Thanks for the suggestions. I used incorrect terminology when I said VCR and passthrough. DVD recorder and passthrough.
I was particularly keen on the distribution amplifiers. I had searched for amplifiers, but didn't come across the two mentioned. Wrong search terms.
The Exton looks very promising. Too bad I live in a technically backward country where most of the devices for capturing VHS tapes aren't readily available. Someone in the US could pick up an Exton for less than $50, two day delivery. It would cost me well above $100 and several weeks waiting. In Australia we're tops for sunshine, iron ore, coal, and dug up things; not so good in these technical things. Great place to live though, especially Tasmania.
Anyway, the equipment to be used is still a work in progress. Matthew in Melbourne, who has been helping me out, has most of the capture devices and software commonly mentioned on this website, and is still accumulating. His 40 captures will make up the bulk of the test results. But my equipment runs to this:
- JVC HR-S6960
- several Macs running under OSX 10.9.5 and 10.6.8, running VideoGlide
- Hauppauge HD PVR2, running under Windows 10 on a laptop borrowed from a friend, using Hauppauge Capture (we can't get VirtualDub to work)
Items to be purchased in the next few weeks:
- Kaiser Baas capture device
- ATI 600 clone
- Panasonic DMR ES15
- S-Video Y-splitter (if I decide to go ahead with that method)