VHS to DVD conversion?

[skip2mylou]

hi everyone,
i have been wanting to convert my VHS tapes to DVD for some time now and i have been researching. so far everybody tells me that i need a video capture card. so i searched and i found Pinnacle Studio Deluxe video/digital capture card. everything is good and all, but i realized that i have to implement the card into my compuer and i dont feel safe doing that. my friend uses Dazzle, but i dont know whether you need to install a video capture card into your computer for Dazzle, but he said the picture quality is bad. so basically i was hoping that there would be something that instead of installing it into my computer, that maybe i can connect it through USB cable instead, i would feel more comfortable this way, so if anybody has any suggestios, please let me know. basically i need a video capture card, but i dont want it to be IN my computer. thanks in advane to anyone who can help me.

[paulstamat]

Basically, you could probably get okay results with a USB card, but it's likely that you'll drop too many frames in the long run. Bite the bullet, open up your case and follow the installation directions that comes with your capture card.

1. Make sure that the computer is unplugged.
2. Make sure that you are grounded.
3. Make sure you have a slot available.
4. Plug it in.
5. Follow the driver instuctions in the cd rom as windows asks.
6. You're done. Simple.

[skip2mylou]

i dont want to put a card in, can i do any else?

[i_am_dave]

Take a look at the Canopus ADVC-100. It uses firewire.
I've used it to move at least 50 hours of VHS material to DVD. It did a great job of capturing even the crappy EP mode stuff. Although, I did have to use VirtualDub and some other software packages to clean up the bad stuff.

Good VHS material comes in via this device in perfect condition.

[skip2mylou]

you said ADVC-100 and virtual dub right, how much is ADVC-100 and do i have to put it in my comp. or does it connect through USB.
what is firewire? where is it located on my computer? do i have to purchase a firewire cord? what do you mean by "bad stuff"? can u give me directions on how to clean up the "bad stuff"
please answer my questions thoroughly. thank you sooooo much!!

[desertnocal]

i dont want to put a card in, can i do any else?

First of all, you need to check whether your computer has USB 1.1 or 2.0.

If you have 1.1, any chance of capturing good-quality MPEG2 files for DVD is pretty much shot. At best you'll be able to capture mediocre MPEG1 files (with those dreaded blocks) barely good enough to make VCDs with. I have used (and still possess) an older Dazzle product for such purposes, before finally biting the bullet and investing in an ATI All-in-Wonder.

As for 2.0, the bitrate is much faster than 1.1, and I do know of some external MPEG2 capture cards compatible with 2.0. But they can potentially end up being more expensive than the AGP or PCI capture cards, and they certainly will have inferior performance compared to the internal cards.

If you're uncomfortable installing an internal card on your own, you might want to ask a computer-savvy friend of yours to help you out. The bottom line is that you'll get much better performance (and possibly value) out of internal cards than USB external cards.

[skip2mylou]

i have USB 2.0 and i would like to do it externally for a resonable price and that i can purchase the equipment at local retail store like best buy.

[K_cin_az]

do yourself a favor and go with a standalone dvd recorder, if you are uncomfortable simply installing a capture card you have no idea what you are in for trying to get good capture results

[desertnocal]

Okay, if you have USB 2.0, here are the options:

1. Pinnacle Systems Studio moviebox USB ($199 at Best Buy). The frame rate is specified at only 15 - 20 fps, meaning you probably won't get a very smooth video when it's all said and done. And I'm not too crazy about Pinnacle's software.

2. Dazzle Digital Video Creator 150 ($199 at Best Buy). The frame rate of 30 fps is supported with this one, which means you can capture NTSC-compatible video. I haven't worked too much with Dazzle's editing software, but it couldn't possibly worse than Pinnacle's.

If you had to go with the USB option, I'd go with Dazzle. Give it a try and let all of us know how it goes.

[g_shocker182]

Basically, you could probably get okay results with a USB card, but it's likely that you'll drop too many frames in the long run.

