[WANTED] - Working Betamax player

[OverlandMan]

What a subject to come up on this forum! I just started the massive project of capturing my VHS and Hi8 tapes into the computer. Spent a good amount of time researching VCRs and time base correctors and such on the internet, but ultimately am using a VCR I already had as it is giving me good results.

What did you use to capture the analog AV inputs? I was looking at something cheap and easy like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812156023. Although it didn't get great reviews.

My thought was to capture them on my PC and save them in AVI, MP4, or similar video file format like I use to x-fer movies and stuff over to my iPad/iPhone and to stream within my home network. Seems dumb to x-fer these to physical DVDs seeing as they're heading in the same direction as Betamax.

[NightFlyer]

This is what I have setup back at my parent's house. Additionally, I have two analog A/V setups at my house and about 5 stacks of components 7 feet high between my house and my parent's house.

I really do need to downsize

IM003714.jpgIM003718.jpgIM003719.jpgIM003720.jpgIM003721.jpgIM003722.jpgIM003723.jpg

[DMCMW Dave]

Nuts how fast technology goes obsolete - all that stuff feeding a low-res 20-inch TV set. . . .

[NightFlyer]

Nuts how fast technology goes obsolete - all that stuff feeding a low-res 20-inch TV set. . . .

Actually, that's a 32" Sony XBR^2 (KV-32XBR96S) - 800 lines of horizontal resolution. It was hands down the top of the line CRT back in the early - mid '90's with a price tag of $2,500. With decent source material, pic looks just as good as any modern HDTV.

[Spittybug]

Apparently these things don't like to sit around unused for years....... sorry to get your hopes up, but while it powers up, playing tapes is "challenging" at best. Probably need a good cleaning and rubber renewal. I'm not up for that this week, sorry. Looks like you have a good source elsewhere however!

[OverlandMan]

Apparently these things don't like to sit around unused for years....... sorry to get your hopes up, but while it powers up, playing tapes is "challenging" at best. Probably need a good cleaning and rubber renewal. I'm not up for that this week, sorry. Looks like you have a good source elsewhere however!

Well fart. That's ok. I appreciate the thought anyways. Thanks!

[OverlandMan]

Sounds good!

Ok NightFlyer - I'm going to send you a PM shortly. Thanks!

[Roman Legion]

Our betamax died back in the early 90's due to my brother stcking a PB&J in it.. Sad day, because my parents had to go with a VCR after that and my father still recalls how much he hated the VCR to his betamax.

[DL4567]

What did you use to capture the analog AV inputs? I was looking at something cheap and easy like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812156023. Although it didn't get great reviews.

My thought was to capture them on my PC and save them in AVI, MP4, or similar video file format like I use to x-fer movies and stuff over to my iPad/iPhone and to stream within my home network. Seems dumb to x-fer these to physical DVDs seeing as they're heading in the same direction as Betamax.

First I bought one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Video-C...rds=elgato+vhs

And it is very easy to use, but the output looks like crap. Looks great while you're capturing, because you're seeing what the VCR is playing. But then it overly compresses the files and there is a huge difference in quality between the original vhs and the mp4 file it creates. And there is no control of bitrate output or quality of any kind.

Then, after much research, I almost bought this:
http://www.amazon.com/Canopus-770101...s=canopus+advc

I found many positive comments on forums talking about the Canopus. Seems it's a very highly regarded unit for analog-to-digital conversion.

But what I finally ended up using is my friend's DV video camera as a passthrough. It performs the same task as the canopus 110, but saved me from spending the $175. I just had to get a firewire card, as that is the only way DV video can be sent into a computer. Any USB device will not give good results from what I understand (like the Elgato above). Plug the VCR cables into the camera, and then the camera firewire cable into the computer, and capture away! I capture straight into Adobe Premiere. The raw AVI files from capturing are HUGE, but once the video is edited/trimmed, I re-encode to MPEG-2 files. This looks identical to the original VHS. I messed with the newer H.264 compression, but nothing kept the original look better than MPEG-2.

Hopefully that all makes sense. Let me know if I can clarify anything.

[OverlandMan]

First I bought one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Video-C...rds=elgato+vhs

And it is very easy to use, but the output looks like crap. Looks great while you're capturing, because you're seeing what the VCR is playing. But then it overly compresses the files and there is a huge difference in quality between the original vhs and the mp4 file it creates. And there is no control of bitrate output or quality of any kind.

Then, after much research, I almost bought this:
http://www.amazon.com/Canopus-770101...s=canopus+advc

I found many positive comments on forums talking about the Canopus. Seems it's a very highly regarded unit for analog-to-digital conversion.

But what I finally ended up using is my friend's DV video camera as a passthrough. It performs the same task as the canopus 110, but saved me from spending the $175. I just had to get a firewire card, as that is the only way DV video can be sent into a computer. Any USB device will not give good results from what I understand (like the Elgato above). Plug the VCR cables into the camera, and then the camera firewire cable into the computer, and capture away! I capture straight into Adobe Premiere. The raw AVI files from capturing are HUGE, but once the video is edited/trimmed, I re-encode to MPEG-2 files. This looks identical to the original VHS. I messed with the newer H.264 compression, but nothing kept the original look better than MPEG-2.

Hopefully that all makes sense. Let me know if I can clarify anything.

Regarding the USB solution, were you using the software that came with that device? I'm wondering if you could use VLC or something else to change the output quality. I'm mildly surprised that a standard definition Betamax capture is compressed and output so poorly; however, I can completely understand that if it's a limitation of the software.

I don't have a digital video camera. Heck, once iPhones started doing all that for me I never could justify spending additional $ on another device. Not trying to start an argument on quality. I know my Nikon digital SLR takes much better photos than my iPhone, but it sure is less convenient.