Digitizing homemade VHS videos?

[tomini]

Hey everyone,

So, I inherited a pile of VHS tapes from my grandpa and finally decided to tackle the task of digitizing them.
Thought I could use the Panasonic that came with the tapes, but turns out it might give me worse quality than what's on the cassettes themselves.

Checked out the used market for VHS players and found two options:

• Panasonic NV-FS200 (they're willing to sell it to me for 247€)
• Panasonic NV-HS1000E (367€, haven't haggled yet)

I read somewhere that comparable JVCs are better than the Panasonics in terms of output quality, but I hope that is nitpicking or false as I was not very successful finding those for affordable price.

I'm in Europe, and I read here the NV-FS200 is the same as the AG-1980P (AG-1980). Is 247€ a good deal for the NV-FS200? The seller says he's not the first owner, but the previous guy took good care of it (kept it in a dry, room-temperature spot and stuff like that). Only thing is that the remote is missing.

Now, onto the recording part. I was thinking of getting an Elgato card (or something similar) for that. Problem is, these cards usually have HDMI or DisplayPort inputs. How do I convert S-Video (supposedly the best output) to these newer standards? OSSC, maybe? But that's gonna nibble away at the budget.

Dad was keen on covering the costs, given it's mainly his nostalgia, but explaining that it's not a simple 150€ deal, more like over 400€, was a bit of a challenge. Came across a Linus Tech Tips video (https://youtu.be/foLPX4YTwHk), and they were using some pretty high-end converters with a hefty price tag. If that's a must-have, then it looks like I've hit a dead end here.

Thanks a lot!

[latreche34]

In that Linus Tech Tips video, they've gotten a lot of things wrong. The guy who Linus featured in the video that supposed to know about video capture made some idiotic statements, He said I could capture via S-Video but some tapes are better captured via S-Video some are not, this is wrong. He looked at the back of the SDI capture device which has the Beta mode and said it can capture Beta too. That mode is not consumer Beta, it is the pro SMPTE standard that governs levels, I can go on and on but this is not the topic here, So be careful when you watch YT videos.

Sure the SDI workflow is good but you can achieve similar results using suggested USB capture devices, Note that the VCR quality is 80% of the equation, In that video they are using a Panasonic S-VHS deck that costs as much as a pro capture device, Either way, a good capture workflow is not going to be cheap.

[tomini]

I forgot to mention that I own a DVDO Edge, if that helps... I got it for retro gaming.
And the VCR I got with the cassettes is Panasonic NV-HD640.

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

Sure the SDI workflow is good, but you can achieve similar results using suggested USB capture devices

I'm having trouble finding these suggested capture devices...

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

In that video, they are using a Panasonic S-VHS deck that costs as much as a pro capture device

Yes, the AG-1980P, which is essentially the same as the Panasonic NV-FS200 that I found in my region—just a PAL version.

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

Either way, a good capture workflow is not going to be cheap.

I have no idea what's considered cheap in this realm. Honestly, I just want to back up all the memories in the best possible quality without hitting diminishing returns.

[latreche34]

If you got a good VCR, the hard part is done, You just need to get a USB capture device from the suggested list, I think there is two devices that are popular right now, Other members can chime in to give you some suggestions.

[tomini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

If you got a good VCR, the hard part is done

That's why I'm here, trying to figure out what defines a good VCR. Someone in another forum mentioned that 250€ is too much for the VCR from my original post.

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

You just need to get a USB capture device from the suggested list

Are you referring to this list?

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

I think there are two devices that are popular right now; other members can chime in to give you some suggestions.

It would be really helpful to get some recommendations.
Frankly, the only takeaway I've gotten from this thread so far is that the LTT video was wrong.

[lordsmurf]

I'll reply in some detail this weekend when I get more time.

[aramkolt]

I've heard a few people say that the NV-FS200 is their favorite VCR and that does have a line TBC in it, so I'd say go with that.

[tomini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aramkolt

I've heard a few people say that the NV-FS200 is their favorite VCR and that does have a line TBC in it, so I'd say go with that.

I got told this (NV-HD640 being the VCR I have at home):
"The Panasonic NV-HD640 dates back to 1999 and is a normal video recorder with Scart (composite) output.

The Panasonic FS200 dates from 1992 and the HS1000 from 1994. These two devices were often the most frequently recommended Panasonic devices when it came to video capture.
Due to their age, it may be difficult to find working devices on the second-hand market that have not already been played to death and passed through many hands.
I would never buy such a device without a remote control and operating instructions. If this is missing, it is an indication that you are not buying the device from 1st hand. If you do, it's best to buy it from someone who offers a guarantee with the option of returning it."

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomini

The Panasonic FS200 dates from 1992 and the HS1000 from 1994. These two devices were often the most frequently recommended Panasonic devices when it came to video capture.
Due to their age, it may be difficult to find working devices on the second-hand market that have not already been played to death and passed through many hands.[/I]

This is why decks should only be bouht as refurb'd now, from a reliable refurb'er -- not some random eBay seller, most of whom are just recyclers trying to sell old broken e-waste for money.

Quote:

I would never buy such a device without a remote control and operating instructions. If this is missing, it is an indication that you are not buying the device from 1st hand. If you do, it's best to buy it from someone who offers a guarantee with the option of returning it."

This part is naive:

- Remotes wear out, due to the nature of how remotes are made. Those little pressure sensor pads wear easily, just like modern keyboards wear easily. Remotes are consumables in pro environmenst. But the really silly aspect is that the remote isn't needed for these Panasonic decks, all the controls are on-unit. It's JVCs where removes are required, aside from a few models.

- Instructions are paper, and paper tends to get nasty after handling. PDF manuals are easily available online, both the User and Service manuals.

If that person never buys decks without those, then he's passing up a lot of good units.