Ron 10 #1 November 13, 2010 I have a bunch of cool stuff on VHS. I'd like to move this to electronic media. I can use a computer, but I am no wiz. I am planning on maybe buying a Sony cx110. Can I use that to transfer this stuff? Like plug a VCR into it and record in digital? If so, how? If not, what else would you folks suggest?"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PharmerPhil 0 #2 November 13, 2010 A lot depends on how much stuff you have, and what you want to do with it. The simplest way for a lot of video that you simply want to archive in a more modern format is to use an all-in-one consumer DVD burner and burn a disk per tape. Later if you want you can rip the DVD's fairly easily if you need the footage in a computer. However, if you know you want to edit the footage, you will probably want to avoid the mpeg compression that is part of the DVD encoding process. I don't think a CX110 has analog input. However, you can probably find an old Sony TRV-series camcorder (your VHS tapes are SD anyway) with analog inputs and either use that to transfer the videos to MiniDV, or just use it as a pass through device and capture to the computer using Firewire (or do both). There are also simple analog to Firewire converters you could use. I have an old "Hollywood Dazzle" that serves my webcam to my computer that I have used occasionally. But good chance someone at your DZ already has an old Sony they might let you use for cheap. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mccordia 74 #3 November 14, 2010 There are quite a few dirty cheap analogue to digital cables, that take a composite signal, and run it into your computer via USB. Just look up one of those..cheapest option..JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 5 #4 November 15, 2010 Component vid input cards are cheap cheap. Even Walmart sells them. Sony Vegas, Adobe Premiere, Canopus Edius, ULead Video studio all capture analog input over component or SVid. Buy a card that goes in a computer slot or buy one that is an external box that outputs over USB. Even Windows Movie Maker can manage this. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PharmerPhil 0 #5 November 15, 2010 QuoteComponent vid input cards are cheap cheap... Do you mean "composite?" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 5 #6 November 15, 2010 of course I did. Thanks for the catch. Given the source is VHS, composite is likely all Ron will need. ADS, Convergent, and Pinnacle all make composite cards with component, but they're 150.00. The Dazzle, the KWorld, Startec are all around 40.00 and are composite only. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites