best way to convert VHS to DVD?

[jfall]

I have some old VHS home videos that I want to convert to DVD (probably over 30 hours worth). I'm looking for suggestions on what hardware/software to use to get this done.

I currently have a WinTV-PVR-150 in my computer. It has an S-Video In, Composite In and a Line-In (appears to be 1/8"). I also have 2GB of ram and 1 TB of free disk space.

I assume I can just hook up a VCR via Composite IN and get an RCA to 1/8" adapter for sound. Will this work ok? What software should I use to record the video? Any specific format it should be recorded to? Also, what software should I then use to author it as a DVD?

 

[Skitzer]

Try this Link

 

[Markbnj]

Sounds like you have everything you need but the software, and a good part of that is in Windows. Windows Movie Maker will capture. Look under File | Capture Video. If you prefer AVI VirtualDub is free, and will capture from your WinPVR to an AVI. I should amend that: it will capture from my TV Wonder, and I assume it will work with the WinPVR.

 

[jfall]

Well I messed around with it last night and I still cannot get the video to show up via composite. I hooked my VCR up via video out to the composite in on the PVR 150 but I can't get the video to show in WinTV or Windows Movie Maker.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I just used the bundled WinTV and Ulead for transferring some laserdiscs to dvd.

With my PVR-150 I needed to set the input to the correct source each time I started WinTV, then I needed to start recording before the picture would appear.

If you don't need to edit, an even easier route would be to buy a DVD recorder -- GottaDeal has a link to a $57 one from Wal-mart. Attach VCR to recorder, press record & press play, come back when it's done.

 

[Seekermeister]

Originally posted by: jfall
Well I messed around with it last night and I still cannot get the video to show up via composite. I hooked my VCR up via video out to the composite in on the PVR 150 but I can't get the video to show in WinTV or Windows Movie Maker.

This is similar to a question that I asked in the Video forum. I never got an answer, I hope that you do.

 

[RebateMonger]

A really reliable way to convert VHS to PC format is to use a Sony digital camcorder that has analog conversion ability. You plug your VHS signal into the camcorder and then plug the Sony camcorder connection into a Firewire port on your PC. The conversion is as good as it gets, with no configuration or dropped frames.

 

[corkyg]

There are several ways - but the term "best" is somewhat subjective. To me, "best" equates to easiest.

I have already converted several dozen VHS tapes to DVD, and it is pretty simple. Forget the computer, etc. I use my Sony RDR-VX500 combo VHS/DVD Recorder-Player.

The procedure is simple. Put a blank DVD in one side and the VHS tape in the other and press a couple of buttons. It's all automatic from there, and the results are excellent.

 

[Seekermeister]

RebateMonger,

I suppose that that would be a solution, if a person had enough use for it to buy a camcorder, but it would seem that there would be a cheaper method. Is DVD and VCR transmitted differently? My PVR150 receives signals from my DVD/VCR player just fine in DVD, but not in VCR. Is there a software program that could do the conversion?

 

[Seekermeister]

corkyg,

That sounds good, but my player will record from DVD to VCR, but not the opposite. I guess it's a matter of brand and model.

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: Seekermeistercorkyg, That sounds good, but my player will record from DVD to VCR, but not the opposite. I guess it's a matter of brand and model.

True! But, I also have two separate units connected to the bedroom TV, and that allows me to play or record in either direction.

I guess the point is, you don't need a computer or software to do this.

 

[themisfit610]

Well, if these are commercial tapes (movies), then they are probably protected with Macrovision, which your capture card will probably see, and not let you capture

If they're TV recordings or something equally non commercial then there should be no problem. Note that most DV cameras that do A/D conversion on the fly will ignore macrovision. Handy!

You mentioned that your DVD player connected to your capture card works - is this with the S-Video or Composite connection? A lot of times with the bt8x8 chipset cards, you have to manually select the input you want to use, and this can be tricky in programs that don't properly support capture cards. My advice would be to use VirtualDub. It's a VERY robust capture application, and you can capture to a good lossless codec like huffyuv, which will save you a lot of hard drive space vs raw uncompressed! You can then use an MPEG-2 encoder like HC or QuEnc to encode that lossless AVI to a DVD compliant M2V, which can then be authored to a DVD with whatever program you want.

I would say check out forum.doom9.net for more info about this kind of stuff. Those guys write the software that does all this

~MiSfit