How to get VHS to HDD ?

[Phage]

I have a few commercial tapes that I'd not want to lose and an unused VHS recorder. Given the rig on the left is there a cheap 'n' easy way of getting the tapes onto the HDD a la DVD rip ?

[Zak33]

a tv card (pci) with yellow red and white input.

yellow for picture, red and white for sound.

scart out to phone into your pc...

[Zak33]

oh.. hold up

http://www.amazon.co.uk/EasyCAP-Vide...1875348&sr=8-1

£7 !!! USB

[IronWarrior]

Just be faster to download them then going through all that hassle. Since you already own them then I don't see the problem.

[Phage]

Except I have no idea how to set up any such torrent. Not exactly a good example to the kids either.
But no - no moral issue at all.

[IronWarrior]

Except I have no idea how to set up any such torrent. Not exactly a good example to the kids either.
But no - no moral issue at all.

More likely your kids are "doing it" that's if I presume that your kids are 13+ above.

Anyway, good luck with the dongle thingly.

[peterb]

There is another dongle, the EZcap, which is similar.. Both of these use USB2 which is pushing it for video (although probably OK for rescuing low quality VHS tapes.

If you are serious about doing this, then you might want to go upmarket

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blackmagic-D...606&sr=8-2

It is USB 3, but while it is about 20 times the price, it will give you better and more repeatable results.

Bkack Magic Designs are major mfrs in the professional video field, this is part of their prosumer range. It is good kit!

[Zak33]

More likely your kids are "doing it" that's if I presume that your kids are 13+ above.
.

there IS a chance his kids AREN'T doing it, you know?

I was drinking cider when I was 14... but not all my mates were.

Some of my mates were smoking when they were 12.. I wasn't.

and a few of my mates were using tape to tape machines... and I hated them.

[Behemoth]

there IS a chance his kids AREN'T doing it, you know?

I was drinking cider when I was 14... but not all my mates were.

Some of my mates were smoking when they were 12.. I wasn't.

and a few of my mates were using tape to tape machines... and I hated them.

When I was 14 the internet was dial up and the only choice was Compuserve or AOL and they were not cheap !

[Larkspeed]

Just be faster to download them then going through all that hassle. Since you already own them then I don't see the problem.

The problem is that the provision in the law allowing one working copy to be made to protect the original was overturned years ago.

That's why if you plug a VCR directly into a DVD recorder and try and record a copy, macrovision kicks in and the picture gets messed up big time. Unless of course the VCR or DVD recorder are macrovision disabled, which is technically illegal.

So just downloading a copy of a movie you own on VHS, or DVD for that matter, off the net is still as illegal as it would be if you never owned it.

Actually if you follow the letter of the law these gadgets that let you plug your VCR into your PC are only legal for encoding content you own the rights to and not commercial content, unless of course you have written permission from the person that does own the rights..

This is all down to the DMCA, to make a copy of any recording that has copy protection on it, macrovision on 95% of commercial video tapes, you would have to bypass that protection to do so. This is a violation of the DMCA and that's where your trouble starts.

---edit---

I must add that the above is only relevant if you are in the UK, in the US you can legally make a working backup provided you do not then sell or give away the original as legally you would then have to destroy the copy.

[Biscuit]

There is another dongle, the EZcap, which is similar.. Both of these use USB2 which is pushing it for video (although probably OK for rescuing low quality VHS tapes.

If you are serious about doing this, then you might want to go upmarket

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blackmagic-D...1933606&sr=8-2

It is USB 3, but while it is about 20 times the price, it will give you better and more repeatable results.

Bkack Magic Designs are major mfrs in the professional video field, this is part of their prosumer range. It is good kit!

I work in broadcast integration and we tend to avoid blackmagic wherever possible >_<

AJA are a lot better, but also more expensive.

[Phage]

Wow - I thought this was going to be such an easy one.

1) The kids don't seem to be torrenting stuff from what I can see. If I did catch them, the penalty for illegal downloads will be withdrawl of internet access on my network.
2) Getting another copy of a movie I have already bought, but am unable to play may be illegal, but I don't have an ethical problem with it. The VHS cassette is destroying itself slowly as we speak. Happy to burn it if necessary.
3) No, I'm not particulalrly serious about it. If it was going to be technically too difficult, I wasn't going to bother. I certainly am not going to pay more than a few quid to do so, and I'm certainly not going to pay for a new copy of the 1st Harry Potter movie for instance.

[peterb]

I work in broadcast integration and we tend to avoid blackmagic wherever possible >_<

AJA are a lot better, but also more expensive.

I don't think the OP is going to go to AJA, and bang for buck, the Black Magic kit is very good value for money! (and no, I don't work for them )

[Agent]

Actually if you follow the letter of the law these gadgets that let you plug your VCR into your PC are only legal for encoding content you own the rights to and not commercial content, unless of course you have written permission from the person that does own the rights..

It's not illegal for personal use. The law was recently changed to allow exactly this to happen:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14384268
http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/n...ormat-shifting

The OP is format shifting for personal use only. He is fine.

[sweatherly]

Just saw this on the Maplin site and remembered this thread:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/vhs-to-dvd-deluxe-341048

I can't comment on the suitability or quality compared to the suggestions already given in this thread, but thought I'd give the OP another option to consider.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Easy!

1.)Pick up VHS with one hand.
2.)Walk over to HDD.
3.)Put VHS next to HDD.