Video tapes to DVD

Hello, All!

Is there a freeware package worth using that will allow playing a video
(family tapes) and covert and burn as a DVD. It is time to convert all of my
VCR tapes to something more permanent.

Thanks,
Colonel Blip.
E-mail: colonelblip.no.spam.please@bigfoot.com



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Colonel Blip wrote:
> Hello, All!
>
> Is there a freeware package worth using that will allow playing a
> video (family tapes) and covert and burn as a DVD. It is time to
> convert all of my
> VCR tapes to something more permanent.

Step 1. Can you play the tapes via your computer? If not, you'll need
a card so you can.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

www.videohelp.com for all your software and info on using it..also info on
hardware that you need..

"Colonel Blip" <colonelblip.no.spam.please@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:1135173474_4697@spool6-east.superfeed.net...
> Hello, All!
>
> Is there a freeware package worth using that will allow playing a video
> (family tapes) and covert and burn as a DVD. It is time to convert all of
> my VCR tapes to something more permanent.
>
> Thanks,
> Colonel Blip.
> E-mail: colonelblip.no.spam.please@bigfoot.com
>
>
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> News==----
> http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+
> Newsgroups
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> =----

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 07:55:28 -0600, "Colonel Blip"
<colonelblip.no.spam.please@bigfoot.com> wrote:

>Hello, All!
>
>Is there a freeware package worth using that will allow playing a video
>(family tapes) and covert and burn as a DVD. It is time to convert all of my
>VCR tapes to something more permanent.
>

The easiest to deal with is a stand along VHS > DVD recorder. Not
free of course. Otherwise you need a capture card, software, etc.

"JeB" <no@spam.org> wrote in message
news:alujq192aiqjsjhl78495te98lmil1busk@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 07:55:28 -0600, "Colonel Blip"
> <colonelblip.no.spam.please@bigfoot.com> wrote:
>
>>Hello, All!
>>
>>Is there a freeware package worth using that will allow playing a video
>>(family tapes) and covert and burn as a DVD. It is time to convert all of
>>my
>>VCR tapes to something more permanent.
>>
>
> The easiest to deal with is a stand along VHS > DVD recorder. Not
> free of course. Otherwise you need a capture card, software, etc.

That is the best way.

dunno about freeware but software isn't everything

if you have a decent capture card then
if you don't have lots of HD (100GB per hour and ntfs) then
you need a 1.8G or better to compress to reasonable quality on the
fly, with some losses and having to manage codecs and such
and inevitable teething problems that halt a 2 hour capture
for the 27th time.

then you have to convert for DVD if you want to use any player.

Depends what quality you want to keep the source.
Captured with compression to 800MB an hours gives you lots
6 or so hours as data files on a PC playable only DVD.
fine for weddings and video clips at 800Mb an hour but
not really for archiving with maximum quality.

>>(family tapes) and covert and burn as a DVD. It is time to convert all of
>>my
>>VCR tapes to something more permanent.

It may be in time, but probably not yet, not cheaply and easily.

I always try not to generalise.

"Colonel Blip" <colonelblip.no.spam.please@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:1135173474_4697@spool6-east.superfeed.net...
> Hello, All!
>
> Is there a freeware package worth using that will allow playing a video
> (family tapes) and covert and burn as a DVD. It is time to convert all of
> my VCR tapes to something more permanent.

You'll need either a capture card, or some sort of external capture device.
One end plugs into the VCR, the other end plugs into your USB port. Approx.
cost about $60 to $100 at most electronics stores. These usually come with
software that will burn to DVD. Reliability and ease of use of this software
varies widely. Pinnacle makes popular capture cards and devices. The capture
part of the software is great. The editing and burning part of the software
is crap and I would advise other software for this purpose.

I use and like Nero. I also use and like Ulead's VideoStudio.

There are freeware solutions for editing video but after exhaustive
experimentation with just about everything out there I concluded this is one
area where it is worth paying for a reasonably priced commercial package. It
will save you LOTS of time and aggravation.

