VHS to Digital Help Please

[coffeeboy]

I purchased Elgato Video Capture for capturing my VHS with composite to USB input and it works fine, EXCEPT, the software does not allow one to pause the recording. I have a high end VHS editing recorder and would just like to pause my capture, skip a few frames, and continue with the capture. I did purchase Cyberlink Power Director editing but this is more than a complete newbie, novice like me can handle. I once owned a Sony Vaio desktop that allowed me to do this, but no longer have that old 2003 computer. Can someone tell me how I might be able to capture the video to my computer and pause the recording, skip a frame or 2 on my vhs recorder than then begin recording again to my computer (or directly to my DVD burner on the computer). I apologize for my stupidity.

[johnmeyer]

I've capture hundreds, perhaps thousands of hours of VHS/Beta/8mm. In my experience, it is a LOT easier to just capture the whole tape, and then do a quick "cuts-only" lossless edit on the resulting capture. Doing it this way, you don't have to babysit the VCR during the entire capture process. In addition, you can make perfect edits, whereas when you stop and start the VCR, the edit point will be lousy.

[orsetto]

^^^^^Agree 110%^^^^^

Always edit the digital file afterward, trying to pre-edit on the fly with the VCR during capture is the worst option.

Simple editing software is not that difficult to find, although the most recommended editors do have a learning curve. For basic cuts-only you don't need a soup-to-nuts Einstein package.

[johnmeyer]

A quick addition to my previous post. If you have a HUGE amount of stuff you want to skip over, just keep the capture going and then fast forward to the next part you want to record. You can then edit out the blank spot (if you stop the VCR and fast forward) or the noise bars (if you fast forward while still playing the video). You can make a note of the timecode (write it down) when you do this to make it easy to find the spot you need to edit out. BTW, if you don't start the capture at the beginning of the tape, don't forget to zero the VCR time counter before you start. This will make the time counter more or less match the timecodes in your capture.

[orsetto]

the noise bars (if you fast forward while still playing the video).

Agree again, but would add one minor caution re doing speed search with the VCR while the capture continues. Some PC capture dongles and standalone dvd recorders will misinterpret the unsteady VHS search signal as Macrovision, triggering an unexpected pause or stop in the capture. If you do experience a lockup, note whenever the capture stops and remember to re-start the capture again as the VCR reaches the desired playback point.