No. Not at all. I have Pinnacle (USB) Moviebox (purchased for $170 when searched in froogle.com) and it never drops ANY frames. I use it in conjunction with USB 2.0 and it works beautifully.

Pinnacle Systems Studio moviebox USB ($199 at Best Buy). The frame rate is specified at only 15 - 20 fps, meaning you probably won't get a very smooth video when it's all said and done.

My Moviebox USB captures at 29.97fps in NTSC format. I have no idea why this guy wrote this.

And I'm not too crazy about Pinnacle's software.

I have purchased Dazzle products in the past, and do not get me started on MGI Videowave (4, I think). It does not compare to the functonality of Pinnacle products/ software.



Another pro to buying moviebox is that you only need to plug it into a power outlet and a usb port. No opening of your computer necessary. Please let me know what you think.

[ktnwin]

Hi skip2mylou,
if you are afraid to put a card in your PC, then I would suggest you to buy a standalone DVD recorder, it's under 400$ nowaday.
Even with USB, USB2 you still have to deal with software capture, convert, authoring, burning (by the way, you need to add a DVD burner to your PC). All these operations are even more complicate than adding a card inside the PC.
My honest suggestion.

[skip2mylou]

i dont wanna buy a standalone DVD recorder because i wanna be able to edit my VHSs so i guess it comes down to this:

EITHER THE PINNACLE STUDIO THING THAT USES USB OR THE DAZZLE THING THAT USES USB, I NEED TO KNOW THE PROS AND CONS. WHOEVER HAS HAD EXPERIENCE WITH THESE ITEMS PLEASE DO THESE THREE THINGS:

1) tell me the EXACT name of the product and what model it is
2) tell me on average what the price might be and if i can probably get it from best buy (no more than $200)
3) tell me the pros and cons, u know, good picture quality, good sound, speed, all the stuff and be honest about it too

if anybody can advice another system, please do and follow the steps above. but remember, please dont post anything about standalone DVD recorders or about installing a video capture card into my system, cause i get paranoid about that stuff :P . thanks.

[Alfer]

Even though I'm still learning how to use it (see my other post), the USB 2.0 Adaptec Videoh DVD capture box did an amazing job of copying my VHS version of Office Space to DVD as well as my Hi8 wedding video.

Cost is $149 (after rebate) at Circuit City.

It plays great in my 5 year old Panasonic A110 and the video and sound are synched fine and best of all there is no Macrovision problems, I can tape straight to DVD without an ounce of degradation in video or sound.

Just my 2 ents worth.

Alfer

[nufan292]

Just wondering what are the specs of your computer, and do you already have a dvd burner?

[skip2mylou]

yeah i have a DVD burner, i gig RAM and a lot of free space any thing else u wanna know?

[Popee]

I get the feeling that you really don't want to be helped. It seems that no matter what people suggest, you either dismiss the idea, refuse to listen, and basically want someone to do everything for you.

People are giving you answers, but apparently, you want to do no research of your own. And, to top it all off, you have an attitude as well.

Here is what I suggest. Lay out exactly what you will and won't do to your computer. Exactly what you can spend. All the current specs of your computer. What type of quality you are looking for? What the most important feature/s of the capture device and softwrae you are looking for.

Then wait for the answers and thank all the nice people who are trying to help you. And, don't have an attitude if someone misses the mark.

Just a suggestion.

[skip2mylou]

@ Popee and everyone
thank you so very much for pointing that out Popee, please do not misunderstand for if i sounded like a jerk i truly didnt mean to . so i apologize if i have sounded rude to anybody i really am please forgive me i am only human, i didnt mean for it to come out the way anyone thought it did so thanks Poppy for your honesty for i greatly appreciate it . and thanks for your tips too, so heres the deal i will come out straight just like Popee suggested, thanks again Popee:
What i will and Wont do to my comp:
1) (no) video captrue cards into comuter
2) (yes) something like the moviebox that was suggested that connects to my computer through USB

How Much i am willing to Spend:
up to $200 tops

Current specs of my computer:
(i dont know what this means but whatever anybody needs to know, just ask)

What type of quality I am looking for:
the best that i can get

Important feature/s of the capture device and software i am looking for:
i was hoping to get Pinnacle but like a good version and i want to be able to add special effects to my moives and edit them

i really hope this help and any other info that is need, please ask. again i apologize dearly for my actions or what they came out as. so please accept my apologies everyone thanks.

