A good VHS convertor?

[ker-plop]

I want to buy a device that will let me import footage from my VHS tapes into my computer, but I don't know much about them. I've been looking at this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00030ATTO/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=IY9KFTGOMDXDF&...=2SJHNPVT8ZBDH


What do you guys think? Is there a better one? I'd like good quality at a decent price.

[terryj]

that's pretty much what we all use.
Can't beat the quality, ease of use,
and the fact that it's used by so many,
so can get info on any problem you may
encounter. Straight forward, VCR goes in via
RCA Analog, and then you use a FW cable to
connect it to your Mac. Use Imovie, FCE or FCP
to import footage in.


Another solution, that isn't as straight forward,
but is a bit cheaper, is to get a decent DVD Recorder,
and record the footage from VHS to a DVD-RW disc.
You then finalize the disc, and then use MpegStreamclip
on the Mac to convert the VOBs from the disc to DV Stream
files. From there, you import them into iMovie, FCE, or FCP.
I use and recommend the Magnavox MWR-106D
which can be bought at Wal-Mart for $85, and
a couple of TDK DVD-RW discs from Walgreens, at $2.25 a piece.

So $219 vs $85 + $5 for a couple of DVD-RW discs.

[FulciLives]

That Magnavox is a poor choice for VHS ... better to stick with the Canopus if you ask me or buy a higher quality DVD recorder.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Frobozz]

I was very pleased when I used the Canopus ADVC 55. The ADVC 110 has the ability to transfer video both to the computer and back from the computer to an analog device. But I had no reason to send video back to VHS. I saved some money and got the model that met my needs.

Alternatively you can get a DV camcorder that has analog to digital passthrough. After I got my camcorder I sold the ADVC 55 because I no longer needed it.

[tomlee59]

Alternatively you can get a DV camcorder that has analog to digital passthrough. After I got my camcorder I sold the ADVC 55 because I no longer needed it.

If you want to preserve quality and enable sophisticated editing, Frobozz's suggestion is a great one. If you already own a camcorder with this capability, I strongly recommend it.

If your goal is just preservation of the program material on those VHS tapes, then terryj's suggestion of some kind of dvd recorder is a good one (although I do second FulciLives' opinion that you can do a lot better than a Magnavox). Going direct to DVD from VHS in this way is simple and fast, and also leaves your computer free for other tasks.

[KeepItSimple]

Alternatively you can get a DV camcorder that has analog to digital passthrough. After I got my camcorder I sold the ADVC 55 because I no longer needed it.

That's what I use. My Canon ZR40 and ZR65MC MiniDV camcorders have S-video and firewire for a great digital pass-through both ways. The current models do not have s-video anymore (just composite) but the ZR40/45MC/50MC series and ZR60/65MC/70MC series did.

I import into imovie from VHS through the camcorder to the mac using s-video and firewire, edit the footage in iMovie, then export the finished imovie onto MiniDV tape where it's archived.
I then reconnect the firewire on the camcorder to the DV input on the DVD Recorder and record as I play back the tape. If no DV input on the DVD Recorder you could use the s-video.

[FulciLives]

The last time I checked some camcorder models (which was not that long ago) I found that very few still had the analog-to-digital pass-through feature. In fact it was really hard finding any models at all that had this feature which is a shame as there was a time (which was not that that long ago) when it was a common feature on all but the most budget of models.

My guess is that with the whole anti-piracy thing going on now with Hollywood and the implementation of HDMI and the copy protection on digital cable and satellite etc. that this analog-to-digital pass-through feature was scrapped on most models.

The DVD recorder option is a great idea but it is very difficult these days as most of the DVD recorders (the set top stand alone variety) are crap. The days of the better models by the likes of Toshiba and Pioneer are pretty much done it seems.

So at this point the Canopus ADVC-110 is a very good choice assuming you put the time and energy into "doing it right" as it does require a high learning curve compared to using a set top stand alone DVD recorder.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[lordsmurf]

These work quite well:
http://search.ebay.com/matrox-rtmac_W0QQcatrefZC3QQfromZR2QQsojsZ1

Often can be found in the $100 these days.

