Cheap way to copy VHS to DVD « Videomaker Community Forums

nobody
Member

My friend wants to know the best (cheapest and easiest)capture card and or software to copy VHS tapes to DVD. (after I built my system I haven't kept up with prices anymore)

Posted 7 years ago #
nobody
Member

A simple way to do this is to buy an ATI All in Wonder video card. For analog video capture I use an ATI AIW 9600 Pro. You simply plug the VCR or video camera into the input connector of the video card using either standard composite cables, or svideo cable. Then, using the multimedia centre software that comes with the ATI card, you open the TV Player and capture the VHS video straight into MPEG-2 format onto your hard drive. Your PC must atleast have a 2Ghz CPU in order to do this without dropping frames. You will then need to burn this MPEG-2 file onto a DVD+R using a DVD burner and burning software like Nero.

Hope that helps!
Cris

Posted 7 years ago #
nobody
Member

How about the quality of dvd that you burned. Is it similar to original VHS tape!?.

Posted 7 years ago #
nobody
Member

Ok easiest and in this case the cheapest, unless you already have a dv camera is to go out and get a stand alone unit The new Lite-on is quite good for it's price $209 at circuit city http://www.circuitcity.com/detail.jsp?oid=93185&WT.mc_n=67&c=1&b=g&u=c&WT.mc_t=U and it's also a LOT simpler than running it through the computer. It's a consumer product so your friend shouldn't have any trouble figuring it out just hook up audio and video out from vcr to audio and video in on dvd burner couldn't be simpler. Hope this helps.

Posted 7 years ago #
nobody
Member

That does sound like the ideal solution, but have you tried it yourself?

Posted 7 years ago #
nobody
Member

I'm afraid I haven't however, if you look around at the reviews of that set top box you can't beat it for the price and apparently the quality is pretty nice too.

Posted 7 years ago #
nobody
Member

Thanks a lot, I've forwarded all responses to my friend. I'll be interested to see what he picks. (why doesn't he just go out and spend thousands on a mega-computer and spend two years learning to edit and burn like everyone else?)

Posted 7 years ago #
slines
Member

I read the posts on the use of the lite-on 5001 for copying old tapes to dvd. Is there any more recent information on this and the quality? Also, I see where there is a Lite-On 5005; does anyone have experience with this unit? I want to convert old VHS and 8mm tapes to DVD and then possibly do some editing.

Many thanks in advance for any help!

Posted 7 years ago #
ginkiwi
Member

I have the 5005, got it for 149$ at BJ's wholesale. It works great, no complaints about discs not burning or playing once they are finalized. I have burnt straight from vhs, another dvd player, cable signal. You don't have the flexibility of customizing menus, of course, and if you want to use it to capture from you still have the vob format. I am quite pleased with it.

Posted 6 years ago #
jimbodeanny
Member

I use the Canopus ADVC-100/110 set top box. The quality is unbelievably good (looks the same as the source). You pay a little more ($250-300) but you get a VERY high quality product. Canopus make some awesome products and analog to digital conversion is one of their main divisions. Check them out

(jeez...I should be a sales rep lol)

Posted 6 years ago #
Anonymous

I have a Panasonic version at work. It's a VHS/DVD Player/Recorder Combo. Works fine. Pop the VHS in on one side, a blank DVD-R on the other side and hit the one button record.

We also use it to record DVC Pro tapes to DVD.

When we bout it last year it was $500. I've seen simlar versions from Panasonic, Apex, Samsung that run $450 and under.

Posted 6 years ago #
johnny mac
Member

I bought a Magnavox MRV660 for $150 at Bestbuy. It's your standard +r burner with firewire input. I've probably burned 60 DVD's so far... alot better than tying up a pc for the simple copy task.

I do hope the engineer that designed the POS menu system was fired because it really is a pain in the kaboose to navigate. But bottom line, the deck works, and it's a cheap solution.

Posted 6 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Is $99 cheap enough?

Assuming you already have a DVD burner in your PC, all you need is Pinnacle Studio 9's editing/burning software and their DC-10 card (they also have other capture products). I got my kit about two years ago on close-out at Best Buy for $30, but $99 is average street price.

Decent editing software, the best user interface in the biz, and easy menu creation & DVD burning if you don't get snagged by the software's many quirks and bugs.

Just hook up your VCR's video to the DC-10 card, plug the audio into your sound card (will require an RCA to mini-phono adapter) and your in business.

If you need burners, I just bought two from TigerDirect.com for under ninety bucks (Lite-on).

Posted 6 years ago #
johnny mac
Member

I've used Studio DC10, 7, 8 & 9 and +.. and if all you want to do is copy a vhs to dvd, get a stand alone device..

The aforementioned post even states "Decent editing software, the best user interface in the biz, and easy menu creation & DVD burning if you don't get snagged by the software's many quirks and bugs. "

It doesn't matter if the software is free and runs beautifully, which it's not, it is a total waste of time and resources to use a computer to copy something if you aren't going to edit the footage.

Posted 6 years ago #
pro
Member

If you are learning - it's ok to spend so much time and money :-) But if you just want to have you tapes transferred to dvd - a simple way to do this is to use video to dvd transfer service like http://dvd.goodhosting.ca
good luck!
;-)

Posted 6 years ago #