VHS/C To Digital & DVD

[Wallace]

I have looked online at some of the options and wondered if anyone on here had done the same and might shed some light on how they went about the process.We have a few tapes dating back to the early 90's with my both my stepson's on and their Father who died tragically in 2010 and now they have moved out I would like to get copies to them. I have the camcorder they were taken on and the last time it was used would be before he died.

 

[Seadog]

I use a Panasonic DVD/VHS combo.

 

[eSCHEn]

Previous job I've done more hours of this than I want to remember

Easiest way is to get an original player (yay! you have one ) and a capture card for a PC. Play the video in the player and record it with the capture card. Just set it off and check it in when the tape is done.

Grab a video editor and trim off the cruft at the beginning and end and you're done.

Burn it to DVD if you wish (plenty of DVD making software out there) or stick it on a USB key, or both!


Edit - thinking on, "capture card" is probably a "usb capture thingy" these days.

 

[pedrobedro]

I did some via a VHS player connected to the TV card in my computer and saved it as DivX files.

 

[angellonewolf]

years ago did the same ish used to use a camcorder but not digital as above capture card in pc i belive it was photoshop poss i used

made it very easy and choping and changng bit is easy once you understand the software

 

[gaz1]

I faffed around with that and ignored it

went straight to dvd hard drive which encoded it in mp4 divx avi file that could be swapped to a pc or straight to dvd disc

the above is too much of a faff around

no offense but are not going to get back any better than whats been recorded onto any format or lost whilst been recorded in that format in the first place

 

[eSCHEn]

Knew it would be a USB thingamy - I've got one for a bird box camera. Whack it in, connect it all up and press record on deck one then play on deck two. Ooops, wrong era sorry

Welcome to borrow it Wallace but I think it wasn't that expensive really from eBay.

 

[RonA]

Ive used this to good effect transferring my old family VHS & friends wedding VHS to DVD. Newer improved versions are available it very easy to use & also transfers audio tapes to CD or file on your computer
RonA

 

[Rudi McAnichal]

https://www.video-2-pc.co.uk

I have recently been using this kit, which cost £38.95, and it works very well. Kit includes a USB capture device, leads for connection of VHS player to PC, software (Arcsoft Showbiz & VirtualDub) and instructions. You can probably get the capture device cheaper, and download the software for free, but I reckon much of the value of the kit lies in the instructions (those programs have a confusingly large number of settings).

The following (both free to download) are useful for converting between the different video formats:
Freemake Video Converter
DVDVob2Mpg

 

[Olderisbetter]

I just gave away a dvd player/recorder that i used to use for making dvd's from cctv it had scart and phono in so you could use it for cam corder recordings, they are not worth much second hand so you might find a bargain.

 

[Wallace]

Knew it would be a USB thingamy - I've got one for a bird box camera. Whack it in, connect it all up and press record on deck one then play on deck two. Ooops, wrong era sorry

Welcome to borrow it Wallace but I think it wasn't that expensive really from eBay.

Thanks for the offer, I did see those on Ebay from £4.99. Does the CD contain software or drivers?

 

[eSCHEn]

Thanks for the offer, I did see those on Ebay from £4.99. Does the CD contain software or drivers?

Honestly? I don't know. I never use any discs unless I have to so just whang the thing in and W10 sets it up like a capture device. I can hook up the wee birdbox camera to show you but as it's such a poor resolution it's not a fair test of the device. Racking my brains but no other output devices around here. An old capture card (PCI no less) but no outputs :/

 

[Wallace]

Honestly? I don't know. I never use any discs unless I have to so just whang the thing in and W10 sets it up like a capture device. I can hook up the wee birdbox camera to show you but as it's such a poor resolution it's not a fair test of the device. Racking my brains but no other output devices around here. An old capture card (PCI no less) but no outputs :/

No worries, I will order one of those USB Easy-Cap adaptors like yours off Ebay to try.

 

[eSCHEn]

No worries, I will order one of those USB Easy-Cap adaptors like yours off Ebay to try.

Not a problem. Works fine for me but I've not pushed the resolution further. Worst comes to worst give me a shout and I'll send this capture card down (Hauppage DVB-T2 so not super old but it is WinTV so not a hardware card, will work fine though I'm sure ).

 

[gaz1]

like ive said earlier i went down the dvd recorder route instead much easier

i bought this one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lite-Format-Recorder-160GB-Drive/dp/B0006J376O

these are the specs for it

https://www.cnet.com/products/lite-on-lvw-5045/specs/

once on hard drive then recorded onto dvd disk

pc computer then its dvd disk ripped to avi for backup point of view

 

[Spot the welders dog]

@Wallace As you have the camera with an Easy-cap on order you are prob sorted. Might be useful to grab VLC which is free and may help if you want to change anything with the copies.
If you do have any issues copying via the EC I have an old Phillips DVD recorder here you are welcome to borrow - untested but I think it works?!

**I have some VHSc that were recorded using the cameras 'Long play' setting: the camera is long gone. If anyone has a 'memcoder' or such setting that can account for this, or has an old camera with SP/LP settings I can borrow then I am all ears

 

[gaz1]

**I have some VHSc that were recorded using the cameras 'Long play' setting: the camera is long gone. If anyone has a 'memcoder' or such setting that can account for this, or has an old camera with SP/LP settings I can borrow then I am all ears

i have the other 2 cameras but not yours

e700 8mm and a mini dv

 

[Wallace]

EasyCAP arrived so I had a play, Win 8.1 ( ) found and installed it as a USB Webcam. Set the old camcorder up on the power pack and the door doesn't open but found a way of ejecting the door and getting the tape out if it still refuses to open but will not play tapes giving an error code. Looks like I will have to use our VHS player with a VHS-C to VHS converter tape, might come as a shock to the VHS player to have a tape other than The Italian Job that has been in there since god was a boy! I was hoping to do all this without alerting HID and presenting the boys with a DVD each but might have to go for early Brownie points and let her know.

I think the camcorder dates back to 1991.

 

[Spot the welders dog]

Oh dear, the 'ole brain gone and done it again. Thinking I had VHSc when it is infact 8mm tapes I should have remembered when I had the urge to copy them before and made the exact same mistake by buying a VHSc camcorder!
@Wallace - Its only 'cos you mentioned the cardridge that the penny dropped lol - I think I still have the VHSc camcorder in the loft: If I can find it you are welcome to take it.

@gaz1 Does your e700 have 'long play' per chance?

 

[gaz1]

yes i believe that it does do as used that mode more than often

will dig it out and check later