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General discussion

VHS TO DVD

Aug 13, 2004 5:24AM PDT

I HAVE A MAC G4,,,CAN YOU ADVISE ME WHAT SOFTWARE IS OUT THERE ON THE MARKET TO PREFORM THIS TRANSFER FROM ANALOG TO DIGITAL

Discussion is locked

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Re: VHS TO DVD
Sep 18, 2004 1:29AM PDT

How you configure your setup depends on the length of the VHS video clips you want to record. TV Shows are long, but require no editing. On the other hand, home movies are shorter, but may require editing.

The transfer process has several steps that require both hard and software.
1. You must capture the analog data, which means converting it to digital information.
2. You may or may not want to edit your digital data.
3. You must author the DVD. This is build the navigation by chapters.

You can create DVDs with iDVD, if you use OS X or higher. Or, you can purchase DVD Studio Pro 1, 2, or 3. There are others on the market.

To digitize the VHS material you?ll need an analog to digital converter. It can be a capture card, a stand along device, or a digital video camera. The capture card will accept the S-video and/or RCA outputs from your VCR. Look for one that provides video editing software with it. Ensure that it will give you the resolution you want in your final product.

There are also devices, such as FROMAC, which is a hardware-based, stand alone, analog to digital and digital to analog converter. However, mine limited me to a 640x480 pixel sized screen.

If you have a digital video camera, you can record TV shows from or thru your VCR and then use Firewire (IEE 1394) to input them into your Mac G-4. This way you do not need the capture card. You can capture and edit short clips of digital video in iVideo or purchase Final Cut Express or HD to record, view, and manage those files.

Another issue is compression. Most DVDs burned on Macs hold on only 4.6 gigabytes of data. One hour of DV tape from a camera requires 12.0 Gigabytes of space. This is not suitable for recording your favorite TV shows. DVD Studio Pro comes with compression software. Others may not. In addition, Divx at Divx.com produces a compression codex for the Mac and PC that may work. I have not tried it.

Transfer of analog to digital data can be can save space, but it?s cheaper to purchase the commercial DVDs of your favorite TV shows. For those priceless home videos of your kids and their grandparents, the simplest method is to purchase a mini DV or DV 8 video camera and transfer your VHS images to tape, then to your computer and finally to DVD.

Cheers,
WalkMan


Posted by: Walkman

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Re: VHS TO DVD
Sep 18, 2004 1:39AM PDT

Actually is much easier than all that. Pyro A/V link (Hardware) to USB port, from vcr. Play tape and capture using iMovie, export finished movie to mpg. Burn to either dvd, vcd or cd with Toast(software). New version of Toast 6 can fit 3 normal dvd movies on (about 1 hr, 50 mins each)one dvd disc, or you can try the dual layer mode and fit 6 or more.

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VHS to DVD Thanks!
Sep 7, 2007 1:43AM PDT

Your directions for converting VHS to DVD was really helpful. Many thanks! Tim

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Video download by USB?
Sep 7, 2007 12:13PM PDT

bavant,

I did not know that iMovie recognizes anything but Firewire for importing video. Is the new Mac capable of downloading video via USB?

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I was wondering about that myself
Sep 7, 2007 11:10PM PDT

and the post by bavant cannot be referring to the new Intel machines. The date of 2004 predates the Intels.

As far as I know, Firewire is the only way to directly move a video stream into iMovie.

The OLD version of Pyro A/V link probably had Firewire connectors, the new ones do not, so the poster "could" have been mistaken about what connection they used.

Strange that dogisland used them in 07 and found them helpful.

The tutorial for iMovie 8, the new one, shows the connection to be FIrewire with no mention of USB.

Oh well

P