Video Capture Recommendation (yet again, probably)

[zeszut]

I recently bought a Gateway GT-5034. It came with XP Media Center and an ATI Theater 550 Pro TV Tuner card. I had hoped to use this combination to transfer VHS tapes (which are themselves transfers of old 8MM family "video") to DVD.

I can hook up my VCR and view the tapes through XP Media Center with no problem. Recording the video is the problem.

XP Media Center will save the video as a DVR-MS file. I had hoped to be able to edit each tape into separate chapters. The only way I can do this is to burn the DVR-MS file to DVD+R (using XP Media Center which for some reason won't let me us a DVD+RW), rip that video back to my hard drive and then use DVD-Shrink or Nero to edit it. Not very direct and a waste of DVD+R media.

I began looking at video capture software and have come across the following software:

Blaze Media Pro, SnapStream Beyond TV, WinDVD and something called GraphEdit.

They all have trial versions.

But I was wondering if anyone has experience in what I am trying to do? Can you recommend any of these programs or recommend that I avoid any of them?

I saw another thread along these lines but the person was using a digital camera. I have a TV Tuner card that I'm feeding my VCR into.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[paglamon]

I have a TV Tuner card

So do I.And I use Virtualdub to capture.Occasionally I capture with Ulead Video Studio.

[lemonyx]

I have a WinTv 250 card and use VideoReDo and burn w/Ulead Movie Factory. Just use your TV card and hook up your VHS to it and rip - then burn. It should be in Mpeg and from there you can use any of the free software to burn.

[photo_angel2004]

I recently bought a Gateway GT-5034. It came with XP Media Center and an ATI Theater 550 Pro TV Tuner card. I had hoped to use this combination to transfer VHS tapes (which are themselves transfers of old 8MM family "video") to DVD.

I can hook up my VCR and view the tapes through XP Media Center with no problem. Recording the video is the problem.




Thanks in advance for your help.

I would also use DVD-R


I personally wouldn’t do it that way if I were you.

I too have 8mm camcorder tapes from my mothers old cam.

Once you transfer them to VHS you loose some quality to then rip it from VHS to you hard drive you will loose more quality.

You are better off getting a capturing device like the Dazzle and rip the video directly from the camcorder to you hard drive.


You will then need to convet the the files to a DVD compatable file format.



See this thread its a good read.

http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=62100

If you no longer have the camcorder you may want to find a player that will play the 8MM that you can rip directly from the 8MM tapes.

[zeszut]

Thanks, Lemonyx, I searched for and found VideoReDo; I see they have a trial version. But it looks like editing software only. Does it rip video through the video card?

Thanks, PhotoAngel, but I don't think you read my post fully.

I do *not* have a cameracorder. I have a number of VHS tapes only. I am not looking for suggestions on the hardware for doing the transfer (I have the tapes, the VCR and the Tuner Card), just on the software. Thanks, anyway.

BTW, I tried this with my old computer with Dazzle and Pinnacle. Horrible results. I kept having to redo them because the audio and video usually didn't sync up. It took a month to get 3 tapes transfered. I finally just took the Dazzle/Pinnacle back for a refund after that month. Glad it's been working for you. Never did as expected for me. This new pc has that TV Tuner card so all I need is software recommendations.

[Grandpa]

Sonic MyDVD 6 will do what you are wanting to do I like you am new to this so there may be better software out there. But I have found MyDVD to be pretty easy to use. But I do prefer to use Nero 6 to edit and burn with but it will not capture a analog signal, at least I haven't figured out how to. You can set MyDVD to create chapters automatically or you can create chapters manually in the edit mode once captured.

[photo_angel2004]

BTW, I tried this with my old computer with Dazzle and Pinnacle. Horrible results. I kept having to redo them because the audio and video usually didn't sync up. It took a month to get 3 tapes transfered. I finally just took the Dazzle/Pinnacle back for a refund after that month. Glad it's been working for you. Never did as expected for me. This new pc has that TV Tuner card so all I need is software recommendations.

It worked for me because I followed this:

http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=56454

[zeszut]

Well, here's and update ... and the solution.

I spent yesterday installing and trying the programs (and more) I mentioned in my first post.

Blaze Media Pro and two others I found later (Cutterman & WinDV) did not see my ATI Tuner card. WinDVD crashed my system everytime I opened it. Beyond TV conflicted with Windows Media Center. That left VideoReDo which seemed to be okay.

However, I also searched to net for ways to convert Media Center's "DVR-MS" extension files to something I could edit. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that NERO supports DVR-MS files! Who would have thought.

I have NERO 6 ... so my solution was already on my machine.

Thanks so very much to all who posted. Sorry this turned into a wild goose chase.