Start guide for VHS, MiniDV conversions?
 

Hello, I've looked around a little bit on this forum and I feel like I'm missing something
if someone could help direct me, I want to know where I can get started maybe for a guide that's a first step in converting VHS and MiniVHS tapes. From the little bit the information I've gathered there's several ways to start a workflow and equipment you recommend. I really just need the first step, I'm not even at the point where I would do editing, other conversions, etc. I just need to know where I need to begin! What guides I should be reading. I'm sure it matters what equipment I have and also willing to buy some equipment. I mostly work in an Apple environment.
I may have some old mini DVRs around camera I think I might have a VHS to DV deck.. Read a little bit about converters. I hate to ask the same question over if it's already been answered, it may because someone could point me to a guide. Or ask me to re-post this question more specifically, maybe in another sub-forum.
Or tell me maybe with threads I should be looking up and maybe the answers are already there.
Thank you for your help.

Depends. Most of the guides on this site focus on more vintage hardware that may be difficult to obtain in good working condition.

What is your total budget?
What's the eventual distribution format eventually going to be (ie, Youtube, DVD, archiving on a hard drive, something else)?
What computer operating systems do you have access to or would you buy a different computer if needed, or do you have to do the capture part without a computer?


The main page with a variety of guides is here:
https://www.digitalfaq.com/guides/video.htm

Usually you'd start by obtaining the playback/capture hardware that you want. DV conversion is generally not recommended because it isn't particularly high bitrate and can have compression artifacts in some low contrast scenes, but even that should turn out better than using something like the Elgato video capture or clearclick products.

You can always try the hardware you have and see if the quality looks good enough to you, as ultimately that is what matters. Can it be better? Most likely yes, but how much time and money do you want to put into it?

Welcome. :)

Too often, guides are one-size-fits-none. There are some basic truths to analog workflows construction, such as VCR/camera > TBC > capture card, but it quickly gets fuzzy depending on factors. OS, for example, is a factor. Using Apple/Mac severely limits options, as it was never a capture-friendly OS.

So let's do some back-and-forth in the thread, and tailor you some advice to your exact needs. :congrats:

No.
- legacy = still-in-use items, often still in demand. This is what VHS hardware is.
- vintage = mostly old stuff like clothes, antiques -- mostly worthless, mostly useless, nostalgia only (with few exceptions, like "vintage wine" because it gets better with age)

VHS is a "legacy format" of analog video, and this site discusses the "legacy tools" needed for the formats. VCRs, TBCs, the best capture cards, etc.

Be wary of "new" stuff, such as VCR scams, or Chinese USB capture junk.

Disclaimer: Lordsmurf is far more experienced than I in all things Tapes and Signals, but I figured I might as well chime in with my own experiences working with MiniDV:
I initially began working on .avi based transfers using ScenalyzerLive 4.0 (as recommended by Lordsmurf and others) on a Windows 7 based system. While it is very much legacy software, the tools and convenience were well worth it. However, after upgrading my macOS system, I found that the more modern (but arguably less polished) DVRescue worked even better. I was able to use more powerful tools and save the files as .dv, as well as take advantage of the much more comprehensive error detection system, which unlike ScenalyzerLive 4.0, was able to detect all visible and audible anomalies and dropout errors properly. However, the caveat was that I had to buy several adapters as opposed to simply plugging the camera into my IEEE 1394 Windows 7 machine.
I am very lucky that none of my tapes have had any serious issues that require analog conversion (likely due to ideal. climate-controlled storage and adequate rewinding), but it is always possible that it may be required for some tapes.
I was also able to get Hybrid running on macOS, and it even still runs on the newest version (26 Tahoe), and I use QTGMC to deinterlace when I render it out to .mp4 for sharing/streaming. It was a bit difficult to get operating, but having followed the Lordsmurf "monkey-see, monkey-do" approach with his setting and screenshots have yielded great results, which I have also followed in slightly different fashion for analog tape captures.
All this does take some time and effort (especially with macOS), but I consider it absolutely worth it for preserving the moments recorded to tape in the best-looking fashion.
For analog tapes though, yes, Lordsmurf is entirely correct in saying you'd want to stick with Windows XP or Windows 7 for capturing. However, from what I can gather, Windows 11 is allegedly looking to be a limited but potentially useable possibility in some respects for this task

The very first step is ditch iOS and get a cheap Dell or HP laptop from the 2010's with firewire and USB ports, it solves 90% of your problems, A desktop version will be even cheaper if you know your way around a PC environment.

