VCR To Computer?

[KugarWeb]

Hi all,
Just wondering if it's at all possible to capture footage from my Sony VCR to computer using VideoStudio 8 and the connections listed below in my signiture? I've tried it a few times using Scart to Composite from the VCR to the front connections on my Media Center PC but still haven't been able to get any success.

When trying to capture, I also do not recieve sound, even when the picture quality is near perfect. What is not listed below is the fact that the Media Center has a Hauppauge WinTV PVR PCI Adapter which I tried to use to capture the footage. Even when I do manage to get a perfect picture quality but still with no sound, the software will not allow me to capture from the VCR, is this due to copyright protection??

The main reason I ask is not to copy and produce DVDs of VCRs but to backup some of my favourite shows from home recorded tapes and also some footage of school plays when I was a kid which are only on VHS. Is there some special software which I will need to install or purchase to capture this type of material or is it just not possible because of copyright issues??

[Ron P.]

This is taken from the VS8 manual:

Video demands a lot from your computer. When setting up your
system for video editing, the basic factors to consider are the size
and speed of your hard drive, RAM, and processor. These determine
how much video you can store and how quickly you can process or
render your files. If you can afford a bigger hard drive, more RAM,
and faster chip, go with it. Just remember that technology is
changing so rapidly and by evaluating first the kind of video editing
projects you plan to do, you can better determine the setup that
works best for you.
The following are the system requirements for VideoStudio:
• Intel® Pentium® III 800 MHz or higher
• Microsoft® Windows® 98 SE, ME, 2000, XP
• 256MB of RAM (512MB or above for editing)
• 600MB of available hard drive space for program installation
• 4 GB+ hard drive space for video capture and editing
• Windows-compatible display with at least 1024x768
resolution
• Windows compatible sound card
• CDROM, CD-R/RW or DVD-R/RW
Real-time features perform best with at least:
• Pentium 4, 2.0 GHz CPU
• 512 MB of RAM
• 7200 rpm IDE hard drive
Input/Output device support
• 1394 FireWire cards for use with DV/D8 camcorders
• Support for OHCI Compliant IEEE-1394 and 1394 Adaptec
8940/8945
• Analog capture cards for analog camcorders (VFW & WDM
support)
• USB capture devices and PC Cameras

I don't know if the problem may be your OS (MCE) or your Haupuage Device... Someone with some experience on the Haupuage devices will probably respond soon..

Ron P.

[Ken Berry]

There has been a lot of discussion about the Hauppage cards. One of the best threads for you might be this one: http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... auge+wintv

Briefly, the tentative solution is to capture with the software which came with the card (WinTV), and then open it for editing in Video Studio. (BTW, my card is not Hauppage but a Winfast DV2000, which also used WinTV software. While I can in fact use VS to capture from this card, I still prefer to use the WinTV sofware for the capture phase as it appears to give better control and more options to improve quality at the time of capture.)

And I am sure Steve Jones, who has a Hauppage card, will have some as usual wise words of his own on this matter...

[sjj1805]

The capture and authoring stages of VideoStudio and also DVD MovieFactory are very similar. To demonstrate procedures sometimes I use VideoStudio and at other times MovieFactory though many tutorials serve both products.

Please view:
MF4: Create DVD from Hauppauge TV Card

[neonbob]

I have the hauppage card and I use nothing but the software that came with the card, then import to an editor of my choosing.

Win tv2000 (the included software) gives exellent results, and as KEN says, it offers a lot more control.

[sjj1805]

I have the hauppage card and I use nothing but the software that came with the card, then import to an editor of my choosing.

Win tv2000 (the included software) gives exellent results, and as KEN says, it offers a lot more control.

Yes I agree and that is why in the link I have provided above you will see that I have included how to use the WinTV2000 to capture from the TV card!

[DVDDoug]

...still with no sound, the software will not allow me to capture from the VCR, is this due to copyright protection??

With the WinTV software, make sure you've conected the VCR audio to the Hauppauge card, not to your soundcard.

Macrovision copy protection should only scramble the picture. It shouldn't affect the sound. My Hauppauge card seems to ignore Macrovision, and since your picture is perfect yours is ignoring it too.