What's the best VHS capture device I can buy with $200?
 

Hi,

I want to start converting VHS tapes to DVD’s using my computer and for that I want to buy a video capture device. My max budjet is around $200.

After researching and reading here on the forum, I have found that there any many options as I describe bellow:

a) USB PEN devices like: EZcap.tv, ATI TV HD 600, Hauppauge 610, etc…
b) USB Boxes like: ION Video 2PC MKII, Pinnacle Dazzle, Hauppauge 1192 or 1212
c) Firewire Boxes like: Grass Valley/Canopus ADVC110
d) Old AGP ATI or Matrox Graphic Card
e) New Video Capture PCIe Cards (Avermedia EZMaker SDK Express C725B or CE310B)

So what is the option that brings more quality to the video? My objective is to have the best quality possible when convert VHS to DVD’s.

Feel free to advice on a brand and model up to $200

Thanks

That little ’ in the title was not a ' and had to be manually fixed. Evil little punctuation! That's why the topic was never answered, and would throw site errors.

Avoid low-quality gear from EzCap, Easycap, Ion, Pinnacle, and others.
Canopus is only a choice if the tapes are excellent and you're PAL. If NTSC, there will be color quality loss.
ATI AIW is the bset, but does you $200 budget cover only the capture card? Or the entire capture system?

The $200 budjet is just for the capture card.

When you say ATI AIW are the best, can you please tell me if that kind of cards are still available for sale in new condition or there are just the "old" models that we must buy in second hand?

Also i have already read a post talking about the best models.. but there are some maky. Can you please advise me, in our opinion what are the 3 best ATI AIW models for capturing video from a PAL VCR?

Thanks

If you want a new-in-box video card, of any kind, in 2015, you'll be sorely disappointed. Most are just for capturing HDTV (PVR style), or capturing to Youtube in low quality. A few cheap under-$50 Chinese-made devices exist online only, claiming to be for "VHS to DVD", and give pitiful capture quality (EZCap, etc).

Quality hardware was made in the 2000s, at the height of the analog-to-digital transition.

The ATI AIW AGP 9000s were best.
The ATI AIW 9600 was best of the 9000s.
AGP and PCI 7000s were next
And then the PCIe (PCI-E, PCI express) were next

The worst ATI AIW card is still better than most others. So don't mistake my nitpicking to mean that ATI 9600 was the only good one, and the PCIe cards were poo. That's not my intention.

Hi @lordsmurf,

Thanks for the advice! Just one more question:

Between the 7000s and the 9600, the 9600 is better, correct?

Thanks

It depends on many factors. Ignoring those, and looking at just the card itself, the 9600 is better.

Ok. I will try to find one in second hand. I'm located in Portugal, so i will try in some second hand sites here in Portugal and also on European Ebay / Amazon sites.

In case you know any store in Europe that sells this cards, please tell me.

Once again thanks for the help and advices.

eBay is your best bet.