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I received an email from Smith promoting Roxio. Roxio appears to be a combination of some connectors along with software aimed at converting VHS to DVD. I do have some VHS tapes that I would like to have on DVDs, but I have never looked into doing the conversion. I did create a DVD from digital files from my digital video camera, but that was all done within my Intel Mac.
Is Roxio worth $69, or are there other options I should consider? I had thought to take the VHS tapes to a local shop, but haven't gotten around to it.
db
Follow Ups:
Does your video camera have connectors for video (and audio) in? If so, you may be able to use the camera as the capture device. The video would be streamed down the USB or Firewire cable to the computer, and then whatever video software you have would record it as DV.Otherwise... most TV tuner cards have video inputs that can be used for capturing from VHS or other sources.
One gotcha with recording from VHS is that tape is a low-quality video source both in resolution and in timing quality. Something called a "Time Base Corrector" is what pros use for the best quality capture from VHS. Video scalers often do this as a byproduct. Some VCR's do, mostly pro or high-end units (SVHS). Most promising, though, are DVD recorders or VHS/DVD combo recorders, which often TBC the video out. Specific examples are Panasonic DMR-ES10 and DMR-ES15. Digital camcorders may also TBC video in. If you have access to any of those things, give 'em a try.
http://www.unterzuber.com/TBC.html.The most visible symptom of the need for TBC is that a bunch of lines at the bottom of the screen are "torn" and distorted. Other than ignoring it, one fix is to clip off the noisy lines, and recenter the picture. The following link explains more or less how to use Virtualdub to clip the torn lines from the bottom. Except the current version of Virtualdub is different.
http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/capture/postprocessing_vdub.html
One point: direct stream copy doesn't do the clipping, so use the full process thingy. And choose something that makes DV from the compression settings or it'll default to something that makes even DV look small.One final thing: capture from a Hi8 tape were excellent, no torn lines, darn near DVD quality (I used an SVideo cable between camcorder and capture card, a Hauppauge PVR250, which did hardware compression to DVD compliant MPEG2). Maybe original camera tapes are better quality than dupes, so you may get good results without resorting to TBC or processing.
And, another guide to video capture:
http://www.divxland.org/avicapture.php
Edits: 03/19/10
I don't think the Canopus is being made any more, but I suspect the Roxio is similar. My VHS recorder's video and audio outputs were plugged into the Canopus, which was then connected to my Mac via FireWire. (I believe the Roxio uses USB.) I used iMovie to capture the VHS video and then, after minor editing in iMovie, I used iDVD to burn the DVD. Pretty straightforward, but time-consuming. (I think the Roxio comes with its own video-capturing and DVD-burning software.)Russell
EDIT: Just checked Amazon, and it appears that Canopus is still in the video converter business, but it doesn't appear that my model is still available.
Edits: 03/18/10
I just bought the Canopus 110 from B&H and have it set up exactly as you describe with my Mac. Works great.
Joe
send the output of the VHS deck to the input of a DVD recorder. I'm not sure what the software is purported to do that cannot be done simply by wiring the two units together using the same cables they already use.
Understand that you will NOT be able to copy any protected VHS movie to DVD in any case. Unless of course, you find what is technically an illegal crack.
rw
E-State,
Not sure what you mean by a DVD recorder. I was able to take in digital video from a digital camera and produce a DVD using my Intel IMac, but I assume the video from VHS tapes is analog. My impression from the Smith email was that the Roxie somehow takes the output from a VHS player to the input of an Intel IMac.
db
It is a DVD player that can record to DVDR as well.
rw
Computer
And an editing program makes it rather easy to delete what you don't want. However, as he says below, it's to DVD his father's personal VHS tapes (so there would not be any copy protection to bypass).
I should have been clear. The VHS tapes I want to copy to DVD were made by my dad years ago.
db
that had no effect upon the process. Output goes to input. Copy.
rw
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