# How do I get video from VCR to Windows Movie maker (XP)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 28, 2001, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-video-from-vcr-to-windows-movie-maker-xp/95637 "2001-11-28T02:41:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Poloin99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Poloin99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poloin99)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-video-from-vcr-to-windows-movie-maker-xp/95637/1 "2001-11-28T02:41:51Z")
I have this Belkin RCA to USB converter. It does nothing to but lock up Windows Movie Maker. I was told by HP that I needed a digital signal for this to work. Is that true? I would not mind throwing my whole method out the window and starting over with something more user friendly. Any one out there have any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-video-from-vcr-to-windows-movie-maker-xp/95637/2 "2001-11-28T02:52:42Z")
I am pretty sure you need to install a TV tuner or video-in card. There may be external devices you can hook to a USB port, but it would be more than just a cable. And a USB device won’t give you the quality a PCI device will. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-video-from-vcr-to-windows-movie-maker-xp/95637/3 "2001-11-28T04:03:00Z")
You absolutely need a TV tuner card (or a video card that supports TV in). These start around $100 and go as high as you want to pay. My advice is to find a service that will convert it for you. It probly wont cost more than $30 per tape, and you’ll get a really quality transfer (well, depending on how good the tape was) because they use the really spiffy and expensive cards. If you buy a budget card the quality will probably be quite poor. ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-video-from-vcr-to-windows-movie-maker-xp/95637/4 "2001-11-28T04:08:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by iamthewalrus(:3= \* > **My advice is to find a service that will convert it for you. It probly wont cost more than $30 per tape, and you’ll get a really quality transfer** I wont doubt the quality transfer, but I tried looking for services once and the only ones I found charged outrageous prices like $30 **per half hour** with a minimum $60 fee or something crazy like that. Whatever the price was, it was a rip-off. I couldn’t find anybody that did it cheaper. Plus they wouldn’t do anything copyrighted. I want to transfer some old VHS movies that will never be made into DVDs onto CDs (or DVDs if possible), but I could never get it to work with my TV tuner card. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-video-from-vcr-to-windows-movie-maker-xp/95637/5 "2001-11-28T05:28:37Z")
One way: Get a digital DV camera with analog inputs. Canon Elura is one relatively inexpensive model (inexpensive for a DV camera). Hook vcr to DV camera. Dub to DV tape. Hook DV camera to 1394/firewire/ilink port on your computer (you do have one, right?), turn on camera power. Movie Maker pops up. Transfer footage. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-video-from-vcr-to-windows-movie-maker-xp/95637/6 "2001-11-28T16:37:13Z")
You don’t always need a tv card. When I bought Xp I bought it with Dazzle USB, $40; but free after rebate at the time. Plugs into USB port. Camera/audio plugs into dazzle. Video gets sent into usb port & I can edit it on Me (same as xp). This is the dazzle usb but its one way only-In. They make a two way one if you want to export to video e.g. vcr. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-video-from-vcr-to-windows-movie-maker-xp/95637/7 "2001-11-28T17:49:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by c\_goat \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by iamthewalrus(:3= \* > > **My advice is to find a service that will convert it for you. It probly wont cost more than $30 per tape, and you’ll get a really quality transfer** > > I wont doubt the quality transfer, but I tried looking for services once and the only ones I found charged outrageous prices like $30 **per half hour** with a minimum $60 fee or something crazy like that. > > Whatever the price was, it was a rip-off. I couldn’t find anybody that did it cheaper. Plus they wouldn’t do anything copyrighted. I want to transfer some old VHS movies that will never be made into DVDs onto CDs (or DVDs if possible), but I could never get it to work with my TV tuner card. \*\* Which card did you use? I have absolutely no problem with my ATI TV Wonder.