As with many folks, I have a pile of VHS and 8mm tapes that I would like to
transfer to DVD's. I have all the hardware and software needed to create
DVD's. My question concerns transferring analog video to my computer. I am
experienced with computers, but a novice at analog transfer. As I understand
it, one must have a video capture device of some sort. Nowadays, most are
external USB2 devices. Most reviews I have read of Dazzle products are
almost uniformly negative. What do you experienced transferors recommend to
get analog video into my computer?

As an alternative, I am considering running the 8mm camcorder through my
Canon ZR10 dvcam. Trouble is, I cannot seem to capture the analog video in
one step, as plugging in the Firewire cable disables the analog input into
the ZR10. So, I would have to actually record the analog tapes to ZR10, and
then transfer the videos to my computer. I don't like the idea of taking two
steps to accomplish this process. What quality would I expect if I record
analog->digital, then capture from dvcam to my computer? Would I lose a lot
of quality?

So, what should I do? If your suggestion is an analog capture device, which
one do you suggest? If you prefer using the dvcam, is there any way I can
capture directly to my computer, or should I just spend the time and do the
two step process? Any input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I
am more concerned with having a good quality DVD than saving a few bucks.

Here's my computer configuration:

ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe motherboard
4GB PC2100 memory
Intel P4 1.6A CPU
Onboard Firewire and USB2
Toshiba SD-R5002 DVD -R/-RW recorder
LG GSA 4040B multi format DVD recorder
NVidia GeForce4 MX 440 display adapter with 64MB memory
WD 200GB 8MB cache hard drive
Seagate 18GB 15k U/160 drive for video capture

I use a sony dcr-trv320 which allows video pass-thru. If what you say about
the ZR10 is true (& I don't know that it is) I'd look for another camera.
AFA quality goes...if you go directly from your VCR thru your dvcam to your
pc (without re-recording anything) your quality should be indistinguishable
from your source. However, that said, the quality of your dvd encoding
could change that for the worse...not all mpeg-2 encoders were created
equal.


"Z Man" <z1z@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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"Mike" <noone@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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I don't really have a need for a DVCam at this point in time. I bought my
Canon ZR10 for a trip overseas a couple of years ago. Other than on that
trip, I have used it for less than one hour. In terms of loss of quality,
though, why should there be any? I need to convert analog->digital one time,
and one time only. If I record the 8mm tapes first, the analog->digital
conversion takes place at that point. When I transfer from my DVCam to my
computer, I am transferring digital data, correct? If so, there shouldn't be
any further degradation. My problem is that it is less convenient, as I have
to record each 8mm tape, and then do the transfer. If the 8mm tape runs more
than one hour, it is even worse, as I have to swap tapes part way through
the process. What do you think?

It does look like your ZR10 don't have Analog Pass-Through - double check
your manual for this. If that;'s the case, your best bet would be to invest
the time and record onto MiniDV, then out to the computer. Alternately,
borrow another dig. video camera that has analog pass-through. You won't
lose quality either way. Anolog Capture cards can be more hassle than they
are worth. If you have to go this route, look at the Pinnacle or Canopus
range.

"Z Man" <z1z@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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When you convert the first time (A>D), you convert to the DV standard. When
you encode to DVD, you compress already compressed material to mpg.

When your analog material is VHS quality (1/4 resolution), an alternative is
to capture to HD, and then compress/encode to DVD. That will probably give a
better end result.

/Kim

[see comments at bottom]

"Kim Bjoern Nielsen" <kim.bjoern@mail.dk.SPAM> wrote in message
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Most of my material was shot on a consumer level 8mm camcorder, but I do
have some older VHS tapes to transfer to DVD. I am a rooky at this, and
don't quite understand what you are suggesting. How do I capture to hard
drive? I would need a video capture card, or USB capture device, correct? If
this is the way to go, what reasonably priced hardware options do I have? I
checked on the devices certified as compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro, and
they are all high end, and quite expensive. There are no USB devices on
their list. User reviews of Dazzle products are pretty highly negative. I
can record to my mini DV cam if necessary, even if it is inconvenient, is
results will be clearly better.

To capture to HD you'll need "analog video in" capabilities. Some graphic
cards have it (eg. ATI All-In-Wonder), og you need a dedicated capture card
(eg. Pinnacle PCTV Rave ($50)). It is a somewhat complex process to capture
this way (in high resolutions), and it takes a lot of HD - and CPU to
compress afterwards.

No doubt, capturing through your miniDV camera will be much easier, and the
result may not be to different after all.

/Kim

but...to answer the how of your question...you hook up your VCR audio
(red/white) and video (yellow) out (these are rca phono type jacks) to the
cable which goes to the analog in of the digital cam corder ( a mini-din
type plug in my case). Then you connect a IEEE1394 (firewire) cable from
the digital port on the camcorder to the 1394 card in your computer (this is
what you need to transfer to hd). You do not need a capture card...but you
will need capture software to take the data being pumped to the 1394 port
and put it on your computer, & you'll need a 1394 card if you don't have
one. 1394 cards are very inexpensive, and the software is available from
shareware right on up. I use Vegas.

From there, you load the .avi type file which is created by the 1394 capture
software into your favorite video editor, and have at it. The analog is
compressed (I think around 5:1 but I could be mis-remembering) when
converted to DV but no further compression takes place until you render it
into whatever format your destination media requires (DVD = mpeg2, VCD= vcd
compliant mpeg2, etc.). It will be a large file nonetheless. It is
possible to capture uncompressed DV in which case the file size will be
excessively huge. I believe most dv editors expect the files to be normal
dv .avi files (not the uncompressed dv).

Some capture "cards" convert the data on the fly to some flavor of mpeg
(highly compressed) before you are ready to edit. Mpeg is not a format
designed for editing. That is why some capture devices may make the quality
worse.
I've condensed this quite a bit...hope it helps.

"Z Man" <z1z@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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