Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

mushroomtip

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 27, 2012
354
0
What is out there to get this done ? I have a bunch of Home Videos Id like to Transfer . or would it be cheaper and easier to get a VHS to DVD recorder ?

Thanks
 
Last edited:

flynz4

macrumors 68040
Aug 9, 2009
3,242
126
Portland, OR
I use EyeTV by elgato.
I use the eyetv 250 plus...several years old.
The latest video capture product is here, http://www.elgato.com/video/video-capture

Hope this helps.

I used this to transfer my home camcorder videos (VHS & 8mm). It is inexpensive and gets the job done. It is amazing how low the resolution is on these old tapes. It is almost hard to believe we used to watch TV that looked like that!

/Jim
 

mushroomtip

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 27, 2012
354
0
I use EyeTV by elgato.
I use the eyetv 250 plus...several years old.
The latest video capture product is here, http://www.elgato.com/video/video-capture

Hope this helps.


I used this to transfer my home camcorder videos (VHS & 8mm). It is inexpensive and gets the job done. It is amazing how low the resolution is on these old tapes. It is almost hard to believe we used to watch TV that looked like that!

/Jim

Thank You ! will definitely give it a try.
 

Ryan.Epod

macrumors newbie
Apr 20, 2013
3
0
Denver,Colorado
!!!!!!######off topic

I have managed to save exactly 3 VHS tapes through the years:
Evil Dead,Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness

and yes the new Evil Dead (saw it last sunday night) was to sum it up nicely
AMAZING hands down the best horror movie i've seen in the theater and I have a lengthy list of Horror Movies i've seen in the theater.
 

mushroomtip

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 27, 2012
354
0
was just thinking will USB 3.0 be a issue since Elgato is 2.0 ?


!!!!!!######off topic

I have managed to save exactly 3 VHS tapes through the years:
Evil Dead,Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness

and yes the new Evil Dead (saw it last sunday night) was to sum it up nicely
AMAZING hands down the best horror movie i've seen in the theater and I have a lengthy list of Horror Movies i've seen in the theater.

I love the original Evil Dead Trilogy . The new one looks sick.
 

ShamrockSolace

macrumors member
Dec 4, 2010
63
2
Thought USB3 was backwards compatable.

I also did all our VHS to Mac on EyeTV. Was very very easy.

Need a VCR that can transmit the tape to the converter.
 

mushroomtip

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 27, 2012
354
0
I got so excited when I seen the link that I just click it and assumed the first thing I saw was the 250 plus. I have a VCR . ill have to do a little googling see how this all works . great info Thanks
 

macthefork

macrumors 6502
Feb 2, 2013
467
7
Years ago I used to use a converter. But to import and convert to DVD took some time and many steps.

I now just use a Panasonic VHS-DVD recorder. It transfers tape to DVD effortlessly, and I also can record shows to DVD. Much easier.
 

mushroomtip

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 27, 2012
354
0
Years ago I used to use a converter. But to import and convert to DVD took some time and many steps.

I now just use a Panasonic VHS-DVD recorder. It transfers tape to DVD effortlessly, and I also can record shows to DVD. Much easier.


Im thinking this route might be cheaper . if I can clear a weekend or 2 I can probably get it all done . now after the transfer , ripping should be the same as ripping anything else ,correct ?
 

joepunk

macrumors 68030
Aug 5, 2004
2,553
13
a profane existence
Years ago I used to use a converter. But to import and convert to DVD took some time and many steps.

I now just use a Panasonic VHS-DVD recorder. It transfers tape to DVD effortlessly, and I also can record shows to DVD. Much easier.

I used one of those Panasonic VHS-DVD recorder and it worked good until recently when the picture/colour on both vhs/dvd went bonkers and now all recordings look like 1980's colour tv :(

I still have the recorder because I still haven't finalized many dvdrs. I'll see how that goes.
 

hfg

macrumors 68040
Dec 1, 2006
3,621
312
Cedar Rapids, IA. USA
If you have an old Sony DSS camcorder with i-Link (FireWire) and your iMac has a FireWire input, you could plug any VHS player into the camera and use it as a real-time "translator" to convert to FireWire for direct entry.