[Bob W]

Take a look at this mpeg4 or mpeg2 USB capture device.
http://www.techdepot.com/product.asp?productID=1683568&info=Over#tabs

[skip2mylou]

Oh and by the way if any body has anymore ideas please pass them forward, i am leaning towards the Pinnacle Studio MovieBox USB but there are probably more out there so dont hesitate to post your ideas and hints, thanks.

[skip2mylou]

@ Bob W

WOW THAT IS A NICE PRODUCT
u think i can buy it like at best buy?
Do u know the full name of the product?
does it hook up to my comp. via USB?
does it convert my analog to Mpeg?

[skip2mylou]

just a question does anybody know what a firewire is?

[Bob W]

@ Bob W

WOW THAT IS A NICE PRODUCT
u think i can buy it like at best buy?
Do u know the full name of the product?
does it hook up to my comp. via USB?
does it convert my analog to Mpeg?

It will capture directly as mpeg/1/2/4 and it connects via USB2. the name of the product is "ConvertX" and it is a new product so I doubt it's in the stores yet. Here is a better link with all the specifications.
http://www.plextor.com/english/products/ConvertX.html

[henk schuifkaas]

firewire = IEEE1394 = i Link

It's the wire/connection used to get the video from your digital camcorder to your computer. But there are other devices like Canopus ADVC-100 that turn analog video into digital. You don't get any dropped frames with this solution, plus great quality. Haven't used it myself, I use firewire to get my homevideos in my computer but I know there are other people on this forum that are using Canopus ADVC-100 with good results. Search the forums
You got to have a firewire-card in your computer, but most of 'em do nowadays...

[Popee]

First, I accept your apology.

Firewire is specifically intended for video capture. It is known by other names as well. Sony for example, calls it ilink, generically it is also known as a 1394 port.

Before there was USB 2.0, Firewire was the only device that would enable an external device to get video onto your hard drive with a wide enough bandwidth that no frames would be lost.

With the advent of USB 2.0, there is no real speed advantage that firewire has over USB. However, having been designed for video capture from the beginning, there is still a greater choice in the number of external capture devices that rely on the firewire standard.

There is the possibility that you may in fact have a firewire port on your computer. Firewire ports usually look like USB ports, but are narrower, and come in 2 flavors; 6 pin and 4 pin. I am not saying that any of the USB suggestions are bad, but if you have a 1394 port, you have that many more options.

Personally, I have a ADVC-100. It works flawlessly. I have captured VHS, SVHS and 8mm tape through the ADVC, and never had a dropped frame. The DAC-100 is purported to be almost the same, for under $200.

I have captured analog footage using Vegas Video (expensive), Windows Movie Maker 2 (free with XP) and Pinnacle Studio 8. I actually prefer to work with PS8, for its ease of use. (Yes, I know it's buggy, but I can live with the shortcomings). PS8 Can be found on sale every so often for as little as $20. after rebate.

As for the USB capture devices, I do not know much about them, as my having firewire built in, I have never had the need to use USB for capture.

[skip2mylou]

thanks on the info about the firewire but i guess i didnt ask the right question.
what i really wanted to ask is if i need to install anything IN my computer like a card of some sort to hook up the firewire cable, or if it already is there. i have a dell dimension desktop 8300 so i dont know if the firewire outlet or anything is already there. if anybody can tell me what the outlet looks like then maybe i can see and check. thanks again.

