VHS to DVD

[Caminetto]

I would like to know what you guys are using to copy your old Video tapes onto DVD. Looking for something under $100 (hopefully) that maintains the qualtity of the original video. Had my eye on a Leadtek PCI TV/FM Tuner Card, but don't know if this is complete or my best bet.

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

i grabbed an avermedia tv tuner card, rather happy with the features and price. to be honest though, encoding and re-encoding VHS videos,only to recompile them all into a dvd is a major pain. making 5 dvds personally proved to be a real project. just a first hand warning,its a lot of work and cpu overhead. be prepared to spend the time.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

No good alternative. No matter what there's going to be an analog to digital conversion so the quality of the converter is paramount. For your budget the Leadtek is a viable alternative.

I've never tried, but you should be able to record VHS to a Tivo or ReplayTV (which have very powerful hardware A/D converters) then extract the files to your computer providing you have a DVD burner. That would be the best cheap alternative if you or someone you know has a Tivo or Replaytv. Or look for a used or refurbished PVR250 MPEG encoder card from Hauppauge.

A standalone DVD recorder would be the best option, but those are several hundreds, unless you can rent them.

Check and see how much a lab would charge. If this is a one time shot, it may make more sense. Compare the price from the lab to the price for hardware, plus discs, plus your time babysitting those VHS tapes while they record.

 

[Caminetto]

So since I have a cable tv DVR I should be able to copy the video tape to it then try to copy that to my hard drive or burn directly to DVD? How is this acomplished and/or what hardware & software do I need? Yes, I think that the cost of a stand alone unit is prohibitive, and I might just be better off renting the movies (that I have already purchased on video cassette for at top dollar, BTW) and copying those.

 

[Richard98]

Originally posted by: Caminetto
So since I have a cable tv DVR I should be able to copy the video tape to it then try to copy that to my hard drive or burn directly to DVD? How is this acomplished and/or what hardware & software do I need? Yes, I think that the cost of a stand alone unit is prohibitive, and I might just be better off renting the movies (that I have already purchased on video cassette for at top dollar, BTW) and copying those.

If it's commercial tapes you're trying to backup, you may also run into macrovision protection. IMO, it's not worth transferring tapes to DVD that are already available on DVD.

 

[0roo0roo]

easiest is the stand alone dvd recorder

 

[deadseasquirrel]

Originally posted by: Richard98

Originally posted by: Caminetto
So since I have a cable tv DVR I should be able to copy the video tape to it then try to copy that to my hard drive or burn directly to DVD? How is this acomplished and/or what hardware & software do I need? Yes, I think that the cost of a stand alone unit is prohibitive, and I might just be better off renting the movies (that I have already purchased on video cassette for at top dollar, BTW) and copying those.

If it's commercial tapes you're trying to backup, you may also run into macrovision protection. IMO, it's not worth transferring tapes to DVD that are already available on DVD.

agree 100%. i figured it was vids of the kids or something. thats what i've been transferring. and, like someone mentioned above, it is a time-consumer. i'm not using a capture card. rather, playing the tape in my vcr then thru my digital camera that has passthru mode to my computer, captured directly as mpeg2 dvd cuz i dont have the HDD space for AVIs.

it's all a pain, but those vids of my kids were slowing getting destroyed on those old analog tapes. yeah, the quality isnt great on the dvd, but at least they're preserved now.

but never would i do all of this for just a flick.