Hardware for VHS tape to VCD conversion

jobin · 15-07-2005, 01:50 PM

What are the necessary hardware and software tools required for
converting my VHS tapes to VCD format ?

h_kunte · 15-07-2005, 06:57 PM

I have a similar query.......I heard from someone that we need a special video card or a TV tuner card....I have no idea whatsoever.......The "comp geeks"....where r u?.....we need a few answers.......plz help!!

Sourabh · 15-07-2005, 07:28 PM

The answer to the conversion of VHS to CD is pretty simple but to actually convert it is whats the problem due to requirement of necessary hardware.

First off you need a video source-VCR with s-video or RCA video output.

Next, what you would need is a video card that has a video input port, so that you can import the video from the VCR to your computer. Chances are many times than one, you wont have a video-in port. As such you would need to get hold of a TV tuner card which has an s-video or RCA input port in it.

Now you would need a video cable to connect the VCR to the S-video input port in the tv-tuner card of your computer.

USing the Tv-tuner card's capture option the whole video from the VHS can now we recorded on the computer. All the editing in the video can be done and the Cd can be created by Nero or any other third party utilities.

h_kunte · 15-07-2005, 07:36 PM

Thanx a million Saurabh......I got my answer......I just heard that I also need a "pci slot card" for 100% clarity.......please enlighten me on that end too.........

AlienTech · 15-07-2005, 07:58 PM

You can get a really cheap video capture card. I use a hardware thing that plugs into the printer port

its that old... but it worked much better than many new ones costing many times more and other gimmicks. The problem is dropped frames. Since you cant control the speed of the playback, you have to capture it in real time and compress it. But with new computers it should not be a problem to do it even in software but do get a decent video capture device. Many ATI wonder type cards have video in/out built in. Then you can use many software that converts captured data into MPEG1/MPEG2 data to use on CD's.

You dont need a PCI card, You get USB capture devices. But PCI cards are the most readily available. Pinnacle has both. IOMega also makes them. I am not sure if you can find MPEG2 hardware devices in India but those I have now seen for around $200-$300. Since MPEG2 is much harder to do in real time you do need hardware. But MPEG1 is not cpu intensive. Remember, it is not just the CPU that matters, The entire system does.