Analog To Digital

nancyd · Post by **nancyd** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:16 am

Hi,

I would like to transfer VHS video to digital. Can someone explain the details of how I might go about this? I will then want to use ULead to import existing VHS video into a ULead project to create a DVD.

Also, what sort of hardware requirements might I need?

...Is this too general a question?

rwindeyer · Post by **rwindeyer** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:27 am

A couple of ways to go about this:

1) Use a capture card. This is not my area of experience; others will hopefully comment. Basically the card or device captures your analogue output and converts it to digital. There are various kinds of card available - just slot one into your computer. Available at all good computer shops.

2) If you are fortunate enough to have a digital camera with AV/DV pass-through:
Run the analogue signal into the camera, the camera will convert it to digital "on the fly", and you can easily run the digital output to the computer via firewire. This is what I use.

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:42 am

If you are going to buy an analog capture card, make sure you get one with a hardware encoder on board. Capturing analog and converting it to digital in real time needs a very powerful machine and there are a number of people here who found out that it is not as easy and straight forward as many sales people make it out to be. There are no "cheap" solutions to this either. I have a spare capture card which I don't use because I also have a DV camcorder with AV pass through capability. I personally prefer this approach.

GuyL · Post by **GuyL** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:01 am

If you don't have a pass through as suggested in previous messages, my suggestion would be the All-In-Wonder series cards from ATI. I use the 9800 Pro version and capture analog all the time. I still have an analog camcorder so this is my method of capture. If you have any further questions regarding this, do not hesitate to ask.

nancyd · Post by **nancyd** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:05 am

Thank you for these suggestions!

I have a Pocket CameraCorder that comes with an AV cable - yellow,red,white prongs.

Does this mean I can hook up my ancient camcorder and put a VHS tape in it and connect it to my digital video cameracorder and then put the VHS camcorder in play mode and somehow magically my video will become digital and stored on my digital cameracorder?

Can you please explain since I'm not even sure that just having this "AV" cable is what you are referring to.

Thanks

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:56 am

I am really not sure that your Pocket CameraCorder is the way to go. If it is what I think it is, then it is a device for recording mpeg-4 using 512 MB SD memory cards which store 30 minutes of video at 30-frames-per-second with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels... In the first place, it is not clear to me that in has AV-in. It certainly has AV-out and the AV cable you mention is normally used to connect the CameraCorder to your TV. But I am not sure it is used to connect something else to the CameraCorder. You will need to check your manual for that.

But second, it captures in mpeg-4 format. Nothing wrong with that in theory. But depending on what version of Video Studio you have, it might present a problem. Only VS9 can deal with mpeg-4, and it does so only when you download the special mpeg-4 plug-in which is available free to registered users of VS9. But you need to bear in mind that some people have experienced difficulties getting that plug-in to work with certain types of mpeg-4. There are, of course, other programs out there which can convert mpeg-4 to mpeg-2 for burning to a DVD, and indeed one of them may have come with your CameraCorder.

By the way, the AV cable you have is quite different from the Firewire cable we mention, which is what is used to connect a mini DV digital video camera to the computer. Your CameraCorder connects via a docking station using USB. I am not sure how Video Studio will go on recognising that, but you could always use the software that came with the camera to capture and, if you have VS 9 with the mpeg-4 plug-in and the latter works, then you could transfer the captured files to VS 9 for editing...

Third -- how many SD memory cards do you have? If each one will only store 30 minutes of video, then you would need to have quite a few cards if you were, for instance to be transcribing Hi8 analogue tapes which can hold around 2 hours of SP video.

Overall, I think you may have to try another solution, like a capture card.

nancyd · Post by **nancyd** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 12:13 pm

Thanks for all the technical details. I agree that I need to figure out my true options.

Your advice has certainly helped.

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:14 pm

Hi

I agree with the replies that the best method to capture your VHS tapes is by using an A/V to DV converter. Usually a digital camcorder with pass-through is used for this process.

Unfortunately you will need a Digital camcorder with A/V pass-through a Firewire card and cable (for some reason you will have to buy the cable as a separate item)

You do not mention what hardware your pc has, if you already have Firewire then you are part way there, although I do not think the firewire cards are that expensive.
The expense is with the camera or DV converter, which you have to weigh against the cost of a capture card.

If you choose a capture card then also consider your pc’s specification.
Using a capture card is more demanding on your pc than the Firewire option.

You could always purchase a stand alone DVD recorder, you should then be able to copy your Vhs tapes direct to dvd. I have never used one but its another option to consider.

take your time and get it write

Just did a search and found a little reading for you
http://www.signvideo.com/conv-v-to-d.htm

Good Luck
Trevor

DVDDoug · Post by **DVDDoug** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 9:07 pm

Hardware -
Some companies that make capture devices:

ATI
Hauppauge
Pinnacle

The ATI All-In-Wonder cards seem to be the most popular.

I have a Hauppauge card. It has a hardware MPEG encoder. The MPEG encoder does a great job... But it is MPEG ONLY. MPEGs are not meant to be edited. To get acceptable results, I had to buy a special-purpose MPEG editor. (I still use Video Studio for other stuff.)

My Hauppauge card also seems to ignore Macrovision (copy-protection). I've never had any problems copying commercial VHS tapes (for personal use only... of course.

) They don't seem to advertise this... so I don't know if it's true for their current products.)

I believe that the Pinnacle capture cards & devices all come with software which is similar to Video Studio.

Software -
It get's confusing because Ulead seems to claim that all of their software does everything. Your choice of software will depend on if you are focusing on video editing or DVD authoring. Or, you may want more than one software package for capturing analog, editing the video, and authoring/burning the DVD. Once you get your capture hardware, play-around with the various trial programs before you choose one!

It's not unusual for me to use three different programs. (Or more, depending on what I'm doing with the audio, and the packaging artwork.)

Your capture device will come with capture software. Sometimes the supplied software works better than Ulead for the capture step.

Video Studio and Media Studio are video editors with some added DVD authoring capability.

DVD Movie Factory is a DVD authoring tool with limited editing.

DVD Workshop is an advanced DVD authoring tool with very little editing capability.