VHS -> PC. TV tuner card?

[Wilty]

OK.

I want to get some VHS tapes onto my computer and eventually onto dvd.

I'm about to start a new 6-core build, and I want to incorporate a card of some sort that will allow me to hook up a VCR and record tapes using Sony Vegas.

Will a card like this be able to do that?:

Newegg.com - Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1250 - White Box 1187 PCI-Express x1 Interface - TV Tuners & Video Devices

Keep in mind, this would be for converting VHS stuff only. No live tv, no exporting to an external source, just capturing some old school magnetic media.

 

[detox1]

pretty sure the card isn't going to know the difference between a cable signal and a VCR/VHS signal.

 

[foothead]

I have one and there is some sort of content protection to block you from doing that. What I had to do was VCR1 composite out>VCR2 composite in>VCR2 coaxial out>TV tuner card. It worked but picture quality was degraded a bit.

 

[Wilty]

pretty sure the card isn't going to know the difference between a cable signal and a VCR/VHS signal.

That was my thought, too. But...

I have one and there is some sort of content protection to block you from doing that. What I had to do was VCR1 composite out>VCR2 composite in>VCR2 coaxial out>TV tuner card. It worked but picture quality was degraded a bit.

I'd be a little surprised that some sort of content blocker would block a VHS tape, but not a digital TV signal.

 

[foothead]

I'd be a little surprised that some sort of content blocker would block a VHS tape, but not a digital TV signal.

There is no content protection on TV signals. There clearly is on VHS tapes, as media center just gave me a warning when I tried to convert my Star Wars VHS tapes.

 

[Wilty]

There is no content protection on TV signals. There clearly is on VHS tapes, as media center just gave me a warning when I tried to convert my Star Wars VHS tapes.

Is that with the write protection switch on or off on the tape?

 

[foothead]

Is that with the write protection switch on or off on the tape?

There is only a switch on the blank VHS tapes. Anything with a movie won't have one.

 

[Indigo]

depending on the source material, Macrovision encoding may or may not be a problem for you. If they're home movies - no problem. If they're commercial VHS, which I can't fathom why you'd need to convert them unless they aren't available in any other format (in which case they probably aren't protected since that schema cost $$ back then) then I don't see a problem.

 

[foothead]

If they're commercial VHS, which I can't fathom why you'd need to convert them unless they aren't available in any other format

Most people don't keep VCRs anymore. I've actually stripped all of mine for parts.

 

[Wilty]

depending on the source material, Macrovision encoding may or may not be a problem for you. If they're home movies - no problem. If they're commercial VHS, which I can't fathom why you'd need to convert them unless they aren't available in any other format (in which case they probably aren't protected since that schema cost $$ back then) then I don't see a problem.

As a matter of fact...there is 1 movie I just bought that was never (and probably never will be) released on DVD. So I bought it on VHS for something like 2 bucks with the intention of converting it to a digital format.

I ordered all the major parts for my new system today, I'll have to just bite the bullet and order a tv tuner card and just try it out.