VHS video to Mini DV
Author
Discussion

iandbeech

Original Poster:

2,709 posts

278 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
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Does nayone know where this can be done? I`ve found a few old videos in the loft I`d like to upgrade

size13

2,032 posts

277 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
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Why do you want to put them on mini dv tapes and not dvd?

iandbeech

Original Poster:

2,709 posts

278 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
size13 said:
Why do you want to put them on mini dv tapes and not dvd?


Because I`d also like to edit them in Pinnacle studio which doesn`t have VHS input like a later release - then I can output to wmv etc and put clips on my website

pug406

3,636 posts

273 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
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The wayI do it is to copy to my Panasonic DVD recorders HDD and the copy to my mini dv camcorder. Takes quite a while but worth it to be able to edit and enhance old tapes.

HTH

Dave

FourWheelDrift

91,549 posts

304 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
First thing is to check if your camera accept incoming video signals it can record, DV IN function? Not all do.

If so it'll just be a case of connecting the video to the camera. If not you'll need a converter - www.pcmall.com/pcmall/shop/detail~dpno~973572.asp

iandbeech

Original Poster:

2,709 posts

278 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:
First thing is to check if your camera accept incoming video signals it can record, DV IN function? Not all do.

If so it'll just be a case of connecting the video to the camera. If not you'll need a converter - www.pcmall.com/pcmall/shop/detail~dpno~973572.asp


I`ll check that. My Mini DV video cam has "DV in" so I`ll check if it has anything else. Thanks FWD

pug406

3,636 posts

273 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
iandbeech said:


I`ll check that. My Mini DV video cam has "DV in" so I`ll check if it has anything else. Thanks FWD


If it has DV in then you can copy from your VCR to your Mini DV. You just need the correct lead.

HTH

Dave

iandbeech

Original Poster:

2,709 posts

278 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
pug406 said:

iandbeech said:


I`ll check that. My Mini DV video cam has "DV in" so I`ll check if it has anything else. Thanks FWD



If it has DV in then you can copy from your VCR to your Mini DV. You just need the correct lead.

HTH

Dave


Is there such a thing as a scart to DV connection do you think? Is it as easy as that?

FourWheelDrift

91,549 posts

304 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
The scart would be a scart plug at one end of an AV cable with coloured "RCA" type connectors, the yellow for video and red (right) and white (left) for audio, this would work. As would S-video to S-video if you VCR is a S-VHS machine and your Camcorder has an S-Video socket.

You might need to look at your PC's menu to enable AV-IN recording but this should all be in the manual. It does sometime need some head scratching when it doesn't at first work.

You do know where the manual is don't you

iandbeech

Original Poster:

2,709 posts

278 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:
The scart would be a scart plug at one end of an AV cable with coloured "RCA" type connectors, the yellow for video and red (right) and white (left) for audio, this would work. As would S-video to S-video if you VCR is a S-VHS machine and your Camcorder has an S-Video socket.

You might need to look at your PC's menu to enable AV-IN recording but this should all be in the manual. It does sometime need some head scratching when it doesn't at first work.

You do know where the manual is don't you


Did pop into PCWorld ( ) this afternoon and couldn`t find anything like a scart to DV (the little square plug) so I was silly enough to ask an "assistant"

Still looking into

meeja

8,290 posts

268 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
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iandbeech said:

this afternoon and couldn`t find anything like a scart to DV (the little square plug) so I was silly enough to ask an "assistant"

Still looking into


I'm pretty certain that such a lead will not exist.

DV is a a digital data stream, that in this instance happens to contain audio and video data.

The output from a Scart socket (or any AV output from a VCR - Y/C, S-Video or RCA) is an analogue feed.

therefore, to go directly from Scart to DV would need a Analogue/Digital converter somewhere along the line.

Best way, is if you can find a DV camcorder that accepts an analogue input, you could re-record the VHS onto your camcorder.... it will then be in a digital format, at which point you can transfer fire Firewire to your PC.

The other option, would be to get a relatively cheap video capture card that has analogue inputs, install it in your PC, then record directly from your VHS player to your PC.

Once it is on your PC, again, it is in a digital format, and you are then free to play with the footage at will!

FourWheelDrift

91,549 posts

304 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
meeja said:



iandbeech said:

this afternoon and couldn`t find anything like a scart to DV (the little square plug) so I was silly enough to ask an "assistant"

Still looking into





I'm pretty certain that such a lead will not exist.




