Modern capture devices without breaking the bank? (Windows 10)
 

My old WinXP computer bit the dust a couple of months ago, and I was quickly saddened to discover I couldn't use my ADStech DVDexpressDX2 device. The software runs but Windows 10 is unable to recognize the drivers. I noticed all of the preferred devices listed are almost unanimously WinXP-only, but after my VHS purchase, I can't spring for a high-end device without breaking the bank multiple times over.

I was never even dissatisfied with the DX2 though, even though I've heard many didn't like it. The image quality seemed more than adequate to me (nearly everything I'm archiving is standard VHS home videos), the file sizes were small enough that I could store countless hours of video on a drive, and I was able to edit with Adobe Premiere with no trouble.

Has the situation improved at all as of 2016? The list of alternative devices seems to have been last updated in 2011 (and everything on the list seems to now be unavailable anyhow), and I noticed a bit of a geeky resurgence in capture devices (such as vinyl record players with USB ports) in the past few years.

• $50-$100 range
• Windows 10 Compatible
• Compact file size with minimal quality loss (or adjustable compression quality)
• Mpeg format, Adobe Premiere compatible

The problem you're seeing is related to the era. It's like asking for a phone booth in the era of cell phones.

Video capture started to take off around 1998 (MPEG-1/2, DV) and became more mainstream around 2003 after DVD-R(G) burners came out in 2001. From 2001-2009, we saw a lot of hardware for analog transfer. And Windows XP was the OS of the day. You had some drivers for 98/ME/2000, but mostly XP. A few end-of-life (post-2007) devices had Vista drivers, which can sometimes work in 7, 8 and 10 due to how Vista-10 works (compared to 95-XP).

This hobby, and this profession, are still very popular, and very needed. But the hardware required is not new.

After about 2006, it was all about DVR/PVR, not analog. So devices are geared towards that, and analog transfer was an afterthought. Starting several years ago, it became about HD, PVR mostly disappeared, and SD/analog is still an afterthought.

Mostly what you find now, for Windows 7-10, is really cheap (and really crappy) video hardware from China. And it still doesn't do what you want.

Perhaps, maybe, the ATI 600 USB card will work in 10, but I've not tested it. It did work in Vista, 7 and 8, plus XP of course.

Ever tried this one? Specs seem good, but image quality is very subjective.

https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-VC500...+video+capture

The Diamond VC500 gives decent results, as long as you avoid using its own software for VHS capture. It can be used with VirtualDub or similar third party software for lossless capture in analog-to-digital work. But many users have encountered quality control issues, which is why you're more assured of consistent results with any of several other devices mentioned in this link: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vide...ti-wonder.html.