M

I have found that its best to plug usb digitisers into one of the rear
motherboard usb ports..ie. dont use front panel or hub ports.same for
printers too.
"Michael Laplante" <mike004@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:cdoqf.99$m05.98@clgrps12...
> "Colonel Blip" <colonelblip.no.spam.please@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
> news:1135173474_4697@spool6-east.superfeed.net...
>> Hello, All!
>>
>> Is there a freeware package worth using that will allow playing a video
>> (family tapes) and covert and burn as a DVD. It is time to convert all of
>> my VCR tapes to something more permanent.
>
> You'll need either a capture card, or some sort of external capture
> device. One end plugs into the VCR, the other end plugs into your USB
> port. Approx. cost about $60 to $100 at most electronics stores. These
> usually come with software that will burn to DVD. Reliability and ease of
> use of this software varies widely. Pinnacle makes popular capture cards
> and devices. The capture part of the software is great. The editing and
> burning part of the software is crap and I would advise other software for
> this purpose.
>
> I use and like Nero. I also use and like Ulead's VideoStudio.
>
> There are freeware solutions for editing video but after exhaustive
> experimentation with just about everything out there I concluded this is
> one area where it is worth paying for a reasonably priced commercial
> package. It will save you LOTS of time and aggravation.
>
> M
>
>

Hello, Colonel!
You wrote to All on Wed, 21 Dec 2005 07:55:28 -0600:

Thanks for all of the replies. Sounds like I might wait another year before
I move on this. Maybe by then the area will have matured (gotten cheaper).
In the meantime I will take a look at the hardware requirements for my
system for the PC option and keep an eye out for the deals on the vcr=>dvd
all in one box.

Thanks,

Colonel Blip.
E-mail: colonelblip.no.spam.please@bigfoot.com

CB> Hello, All!

CB> Is there a freeware package worth using that will allow playing a video
CB> (family tapes) and covert and burn as a DVD. It is time to convert all
CB> of my VCR tapes to something more permanent.



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JeB <no@spam.org> wrote in
news:alujq192aiqjsjhl78495te98lmil1busk@4ax.com:

> On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 07:55:28 -0600, "Colonel Blip"
> <colonelblip.no.spam.please@bigfoot.com> wrote:
>
>>Hello, All!
>>
>>Is there a freeware package worth using that will allow playing a
>>video (family tapes) and covert and burn as a DVD. It is time to
>>convert all of my VCR tapes to something more permanent.
>>
>
> The easiest to deal with is a stand along VHS > DVD recorder.

This was my solution also - get it on to DVD.

> [...] Otherwise you need a capture card, software, etc.

I have been trying bus and USB2 capture devices on a PC with reasonable
processor speed, plenty of space on an ntfs disk, but there were too many
frames being dropped. The "minimum system requirements" seem to be a lot
higher than quoted.
Following advice from a.c.f I now transfer tapes direct to DVD recorder.
This is working well for tapes I just want to back up. If I need to edit,
then I rip/convert the DVDs, generate AVI (MPeg4), edit and rebuild using
an editor which came with a cheapo video camera. Someone's mentioned
Ulead's VideoStudio; there is also VideoImpression (came with DXG camera),
PowerDirector, MGI VideoWave (came with Belkin USB capture).
There will sometimes be artifacts generated by the original tape recording
to get rid of, eg interference lines at the bottom of the frame, scratches
on the tape etc.

>> You'll need either a capture card, or some sort of external capture
>> device. One end plugs into the VCR, the other end plugs into your USB
>> port. Approx. cost about $60 to $100 at most electronics stores.

>I have found that its best to plug usb digitisers into one of the rear
>motherboard usb ports..ie. dont use front panel or hub ports.same for
>printers too.

Even better, the analog source should be plugged into a FIREWIRE port
for sustained robustness. USB1 would be totally inappropriate for
capturing DVD quality mpeg2 video, and USB2 might not be robust enough
to avoid dropped frames.

There are freeware resources for every step except capturing. And it's
possible that the OP might already have the appropriate internal video
capture card, external USB/Firewire hardware capture device, camcorder
with analog-to-digital converter, or standalone DVD recorder to do the
job.

In any case, as previously noted, the OP should use www.videohelp.com
as a "How-To" resource for everything involving analog-to-digital
conversion, processing and burning.