Editing Family Analog VHS tapes

[wendellnovotny]

Hello Everyone,
This is my first time here; I've looked around and found some recommendations, right now I'm trying to put it all together.
I need to edit family analog vhs tapes and then put them back on a vhs compilation tape to send to the folks. I also need to convert avi and rm (ram) files to video tape. Of course I am a newbie in this area, but your site seems to be the place for solid info.
I think my system is ok, except possibly for the Video Card (ATI Rage 3D IIC AGP), so perhaps someone could suggest a good upgrade which will work with what I am thinking about buying:

1. Capture Card - Canopus ADVC-100
2. Software - Scenalyzer (or Ulead?)

Since my Soundblaster Audigy Soundcard has a Firewire input, I'm hoping I can use it to connect the capture card; unless, of course, I am completely misinformed...

I'm hoping someone with some expertise will look this over and let me know if I am on the right track. If not, any suggestions about appropriate Video Cards, Capture Cards, Editing Software, Firewire Cards will be greatly appreciated. Please see Computer Details for my system info.

Thanking You in advance, wendellnovotny@netscape.net

[The village idiot]

With the type of video you will be using (with the ADVC-100) you should be fine with your current video card. At least to get you started. You may want to use DVio for your capture/transfer application. Then you might try using EditStudio from http://www.puremotion.com for your editing. EditStudio has a 30 day free, full function, trial. And DVio is free, just search this forum for a link to it.

You may want to upgrade to windows 2000 and then fromat your harddrives as NTFS. DV video (what you will get with the ADVC-100) is about 13 GB per hour, so with win98 you would be limited to 4GB files, or abot 15-18 minutes of video, each file. This can become a problem, but may still work OK for you. Give it a try before buying anything else beyond the ADVC-100.

[Bondiablo]

I use the Canopus ADVC-100 all the time in both Win98 and Win2k for capturing from VHS, TV antenna and even tried it with DVD. It works great, you won't be disappointed. The video card is pretty much irrelevant here, I'd be more concerned about the SoundBlaster since that always seems to cause trouble, but then I use a $15 NEC firewire card that came with Ulead VideoStudio 5 and it works just fine. Ulead works well for capturing but it's a big program and doesn't seem to like other things working at the same time, occasionally it will drop a few frames if another program is started. Though, since upgrading my system, I've only seen that happen with a DOS program that has to run full screen. I just bought Scenalyzer which works even better and not even the DOS program can make it drop a frame. The 4GB file limit really isn't much of a problem. Both programs can be set to automatically start a new file while capturing when the limit is reached and if you're watching as you capture you can always stop and start your capture in Ulead or click Split in Scenalyzer at an appropriate point, like the end of a scene or during a commercial, and start a new file yourself before the limit is reached.

If you decide to try making VCDs or DVDs definitely get TMPGEnc for converting the captured files to MPEG. Also, the soundblaster firewire should be fine but if it ends up causing a problem and you look at firewire cards there's really no reason to spend much unless you want a better software package. In that case take a look at the ADS Pyro 1394 line, they have several different packages available.

http://www.adstech.com/products/PYRO1394DV/intro/API1394intro.asp?pid=API-1394PCI

http://www.tmpgenc.net/e_main.html

[willy_annand]

I've only seen that happen with a DOS program that has to run full screen.

DOS?

I heard about that in History class.
You still use DOS?
How last Millenium of you.

lol

[twen]

First of all, Canopus ADVC-100 (or 50, or 1394) is not a capture card, it's a analog converter. I'm using Canopus ADVC-50, which is an internal version of the converter and works great! It's cheaper than ADVC-100 but with same capture quality. But for your case since you want to have analog output back to VHS again then you have to stay with ADVC-100 because that's the only one in ADVC family that does analog out. My main purpose is to backup my VHS tapes to VCD or DVD so I chose the cheapest I could afford without losing quality.

You do need a firewire card to capture the raw AVI to your hard drive (the bigger your HD the better, but at least 30GB free space), and like it's been suggested, a cheap one will do. But I think stay away from one made by Texas Instrument, at least that's what Canopus web site has been warning buyers about conflicts with Texas Instrument's cards. Go check their web site and forum.

TMPGEnc is great for conversion to mpg and it's free. But if you're not familiar with all these stuffs then you might want to spend some time reading on this site first to understand all the terminology and what they actually mean and do to affect what you are doing, like: de/interlaced, telecine/IVTC, CQ, VBR, etc.. Have fun!

[danylab]

Since you want to put your file on VHS tape, a DC10+ would be enough I think. I've been using one for a year and a haf without problem. I mostly capture then create vcd, but, outputing to tape works well.

danylab

[SingSing]

The cost for new computer hardware is only good
for the old stuff, what about now and later ?

You must as well buy a miniDV cam now.
Most of them have a analog pass through.
You will end up using the same firewire steup,
editor, and everything else for the existing tape
and the new stuff. It is always nice to have a
tape with couple years of events on it.