Advice Converting VHS to Hard Drives with Quality in Mind
First, I just wanted to say that you have a great website and forum. From what I have read, you have a wealth of information within these pages.
Now, on to my problem, err, my challenge. I was hoping to get some advice on converting 200 hours of family analog videos to digital files which would be stored on several multi-terabyte external hard drives. These are full sized VHS tapes, mostly recorded (from late 80s to 1999) by a Montgomery Ward Signature 2000 VHS Camcorder Model 10687 (probably a very low end camcorder). Almost all of the tapes are in very good condition. I assume they are in SP. According to the VCR manual, it says the video signal is EIA Standard (525 lines, 60 fields) NTSC color signal. The video recording system used a helical scanning system with 4 rotary heads. Audio used 1 track. Pick-up system is sequential color difference, field reverse system. I currently have a quad core AMD processor based system running Windows Vista. It is about 2 years old. I installed USB2 ports. My plan is to buy a nice S-VHS VCR based on your recommendations. Since no one makes these models anymore, I could really use your help locating a good one that isn’t already damaged. I also plan to buy an external TBC, probably an AVT-8710. In addition, I will need a capture card. I was considering buying the AIW 600 USB2, but if you think I should buy something different, please let me know. With this new hardware, I would capture to Huffyuv AVI using VirtualDub. I assume I should use 720*480 to ensure the best quality. I guess that would mean 8K bit rate? I am not worried about the size of the files. 30-40Gig per hour is ok. I have a reasonable amount of money to spend on these items. If I read this site’s advice correctly, then I believe the process would go something like: Step 1 – put VHS tape into S-VHS player. Connect S-Video cable from S-VHS player to the external TBC. Step 2 – connect a second S-Video cable from the external TBC to the capture card. Step 3 – download, install and then run VirtualDub. Step 4 – play VHS tape in VCR and start capturing with VirtualDub. Please let me know if this process makes sense. I would appreciate any help you could give me. Thanks, Mark from Crystal City |
Before I begin...
Answering this post took a few days longer than normal because I wanted to dedicate some computer time to it, as opposed to quick iPad time. I've edited your post to space things out properly. All of the line breaks were gone. Did you copy/paste from Notepad or Word? I'm curious what may have caused loss of line breaks. Or maybe you typed it on a tablet or mobile phone? On to the questions/answers and comments ... Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Vista poses a nuisance on some tasks, but we've documented most of them quite well on this site, so your waiting to do this project was in some ways beneficial to you. Quote:
There's nothing I can add beyond that. Well, unless you want to post some eBay links, and seek advice on "which one should I get" -- but even then, that thread is thorough. Quote:
Let me know ASAP if you want it. I've been offering these new, one by one, to people on this forum -- rather than selling the on eBay or whatnot. I wanted to be sure I had enough for "my people" instead of just random people. I'm down to three, and plan to keep two for myself. Quote:
Amazon is suggested: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B0035BJGYW Less risky than eBay. Quote:
However, you can split the difference, and go for a high bitrate MPEG-2, in the range of 15Mbps (or more, with Matrox codecs in VirtualDub). Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
Thanks for your recommendations, very good advice overall. I have a few responses and questions:
1) I usually write in Microsoft Word or Outlook and then paste. I wonder why it messed the message box up. 2) I will add your hard drive strategy to my plan. Great idea. 3) I am interested in buying your TBC-100. Please let me know how I can do that. Am I correct in thinking the TBC-100 has to be installed in my computer vs. a standalone TBC-1000? If so, does my process change. S-Video cable goes into the TBC-100 card. I assume there is another S-Video connection going out of the card. So i connect an S-Video cable from the TBC card out to the AIW USB device? 4) Virginia 5) Since I am not an experienced Ebay user, buying a VCR from the site makes me uncomfortable. So if you don't mind reviewing the links below, I would be grateful. There were many more links, so I put only the best ones based on your list. I would be curious as to which one you would pick if you were in my shoes. Or, if you have any other good idea on how to get a VCR for this project, I would be all ears. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-AG...item43aad38744 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-AG...item2a10a83421 http://www.ebay.com/itm/PANASONIC-AG...item27bfceb191 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-AG...item5ae346497e http://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-AG...item5ae3635514 http://www.ebay.com/itm/JVC-DVHS-HM-...item3a6ad17d50 http://www.ebay.com/itm/JVC-SR-V10U-...item2eb547290b |
Regarding VCR purchases:
Buying the Panasonic AG-1980/5710 'as-is/untested' is a bit like playing roulette. The machines have well known problems with capacitors that cause various picture quality problems (barber poling, herringbone noise, loss of color, etc.) Even if the machine is tested, very few people actually look out for these picture quality issues (aside from the obvious loss of color). The JVC SVHS decks are a bit easier to purchase, they seem to have less issues then the older Panasonic. The trade off is that they tend to have problems tracking EP tapes and are troublesome playing back VHS-C tapes in an adapter. For SP tape playback out of camcorders, they are a very good choice however. That SR-V10 is a good deck for the price. The HM-DH40000U is a bit on the high side, a good working unit usually goes for $150-200. That unit is also sold as the Marantz MV-8300 and the JVC SR-VD400U. The machine also has the added benefit of tracking EP tapes better then the old SVHS JVCs, and it can be used as a pass-through TBC. Also, NEVER pay a lot for a completely untested VCR, my personal limit is $50 for those units. Always assume an untested VCR is broken. Its not very hard to stick a random VHS tape into a machine to test playback. Sellers of broken equipment DO test their VCRs and if they don't work they make up a story like "don't have to equipment or tools to test, selling untested/as-is". The only exception to this is high volume sellers (mostly govt surplus auction purchasers). They can get away with this excuse because its time consuming to test a pallet of equipment before listing. If the guy selling it is an occasional seller, buyer beware. |
I looked at the auction links a few days ago, but didn't have any immediate thoughts beyond guidelines I've written elsewhere in the forum. (I think it's on my VCR suggestions guide.)
Is the dFAQ member "deter" the seller "av-collection" ? I don't remember. I'd probably buy one of those, if the price isn't outside what you're able to budget for a VCR. SouthernAdvantage (SA) is a store that can be trusted, but you'll pay out the nose for the VCR. A "tested" VCR is not turning on the power, and seeing a LED light! A proper VCR test includes the following:
I'd buy a JVC SR-V10U, if there's no special need for the AG-1980 (lots of EP tapes, VHS-C tapes, etc). |
Site design, images and content © 2002-2024 The Digital FAQ, www.digitalFAQ.com
Forum Software by vBulletin · Copyright © 2024 Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.