# PAL VHS How to get into a PC?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pal-vhs-how-to-get-into-a-pc/634510>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 12, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pal-vhs-how-to-get-into-a-pc/634510 "2012-09-12T15:19:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pal-vhs-how-to-get-into-a-pc/634510/1 "2012-09-12T15:19:32Z")

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I’ve got a tone of home videos from the wife on VHS. I want to get them into my PC so I can burn them to blu-ray/DVD.

Problem is, these are German PAL VHS tapes, so, in the US, what are my options? I looked into places that did this stuff, but given the number of tapes, the cost is extremely prohibitive.

Are there universal VHS players out there that will take a PAL VHS and output something I can capture via a PC tuner or something like that?

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**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pal-vhs-how-to-get-into-a-pc/634510/2 "2012-09-12T15:33:26Z")

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I have PAL equipment. Are you in Chicago?

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pal-vhs-how-to-get-into-a-pc/634510/3 "2012-09-12T18:54:33Z")

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> [@Kinthalis](#):
>
> Are there universal VHS players out there that will take a PAL VHS and output something I can capture via a PC tuner or something like that?

No PAL/NTSC single drive models. The angle used in writing the scan lines on the tape differ in the two formats and that angle is in turn fixed on the head. Never mind the electronics, controller, etc. I think that there might have been dual drive models. Two slots, one for each type. But there’s no need to think about those.

Just look up on eBay or European shopping sites for a used model.

Try to avoid using an actual tuner. The RF/coax video signal will be worse than an RCA/composite or S-video cable. Check to make sure the VCR you buy has S-Video outputs and feed into a capture card that has that.

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**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pal-vhs-how-to-get-into-a-pc/634510/4 "2012-09-12T21:48:32Z")

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I have a couple of PAL/SECAM/NTSC 4.43 decks, and digitize through a Canopus DV-Rex system, but honestly, there are plenty of fairly inexpensive devices that will do a decent job. If you can capture it in PAL, a modern computer can do a far better job of converting from PAL to NTSC than any of the hardware converters.

I’ve had good luck with a Canopus ADVC 110.