VHS analog to PC device/software?

Factual Questions
1

I’m looking for a video capture device and software to get VHS and old camcorder tapes onto my PC. About 400 hours worth. Includes work and vacation related material.

  1. Needs to go onto my harddrive, not just to a DVD.

  2. No fancy editing needed.

  3. Major plus would be to let the camcorder act as webcam.

I saw something a year or so ago and in a comment, a reviewer mentioned the program/device would also function as a webcam.

I have a pretty good PC and video card running Win 7 Pro/64 bit. Plenty of USB 2/3, firewire, and eSATA inputs.

2

Other than (perhaps) the webcam requirement, these are a dime-a-dozen. Hauppauge is a well-known brand that specializes in video capture hardware. Here’s a Diamond-brand capture dongle for $35 at NewEgg, you can probably find even cheaper. Especially since you don’t need HD.

Whether the capture device can be used as a webcam depends entirely on what software ships with it. Unfortunately, I really have no experience with that.

3

I have this video capture devicethat came with Pinnacle Studio software for capturing and editing. The VCD has composite, S-VHS and firewire jacks, and connects to the PC’s USB port. One thing it doesn’t have that I miss now is time base correction for “straightening out” old videos that curl at the top, but that can be purchased separately. Otherwise, I have no complaints with it.

ETA: Can’t be used as a webcam.

4

Thanks for input. I found the device I remembered with further googling. It’s from Hauppauge. Reviews indicate using other software.

5

I guess any VCR + TV card should do…

6

Not really. Many newer cards no longer accept analog inputs (such as NTSC or RCA composite), which no doubt the OP’s devices only produce. The OP needs to make sure that the outputs of the devices and the inputs of the card/USB dongle match in both physical and logical formats. And preferably at the highest quality the device can produce. E.g., S-video, component, etc.

7

If you want a great deal of capture quality and control, look at the lowest tier of professional gear as well. The $30 Dazzle stuff will indeed take an analog signal and turn it into a USB or FireWire signal you can capture and burn to DVD, but with very iffy results on any but perfect source material. If you have older tapes and want a superior result (with image stabilization, etc.), look at things like an ADVC-300.

8

Image stabilization seems like post-production, so I think you may get better results with professional software for PC instead of buying additional devices…