[henk schuifkaas]

As Popee pointed out:There is the possibility that you may in fact have a firewire port on your computer. Firewire ports usually look like USB ports, but are narrower, and come in 2 flavors; 6 pin and 4 pin. That's how they look.
When I take a look at the specs of the Dell Dimension 8300 at www. dell.com I see that it doesn't have firewire, unless you have the optional Dell Movie Studio Plus or Dell Movie Studio Essentials. These include a 1394-PCI card.
Soooo, I guess you're stuck with the USB thingy.

[lordsmurf]

I'm curious why you're afraid to open up the case. There aren't any monsters in there. Just don't sneeze on anything or wear magnets around your neck.

It's always scary to install your first device. But after you do it, you think "gosh that was easy", and then proceed to hit yourself in the head for all those times you paid some goober $50 to install it for you. I remember the first time I did it in the mid 90s, on a 486.

And no matter what you buy, in or out, you have software and drivers.

I tried a lot of cards in May and June. And when it came down to it, I bought myself another ATI AIW card (although a PCI, and I now sorta wish I'd gotten the AGP instead). The Pinnacle, Canopus (ok for just AVI), and Dazzle (worst of them all) were not winners. It was a toss-up between some internal cards, and the ATI won hands down. I tried all kinds of suggestions I read in the forums, and I wonder what the heck these people were thinking when they wrote the reviews.

But in the defense of USB cards, they can capture MPEG2 at 29.97 fps up to 5.0 mb/s. The firewire cards can go all the way to 10.0 or whatever (above DVD). But I never found a good MPEG capture outside the ATI. I got a free Aver card here recently, and it's been mostly a headache, with few good results, even when using AVI uncompressed.

Millions of users can't be wrong. Open it up and enter the world of self-upgrade.

Maybe test out a Hauppauge, but I hear it has MPEG2 problems for DVD.

[Coupgrade]

Somewhat like you I'm tried of opening up my computer to install computer cards. I use the Dazzle Digital Video Creator 150 which works great. The video quality is equal to the quality of the source VHS tape. It connects through my USB 1.1 port. For myself this could'nt be any easier to make DVDs.

[pbhalerao]

skip2mylou,

If you are trying to convert commercial VHS tapes to DVD, then you have to take 'Macrovision' into consideration. Macrovision will either inhibit your capturing or make your captured video flicker bright and dull.

Canopus AVDC-100 can disable macrovision and capture the original signal troublt free. However, this device connects to the computer with FireWire (IEEE-1394 or Sony iLink) port. Most PC based computer systems do not have a built-in 1394 port. There are 1394/FireWire PCI cards available. Installing this card is REALLY no big deal. Just open the PC and install the card in the free PCI slot. You just CANNOT install this card the wrong way. So go ahead and don't be afraid. As 'paulstamat' has suggested:

1. Make sure that the computer is unplugged.
2. Make sure that you are grounded.
3. Make sure you have a slot available.
4. Plug it in.
5. Follow the driver instuctions in the cd rom as windows asks.
6. You're done. Simple.

A note on point 5 by "paulstamat". For Windows 2000/XP, there are no drivers to be installed. They are already present. When your computer starts up, a "New hardware found" dialog box will pop up and load the required drivers.

After that you can simply connect the Canopus to the PC using a 6-pin to 6-pin FireWire cable.

Regards,

[i_am_dave]

skip2mylou,

You said that you only wanted to spend $200 tops, that is not much of a budget to work with.

The ADVC-100 will cost you around $270. I have not checked the price lately, it might be less now.

If you computer does not have a firewire port, it will cost about $30 to purchase a card.

A basic video editing and DVD authoring package will cost around $100, but there are many good free video editing tools available. I am thinking that Ulead Movie Factory 2 might be a good tool for you to start with.

The good news is, VirtualDub is free, and there are lots of guides on this site that tell you how to do about anything. There are also lots of links to free and demo software.

It is all a matter of how much you want to spend. $350 will get you off to a good start.

It is very easy to spend thousands of dollars on equipment and software. I think my current investment is somewhere around $1500 (not counting my computer).


Good luck!