Capture Cards that are good for VHS

[DordTrain]

I have been using the AGPTEK HDMI Capture card to record my VHS footage for the last few months. But it's being very buggy and always has something wrong with it. Does anyone have any experience capturing VHS to digital using a capture card like that? Input HDMI and then it exports to a Flash Drive, which you can just unplug from the device and take where you like?

Let me know, I've been wanting to get a simple procedure for getting footage off for a while. I used to use a simple capture card, just plugging AV cables into a device that plugs straight into the PC, but it always lagged and dropped frames when the recording went past a few minutes.

I would love something simple and reliable.

Thanks!

[Electronic M]

I haven't tried any PC based solutions for analog capture...If they are like PC solutions for HDMI capture they suck.

I forget if it was VWestlife or Technology Connections on YouTube that reviewed the HDML cloner box off Amazon but they have had good luck capturing analog off of it...It can also capture HDMI and that's what I use mine for.
To capture HDMI you need to make sure HDCP is removed...It seems like most HDMI splitters (1 in, 2 out) will remove HDCP.
The cloner box is obscenely picky about what USB thumb drive brands it will record properly to. Some it won't record to, some it will sort of record to then brick, others (older 64GB lexars) it will mostly record to fine but give occasional video glitches. The same older lexars in 32GB seem to work perfect every time... There's probably other brands that work, but I'm trying to capture live cable, and not made of money so once I find something that works it's easier to cling to it than buy a dozen thumb drives of different brands and search for a winner.

[technoman9]

I have been using the Diamond VC500 USB capture card with my Windows 8.1 PC using Virtualdub 2 (freeware) quite happily to capture Video 8 tapes of my family to digitize them. The results are coming out great to me with no dropped frames or sync issues of any kind, even with 50-minute captures.

The trick is you need a frame-sync or TBC-like device to help stabilize the video output. Video tape is horrendously inaccurate in sending timing signals to playback devices which causes the dropped frames and sync issues when you record to a PC. TVs developed a "leniency" to these issues years ago but for some reason capture cards haven't figured it out (not enough demand?).

The cheapest way to get a frame sync device is to buy an old Panasonic DVD recorder like the DMR-ES10/ES15 and run your video signal through it. These recorders have a frame sync device in it for transferring tapes to DVD but also pass the Line In signal through the stabilizer to the Line Out port as well. I'm using a DMR-ES35 with very good results.

If you want to learn more about capturing, try these guides over at digitalfaq.com.
http://www.digitalfaq.com/guides/vid...k-hardware.htm
http://www.digitalfaq.com/guides/vid...virtualdub.htm
http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vide...-settings.html

They are obsessed with high quality video so often recommend devices that are over $1000 to buy, but their How To guides are a great start to learn about some new devices. Virtualdub 2 is freeware as is Avidmux to encode to MPEG. The recorders can be had for $100-$200.

[DVtyro]

IMO, the most simple and reliable is to use a DV or Digital8 camcorder in passthrough mode. Not all of them have this mode, so need to research. Some have only composite input, other have S-Video input as well. Be careful with very early models like 1990s or very early 2000s, you may not find a suitable driver for it.

Your computer needs a Firewire port, a riser card costs as low as $10.

Some people argue against this method, claiming that it does not provide the best possible quality. Maybe. But it is good enough, uses well-supported codec with correct metadata.

See a 2-minute example: https://youtu.be/Hbytp67EYAg

[Dave A]

I am using a little outboard box called Clearclick2. It takes HDMI right from my cable box and has an analog input also. Analog via HDMI is full 16x9 (anamorphic). The analog input is true 4x3 and all in MPEG4 with copying in real time on a stick or SD card. I move it to the laptop and correct with a freeware called Shotcut with it's big learning curve.

[DVtyro]

This guy posted a rather exhaustive review of the ClearClick Video2Digital 2.0. I must say, not bad for a consumer-grade outboard recorder. Can record to full-size SD card, records to full 50p or 60p, has S-Video input. It is strange that the frame rate on the screenshot is 49 fps, not 50 fps. I also wonder how it handles aspect ratio, and what the bitrate is.

@Dave A, maybe you can upload a sample from your device?

[Dave A]

Mine does not have S-video input. The HDMI is full 16x9 from any HD source including my laptop. The analog is true 4x3 and the file is MP4 but a lower file size to match the source. I noticed that it tends to elevate the black level but I correct anything anyway via Shotcut. Below is a still before/after from Youtube via Adobe contrast fix. Mine is a basic BVU950 SP. The lower series had an advanced sync input from a TBC to make them work. The 950 had it's own optional internal TBC card. Not sure of the difference between hi and low band on the American versions if any or if they even existed. I always thought it was just a color under scheme like S-VHS but bigger tape. Can you point to any sites that show the difference you are looking at?

[Dave A]

As to the ClearClick2, it wants a very high end stick/card. If using a lower/older card it will choke and the audio tends to drift out of sync. They are very clear about that on their website. Mine is recording the hurricane coverage as I type on a good stick. It does not handshake well with Youtube on my laptop also. Sometimes not seeing it or not hearing audio. I just back out of Youtube and start again and it works. Check first before pushing record by listening on the ClearClick2.