Recording VHS tapes to DVD - what is needed?

Tenuvil · Post by **Tenuvil** » September 29, 2004, 12:31 pm

My gf has a ton of videos on VHS (family events, son's 1st birthday, etc). We watched one yesterday and she was upset to see the picture quality had eroded significantly since the last time she watched this one.

She wants to try to preserve the remaining videos by transferring them to DVD. Does anyone here have any idea what hardware and software is required to perform this? I assume a video card that can accept video input and a DVD writer are essential...what other specific things are needed to do this?

Thank you for your responses in advance!

Neost · Post by **Neost** » September 29, 2004, 12:39 pm

I use a USB capture device that converts to mpg or avi. It has RCA jacks for the input and USB to the computer.

Its an ADS DVDXpress I believe.

You can select the record rate to adjust HD usage and quality.

Then I usually clean them up with ulead studio before I burn them to DVD.

Tenuvil · Post by **Tenuvil** » September 29, 2004, 1:18 pm

hmm...

how does this thing compare to the one you use Neost?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 50280&rd=1

Siji · Post by **Siji** » September 29, 2004, 1:34 pm

ATI All-In-Wonder Pro works well. Can pick one up used pretty cheap I'd guess. Then find some software for making DVD's out of the videos you rip with the AIW..

Tenuvil · Post by **Tenuvil** » September 29, 2004, 1:35 pm

eeek

I'm an nVidia bigot. No aTI video cards here!

Neost · Post by **Neost** » September 29, 2004, 1:41 pm

That looks slicker than the one I have really. And less expensive also.

I think I paid 60 bucks for mine when I bought it a few months ago.

And I really like the one I have. I hook up the 2nd output from my dish PVR and I can output shows as I watch them or from the hard drive with very nice quality.

I've converted some VHS tapes from my daughter's camera and the quality is pretty good considering some of those tapes are several years old, as well as the camera itself being an older model.

My brother-in-law has a newer digital camcorder that he wants me to put some stuff on DVD from. I'll have to give that a try but I'm betting it'll be pretty good quality.

Marbus · Post by **Marbus** » September 29, 2004, 4:16 pm

I have a LeadTek Ti4200 with the VIVO on it, I just run into the card via a video cable and the sound into my sound card and save it down using Pinicle Sudio etc... I also have a LEadTek TV card I got on NewEgg for like $50 I think you can input there as well but have never tried. I LOVE the LeadTek card, never crashed on me in over 2 years and IMHO they have the best VIVO available.

Marb