EstherP

Good Afternoon,

I have a number of vcr tapes, dating back about 20 years. I have looked into having them digitized, and found it too expensive. Got myself a little gadget, and ended up with a dreadful hum in the background.

The other day, someone wanted to watch one of the movies in their own home, but didn't have a VCR player - he wanted a DVD!

Our tv is one of the flatscreen ones, 32" (I think).
I set up my video camera, and simply took a video of the tv screen. It turned out with very little loss of quality.
Then burned it to a DVD with Premiere Elements.
I'll be doing my other videos the same way in the next few weeks - just making sure I keep the video screen straighter than this first one.

I know this is not quite on topic, as I didn't use my camera video but thought some of you could benefit of this anyway.
EstherP

BrentHarder Loc: Southern California

Thanks Esther.......I think this is great info.

Pictxterowner 3 D sbs

I have not been able to find a "free" program to resolve the issue of creating a computer file.

It may be due to the fact you need a video capture chip.
This is a physical piece of equipment so impossible to download.

The brand I recommend after trying a few is,
ROXIO Easy VHS to DVD at Best Buy
For the money $50-$75 I think it is a very user friendly
and dependable program.

The difference would be a high quality copy of whatever device you hook up to you computer via RCA jacks (Red, Yellow ad white)
It creates a new file in MPEG format that can be viewed directly on your PC, any device hooked to your PC (phone, SD card)
and loaded into windows Movie Maker or similar program. and/or burned to Directly to DVD.

Even after stepping on it, breaking away the black plastic covering the chip still works fantastic. :lol:
~Tim~
You can buy a used VCR at Goodwill for $5 OR $10 For a camcorder and you can play them through both those via RCA jacks.
They Help People. :thumbup: OR
MAGNAVOX makes an except able DVD burner that has a VHS player to go directly from your tapes to DVD $140

EstherP

My "free" program is my camcorder, set so that the centre of the lens is as near as possible in line with the centre of the tv screen. I just start the VHS tape in the player and take a movie of the tv screen. We live in a quiet neighbourhood, and when I'm home alone it is very quiet here.


That physical piece of equipment is exactly what I used to transfer the VHS film to my computer, to wit:
roxio easy VHStoDVD
Hmmm, looks like the same name you gave:


I would suggest that with the awful humming sound in the background, sometimes loud enough so you can't understand what the kids in the movie are saying, is not "a high quality copy of whatever device you hook up to you computer via RCA jacks" but rather a very poor rendition.
And my way of making the video creates a DVD that I can play on the computer or on the tv via DVD or Blu Ray player.


I've got one.


Not a chance. I've wasted 50 bucks on a useless piece of equipment, I'm not going to waste any more money on other gadgets when my digital camcorder makes a perfect recording of what's playing on the tv. I record, pop the sd card into the computer slot for that purpose, open the video in Premiere Elements and burn it to DVD. Done. No more financial outlays. When I play it back it is the same quality as the VHS tape I played to make the video of. Or even better as I can do a great deal of editing in Premier Elements.
EstherP

Pictxterowner 3 D sbs

Ok , what kind of Camcorder ? :thumbup: If I step on this one more time I'm going to need one.
I think I got lucky.

EstherP

A digital camcorder. Canon Vixia HF200.
EstherP

Pictxterowner 3 D sbs

:thumbup: :thumbup:

Pictxterowner 3 D sbs

I want add information here that may help other readers about getting a dvd or computer format from a vhs tape for there neighbor.

I hope you don't mind.
I'm not sure how you fell about returning products to the store.
And said you do not need a dvd recorder.
But I mentioned had the MAGNVOX VHS to DVD

~Most of my stock footage is DVD, During shooting it seemed logical to put chapters markers on my DVD's.

This is the issue that I still face today and why I use the chip.
Even now the dvd backup cameras will be stopped and restarted several times during recording. Creating Titles.

This causes chaos inside the computer trying to create a usable file from just playing the dvd on my PC.

But in a case where using the MANAVOX VHS player with DVD burner there will be only one set of Binary files on the DVD each time the VHS tape come s to an end.
Do not restart a new recording.
These files are much easer to format into a usable file on the PC.
Once played by the computer the proper codiac can be understood by the computer and or free software for converting DVD into a computer format
If not one could return the DVD recorder because in truth it did not serve there needs.
and your VHS tapes will be on DVD :-o

And I remember now that the ROXIO does not work with my 32bit laptop.
It malfunctions much like said here, but on the desk top window 7 64 bit it works very well.

I respect ones decision to leave well enough alone but for the forum as a hole I want to feed in all the useless crap I can.
Case somebody actually reads it one day.~ :x