Matrox is a professional piece of equipment. The Canopus device is a prosumer piece, and the Magnavox is consumer crap.

[terryj]

I don't know what bias the three of you have towards Magnavox,
But for the price, quick preservation of VHS, which follows the
GIGO rule in most consumer ( read, taped from Cable) made
copies, the Magnavox does a FINE job for the price.

In SP and SPP mode, the Magnavox copies tapes to DVD.
Period. And the quality is comparable to what comes in
from the source material and source player.

Will having Pristine Factory made VHS tapes along with a
Time based correcting VCR make for an excellent copy?
Sure.

But for the everyday joe who has half a dozen or so taped
movies off of Cable channels and just wants to move them over to DVD?
The Magnavox is a more than capable device to do what
it advertises.

Again I post this to the OP.
As a newbie, how much time do you have to invest into learning the trade,
and how much cash do you have to outlay?

The three pretentious gentleman on our board have invested heavy time
and effort into getting "studio" level copying of their movies.
But at a significant cost of time, money and energy.

I myself have used or owned the Matrox RT Extreme,
the Canopus ADVC-100, the ADVC -110 and have two Magnavox MWR-D106 DVd Recorders.
Guess which get the majority of a workout?
The "consumer crap" as it gets the job done in 90% of what I need done,
and does an excellent FINE job.

You'll learn if you do this for a while that (1) Not everything is worth
moving Heaven and Earth for, or (2) ego stroking over every little
piece of video that was recorded will leave you with little time
for anything else.
So examine what you need to do, how quickly you'd like to do it,
(Energy vs. ego), and How much you need to transfer to VHS,
and then make a decision based on that as what to buy.

If you have a few precious tapes that contain Home memories
( first births, a memorial for a lost relative) investing in a time based
correcting VCR, and a Canopus will yield your best results,
for the (consumer) price, and after the learning curve,
you'll be happy with the results.

If you have a few dozen or so movies taped from Cable,
and all you want is to transfer them to DVD, adding chapter
points, and a simple but easy to navigate menu, again,
the Magnavox DVD Recorders are great for this task,
require little more than reading 4-5 pages of a manual,
and off you go to making DVDs.

Heck, if you want I'll send you a sample of what was done from
one, just PM me an addy. Hell, I don't work for Magnavox,
but I work for a living.

I don't always have time to be pretentious.
8)

[thecoalman]

<ooooh the Mac world... >

Saw this on the front page so here I am... I have a Canopus and love it. It just works and works well. You will not be disappointed if you buy one.

But I had no reason to send video back to VHS. I saved some money and got the model that met my needs.

ahhh but you can also use it for previewing on TV.

[AntnyMD]

People can be pretty passionate here, I love it! Just a note about the wonderful Canopus ADVC-110: There is some sort of enhanced Macrovision on most "On Demand" programming from Comcast that puts a nasty red filter on video that the Canopus cannot defeat.

[ker-plop]

That's no problem. These tapes I have are ancient.

[terryj]

ker-plop,
when you say ancient, do you mean ancient factory tapes
or ancient recorded from cable many years ago ancient?

[FulciLives]

I just want to say that I have the SV2000 WV10D6 which is a Walmart brand stand alone DVD recorder that is the same as the Magnavox as both are made by a company called Funai and Magnavox and SV2000 pretty much just slap their own (slightly different) case on with their name and logo etc.

My experience with the SV2000 WV10D6 (which I bought on a "close-out" for all of $57 USD) is that it does a fine job at the 1 hour and 2 hour modes and even the 2 1/2 hour mode (although it uses Half D1 resolution) is OK ... AS LONG AS ... you have a decently clean signal. Without having a TBC I would not use this unit for videotapes.

I've used mine for a few cable TV things and I'm happy enough with it for the price ... it's really a "back-up" unit for me ... the only thing I dislike is that there is some distortion across the very top of the image but it is fairly subtle and only affects the very top of the image so it should be high enough as to be out of the visible area (i.e., TV OVERSCAN) of most televisions. I can't see it on my TV but I noticed it on the computer where TV OVERSCAN does not exist.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[ker-plop]

ker-plop,
when you say ancient, do you mean ancient factory tapes
or ancient recorded from cable many years ago ancient?

