VHS to DVD Software Recommendations Wanted

11/8/05

[pabianice]

I have about 200 hours of home movie videos on VHS. My VCR is on its last legs.

Can anyone recommend VHS to DVD software that is fast, easy, and inexpensive?

Thanks.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Rather than coax, try to use RCA patch cords (or better yet, SVHS patch cords) to connect the video to the TV card in the computer.

My eight-year old VCR only has coax. I am evidently behind the times.

[vin-one]

does it really work well, and what about the amount time you can record. see the post below, I have thinking about this for my VHS collection of movies, and home movies as well.

[brownsfan]

Anyone look at, or try the vhs tape / dvd burner combos?
I think a standalone would be a nice solution.

[NavyCanDo]

I got a Panasonic DVD+R Recorder for Christmas two years ago. To transfer my VHS to DVD, I have just hooked up my VCR to it using the input video/audio jacks and recorded on it using my VHS as the source. It was pretty easy.

[bmwcyle]

You can set different recording speeds.

[TChris]

I am currently working on the exact same kind of project as you!

For the VHS-to-digital capture, I have had very good results with a Hauppauge WinTV PVR-150 at < $100. My DVD burner came with some basic DVD authoring software, which will work fine for basic stuff. I also bought Roxio Easy Media Creator 7.5 at < $80 for its more powerful features, like adding audio on top of the existing VHS audio for example.

Hope that helps.

[Petronski]

Ah, yes. Coax works. RCA is a cleaner picture. SVHS is even cleaner.

Folks should use the best option available.

[Dark Knight]

I'm using Sony Vegas 6 with DVD Architect. The Intel stuff. I have a Sony Mini DV camera and just have the stereo and video outputs record to my MiniDV camera, and then everything is digital. There is a mini DV record tape of the VHS whilst I play. But this is not 200 hours of stuff.

The Go VHS to DVD sounds like a good solution.

DK

[scouse]

Can you then copy it to your computer????

I haven't tried. I have been making them and giving them to friends.

[harpu]

Why not DVD to your HDD? Then, if you like, HDD to DVD.

[NavyCanDo]

Before I started my transferring I had a collection of about 400 VHS tapes stored in a separate room off our home theater. It was pretty crowded in there. I am a classic movie fan, so many of these were movies recorded from TCM and AMC or purchase them from collectors if they were very very rare.

I have transfered all the rare ones to DVD from VHS, and rerecorded the others when they showed back up on TCM so I can get the best quality.

My collection now is nearing 900, and I am only using a fraction of the space I use to.

[harpu]

Oops..."Why not DVD to your HDD?"

Meant to say..."Why not VHS to your HDD?">

[frgoff]

Yes, you can. You can then also edit the resulting mpeg stream using any good mpeg editor and burn it back out to DVD.

Be aware, though that if you want to migrate commercial VHS tapes to DVD, you will need something to strip out the macrovision.

Here's my setup (because I'm not going to pay another $20 to get the same thing I already paid $20 for just to get it in DVD format.)

1. Phillips DVD Recorder
2. Pyro A/V converter
3. iMac G5
4. Toast Titanium

Here's what I do:

1. Plug the RCA out from the VCR into the RCA in on the Pyro.
2. Plug the RCA out on the Pyro to the RCA in on the DVD Recorder.
3. Turn on the Pyro.
4. Start the tape.
5. Press record on the DVD recorder.
6. When done take the DVD to my iMac.
7. Open the first vob file in the video_TS folder
8. Edit the stream as desired (usually to cut out all the Disney commercials they put on the front of their Videos).
9. Save the edited stream.
10. Drop the stream into Toast.
11. Burn the DVD.

[CHICAGOFARMER]

Be aware, though that if you want to migrate commercial VHS tapes to DVD, you will need something to strip out the macrovision.

xxxxxxxxx

Everything I have is from home videocam.

Good system setup here.

thanks.

[savedbygrace]

I use a Pioneer DVR-320. I wish I'd bought theDVR-520H model with the hard drive, though.

Works great, in real-time, plus a few minutes per disc to finalize.

The time this saves you over a software solution is well worth the money, IMO.

[Gorzaloon]

Just get yourself an ATI all-in-wonder (whatever number is cheapest) and record them onto your hard-drive in mpeg format. You can then recompress them to whatever format you would like later.

I did. I just built two systems, 3 GHzP4's, 2 Gigs RAM each, SATA drives.

I also bought two ATI AIW 9600/128's.

ATI's AIWs were always the standard..we had one on an old W98 machine.

However, before getting them for Win XP, first do the following Google searches and save yourself time and money.

1) Search "ATI Win XP Crash" .

2) Search ATI "Never Again".

There are some grave driver problems.

Don't take my word for it: Check the WinXP hardware newsgroups and do the google searches.

I removed the AIW from one machine and donated it to a charity. The replacement EVGA|GF FX 5500 256MB that made the first machine fast and crash proof has been ordered today for the second machine as well.

I will keep one of the ATI's for the day they get their driver problems fixed, but in the meantime need a running machine in that room, and am though with all the reinstall/dl latest driver of the day/BS.

[doorgunner69]

ping for VHS-DVD info

[savedbygrace]

2nd reply - I said I wished I'd bought the DVR-520H with the hard drive. If you're only needing to make one DVD title of each VHS cassette, you don't need a hard drive in the DVD recorder.

The hard drive allows you to burn multiple DVD discs of the same material without re-capturing to the recorder. Saves a lot of time, but if you don't need that, buy the DVR-320.

This is a very solid recommendation.

[Uncle Fud]

rerecorded the others when they showed back up on TCM

I assume what you mean is that you use the video card in your PC to record straight off the TCM feed, that's what I have done for years.

Ted Turner is a liberal a$$hat of the first rank but I still tip my hat to him for the TCM channel.

[Jalapeno]

What model did you get? (GO-Video)