins that card as a TV-out, nor TV-in, but I suggest since you are an amatuer you get the Hauppauge WinTV GO card, I use it because its affordable and it makes decent looking videos...

Now they are no more then $100 CDN, so you can pick up one up at your local computer store or goto to your nearest bestbuy and pick one up, now the software is generally free on the internet, might have some shareware but no biggie...

I suggest once you buy your capture card you come here and download "Virtual Dub" off the tools section of this website, there is also a good tutorial on how to capture from TV, Satellite...also try this website out, its for capturing music videos but just instead use your imagination and use it for your video tapes.. (http://www.mvrip.com)

And to answer your question more briefly, u connect the "OUT" of your vcr and connect it to your "input" of your card, then u use an antenna to connect to the vcr, it just needs that to receive signal even though ur capturing from videotape.... well ya, capture to AVI, and make sure you use a codec compressor (tool section) and when you do that, just use TMPGEnc (tools section) to encode the .AVI file to .mpg (choice of vcd/svcd) to make it compliant to play on your DVD player...

Well I hope I helped you in any sort, oh and I almost forgot, please post back your PC specs.... if your running under a 1GH computer then your chances of encoding are very shallow, see ya thnxs

[byron neil]

Thxs. I'll shop for the capture card. My PC specs are posted. My CPU operates @.95GHZ. I understand you to say that I must connect an antenna lead to the VCR even tho I will be capturing video tape signals. Is that right? My cd burner does not make vcds, so I am shopping for a DVD-ROM/DVD-R/RW combo as well, and I am going to have to upgrade my 5Gig HD to a 60 or 120 Gig. I am looking at a Plextor PX-320A burner.
Thnxs for the help
Byron

[likwid8]

Yah your cd burner does make vcds!! its the software that you use to make vcds, not the burner... all u need to do is when u have your encoded mpeg-1 (vcd) file and your mpeg-2 (svcd) file, just download vcdeasy (tools section) and burn it... yup its that simple... if your looking for buy a dvdrw, then thats to make DVDR's (u need to buy DVD Rewriteable discs) but ur making vcd so your burner is fine!! always remember when making a VCD is for intentioanl purposes only, a cd burner will never advertise to make vcds, only audio cds and burning speed....dun worry your cd burner burns everyrthing, just keep in mind its the software you use....

also: I dont want you to go and spend all your money now, but yah sure more hard drive space is always good to have, also when capturing because it takes up alot of space, then just encode, the burn and delete what was backed up... also yes, a simple antenna from ur antenna line from your vcr to jacket.... for some reason it took me 3 days to figure it out....

NOTE: since your running on a .95GH cpu, your going to be dropping frames like hell, make sure when u start capturing is right afetr u rebooted with no applications opened, also note that u must open your software that came with your capture card and open and view a channel for like 10 seconds and close it, then your ready to open virtual dub, that causes that program to recognize that its receiving a signal and also that prevents you from getting an error......

Any more questions to your problem and let me know, I will be online for the next 2 hours, see ya

[byron neil]

Thnxs for helping me with the burner situation. I was told that some burners would not make vcds. I got NeroRom, thinking that would do it, but it didn't.
When I got that RAGE card a couple of years ago I was going to put digital photos on video tape. I wired a tv-out of that card to a small tv and the tv showed what was on my desk top, only in very poor resolution, so I believe that RAGE card has tv-in and tv-out. Isn't that possible? The card is actually called a "graphics accelerator" It has RCA plugs (L,R & video) and video-s.
And what do you mean when you say "vcr to jacket" with respect to the antenna?
So I can get a burning program from "vcdeasy" (tools section)?
Thnxs
Byron

[likwid8]

well its simple, like i stated before, you get the cable and u connect it to the out of the VCR (meaning vcr outputs to PC) and hook it to the appropiate input in the capture card (simple) and then just hook up ur antenna cable from the antenna line in ur VCR to your antenna signal coming from ther street (ur cable TV signal) something like that.....its not hard....


And whoever told you some/most cd burners cannot buirn VCDS they are wrong!! totally 100% wrong!! all burners do the same job, the difference between them is the the data speed they can receive and data speed they burn at, also the buffer size....thats it!! image burning all depends on the program u choose to burn it with!!

I think your buddy meant the word VCD as in "you cannot burn a VCD (DVD) to play on ur dvd player....im pretty sure of that, k reply thnxs

[byron neil]

Great! Thnxs for your help. I am going to get that VCDEASY program and give it a try. Wish me luck!
Byron

[likwid8]

I wish you the best!!

reply when u successfully did it!

[byron neil]

Well, I loaded VCDEasy, but I'm having problems with CDRDAO and the ASPI drivers. I believe it is the same problem I've had previously. (The editing program would not recognize the HP 9100i burner.) It's late now, and I am going to have to work on this tomorrow.
Thnxs
Byron

[likwid8]

the main site had ASPI drivers available for your needs