I don't know about "cheap". When it comes to the laptops, don't be random in buying.

Certain Dell business laptops worked wonderfully, and I use several myself (and have refurb'd/upgaded several for others at this site). What matters most is IPS matte displays, and plenty of bays for SSD. You'll likely be working win Win7, which is ideal.

Desktops have so many variables, and it can go either way. I'm quite good as system building, specific to capture, but I still run across some real "WTF?' moments. In fact, it became such a time suck, that I no longer build desktops for others, and I shy away from them for myself. I'll only build a desktop now when XP and AIW is required (ie, the best capture card). Much of that has to do with the often-poor condition of components, both new and used. So much Chinese crap (Amazon, eBay, Temu, etc) has run off better hardware, furthering the scarcity and costs of the older quality hardware. I'm not even referring to the capture cards here.

Most Apple/Mac users detest this sort of "elbow grease required" sort of approach to computers, or tech in generatl. They just want to use it, not build it first. Time is precious (or time is money). So the key is pre-made system, tweaked to capture needs, not sticking with backwards (to capturing) macOS or OS X. Which is why I've built systems for others, I was their shortcut (or "easy button").

oh boy, I suspected it was bigger than what I am thinking! that's ok I'm open to a challenge and I know I have a lot to learn. preface I am only a tiny bit versed in media, I have been using MacOS since the 90s. I certainly could get access to some PC systems if warranted. I also have a JVC GVL-815 camcorder, a memorex 4551 (VHS and DVR player)

I basically have tons of miniDV, a handful of VHS and VHS-C tapes, as well as other media stored on SD cards (from digital camcorder). I just want to get them into an archival format that preserves them, I am now realizing that would be different for everyone and then that technology is old or unreadable in the future... so maybe I should do some reading on what those formats are that would be recommended, the pros cons, and whats involved in future proofing these products.
Also in replies can you dumb down conversions, formats and all that..

and as an alternative, if there is like a commercial way to do this (like I pay someone, that is recommended) that would actually be the safest solution for me, I am willing to listen. I guess I just DIY so many things, and I wouldn't know even how to elevate any commercial services out there and when I see things like "quick easy transfer of your media", I get suspicious. What am I getting? How do I evaluate it? will I need to do it again? I'd be open to going this route if I had m ore knowledge of what questions to ask, and evaluate.

This is what I am envisioning and then you can tell me if I am way off in my thinking... want to get all this media off the tapes and into a digital format. then I would want to bring all that into an editing software to cut and organize it, then take those projects and save as originals "somewhere", and with those originals I could /download/burn/disperse into different formats depending upon what is recommended or needed at the time. (like DVs, harddrive, thumb drive, cloud)

Budget... well Im willing to put a fair amount of $ into it, memories are priceless. just as long as I only have to do this once..
ok now its your turn to enlighten me.., be kind. LOL

Hot take: With the exception of digital formats like MiniDV, where you can get a bit-perfect copy of the source material, the only true "archival format" is the original tape itself. All analog video capture methods fall short in one way or another, and I pity the fool who got suckered into home channel TV channel marketing, purchased an inferior capture/digitization device to "preserve your memories before they're gone", threw away the original tapes to "get rid of clutter", and now are stuck with crappy low-quality transfers and no way to go back the original tapes and do a better job of it next time.

Pro tip: Avoid the Protis DVD recorder (Sony knockoff)

That is technically true since you can always subsample an analog waveform more times (this includes RF waveforms like those that are used in VHS_Decode), but at some point it becomes (more or less) visually lossless.