VHS to DVD - Newbie advice please !

[bebeto94]

I really want to start converting my VHS collection onto DVD but am stumped on whats best to buy .Ive done a lot of research into all the different hardware and software required such as Virtualdub , Video studio 7 , Alcohol 120 etc but am still none the wiser .I currently have an Athlon XP 2800 , ATI built Radeon 9800pro , 1 GB ddr400 ram , and 160 GB hard drive (sata raid) .Firstly is my video card any good or should i have taken the option of an All In Wonder card . Do i need to purchase a TV card or will what ive got do the job . All i want to do is transfer my VHS tapes onto DVD (Have just ordered an NEC 2500A dual DVD writer)and hopefully enhance the picture quality as well with software , im not interested in any other fancy programs and editing just a straight forward "from one to another" . I would be grateful if experienced people in this field could share their knowledge of hardware and software to enable me to perform this task .Any advice appreciated , cheers , Steve , Plymouth UK

[teegee420]

Your video card can't capture. The AIW can. You might want to consider purchasing a standalone DVD recorder for simplicity and ease of use. Going the capture card route will involve much work and research on your part but will yield better results in my opinion.

[bebeto94]

Thanks for your reply , thats pretty much what id figured on the video card and will look for an AIW . Id rather do a little research than buy a stand alone recorder as a friend of mine got a dvdr off someone transferred from VHS and i could not believe , such was the quality , that the source was ever a VHS cassette !! He used a PC but thats as much as i know . Ive had a couple of VHS tapes transferred using a Panasonic stand alone but i dont see the point in transferring across VHS quality when youve got the chance to enhance it using software !! Cheers , Steve , Plymouth UK

[bebeto94]

Thanks for the reply and thats what i feared regards my video card !! Id rather do some research and use a capture card rather than a stand alone as i dont see the point of transferring over VHS quality onto DVD when there is a chance to enhance it !! My friend has already transferred some of my tapes using a stand alone but when compared to a set of before and after pictures using a capture card and enhancing software there is no comparison !! Steve , Plymouth UK

[lantern]

Be aware that ATI cards (at least newer ones) are very picky about Macrovision. You may just want to purchase a separate capture card.

[makntraks]

Thanks for your reply , thats pretty much what id figured on the video card and will look for an AIW . Id rather do a little research than buy a stand alone recorder as a friend of mine got a dvdr off someone transferred from VHS and i could not believe , such was the quality , that the source was ever a VHS cassette !! He used a PC but thats as much as i know . Ive had a couple of VHS tapes transferred using a Panasonic stand alone but i dont see the point in transferring across VHS quality when youve got the chance to enhance it using software !! Cheers , Steve , Plymouth UK

Dude, I don't think you can take the video off any VHS tape and do much to ENHANCE the quality of it.... VHS had its day and I'm sure the tapes in your collection have been played numerous times thus decreasing the quality...
Don't get me wrong you might be able to sharpen the picture or remove some noise and such but as they say... GIGO (garbage in, garbage out)

makntraks

[bebeto94]

I looked at a product in PC World today by Adaptec called DVD Videoh! and they showed a picture of a before and after shot of a VHS film shot using this capture card and it looked pretty impressive , i know , they were bound to show a good shot as a marketing ploy but thats what got me interested in this . Steve , Plymouth UK

[bebeto94]

All that said , can anyone recommend a decent capture card as i dont see the point in swapping my 9800pro for an All In Wonder . Price doesnt matter , just good quality , cheers , Steve , Plymouth UK

[teegee420]

Have a look at the Canopus units. I've read a lot of good things about them. Click on the "Capture Cards" button to the left for user comments etc. By the way, I would stay away from USB capture devices. Most of them force you to capture to mpeg-2. In order to effectively apply filters and do heavy editing you'll need to capture to avi.

[FulciLives]

Canopus ADVC-100 is your best bet for both ease-of-use and super quality.

Most capture cards (even the ATI AIW or VIVO cards) are suspect to audio/video sync problems.

No such problems with the Canopus ADVC-100 which works with both PC WINDOWS and MAC platforms.

Also the Canopus ADVC-100 can be made to ignore MACROVISION copy protection.

Probably the most "perfect" capture card/device that exists for the home hobbyist.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[teegee420]

Canopus ADVC-100 is your best bet for both ease-of-use and super quality.

Most capture cards (even the ATI AIW or VIVO cards) are suspect to audio/video sync problems.

No such problems with the Canopus ADVC-100 which works with both PC WINDOWS and MAC platforms.

Also the Canopus ADVC-100 can be made to ignore MACROVISION copy protection.

Probably the most "perfect" capture card/device that exists for the home hobbyist.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

See what I mean, bebeto94? Good luck to you.