DVD Recorder or PC Capture

[avin]

Hi all,

I have tons of VSC-C cassettes I want to convert to digital format. I want the result to be in a standard format so I won't risk my memories depending on propriety solutions.

Currently I connect my Panasonic analog camera to an ATI All In Wonder 9800, capture using ATI's TV "DVD High" settings, and burn using Nero to Verbatim DVDs. It's working but it's a very slow and tedious process and I'm not too happy with the results.

Should I switch to DVD recorder, or is my current setup OK and just needs fixing (maybe adding a TBR)?

[gshelley61]

It's hard to beat the speed and video quality of a good name brand DVD recorder for simply transferring analog video to MPEG2 (DVD). The time saved alone is worth having one... in fact, I would suggest getting a DVD recorder with a built in hard drive.

For hand held camcorder video footage, record at the highest quality setting (one hour per single sided DVD). This will virtually eliminate any motion artifacts in the MPEG2 transfer, resulting in a DVD that looks as good (or somewhat better) than the original tape.

Make sure you hang on to the original tapes, though. You may want to re-transfer them to a future digital format that will certainly come along.

There is a wealth of info about all this in the DVD Recorder section of this forum, too.

If you want to do more advanced editing with your raw video footage - with Hollywood style transitions, narration, added music and graphics... then you need to stick with transferring to AVI format with your computer for that. MPEG2 is not very well suited for advanced editing projects. It's fine for simple cutting and joining of clips, though.

[Scobo]

No contest, a DVD recorder is the way to go.
I toiled for years with the PC route trying to perfect this before set-top recorders came out.
I bought a hard drive recorder this year and haven't looked back since.
Having said that, it is easier to edit on a PC so you may want to transfer the tapes to disk with a recorder then use a PC for editing the MPEG2 files.

[SingSing]

No contest, a DVD recorder is the way to go.

VHS-C tape holds 30 minutes of video, you can record 4 of these to a DVDR, with DVD recorder. If you want to edit them, transfer to a DVD+R/W, and do it on a pC, then reuse the DVD+R/W.

[davideck]

No contest, a DVD recorder is the way to go.

IMO, a hard drive unit is infinitely better than one without. The extra cost will easily be recovered in terms of convenience, efficiency, and additional capabilities. Have fun!

[JohnnyMalaria]

No contest, a DVD recorder is the way to go.

You will avoid so much aggravation!

[TBoneit]

Like most everybody here I say go with a good brand DVD recorder with a hard drive as long as the video is good.

Use the computer route when you need to fix the video.

OTOH I have a Pioneer and can do most of the adjustments while preiewing the video including brightness, color saturation, tint etc.

I save the computer route for really bad tapes.

If you buy a DVD recorder make sure it has all the adjustments you could ever need before buying.

Good Luck

[avin]

Thank you all for your answers!

[FulciLives]

I have to admit this thread makes me a bit sad ...

A couple of years ago or so had this question been asked the answer would have almost definately been "PC capture".

I admit that I too have been using a stand alone DVD recorder for the past year and in some aspects it is better ... I can record a variety of TV shows and actually "keep up" with it all since I don't have to "tie up" the computer with the capture then the encoding etc.

And for just about all cable TV stuff that is A-OK for me.

However I do miss the old days, especially with VHS and even LaserDisc ... of cropping and using filters and doing a true multi-pass VBR encode with CCE and then doing the audio work with SoundForge and then doing an AC-3 conversion and blah blah blah

I really do miss all that.

Sure I still get to do that to an extent when backing up DVD discs (especially since I do a lot of PAL to NTSC stuff) but it still really isn't the same.

Playing with filters to try and get a VHS source to look it's best ... being amazed at what AviSynth and this filter or that filter could do ... etc.

*wipes a tear away from the corner of his eye*

- John "FulciLives" Coleman