What you can get is an AV lead (red/yellow/white) to (red/yellow/white) and a scart 21pin adapter into which one end plugs into. Just had a look at mine to confirm, should have mentioned earlier. Mine came with the camera but Maplins or similar type stores should sell them.

Pic of adapter


>> Edited by FourWheelDrift on Wednesday 12th January 17:21

meeja

8,290 posts

268 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:


What you can get is an AV lead (red/yellow/white) to (red/yellow/white) and a scart 21pin adapter into which one end plugs into. Just had a look at mine to confirm, should have mentioned earlier. Mine came with the camera but Maplins or similar type stores should sell them.

Pic of adapter



Ah. No.

That is an analogue lead, converting the feed from the RCA plugs, to the specific jack plug that fits into your camcorder. These are usually used to transfer video from the camcorder to a VHS.

However, if the camcorder accepts a "video-in" or "line-in" then it would work, albeit in analogue format.

A DV connection (at the camcorder end) usually looks like this:

iandbeech

Original Poster:

2,709 posts

278 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
meeja said:

FourWheelDrift said:


What you can get is an AV lead (red/yellow/white) to (red/yellow/white) and a scart 21pin adapter into which one end plugs into. Just had a look at mine to confirm, should have mentioned earlier. Mine came with the camera but Maplins or similar type stores should sell them.

Pic of adapter



Yes, I`ve got one of the red/yellow/white leads exactly the same as your one, but this is for output from the camcorder to vhs as Meeja has said. I`ll have to check out the pc card or consider Pinnacles latest version which also accepts vhs onto pc. Thanks for the help so far


Ah. No.

That is an analogue lead, converting the feed from the RCA plugs, to the specific jack plug that fits into your camcorder. These are usually used to transfer video from the camcorder to a VHS.

However, if the camcorder accepts a "video-in" or "line-in" then it would work, albeit in analogue format.

A DV connection (at the camcorder end) usually looks like this:

FourWheelDrift

91,549 posts

304 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
meeja said:

Ah. No.

That is an analogue lead, converting the feed from the RCA plugs, to the specific jack plug that fits into your camcorder. These are usually used to transfer video from the camcorder to a VHS.

However, if the camcorder accepts a "video-in" or "line-in" then it would work, albeit in analogue format.



Exactly Analogue as I mentioned much further up the page to Ian, if his camera acepts AV-In then this will work.



Although if Ian's VCR has red/yellow/white sockets anyway he won't need the SCART adapter,

>> Edited by FourWheelDrift on Wednesday 12th January 17:44

meeja

8,290 posts

268 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:

Exactly Analogue as I mentioned much further up the page to Ian, if his camera acepts AV-In then this will work.


Point taken!

My comment of "such a lead doesn't exist" should have followed this quote....

pug406 said:


If it has DV in then you can copy from your VCR to your Mini DV. You just need the correct lead.

iandbeech

Original Poster:

2,709 posts

278 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
Think I`ve got something that will do the trick - for anyone else considering a bit of analogue to digital.

"Dazzle Video creator 90" It`s an external hi-speed USB 2.0 video capture device/cable (with a cut down version of Pinnacle studio which I probably don`t need!) It was £59 and I`ll let you know if it works!!!

ErnestM

11,621 posts

287 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
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If you will be doing a lot of this, you might want to invest in JVC's MiniDV/VHS system:



HR-DVS3U

I have one and it works GREAT!

ErnestM

meeja

8,290 posts

268 months

Thursday 13th January 2005
quotequote all
iandbeech said:
Think I`ve got something that will do the trick - for anyone else considering a bit of analogue to digital.

"Dazzle Video creator 90" It`s an external hi-speed USB 2.0 video capture device/cable (with a cut down version of Pinnacle studio which I probably don`t need!) It was £59 and I`ll let you know if it works!!!


Excellent!

Good luck!

iandbeech

Original Poster:

2,709 posts

278 months

Thursday 13th January 2005
quotequote all
meeja said:

iandbeech said:
Think I`ve got something that will do the trick - for anyone else considering a bit of analogue to digital.

"Dazzle Video creator 90" It`s an external hi-speed USB 2.0 video capture device/cable (with a cut down version of Pinnacle studio which I probably don`t need!) It was £59 and I`ll let you know if it works!!!



Excellent!

Good luck!


Everything is correct and doing what it should on the computer - except the video and audio via a scart to RCA converter plugged into the vcr is not getting to the computer. If I plug the audio connections directly into separate audio plugs on the vcr, I then get sound onto the computer so I reckon the scart adaptor can`t have the right connections inside!! Any ideas? I`ll probably have to get another scart lead.