# Best VHS to computer device

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-vhs-to-computer-device/513592>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 12, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-vhs-to-computer-device/513592 "2009-10-12T22:02:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-vhs-to-computer-device/513592/1 "2009-10-12T22:02:19Z")

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I’m looking to copy a bunch of home movies from VHS to my computer. I see everything from stand alone systems to just cheap component to usb cords. Has anyone used one of these things?

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-vhs-to-computer-device/513592/2 "2009-10-13T00:27:25Z")

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Use a real VCR and a USB video input device. The dedicated devices don’t do any better, and once you get all your videos converted, you’ll just have a useless device hanging around that will be hard to sell. And getting something you have to open your computer to use is overkill.

Stay away from the ubercheap cables, though. You want to be able to transfer as high quality, as videocassettes aren’t very high quality to begin with.

I’ve heard a lot of good stuff about [this device](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815255011).

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**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-vhs-to-computer-device/513592/3 "2009-10-13T18:54:55Z")

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I have an ADS Tech device similar into the linked device above. It’s an older version. It converts the video/audio into a mpeg file on the computer or it can create a playable DVD in realtime. One problem I had with doing the realtime DVD creation is that sometimes the audio would slowly get out of sync with the video after an hour or so. Plus, the DVD menu choices were really lame. When you’re looking into a device, see if that’s an issue people bring up in the reviews.

My device can only convert into mpeg format. I really wish it also did DV (avi). The avi format is easier for editing.

I had originally tried using a video capture card in my computer but I never had any luck with that. I think I tried 2 or 3 different cards and they all had audio sync issues over long captures.