can i capture from a vhs video to my hard drive using a fire

[mabos22]

is it possible to capture a vhs video onto my hard drive using a firwire card and then burn it onto dvd?

[housepig]

unless you have a VHS with a firewire output port, you would need to pass it through a camcorder with a firewire port and a/v passthrough capability (like a Sony TRV-22 or similar).

[trevlac]

unless you have a VHS with a firewire output port, you would need to pass it through a camcorder with a firewire port and a/v passthrough capability (like a Sony TRV-22 or similar).

I'd like to add to maybe help your understanding.

VHS is analog.
Firewire is used to transfer digital data.

To transfer you would have to do an analog to digital conversion and then copy the data. A miniDV cam like housepig mentioned can do this. For NTSC source, this is probably not a "quality" nor an easy method to go from VHS to DVDr.

[housepig]

To transfer you would have to do an analog to digital conversion and then copy the data. A miniDV cam like housepig mentioned can do this. For NTSC source, this is probably not a "quality" nor an easy method to go from VHS to DVDr.

actually, if you look around the forums, there are a lot of people who get good results with this method, and it seems to circumvent many of the sync issues and software hassles with using an analog capture card.

[tompallc]

same thing over here:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=702420#702420

[wonderuss]

I use my Dazzle Hollywood dv bridge to do this, there are also other types of units out there that do the same.

[trevlac]

To transfer you would have to do an analog to digital conversion and then copy the data. A miniDV cam like housepig mentioned can do this. For NTSC source, this is probably not a "quality" nor an easy method to go from VHS to DVDr.

actually, if you look around the forums, there are a lot of people who get good results with this method, and it seems to circumvent many of the sync issues and software hassles with using an analog capture card.

You are correct. My use of quality and easy were not well qualified, and may not have been appropriate for this poster. In the end, it's all about your goal.

However:

In terms of quality, going from NTSC analog to 4:1:1 DV to 4:2:0 MPEG introduces color errors that can not be overcome. The case is worsened if we stay with interlace. For an analog capture, audio sync is a basic but surmountable problem. It keeps twice as much color info. This doesn't seem to be discussed much. I saw that FulciLives did bring it up in a post. So all of "those people" may not know they are effecting their quality, may not notice, or may not care. In the spirit of learning, too bad no one points this out.

Easy is really dependant on the user. A set top recorder for those with deep pockets may be good. By easy i meant something that captures and records to mpeg in 1 step would be easy.

An ATI AIW for ~$150 may be the cheapest/best easy solution. I have not tried this myself, but I am interested. (What would LordSmurf say?)

I myself have an Aver BT8x card and I use VirtualVCR (as I believe you do. ) I also have 2 miniDV cams. One is rotten (Sharp) and has pass thru. The other (Sony TRV900) does not have pass thru.

BTW: I am currently trying to find a good (reasonably priced) way of seperating y from c on an NTSC analog signal. DV is not the way. A good s-vhs deck may work, or maybe a CX card, or maybe an ATI card. LordSmurf may be right after all when he says ATI is better than that old Aver.

Trev

Edit: I wanted to correct a small item. It appears you use iuVCR. Sorry for the mistake. I stoped at VirtualVCR because it was free.

Would you be willing to discuss the aspect ratio/scaling issues with a BT8x card with me? If so, I'll start a new thread.

[grossjamesh]

I dont know if this will help you but here is what I do.

VHS --> video input on my Hitachi wide screen TV --> Monitor out video lines --> Hauppauge WinTV PVR USB2 --> WinTV 2000 --> capture MPEG2 at DVD extended play quality-->TMPGEnc DVD Author --> DVD.

Works great. I have backed up over 120 Dr. VHS tapes.

Hope this helps.