Capture options: VHS to digital using DVD/VCR combo (dvd-VR355) and GT 630

[ThreePeak]

Trying to capture/backup old family VHS tapes to digital format. Picked up a Samsung combo player (DVD-VR355), originally just looking for s-vhs output. I had planned to capture using Pinnacle Studio 19 and the Pinnacle capture device (Dazzle dvd recorder- composite and s-video inputs to usb). I have a rig with a Geforce GT 630, an i5 processor and 16gb of DDR4 ram. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the Samsung DVD VR355 not only could record straight to DVD (easier but likely less desirable quality/finished product), but, also claims to be able to output the VHS signal via HDMI!!! that may be old news for many of you, but any of the non pro units I've found that had the hdmi output also had a small note stating that hdmi output not available for vhs, only for dvd playback. If I read correctly, it also claims to "upscale" the vhs as well as the dvd. A rarity i've never seen. So, my question is this. Is their a way with my existing equipment, to capture the vhs output from the samsung unit via HDMi to my PC rig? The dazzle capture unit only has the standard def inputs and s-video, no hdmi input) My gt 630 gfx card is powerful enough for what I push at it, but i've never tried to capture an hdmi signal, not would I have any idea how to do so. Any ideas or suggestions? If there is a way to do this, seems like a waste to voluntarily step down to s-video output when you have a hardware solution to output the signal. If the resolution could be higher that 720x480 recording directly to dvd within the unit, I might consider it, but I also miss out on all the possible enhancement and filters that may help

[Brad]

You're best off capturing natively at 480i. Upscaling will only harm the quality of a capture.

HDMI ports work with video in only one direction. Your graphics card has an HDMI output. To capture HDMI, you need an HDMI capture device. You would likely also need a special splitter to defeat copy protection, as it seems that most HDMI sources enforce HDCP even when they don't need to.

Unfortunately, the presence of an S-Video output on a combo unit isn't a sign of quality one way or the other. Nor is the ability to output VHS over HDMI.