I mean "the tapes were new when I bought them in 2000/2001, and they're as old as the stuff on them."

[tomlee59]

The build quality of Magnavox is obviously poor (you get what you pay for). Electronically, it's a perfectly fine performer. I passed one up because it felt like it was built out of tissue paper.

If you do a little research, you'll find that the MWR10D6 (not 106D) is made by Funai, and is rebranded all over the place (Magnavox is just one of many aliases). The statement that you can do a lot better than the Magnavox is a perfectly defensible one. It's not that the Magnavox isn't a good *value* (it is; it's a cheap recorder that can get the job done, for as long as it lasts). If it's pretentious to assert that you can do better than a Hyundai, then so be it. But it remains true that you can do a lot better than a Hyundai, too.

[mhar4]

If you can find an ADS Instant DVD for Mac, then they're pretty good. It's a hardware MPEG2 encoder. The image quality is really nice, somehow more pleasing the the DV converters I have used, although there is not a lot in it. If a cheap one comes up on eBay somewhere, there they are definitely an option.

[terryj]

I just want to say that I have the SV2000 WV10D6 which is a Walmart brand stand alone DVD recorder that is the same as the Magnavox as both are made by a company called Funai and Magnavox and SV2000 pretty much just slap their own (slightly different) case on with their name and logo etc.

My experience with the SV2000 WV10D6 (which I bought on a "close-out" for all of $57 USD) is that it does a fine job at the 1 hour and 2 hour modes and even the 2 1/2 hour mode (although it uses Half D1 resolution) is OK ... AS LONG AS ... you have a decently clean signal. Without having a TBC I would not use this unit for videotapes.

I've used mine for a few cable TV things and I'm happy enough with it for the price ... it's really a "back-up" unit for me ... the only thing I dislike is that there is some distortion across the very top of the image but it is fairly subtle and only affects the very top of the image so it should be high enough as to be out of the visible area (i.e., TV OVERSCAN) of most televisions. I can't see it on my TV but I noticed it on the computer where TV OVERSCAN does not exist.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

Ok John,
well noted in your review.
Your experience with the unit is the same as mine,
in that for Cable TV tapings ( even from cable tv taped to VHS transfers)
in the 1 to 2.5 hr range ( SP/SPP) are FINE, and that for VHS, it
is that the Playback VHS device, as well as the speed of the recording,
(Sp/LP/EP)
affects the overall transfer.

As always, thank you kind sir for your input.

[terryj]

ker-plop,
when you say ancient, do you mean ancient factory tapes
or ancient recorded from cable many years ago ancient?

I mean "the tapes were new when I bought them in 2000/2001, and they're as old as the stuff on them."

But they are Factory tapes correct?
And assuming that they weren't damaged due to
being eaten by an errant VCR, left in too cold
or too hot temperatures, and that your current VCR
is in great shape, then the issue becomes that if
you wish to transfer Factory tapes into your Mac,
you have to overcome Macrovison copy protection,
FIRST before transfer into the Mac.

Google "video Stabilizers" and look into picking one
of those up first. this piece will fit into the equation thusly:

VCR-->Video Stabilizer-->Device of your choice

I own this particular model here
and it does the job, enabling me to transfer my VHS tapes to DVD, either through
the Canopus into the mac, or to the Magnavox DVD Recorder.

So now, that we have eliminated GIGO, once again the issue comes down
to quick and easy, or hard learning curve?

[terryj]

---snip--- If it's pretentious to assert that you can do better than a Hyundai, then so be it. But it remains true that you can do a lot better than a Hyundai, too.

and thus you would hunt flies with an ak-47 simply because a flyswatter is ...kitsch?


sigh....you strength my opinion of you every day.....

