Here is how NOT to capture your video tapes!

[latreche34]

If you come across videos like this titled the easiest way or cheapest way to capture video tapes, stay away. Capturing using a $14 composite to HDMI, using OBS and encoding on the fly to mp4, Yikes.

[lordsmurf]

We just need to start leaving comments on those videos.

I just did:

Quote:

It's always amazing to me how people find ways to actually make VHS look worse than it really is. Using degraded thrift store VCRs, cheap Chinese HDMI adapters (that were made for progressive scan DVD players, not VCRs), OBS (streaming software, not analog capturing software), and compressing to H.264 ("MP4"), literally results in the worst possible quality. Interlace is damaged, aspect is damaged, image quality is damaged, audio is damaged. It's like watching a video through a window screen, while wearing prescription glasses that aren't yours. I guess if that's what you're going for, then this video is for you!

[dpalomaki]

FWIW: I didn't see your comment when I looked a few minutes ago.

[latreche34]

It must have been removed by YT and he doesn't know yet, It happens to me sometimes with their stupid algorithm.

[dpalomaki]

Part of big tech removing posts that it deems not to be PC I suppose.

There is a large market among the Joe and Jane Sixpacks of the world for this type of $20 solution. But no doubt it does match the quality of their video so they are content if not actually happy or wowed. Bless the brain for filling the gaps. It enables us to watch bad video of good memories and smile.

[lordsmurf]

I saw my post when logged in, but not when not. So I deleted and re-posted.

It'd be really sad if calling the item "Chinese" (WHICH IT IS!) is somehow considered un-PC.

Joe/Jane Sixpack isn't really accepting of bad video, when shown that better exists. People always want quality. The obstacles to overcome are lazy and cheap.

Stupid exists, but it's a minor % of the population. And much like how expertise is only present in certain areas, stupidity is often equally curtailed. This is cognitive dissonance, when otherwise smart people do dumb things. I prefer to think of most of society as un-savvy, and that condition can be fixed with education. This site has the mission of education, to help people quit doing wrong or dumb things with their media.

Does Youtube allow the content posters to remove or hide posts? If so, what a wuss, can only accept comments that stroke his ego.

[dpalomaki]

Quote:

People always want quality.

True, but they also may want fast, cheap, and/or easy with minimal effort (including learning curve) on their part. And that is where the disconnect is. They will suboptimize in some areas to allow more resources to be applied elsewhere.

I like poached eggs on toast with ham and hollandaise sauce for breakfast, but making the sauce is too much trouble (and more dishes to clean) so I am content to do with out it (except when I splurge in a restaurant).

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpalomaki

I like poached eggs on toast with ham and hollandaise sauce for breakfast, but making the sauce is too much trouble (and more dishes to clean) so I am content to do with out it (except when I splurge in a restaurant).

But it's not a case of
(1) get it, -OR-
(2) do without.

That's the mistake too often made.

Compromise.

Just don't over-compromise, to the point where the outcome is wholly different.

A bowl of cereal isn't a compromise. That's different, and usually nutritionally disfunctional. No protein, no wholesome bread, and a buttload of sugars.

Eggs over easy on toast is quick, simple, and not too different.
If you want a little squirt of sauce to spice it up, to add some moisture, there are many options. Anything from a pad of butter, to a spoon of jam, to a squirt of polynesian sauce. It won't be "the same", but it'll surely be comparable at a basic level (add moisture), and have it's own unique flavor. You may even find you like it better than the complex recipe!

Cooking too often lacks imagination, the "must follow the recipe" crowd.
Others can't even make/cook the toast.
Some give up before they begin, "it's too hard" or "it's too slow". Not true at all.

As you can probably guess, I'm quite adept in the kitchen. But I want easy, and costs have to make sense. (Unlike video gear costs, you can't resell food when done!) No microwaves, no grills. To KISS (keep it simple), everything is stove or oven. It must take 30 minutes max, 15 ideal. I only splurge time for special dishes, like sushi, which has lots of steps. Oven time isn't counted, just "me time", the prep and standing.

Also, proper tools are needed.
For example, use a toaster, don't put a piece of bread on the stove's burner, nor on the oven rack. That won't end well, make a mess, maybe start a fire.

