VHS to DVD

J

jimbo

I have asked this question before, but I am still confused and uncertain
about a solution. Here is what I have. PC with WinXP, a DVD burner, a
PCI video capture card and software to edit. Here is what I want.
Software or hardware that will let me copy any VHS tape to DVD. I have a
collection of VHS tapes, some that I recorded, some commercial, probably
copy protected. I want to copy/transfer the VHS tapes to DVD.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

jimbo
 
D

David Maynard

jimbo said:
I have asked this question before, but I am still confused and uncertain
about a solution. Here is what I have. PC with WinXP, a DVD burner, a
PCI video capture card and software to edit. Here is what I want.
Software or hardware that will let me copy any VHS tape to DVD. I have a
collection of VHS tapes, some that I recorded, some commercial, probably
copy protected. I want to copy/transfer the VHS tapes to DVD.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

jimbo

VHS output goes to video capture card. Start video capture to hard drive
and 'play' VHS tape into it. Edit to taste. Encode for DVD and burn with Nero.

If you want more than one on the DVD, build menus before burning.
 
J

Jan Alter

Hi,

I think I understand your position. I was exactly there last year. Two
inexpensive but pretty solid programs I started off with were Ulead's Movie
Factory and Video Studio. I paid $50 for the Movie Factory and it did a nice
job of making chapters, menus and rendering. The Video Studio came free with
a capture card I purchased from Leadtek.
The learning curve was relatively easy. Later on during the year I
picked up Nero 6 Ultra Edition, which was pretty simplistic at the time and
did the same thing as the other two products. But during the summer Ahead
(maker of Nero) did some nice free upgrades to their software, which make it
even more versatile and solid for making DVDs.
By all means visit www.videohelp.com as suggested by Jimbo, as it's an
excellent site for DVD program information as well as hardware.
 
J

jimbo

Thanks for the replies. I think I have the necessary hardware (Capture
card and DVD burner). And I have some editing software that came with
the computer. I wonder if I need anything else to copy a copy
protected VHS tape? Will the capture card do it's thing with a copy
protected VHS tape? I think Nero and some other DVD burner software
will defeat copy protection on CDs and DVDs, but I am still a little
confused regarding getting files or images from a copy protected VHS
tape into the computer in a form that Nero can handle.

jimbo
 
D

David Maynard

jimbo said:
Thanks for the replies. I think I have the necessary hardware (Capture
card and DVD burner). And I have some editing software that came with
the computer. I wonder if I need anything else to copy a copy protected
VHS tape? Will the capture card do it's thing with a copy protected VHS
tape? I think Nero and some other DVD burner software will defeat copy
protection on CDs and DVDs, but I am still a little confused regarding
getting files or images from a copy protected VHS tape into the computer
in a form that Nero can handle.

First comment is: TRY it.

A lot depends on what kind of quality you want vs how much you're willing
to spend. One could, and people have, written entire books on the subject
so there's no way anyone can explain it all in a couple of news group
posts. Do some research.

http://www.videohelp.com/guides
http://www.digitalfaq.com/index.htm
 
J

jimbo

And your point is? I own the tapes in question. I have every right to
make a copy to prevent loss through tape deterioration or just for
convenience if I choose.

jimbo
 
J

jimbo

David said:
First comment is: TRY it.

A lot depends on what kind of quality you want vs how much you're
willing to spend. One could, and people have, written entire books on
the subject so there's no way anyone can explain it all in a couple of
news group posts. Do some research.

http://www.videohelp.com/guides
http://www.digitalfaq.com/index.htm


I have searched those sites extensively. Yes, there is a lot of
material, most dated or specific to some hardware or software "how
to". I was looking for a simple suggestion, like "Just connect the AV
cables up and capture the video as an AVI file". Or maybe,"Use S-Video
to connect the VHS player to the capture card if you want better
quality", etc. Or, "Most copy protected VHS tapes can be easily
captured to an AVI file". Or maybe, "Capturing a copy protected VHS
tape to an AVI file requires special hardware and/or software". I
don't expect an extensive "How To" on a News Group, but I think a few
basic thoughts from someone who knows something about the subject is
not asking too much.

jimbo
 
D

David Maynard

jimbo said:
I have searched those sites extensively. Yes, there is a lot of
material, most dated or specific to some hardware or software "how to".
I was looking for a simple suggestion, like "Just connect the AV cables
up and capture the video as an AVI file". Or maybe,"Use S-Video to
connect the VHS player to the capture card if you want better quality",
etc. Or, "Most copy protected VHS tapes can be easily captured to an AVI
file". Or maybe, "Capturing a copy protected VHS tape to an AVI file
requires special hardware and/or software". I don't expect an extensive
"How To" on a News Group, but I think a few basic thoughts from someone
who knows something about the subject is not asking too much.

jimbo

Happy experimenting. Let us know how it comes out.
 
J

JAD

heheh nerve aggravated? Was JK... seems to me if you had the
'RIGHT' (looking at the constitution don't see anything about VHS)
then copy protection would be unconstitutional.......
 
J

JAD

I already told you/.............. NERO AND BURN DIRECTLY TO DVD<
CAPTURE>>>>NERO>>>>DVD. First start your computer...log onto Web ..
www.ahead.com make sure DVD burner is supported by nero ....download
nero...pay for it.............start capture software make sure all is
working-....start nero....set nero to capture and burn on the fly.
 
D

David Maynard

JAD said:
heheh nerve aggravated? Was JK... seems to me if you had the
'RIGHT' (looking at the constitution don't see anything about VHS)
then copy protection would be unconstitutional.......

Not that I'm claiming he has any particular right but that you don't 'see
anything' about it in the Constitution is of no consequence, per Amendment IX.
 
J

jimbo

JAD said:
heheh nerve aggravated? Was JK... seems to me if you had the
'RIGHT' (looking at the constitution don't see anything about VHS)
then copy protection would be unconstitutional.......
Jet airplanes aren't mentioned either. I suppose you think they are
unconstitutional? But that nonsense aside, I believe it has been well
established that copyright laws are not violated by making copies of
any media for personal use or backup.

jimbo
 
J

jimbo

Yes, thanks, but how about editing? Like maybe I have a tape that was
recorded from TV and it is full of commercials that I want to edit
out. If I burn directly to a DVD, what is the next step? Or can Nero
copy to a file that I could then edit before I burned the DVD?

jimbo
 
J

JAD

heh Jim you need to look at the software there are controls for
'in' and 'out' etc...its not a full on editor but it will get the
frames to the DVD
 
J

JAD

jet planes????? lets set that waayyy aside. regardless of your
desire, there are processes that are put into effect that require some
kind of 'deemed illegal' software/ hardware to get around them.
 
J

jimbo

If I make a copy of a tape, a CD or a DVD that is protected by
copyright law, and sell it or give it to another person, I have
committed an illegal act. If I copy a tape, CD or DVD that I have
rented, I have committed an illegal act.

But, if I make a copy of a tape, CD or DVD that I own, for my personal
use or as a backup, I have committed no illegal act. Not even
Microsoft tries to stop people from making copies of program CDs. They
don't even put any copy protection on the program CDs.

jimbo
 
J

JAD

Ill comment on this one last time.....copy protection was designed for
just that....copy protection...not illegal copy protection copy
protection. The whole 'My personal backup' was created by pirates to
rationalize their stealing of copyrighted material....... wish I could
tell you the percentage of those who copy for their 'backup' and those
who copy to steal. But I think it would be wasted stats, as you think
its a 'right'.
 

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