OT: VHS to DVD conversion

I'm looking for a device to help one of my customers convert some of their
old old VHS training tapes onto DVD. Apparently trying to convert analog to
digital is not as easy as some people think it should be. Any way, one such
device I found is the Canopus ADVS-100
http://www.canopus.com/US/products/advc-100/pm_advc-100.asp

Does any one have any thoughts or recommendations on an approach to take, or
device to use?

Thanks
-kw

t_ash
Wed Jan 14 15:58:27 CST 2004

Pinnacle makes some products for around $150. I believe
its the Dazzle 150. It uses a usb interface and has both
a/v inputs and outputs. Give it a look
>-----Original Message-----
>I'm looking for a device to help one of my customers
convert some of their
>old old VHS training tapes onto DVD. Apparently trying to
convert analog to
>digital is not as easy as some people think it should be.
Any way, one such
>device I found is the Canopus ADVS-100
>http://www.canopus.com/US/products/advc-100/pm_advc-
100.asp
>
>Does any one have any thoughts or recommendations on an
approach to take, or
>device to use?
>
>Thanks
>-kw
>
>
>.
>

Dave
Wed Jan 14 16:24:04 CST 2004

I just looked into this a little last month. There's a PCMagazine article
at http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,4148,396324,00.asp (found it doing a
google search for "video capture devices"). Unfortunately they don't rave
about any of these devices, but it's worth a look. Another option is to
find a local production company to do the conversion - we ended up using the
company that we use to duplicate audio and video casettes.


"Kevin Weilbacher" <kweilbac@NO_SPAM_gte.net> wrote in message
news:umHiJdu2DHA.1908@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> I'm looking for a device to help one of my customers convert some of their
> old old VHS training tapes onto DVD. Apparently trying to convert analog
to
> digital is not as easy as some people think it should be. Any way, one
such
> device I found is the Canopus ADVS-100
> http://www.canopus.com/US/products/advc-100/pm_advc-100.asp
>
> Does any one have any thoughts or recommendations on an approach to take,
or
> device to use?
>
> Thanks
> -kw
>
>

Javier
Wed Jan 14 16:43:02 CST 2004

Hi Kevin!

Be aware that you need to have Firewire (iLink) on the computer that you
plan to use the Canopus ADVS-100 (so that increases the cost if you don't
have one). You also need-> capture/encoding software (this can be freeware
or should come with the capture device) and Video DVD mastering software
(i.e. Ulead, DVDit, Pinnacle <-which should come with the DVD recorder)

As T_Ash mentioned there are other cards that will do the same job (and
cheaper). Any TV capture card that has composite inputs can be used.
Remember to encode in MPEG (not AVI nor WMV) if you plan to transfer it to
DVD later (so you don't have to re-encode it... which looses quality). Be
prepared to use a lot of HD space and time (in my home computer-> mastering
a 2hr Video DVD takes a while and it is not a slow machine).

I have two sites that have great tutorials on every aspect of using your
capture cards/encoders/writers:
http://www.dvdrhelp.com/ (way cool!)
http://www.abcdv.com/

My $0.02,

--
-Javier

<< SBS ROCK!!! >>



"t_ash" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:05ad01c3dae9$8a1960e0$a101280a@phx.gbl...
> Pinnacle makes some products for around $150. I believe
> its the Dazzle 150. It uses a usb interface and has both
> a/v inputs and outputs. Give it a look
> >-----Original Message-----
> >I'm looking for a device to help one of my customers
> convert some of their
> >old old VHS training tapes onto DVD. Apparently trying to
> convert analog to
> >digital is not as easy as some people think it should be.
> Any way, one such
> >device I found is the Canopus ADVS-100
> >http://www.canopus.com/US/products/advc-100/pm_advc-
> 100.asp
> >
> >Does any one have any thoughts or recommendations on an
> approach to take, or
> >device to use?
> >
> >Thanks
> >-kw
> >
> >
> >.
> >

Javier
Wed Jan 14 16:57:12 CST 2004

> Remember to encode in MPEG (not AVI nor WMV) if you plan to transfer it to
> DVD later (so you don't have to re-encode it... which looses quality).

This is not always true...

If you use the device you mentioned (or anything using Firewire) you should
capture it using AVI (because it is the embedded format) and then encode it
to MPEG. Which means more HD space :-)

--
-Javier

<< SBS ROCK!!! >>

Hendrik
Thu Jan 15 01:59:25 CST 2004

I didn't look into this, so I may be totaly wrong, but wouldn't a stand
alone DVD-writer do the job. Nowadays those devices are sold for home use.
Although it's still quite expensive, you might have luck with some employee
at the costumer. I know they can record from standard coax cable input, so
one might wonder why they shouldn't be able to record from a video.

HC

Kevin Weilbacher wrote:
> I'm looking for a device to help one of my customers convert some of
> their old old VHS training tapes onto DVD. Apparently trying to
> convert analog to digital is not as easy as some people think it
> should be. Any way, one such device I found is the Canopus ADVS-100
> http://www.canopus.com/US/products/advc-100/pm_advc-100.asp
>
> Does any one have any thoughts or recommendations on an approach to
> take, or device to use?
>
> Thanks
> -kw