If you buy a VHS/DVD recorder, look for one with "Time Base Correction" built in, or one that records to internal hard disk before writing to DVD. VHS tape players are notorious for "glitches" which cause DVD dropouts. VHS/DVD recorders should be pretty cheap these days!
 

mushroomtip

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 27, 2012
354
0
If you have an old Sony DSS camcorder with i-Link (FireWire) and your iMac has a FireWire input, you could plug any VHS player into the camera and use it as a real-time "translator" to convert to FireWire for direct entry.

If you buy a VHS/DVD recorder, look for one with "Time Base Correction" built in, or one that records to internal hard disk before writing to DVD. VHS tape players are notorious for "glitches" which cause DVD dropouts. VHS/DVD recorders should be pretty cheap these days!

I do have a Sony DSS CC but I have a Late 2012 iMac.
 

hfg

macrumors 68040
Dec 1, 2006
3,621
312
Cedar Rapids, IA. USA
I do have a Sony DSS CC but I have a Late 2012 iMac.

That would require the "Thunderbolt to FireWire" adapter cable, and with all that protocol-conversion going on, I don't know for sure if that would work or not. Might be a cheap thing to try unless you can find a cheap VHS/DVD recorder.

I used my Sony to import some VHS tapes many years ago, but I now have a VHS/HD/DVD recorder which I would use if my only goal was simply to make DVD disks. If you only want to save them on your computer, a direct input method would be less time consuming than making a DVD, and then ripping it into your computer, then discarding the DVD disk.

I think my VHS/HD/DVD recorder may have a iLink interface on it as well, may have to check on that to see if that would work for importing to the computer. I fear it may be a one-way transfer, and designed only to transfer video from a Sony CC into the unit.

-howard
 
Last edited:

flynz4

macrumors 68040
Aug 9, 2009
3,242
126
Portland, OR
I do have a Sony DSS CC but I have a Late 2012 iMac.

There is a Thunderbolt to Firewire converter from Apple that is inexpensive.

/Jim

----------

I got so excited when I seen the link that I just click it and assumed the first thing I saw was the 250 plus. I have a VCR . ill have to do a little googling see how this all works . great info Thanks

The one that I use is the same one in the link (the newer model). It worked fine.

/Jim
 

macthefork

macrumors 6502
Feb 2, 2013
467
7
Im thinking this route might be cheaper . if I can clear a weekend or 2 I can probably get it all done . now after the transfer , ripping should be the same as ripping anything else ,correct ?

No ripping necessary. Just put the VHS tape in the VHS slot, and a blank DVD in the DVD slot, and set it to transfer record. It plays the tape as it records the whole thing. After the recording is finished, you then push a button to finalize the DVD recording so it will play on all DVD players, and you're Done. Couldn't be more simple, and the DVD does play on any DVD player I've put them in. No menu, they start playing as soon as you put the DVD in any player.

If you want to keep them on a HDD connected to your Mac, simply copy the VIDEO TS folder from within the DVD to your hard drive (place them in a folder with the DVD name on it). You can use the DVD player to play this VIDEO TS folder, since this is the same folder that the DVD player looks for on the DVD. If you want to edit the DVD, then yes, it will have to be ripped.
 
Last edited:

mushroomtip

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 27, 2012
354
0
No ripping necessary. Just put the VHS tape in the VHS slot, and a blank DVD in the DVD slot, and set it to transfer record. It plays the tape as it records the whole thing. After the recording is finished, you then push a button to finalize the DVD recording so it will play on all DVD players, and you're Done. Couldn't be more simple, and the DVD does play on any DVD player I've put them in. No menu, they start playing as soon as you put the DVD in any player.

If you want to keep them on a HDD connected to your Mac, simply copy the VIDEO TS folder from within the DVD to your hard drive (place them in a folder with the DVD name on it). You can use the DVD player to play this VIDEO TS folder, since this is the same folder that the DVD player looks for on the DVD. If you want to edit the DVD, then yes, it will have to be ripped.

I do want to save them on the iMac until i get my external and keep the DVDs if I go that route.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.