Transfer Video From VHS To PC

VHS is an analogue system, so a standard VHS player will not have a digital (firewire) output. The advantage of S-video is that the luminance and chrominance parts of the video signal (which are separate signals on a recorded VHS tape) are maintained as separate signals all the way to the S-video socket. Therefore if your player does not have an S-video socket there is no point in adding an external one.

Frankly, for the best VHS playback you need the best VHS player that you can buy, and in my opinion the best VHS playback is actually from a JVC Digital VHS recorder. High quality heads, timebase corrector and high quality circuitry (I was told the other day that they are capable of handling High Definition signals), the playback of standard VHS is childs play to them. Unfortunately, they are almost unobtainable now in this country.

Trying to capture analogue PAL through the S-video socket of a graphics card is likely to be a frustrating business. A properly designed analogue capture card is the answer.

Ray Liffen

A follow-up on a couple of points:-

I notice that you are in the USA so my point about the JVC DVHS recorder may not be correct; are they still sold in the USA?

One of the very strong reasons for not using a graphics card for capturing video is that you will need to use your sound card to capture the audio. It is VERY likely that you will then run into loss of sync between audio and video.

Ray Liffen

have a look at www.canopus.com website.
they do a range of analogue to digital converter boxes , which will do what you want to do, by connecting to your firewire port and giving you analogue in and on some boxes analogue out too.

I agree with Ray about JVC. I have the HR-DVS3 which is a recorder/player for VHS/SVHS and MiniDV. It covers all connections, including Firewire. I would normally convert the VHS to miniDV so I have a good copy that I can have encase I need to make more VHS tapes from it. The firewire obviously connects to the PC.

These can be purchased for about £600, (second user about £350-£400)

Maybe you would like to consider a product that only cost about £60. It is DVD EZMaker. you should find it on a site called www.avermedia.com

You connect your VHS direct to it and the other end via USB2 to your PC. from there you burn to make your DVD.

I have used it, mainly because I was interested to see if a gadget like this actually works!! well it did, but the quality was not that good. OK for a bit of fun at a cheap price.

All the best, Ron.

If anyone is interested, I have a JVC DVHS machine with Firewire output and both JVC and Sony Full size DV decks. As you may know the JVC DVHS has one of the highest quality and most stable (S)VHS playback capabilities. I don't want to be flooded with requests but am willing to help anyone out who needs a high quality transfer from SVHS, DVHS or VHS to DV or DVD-R, DVD-RW or DVD-RAM. I can also do Betamax, 8mm and Hi8. Send me a private email if you are interested.

To Viewfax

My eye was caught by the phrase 'DVHS machine with Firewire output'. Normally these machines only have Firewire input. Is yours specially modified to give output as well as input, and if so where can I get it done and how much does it cost?

Ray Liffen

Ray. My JVC HR DVS3 must have DV out because I have it connected to my Philips 890 DV and I produce DVD's from the tapes in the JVC machine.

In fact I have just looked at the JVC and it states on it. DV in/out right by the connector

All the best, Ron.

Just to confirm rongrover. We have a JVCDVS2 which has been in faultless use for 3 years and firewire's a signal in and out from/to SVHS/VHS and miniDV

Louis,
What is your current system? Most video rigs have at least 2 drives. A capture card or an ati with vivo. ( dual moniter and vivo ) Michael

Why not feed the VHS signal into the analogue inputs of your camcorder and record to Mini DV tape? Many camcorders these days offer a real-time A > D conversion so you don't even need to record to tape first. Either way you'll have a digital signal to pump into your pc.

tom.

To Ron and Branny

We are talking about two different pieces of equipment.

Your DVS2 or DVS3 machines are a combination of two decks (miniDV and SVHS/VHS) in one box. I agree that you have Firewire out. They are not DVHS.

The DVHS (Digital VHS) that Viewfax and I are referring to is the JVC HM-DR10000 which records MPEG2 on to a VHS size cassette. There are two sizes of tape available which give 5 hours and 7 hours continuous recording at standard play. In LS3 mode they give 15 hours and 21 hours.

As supplied, the HM-DR10000 is DV-in only, hence my query to Viewfax about DV out on his machine.

Ray Liffen

Good day to all from Greece

I am refreshing this thread, in order to receive information on "how to", described below:

I also have a JVC HM-1000EK D-VHS deck and I want to use it for recording a video, being captured as MP4 file to my PC. This PC has a 1394a (FireWire) connection, embedded on its motherboard (a Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R one).

What I am not sure about is if this video can be transferred via the deck DV connection (which is an "only IN" one, as already mentioned here) and recorded on a simple VHS (or S-VHS) cassette. This is required to cover the needs of a friend, who owns just an old video recorder (I am not sure if it is a S-VHS or a simple VHS one).

Any input will be highly appreciated.

Thanks

Sorry I'm not familiar with the JVC HM-DR10000EK, but you will have to convert the mp4 file into a DV file first before transfer.

Thanks for the input, mate. For your information, the HM-DR10000EK deck does not support DV or miniDV cassettes, it has only one bay, that accommodates D-VHS/S-VHS/VHS cassettes. The difference from other VHS video recorders/players is that it also supports the D-VHS format, which is the digital equicalent of the analog VHS one.

So, why do I have to do so (i.e. to convert the mp4 to DV), since I intend the final recording to be in analog format?

Because that's the format the firewire connection would use as it's a digital interface.