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Computers & Hardware => Other Technologies & Hardware => Topic started by: renluop on April 18, 2012, 11:13:57 AM

Title: Transfer VHS and Audio Cassets to CD/DVD
Post by: renluop on April 18, 2012, 11:13:57 AM
I have a moderate number of those lying about and  think it is about time I digitised them. I have seen possible solutions from the likes of Roxio and Magix, but they cost £50+ and the user reports seem quite mixed, from grand to brown stuff.

What suggestions can friends make how best to proceed either free or with less cost than mentioned above, please! :)
Title: Re: Transfer VHS and Audio Cassets to CD/DVD
Post by: roseway on April 18, 2012, 11:23:48 AM
I've never tried any special equipment for this. I just transferred mine directly from the VCR to a DVD recorder.
Title: Re: Transfer VHS and Audio Cassets to CD/DVD
Post by: HPsauce on April 18, 2012, 11:27:19 AM
Well, it's a bit complicated to set up initially, but my neighbour did this using an old (now defunct) Hauppauge TV card (PCI) that I lent him, plus a video player.

Basically the analogue Hauppauge TV tuners usually also have a video/audio input. The Hauppauge TV software allows you to select that input and, most importantly record it! Even better the recorded files are usually standard MPEG format.

Once set up he had a nice "production line" running. He'd ready the video player paused at the start, start the software recording and hit play.
Then he'd go away and come back later. Didn't matter too much if he was late, plenty of free software for simple editing of MPEG's.

Over a few weeks he transferred his entire VHS library to MPEG format. After that you can do what you like to burn it to CD/DVD as required in your preferred format. Most modern DVD players will play MPEG's directly anyway, but creating "proper" DVD's is easy enough - it's built-in to more recent versions of Windows.
Title: Re: Transfer VHS and Audio Cassets to CD/DVD
Post by: renluop on April 18, 2012, 02:56:36 PM
@roseway
Doing that way, how did the quality turn out?

@HPSauce
If I could source a card from a friend and there was defo space in computer, but fear one or both requirements would fail. I don't think Nvidia Geforce 310 includes TV tuner.

@ Anyone

AAMOI  what extra do the specialised hard and softwares offer to make then better than direct transfer as per roseway's method; or is it just another marketing rip-offf?
Title: Re: Transfer VHS and Audio Cassets to CD/DVD
Post by: roseway on April 18, 2012, 03:40:59 PM
Quote
@roseway
Doing that way, how did the quality turn out?

Perfectly OK as far as I'm concerned. VHS recordings are pretty ropy anyway, and the DVD recorder didn't make them any worse. I've no idea if the specialised equipment includes the capability to clean up the VHS recording.
Title: Re: Transfer VHS and Audio Cassets to CD/DVD
Post by: HPsauce on April 18, 2012, 04:28:23 PM
Quote from: renluop on April 18, 2012, 02:56:36 PM
I don't think Nvidia Geforce 310 includes TV tuner.
The Hauppauge card I was referring to is a separate add-in PCI card, nothing to do with your video card.
Title: Re: Transfer VHS and Audio Cassets to CD/DVD
Post by: asbokid on April 18, 2012, 05:44:17 PM
Quote from: renluop on April 18, 2012, 11:13:57 AM
I have a moderate number of those lying about and  think it is about time I digitised them. I have seen possible solutions from the likes of Roxio and Magix, but they cost £50+ and the user reports seem quite mixed, from grand to brown stuff.

What suggestions can friends make how best to proceed either free or with less cost than mentioned above, please! :)

Sounds like you need something like this... (£3 USB AV capture dongle)

(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww4.picturepush.com%2Fphoto%2Fa%2F8066687%2F640%2F8066687.jpg&hash=d707e69e989102fd7820ddbaca8ec2d1ef9a4365) (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=usb+capture+-camera+-firewire&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15&_odkw=usb+capture+-camera&_osacat=0)

See: http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=usb+capture.. (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=usb+capture+-camera+-firewire&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15&_odkw=usb+capture+-camera&_osacat=0)

cheers, a

EDIT:  to ensure best quality, digitise from the best video output source possible.  RGB is much better than S-Video which is better than composite video.
Title: Re: Transfer VHS and Audio Cassets to CD/DVD
Post by: renluop on April 18, 2012, 06:36:37 PM
I've never bought from Ebay, as not sure one can be sure what one is getting.
Are dongles like the one mentioned of good quality usually? Makes are seldom mentioned. Or is it a case that any one will do the job? Some buyer opinions on them are quite low.

BTW can one buy without an account?
Title: Re: Transfer VHS and Audio Cassets to CD/DVD
Post by: HPsauce on April 18, 2012, 06:49:51 PM
For just £3 it's worth a try.
But it will come from China or Hong Kong so take a while (I've done that before OK).
You need to register with eBay AND PayPal.
Title: Re: Transfer VHS and Audio Cassets to CD/DVD
Post by: asbokid on April 18, 2012, 07:07:24 PM
Quote from: renluop on April 18, 2012, 06:36:37 PM
Are dongles like the one mentioned of good quality usually? Makes are seldom mentioned. Or is it a case that any one will do the job? Some buyer opinions on them are quite low.

The USB AV capture dongles appear to be clones of the real Mc Coy (the EzCap) which costs ten times more.

According to [1] the ICs in the clone dongles vary..

The USB peripheral controller is different. This shouldn't matter, so long as the controller is fast enough to packetise and transport the digitised data.

Where the quality might vary is in the video input processing. In the clone dongles the processor IC is a clone of the Philips SAA7113H. Maybe the IC is produced legitimately under licence, though? Of so, the clones' performance would be identical to the more expensive dongles. [2]

Some USB AV capture dongles appear to have a dedicated audio processor, some do not.

As for whether they're any good, for £3.. maybe suck it and see!  :baby:   The price will eventually drop in time, and we will hopefully see them in PoundLand  :)

cheers, a

[1] http://bonybrown.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/somagic-easycap-and-linux.html
[2] http://pvr.sourceforge.net/SAA7113H_1.pdf
Title: Re: Transfer VHS and Audio Cassets to CD/DVD
Post by: burakkucat on April 18, 2012, 07:23:27 PM
Quote from: HPsauce on April 18, 2012, 06:49:51 PM
. . .
You need to register with eBay AND PayPal.

Neither are strictly necessary but it might make things a little easier when buying from the Orient.  ;)
Title: Re: Transfer VHS and Audio Cassets to CD/DVD
Post by: coolsnakeman on August 27, 2012, 11:33:42 AM
Hey,

Sorry for add more info to this as not sure if you got sorted or not but i found a ROXIO Easy VHS to DVD for £39.95 on amazon which is cheaper than the 50+ i was coming across else where. Its also free delivery. Just thought i would throw that in there if anyone else was interested in getting the kit to do this.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B001O5CUJ4/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B001O5CUJ4/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new)

Regards
Gary