[ker-plop]

But they are Factory tapes correct?
And assuming that they weren't damaged due to
being eaten by an errant VCR, left in too cold
or too hot temperatures, and that your current VCR
is in great shape, then the issue becomes that if
you wish to transfer Factory tapes into your Mac,
you have to overcome Macrovison copy protection,
FIRST before transfer into the Mac.

Google "video Stabilizers" and look into picking one
of those up first. this piece will fit into the equation thusly:

VCR-->Video Stabilizer-->Device of your choice

I own this particular model here
and it does the job, enabling me to transfer my VHS tapes to DVD, either through
the Canopus into the mac, or to the Magnavox DVD Recorder.

So now, that we have eliminated GIGO, once again the issue comes down
to quick and easy, or hard learning curve?
[/quote]

I'm still not exactly sure what you mean. The tapes came from several different brands: Maxell, Memorex, Fuji, JVC and Polaroid, to name a few. To my knowledge, they all still work; they haven't been played since I recorded them.

[lordsmurf]

It's been mentioned to me that I should try the EyeTV 250 Plus
http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/products/250plus/product1.en.html

[terryj]

Ok,
What I meant was were the tapes Factory copies of movies,
meaning were they....original copies?
or were they decent off air recordings you made yourself.

From your last post, it seems these are movies YOU taped yourself,
Not Factory movies you bought at Target or at Walmart on VHS.

Going off your last post, then you would not need a video Stabilizer.
This would only be for Store Bought movies you bought on VHS.

Since this is not the case, then we can go back and simply look
at which option is best for you:

#1 VCR-->Canopus-->Mac
or
#2 VCR---> DVD Recorder

#1 has a learning curve but if you plan on using iMovie, FCE, or FCP
as well as iDVD or Toast, then this is your option.

#2 If your goal is simply to get the movies onto DVD,
then purchasing a DVD recorder is simply the best option, no matter the brand
(as that will be determined by what your wallet can afford).

[ker-plop]

Ok,
What I meant was were the tapes Factory copies of movies,
meaning were they....original copies?
or were they decent off air recordings you made yourself.

From your last post, it seems these are movies YOU taped yourself,
Not Factory movies you bought at Target or at Walmart on VHS.

Going off your last post, then you would not need a video Stabilizer.
This would only be for Store Bought movies you bought on VHS.

Since this is not the case, then we can go back and simply look
at which option is best for you:

#1 VCR-->Canopus-->Mac
or
#2 VCR---> DVD Recorder

#1 has a learning curve but if you plan on using iMovie, FCE, or FCP
as well as iDVD or Toast, then this is your option.

#2 If your goal is simply to get the movies onto DVD,
then purchasing a DVD recorder is simply the best option, no matter the brand
(as that will be determined by what your wallet can afford).

Yeah, they're all movies I taped myself, but I want to edit them before I put them on DVDs, which is why I was asking about these devices.

[terryj]

It's been mentioned to me that I should try the EyeTV 250 Plus
http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/products/250plus/product1.en.html

it's viably sound, except for the fact that it records VHS directly to mpeg-2,
which means you couldn't put the files into iMovie/FCE/FCP without using MpegStreamclip
to transcode to DV Stream, or elgato's VHS Assistant Software.
It would be nice just to have the option to encode directly in DV, if you have an
ample HD for Scratch Disc space.....

[terryj]

ker-plop, ok then I think we have you on the right track to be able to decide....

[tomlee59]

---snip--- If it's pretentious to assert that you can do better than a Hyundai, then so be it. But it remains true that you can do a lot better than a Hyundai, too.

and thus you would hunt flies with an ak-47 simply because a flyswatter is ...kitsch?

No,that does not follow logically from my statement. You take offense too easily, and have difficulty tolerating dissenting opinions. No one's attacking your religion. There's no absolute right or wrong about it, terryj. It's an opinion. Let others express theirs, just as you freely express yours.

Just like a Hyundai, that Magnavox gets the job done, and is a fine value. But no sane person would seriously argue that you couldn't do a lot better than a Hyundai. That statement stands on its own, and does not imply that one should never use a Hyundai, or that one must always hunt flies with a BMW, to mix metaphors.