Video is really the same here. It takes a wee bit of patience, some willingness to learn. But it doesn't require all of your time, or all of your funds. There is plenty of room for compromise, and no need to operate at the fringes of unicorn best (removing EVERY imperfection, OCD-like), or outputting near-unviewable garbage.

- I like to eat well, healthy.
- I like to watch video without getting a headache trying to view it.

I don't have overly high expectations, it's not a high bar to get good results.

So I don't accept certain excuses. Neither for eating sugar bombs for breakfast, nor for using $10 POS China dongles for video.

[latreche34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpalomaki

True, but they also may want fast, cheap, and/or easy with minimal effort (including learning curve) on their part. And that is where the disconnect is. They will suboptimize in some areas to allow more resources to be applied elsewhere.

What that video did is quite the contrary, Using a composite to HDMI converter then another capture device, plus getting OBS to behave for the task is not fast, cheap yes. There are faster ways then that if quality is not the priority like using a DVD recorder or a crappy ClearClick that records to a SD card, That's called easy and fast.

These people that post on YouTube videos like this thinking that they found the magic potion is because they believe the core problem is getting signal from VHS to computer so they go on Amazon and start buying these gadgets matching the IN's and OUT's like putting pieces of the puzzle together. The problem actually is not getting the signal into computer even in 2023, It is getting it into computer the right way and with decent quality, This is the fact that they ignore.

[dpalomaki]

However, his instructions are fairly simple and step by step so it looks simple. Simple enough for Jane andd Joe to do it. No need to understand TBC, pro camp, lossless, s-video vs composite, etc. And no looking for legacy gear, no hunt for old drivers, no scripts to learn, no figuring out codecs, one piece of free software, etc. That has appeal to many people. Especially those who do not want to shell out $20+/tape at COSTCO, etc. So I agree that it is not for the regulars here or those serious about their video. But if getting the best practicable quality is not high on the agenda...

[lordsmurf]

As I stated ... education.

A Youtuber asked what method is better. And I responded.

Quote:

@myname There are several alternatives. The first fork in that road is this: Do you want cheap, or do you want quality?

If cheap, then start with
- A decent VCR --- preferably an s-video deck, such as the lower end JVC S-VHS (HR-S2902, etc, many models in HR-S2/3/4/5 lines), about $100 or so on eBay.
- The Panasonic DMR-ES15 (or few other models) for signal passthrough, which removes many image/stability problems, somewhat preps signal for capture, about $100 as well.
- Any capture card will be better than the horrid method in this video. Even the infamous $10 Easycaps. But an actual upgrade is something like the ATI 600 USB, another $100 or so.

$300 is dirt cheap for video capture setup. Buy it, use it, resell it. Unlike the junk suggested in the video, which is yours forever, even this slightly better gear holds some value for resale. Consider it a gear rental. While eBay poses risks these days, more bad gear than not, it's the only venue for cheapskates. Up the budget, and you can acquire refurbish'd gear off-eBay from known reliable gear sellers.

But there are vastly better methods. Another few hundred here, some more bucks there. The above is a bare minimum passable setup, not perfect by any means. And yet, vastly better than the destructive HDMI/OBS method suggested. If you search for my name online, lordsmurf, you'll find sites where I go into great depth on topics like recommended VCRs, TBCs, capture cards, and more.

With proper gear, proper captures, you can easily make a VHS tape look as clean as a DVD. Yes, both are lower resolution than modern HD and 4K, that's not what I refer to. Badly process VHS can be excessively noisy, even unviewable. What's the point of converting video that you don't enjoy watching, because the quality is awful?

^ Posting this mostly in case Youtube decides to magically not post again. Youtube (or that OP there?) may cry again, with terms like Easycrap.

[mbassiouny]

While we're on it

Here are videos that should not be followed:

Using Elgato

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuTiMGm0YwM&t=470s

And https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC5Zr3NC2PY&t=841s

Other than this weird advice, I generally suggest Technology Connections channel, it is a great one. Just for videos about history and theory, obviously not for practice.

In practice, the method of the 2nd video is not the most horrible thing ever, but definitely not the best.