Best way to convert VHS to digital while preserving quality?

[Jabroni4872]

What contraption do I need to buy if I want high quality video taken from VHS to be put on a MAC for editing? Making sure the quality is better than MPEG quality?


Mark

[redwudz]

VHS quality is not that great most times. MPEG should work fairly well. It depends on how you want to view it. If the final product is to be a DVD, then MPEG would be a good choice.

The method used to digitize the VHS to a format you can edit is a bit more complex. You could use a capture card like one of the Hauppauge cards that converts directly to MPEG. Or you may be able to use a card that converts to a AVI type format. But you would have to convert it again to MPEG. Other alternatives are using a camcorder with pass through to digitize to DV format. Or use a external box like a Canopus AVC-110 to convert to DV format. DV format is very easy to edit. Good if you need extensive editing on your captured file. DV is easy to convert to MPEG.

The easiest method would be to use a DVD recorder and edit the output via a RW DVD on your Mac in MPEG format.

If you are asking specifically about Mac programs, I can move your thread to the Mac Forum where you may get more answers.

[Jabroni4872]

I would be interested in hearing about MAC programs, as I would be doing all the editing with Final Cut express on my iMAC.

What's funny to me is. up until recently I was an avid PC user and I used Ulead Video Studio a lot. I made a ton of DVD's with it, loved it I even made a very well edited video assignment for a class I had. It was so easy to use. Now I am trying to upgrade my skills and learn on a mac, I have Final Cut Express, but I can't figure out how to get VHS footage (or existing DVD footage for that matter) on my computer so I can edit videos and what not. I don't want to spend a fortune I just want to get VHS footage to my iMAC, so any help users have would be great! Thanks!


-Mark