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10-19-2022, 12:36 AM
Jessle723 Jessle723 is offline
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Hey guys I would love some help. I was really trying to get the best equipment and do it right. Reading the guides I honestly got overwhelmed. I thought I bought an amazing vcr JVC HM-DH40000. Then reading on here people were saying its not great for converting home videos. I also bought a capture card this one right here.

https://shop.vidbox.company/collecti...nt=12348642945

Reading on here I see people saying they suck and the only way to do it properly is to get like a windows 95 computer and very old capture cards. I spent a lot of money and kinda gave up because building a windows 95 machine just for this is just kinda crazy. With all this being said what would you guys recommend? I have a bunch of questions would love some advice.

1.Both the capture card and the VCR have S video capabilities. Would I get better quality if I started using S video instead of RCAs?
2. Is anyone familiar with this VCR is there anything in the settings I could tweak to get better quality? I believe this VCR has a built in TBC.
3. Do you think its possible to use this capture card with some type of open source software?
4. If I'm forced to use the Vidbox software what file format would you recommend I save the files in? It looks like the options are MPEG1, MPEG2 and WMV. I wish there was some kind of lossless format I could save the videos in.
5. Would it be worth cleaning the heads on the VCR? I have a tape that's supposed to do that.
6. It seems like a lot of the tapes have a purple tint to them.

Just in general without dropping a few grand on new equipment what would you guys recommend? There was two tapes that were extra special I'm taking them to a camera store they are charging a lot. They said the one video had mold on it. I didn't even realize it. I asked them about their equipment it didn't seem they were using amazing equipment. I'm very eager to see if their transfer turns out better than the transfers I did with my capture card. Is there a way to clean the tapes. The camera store said they will run it through a device that can clean up the mold. I know there is a lot of questions here i just got overwhelmed trying to get the best of the best and it pushed me away.
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  #2  
10-19-2022, 02:32 AM
latreche34 latreche34 is offline
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Use what you got first and see how it works, Use S-Video not composite, Do not use the card's capture software, Use Vdub or AmarecTV, VCR settings should be "Edit" but experiment with other options.

https://www.youtube.com/@Capturing-Memories/videos
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  #3  
10-21-2022, 02:53 AM
Jessle723 Jessle723 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by latreche34 View Post
Use what you got first and see how it works, Use S-Video not composite, Do not use the card's capture software, Use Vdub or AmarecTV, VCR settings should be "Edit" but experiment with other options.
I'm not sure if the card I have can use vdub I'm going to try. I have boxes of tapes most of them have movies. I'm digitizing everything with the compressed software just to make sure my family didn't put anything on there along with the movies. I have a cheap vcr I'm doing this with. Amazing how much better the jvc looks compared to this cheap one. My tapes have been in an attic for a few decades.
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  #4  
10-21-2022, 03:13 AM
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lordsmurf lordsmurf is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by latreche34 View Post
Use what you got first and see how it works,
This is often a bad idea, for the VCR. It can easily ruin tapes, and you get no 2nd chance!

Even for capture cards, with a good VCR, you still risk the tape itself. More and more, tapes are one-and-done, you get one transfer shot. So if you waste a chance with crap gear, you're stuck with a crap conversion forever.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessle723 View Post
I thought I bought an amazing vcr JVC HM-DH40000. Then reading on here people were saying its not great for converting home videos.
According to who? That deck has a line TBC, correct? While not the best deck, not an ideal deck, it's not bad. D-VHS decks have quirks, limitations, but fine.

Quote:
I also bought a capture card this one right here.
Reading on here I see people saying they suck
Yep, suck.

Quote:
like a windows 95 computer and very old capture cards.
No, never.
WinXP and Win7 best, WinVista fine, Win8 less fine, Win10 PITA. This is a legacy task, not a current task with current hardware and drivers.

Not old, but "legacy".
Old implies nobody does it.
Legacy is still active, but with non-new/latest gear.

Win95 is old. Damned old, useless.

Quote:
1.Both the capture card and the VCR have S video capabilities. Would I get better quality if I started using S video instead of RCAs?
Almost always, yes. There are other factors that determine this, but mostly yes.

