VHS to DVD Converter?

Snowman999

Active member
I have a lot of live VHS when I used to play. Plus I have a ton of movies that have never been released on DVD. I would love to transfer these to digital.

I'm fully capable of doing it the cheaper way with one of these.
81XGh9QtweL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

The problem is, these range from $9 to $60. I'm sure the $60 is probably a little more well built, but will it do a better job in the short run?

I'm trying to read about the differences, and I can't see anything. Probably because I don't know what I should be looking for.

Does anyone know about these converters, and the reason why I should spend a little more or a lot less?

There's plenty of places on-line to download the different software to capture the video to. I might even be able to use it with my Final Cut Pro.

Any knowledge would be appreciated.
 
Hey,
I actually bought one of these a little while ago. It looks identical to what you've pictured there although I know the brand name is different.
It claimed stereo audio although it turned out to be mono only. I didn't care because it was for a one-time thing with no audio, but I'll check the model/chip and post back to let you know what it was.
 
Got it here - Yes, it's identical to what you've pictured except without the white writing.
The chip in it is ms2100e and, while the specs for that chip state stereo audio capability, the device shows as a 1 input audio device under windows and MacOS.

You mention Final Cut Pro so, I guess, MacOS - You should be able to record straight into QuickTime if all else fails.
Quick test recording results in a 720x567 output.
 
I use a Blackmagic Design Intensity Shuttle USB 3. On some analog sources it has trouble with getting a stable signal, which I've addressed by passing the signal through a DVD recorder on the way to the Intensity Shuttle. The image quality is really good considering VHS is the source. Many years ago I had a couple of more affordable converters and it seems that the dynamic range (dark to light) was limited, so they would lose detail and the high and/or low end of brightness. That might be one of the differences between a $20 converter and a $200 converter.
 
Likewise3 I have a similar one. It works pretty well, but it is sensitive to the quality of the VHS tape, and will lose signal if the tape is bad.
 
I have a couple of Magnavox HDD/DVD recorders that I bought through Walmart years ago. Its great for transferring VHS or 8mm video tapes to DVD. I record them to the hard drive, then I can do basic editing before dumping them to DVD at high speed. I've converted a few dozen family video tapes to DVD, which I then converted to MP4 too. I have made copies for members of the family.

They make an HD version but they are ridiculously hard to find anymore.

I have a Hauppage HD PVR2 which I use to capture HD video from my DVR. The main issue if you are trying to copy movies on VHS is that most won't work if the tape is encoded with Macrovision.
 
I got one of these many years ago: Amazon.com: Magnavox VHS to DVD Recorder VCR Combo w/ Remote, HDMI: Electronics

I bought it because I was still taping tv shows (no "on demand" back then). I assume its still working! It made converting to DVD simple. I think I paid about $100, now used ones are 3X as much. Here's a sub-$100 Sony: Amazon.com: Sony SLV-D300P Progressive-Scan DVD-VCR Combo: Electronics

Those are way out of my price range. The second is a grand.
 
I have a Sony VHS + DVD machine stashed in the 'studio' No idea if it still works.

Note, if you have a VHS player with HDMI output you can get a "Portta" device that delivers CVBS and audio. The latter can be recorded on PC using the "Dazzle" device.
I would guess by now you can get direct HDMI to PC adaptors? Not looked.

Dave.
 
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