VHS to DVD

[modraker]

I have some old family video tapes that I'd like to burn on DVD. What is the most basic hardware/software combination I can purchase to accomplish this? I intend to add a HP 200i DVD burner to my computer.

[Xayd]

You need a video card with capture ability, and a decent sound card.

If you can find a Radeon 1 VIVO that'll do your capture ok, these aren't in production any longer but you can probably find a used one for around 50 to 75 dollars.

For the sound card, it depends on how much you want to spend. Most such as the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz and SoundBlaster Audigy will do ok for recording, if you want multichannel audio you'd need to look at something like the M-Audio Delta cards (the Audiophile on the low end of that line costs about 120 dollars).

The software is another question but there are freeware and shareware programs out there to author basic DVDs as long as you're not set on having flashy animated menus for your final product(s), so you can cross that bridge when you come to it.

[modraker]

Thanks for the info. I'll be researching the products you recommend.

[RJ]

You don't need a video card. If you like your current video card I'd rather get a pure video capture board, like the Pinnacle DC10plus or similar. That way you need one free PCI slot but you don't need to exchange your video card if you don't want to.

RJ

[RainMaker]

That would be so cool if we can do that, i no with your old records you can now copy them to Disc witch is perty good.

[suitcase]

Can't I use my CD/RW to convert VHS tapes to disc? I have the ATI 9700 PRO will it work for this?

[Xayd]

If you have the all in wonder 9700 yes, you need a vid card with an input, or an add-on capture card as RJ mentioned.

Yeah you could make VCDs or SVCDs out of them instead of DVDs, or DivXs, or any other format you wanted to use.

[suitcase]

I don't have the all in wonder. but it does have a svideo port on it. Is that an input or output?

If I had integrated graphics like Intel Extreme graphics, could I use the capture card RJ talked about and say the Pioneer DVD/R/RW to convert vhs and digital camcorder to dvds? Without the exspense of buying a video card?

[Xayd]

You can use a dedicated capture card no matter what video card you have.

The S-Video port is an output, not an input.

Whether you want to get a new video card with capture ability or a dedicated capture card and keep your existing video card depends on the price of the capture card in question, the price of the video card in question, and whether you want to replace your current video card or not.

[suitcase]

Ok if the S-Video port is output, what would I be using it for?

And say I want to build with converting VHS to DVD and Digital camcorder to DVD in mind, would I be better off getting something like the Pinnacle system which I think includes a capture card, plus the necessary software? It is as exspesive as a mid priced video card.

[glc]

Digital capture only requires a Firewire port and software. Analog capture needs a capture or "all in wonder" or "VIVO" card and software.

The s-video out is for using your TV as a monitor.