Quote:
2. Is anyone familiar with this VCR is there anything in the settings I could tweak to get better quality? I believe this VCR has a built in TBC.
Nothing to really tweak. I've not seen one in a while, I'd need to see the menus again.

Quote:
3. Do you think its possible to use this capture card with some type of open source software?
VirtualDub 1.9
Not the fork VirtualDub2, FM, 1,10, etc.

Quote:
4. If I'm forced to use the Vidbox software what file format would you recommend I save the files in? It looks like the options are MPEG1, MPEG2 and WMV. I wish there was some kind of lossless format I could save the videos in.
Complete crap software, don't bother.

Quote:
5. Would it be worth cleaning the heads on the VCR? I have a tape that's supposed to do that.
"Cleaning" tapes never clean, just move dirt around. Actual cleaning info is on the site. Use the copy paper method. NEVER USE Q-TIPS!

Quote:
6. It seems like a lot of the tapes have a purple tint to them.
That's not good.

Quote:
There was two tapes that were extra special I'm taking them to a camera store they are charging a lot.
Better be careful. Most "camera stores" do piss poor video work. Never give a shop a tape without knowing about the hardware in use, workflow methods, and what/how is returned to you. Most companies won't even know how to answer the question, much less give the expected pathetic answers. Then check with us to see if it's quality or crap.

Quote:
They said the one video had mold on it. I didn't even realize it.
Is there a way to clean the tapes.
Quote:
I asked them about their equipment it didn't seem they were using amazing equipment. I'm very eager to see if their transfer turns out better than the transfers I did with my capture card.
Then giving them the tape was a mistake. You do realize they may permanently screw up the tape, or you're stuck with the lousy transfer job, right? Bad gamble.

Quote:
The camera store said they will run it through a device that can clean up the mold.
BS until proven otherwise. What, exactly, is this device? Most mold must be removed with far different methods than any standard cleaning gear.

Quote:
I know there is a lot of questions here i just got overwhelmed trying to get the best of the best and it pushed me away.
Asked and answered.

- Did my advice help you? Then become a Premium Member and support this site.
- For sale in the marketplace: TBCs, workflows, capture cards, VCRs
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  #5  
10-21-2022, 03:38 AM
Jessle723 Jessle723 is offline
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Thanks for the advice, yeah, the purple tint is because of long-term terrible storage, I'm sure. I talked to the camera store and asked them a bunch of questions they said they could do lossless AVI files. I asked them about the decks and tbc it seems like they used fairly okay equipment. They told me they use a bunch of different decks I'm not super familiar with what the best equipment is. This place seemed like it would be better than some website that uses a VCR to DVD box and hit record. We will see might be a loss of money for no reason, but I will download the version of Vdub from the site. Hopefully, it works with my vidbox capture card. Would this be able to run on my windows 11 PC, or not? Appreciate your help I'm hoping I can fix the purple tint from the lossless files. I know nothing is magic they should have been stored better but the tapes are older than me. I'm 31 and they have been in an attic for most of that time. After I get the lossless files to lossless AVI files, do you think someone on here could try to work their magic and restore them a little bit?
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  #6  
10-21-2022, 01:25 PM
lightbulb1986 lightbulb1986 is offline
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I’ve done some decent transfers with a vidbox and an old Mac mini (pre OS X Mojave) using free powerglide software. It’s a good “one and done” capture process to apple uncompressed format. look at posts from Jwillis on the Vidbox he does a thorough review. I’ve been focusing on a Mac specific workflow and have tons of gear, but I’m building a windows xp machine before I do one last set of captures (split across several capture devices) before I move on and sell my gear. Not sure what your plans are but I’ll probably be selling off a bunch of Mac specific gear on this site once I’m done.
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  #7  
10-21-2022, 09:47 PM
latreche34 latreche34 is offline
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I wouldn't call JVC HM-DH40000 a bad idea, Yes it is designed for digital recording and not geared towards analog recording judging by the lack of flying erase head but it is a high end deck for playback analog tapes.

I've read positive reviews about Vidbox capture device, even Jwillis a member here and at VH had positive experience with it. I don't know why the OP said it doesn't work with vdub, Once the OEM capture software is installed it should install the driver and the crossbar along with it then just don't use the software for capturing and use vdub or AmarecTV, If that doesn't work try the crossbar thing app.
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