Relax. You'll live longer, and learn more.

[KeepItSimple]

Hyundai makes DVD Recorders now? How does she handle?

[lordsmurf]

It's been mentioned to me that I should try the EyeTV 250 Plus
http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/products/250plus/product1.en.html

it's viably sound, except for the fact that it records VHS directly to mpeg-2,
which means you couldn't put the files into iMovie/FCE/FCP without using MpegStreamclip
to transcode to DV Stream, or elgato's VHS Assistant Software.
It would be nice just to have the option to encode directly in DV, if you have an
ample HD for Scratch Disc space.....

I don't recall editing in FCP/FCE to be a requirement of the project. This setup is great for TV recordings and straight transfers. You can use MPEG Streamclip, and then demux with EyeTV3 for use in DVDSP. There's a few other methods too, but this is the one I understand works. Hope to try it myself in the near future.

DV has its own share of quality issues too, the biggest one being 4:1:1 colorspace compression for NTSC.

Hyundai has always been a joke for as long as I've known the brand. Sort of like Kia. Very much in the grain of the Chevy Nova (¡El coche no va!).

[terryj]

---snip--- If it's pretentious to assert that you can do better than a Hyundai, then so be it. But it remains true that you can do a lot better than a Hyundai, too.

and thus you would hunt flies with an ak-47 simply because a flyswatter is ...kitsch?

No,that does not follow logically from my statement. ---snipped

Yes it does.

Your opinion is that because the Magnavox is cheap, and feels like "tissue paper"
that it isn't a capable unit for the OP's needs. Duly noted, you made your opinion.

I stated, my opinion, several times over, that for off air cable tv recordings, in SP/SPP mode,
the magnavox handles the job and does FINE recordings of said material,
GIGO rules applying moderately.

There is no need to get a "Grand Daddy DVD Recorder made by Mercedes"
to handle off air cable tv recordings,
as you advocated in your opinion, that you made,
especially if the recordings are made to VHS tape in the LP or ELP/EP recording setting.
Nor will a Canopus or a Matrox RT for that matter. In LP/SLP recording modes, and
depending if you recorded to VHS tape during a small rain shower, :P
GIGO takes precedent, and there is no need, EVER, to spend an exhorbant amount
of moola for those type of recordings.
You can't polish a turd by seating him behind the wheel of a BMW, no matter what you think....
in your opinion.

John even mentions this in his tests of the unit as well....it handles the job so long as
you have a

"CLEAN SIGNAL"

...again GIGO.
This is consistent with my own tests of the unit, and I have three of them.

Now if the footage, as I stated, was of a higher caliber, such as from mini dv, or was newly ingested
direct from the Cable source, then certainly a Canopus or Matrox RT, in conjunction with
an analog pass through device, would be incredibly sound investment.
If the VHS tapes in question where Factory copies bought from Target or Walmart, or a BMW
Dealership, then a VCR to Canopus or Matrox RT (with a Video Stabelizer option
present) would be the Ultimate in maintaining pristine quality of transfer. Heck,
I'd even reccomend that if we were talking about it, on that subject. *shrugs*

But we are simply talking about an average joe, who recorded a few movies off of cable
onto VHS tapes, perhaps in SP mode, perhaps more likely in LP mode.

Could he blow his wad and get a "Grand Daddy DVD Recorder made by Mercedes".....sure,
but as Chris Rock once opinionated, "doesn't make it a great frickin' idea."
*shrugs*
Because it won't make a bit of difference on what analog information is there on the tape.
It won't make it "magically" a better recording, it will just transfer what is already there.
GIGO.

therefore, telling the OP to blow his wad on a solution that is overpriced, and will leave him/her
baffled on to why they spent all this money and got a piss poor output is not only
pretentious, but irresponsible. Better to point the OP towards a solution that is not only
easier on their wallet, but targeted to their source material, and to point out the inherent
flaws and expectations they can see as a result, rather than stroke my ego....
that's my opinion....*shrugs*

Relax. You'll live longer, and learn more.

from you......
I'm learning not from you, but DEFINITELY more about you.....