Computer stuffness

[slobodan]

I need to get a load of VHS stuff onto DVD (or at least onto the computer)
I do have the womble multimedia program.
What do I need in the way of hardware? I know nothing about video capture devices, can I buy a USB plugable thingy?
I have a VCR with a scart output.
Anyone point me at what I need?

[Rustinho]

I need to get a load of VHS stuff onto DVD (or at least onto the computer)
I do have the womble multimedia program.
What do I need in the way of hardware? I know nothing about video capture devices, can I buy a USB plugable thingy?
I have a VCR with a scart output.
Anyone point me at what I need?

On my old desktop I had a TV card where you just plugged in the aerial and you used the supplied software to do the rest (tune to the correct signal & capture video) but I never really used it much so can't tell you any more than that I'm afraid.

[GRASSMAN]

Hi mate, try this I've used it, and it works.
You can't copy copywriten tapes tho'.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/video-2-go-c...-and-pc-506680

Hope this helps.

Gman.

[schrodingers-cat]

I used to use one of these. £80 is a bit steep considering the cable and the connection box is missing but if you can find something similar its brilliant

[sv1000spilot]

Ive got an older version of these

You can input from any device (inc sky)

http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSit...r+Platinum.htm

[si tate]

I need to get a load of VHS stuff onto DVD (or at least onto the computer)
I do have the womble multimedia program.
What do I need in the way of hardware? I know nothing about video capture devices, can I buy a USB plugable thingy?
I have a VCR with a scart output.
Anyone point me at what I need?

Just buy new porn on DVD & sell the tapes at a car boot.

[Vultch]

Hi mate, try this I've used it, and it works.
You can't copy copywriten tapes tho'.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/video-2-go-c...-and-pc-506680

Hope this helps.

Gman.

yip..thats the beast

[slobodan]

Thanks, I'll probably order the Amazon one cos it's cheaper.

[slobodan]

Hunting around the house, I found a 'win tv' thingy that I've had for ages but never got around to installing, this had all the gubbings included for interfacing VHS recorders, cameras etc.
Anyway, yesterday I started to get my old tapes copied...
Bl00dy 'ell, the memory it needs.
To record 30 mins of tape took 10Gb!!!!
That was recording in good quality AVI format.
Is this normal?
At this rate I'll need a couple of terabytes just for me old tapes.

[Vultch]

Hmm yes thats about right..drop the quality if you can on the programme as VHS is pretty crap..DV tape format is approx 1 Gbyte for 5 min video

If you think thats heavy wait till you try HD video

[slobodan]

Hmm yes thats about right..drop the quality if you can on the programme as VHS is pretty crap..DV tape format is approx 1 Gbyte for 5 min video

If you think thats heavy wait till you try HD video

It's actually the 8mm cassettes, I tried burning them straight to DVD but the quality loss was quite apparent.
I am happy with the quality in AVI, I just wondered if that sort of memory usage was normal.
Thanks for answering that it is normal, I'll go and buy a couple of external drives to stick them on.

[Vultch]

If you can buy something that encodes to H264 ( its an MPEG format) its pretty damm good at compressing whilst keeping the quality

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Video-2-PC-W...9&sr=8-1-fkmr1

[slobodan]

It gives me these choices.......

MPEG-1 Normal quality
MPEG-1 Good quality
MPEG-1 Optimal quality
MPEG-2 Normal
MPEG-2 Good
MPEG-2 Optimal
VCD
Super VCD
DVD
Windows Media(R) Video
Uncompressed AVI
MPEG-4

I tried DVD, quality wasn't so good, AVI was great but ate memory.

Is MPEG-4 that H264 thingy?

[Vultch]

Yes H264 is an Mpeg 4 format ...there are many Mpeg 4 formats you can tweak everything but try one on Mpeg 4 it will save you in hard drive space

[slobodan]

Thanks for that.