Despite the fact that video recorders have not been used for a long time, many still have cherished cassettes with valuable recordings that cannot be found in digital form. It could be an old movie or a recording of a family holiday. Then there is a need to digitize tape cassettes in order to view the desired video at any time and share it with loved ones.
It is necessary
- - cord for connecting the audio output of the tape recorder to the sound card;
- - a cord for connecting the video output of the tape recorder to a device for capturing video of a computer;
- - software for video capture (Virtualdub)
Instructions
Step 1
The audio and video stream from the tape recorder goes through two different channels. First, you need to connect the sound card to the audio output of the VCR using the appropriate cable, which can be purchased at a radio or computer hardware store. On one side of the cord there is a “tulip” connector, on the other side there is a regular jack. Connect the wire to the Line In input of the sound card.
Step 2
To record video, you can use a video capture card, a tuner or a video card that has a TV-in connector. Connect the cable from the video output of the recorder to the video input of the selected device on your computer. If the computer has a cinch input, a cinch-to-cinch cord will be required. If the input is "S-video", which is more common on modern devices, then the "S-Video - Tulip" wire will be required.
Step 3
There are various programs for capturing video from a tape recorder. The most popular are VirtualDub, Pinnacle Studio and Adobe Premiere. Together with the cards for video capture, the manufacturer's utilities for video editing are also supplied.
Step 4
Install a suitable video codec, preferably MJPEG. It will allow you to record with minimal loss of quality. To save space, you can use regular DivX.
Step 5
Check all sound card and output device settings using the device driver utility or control panel.
Step 6
Start VirtualDub. Go to the Capture / Settings menu, set the "Capture audio" item. It is desirable to make the "Frame rate" value "25.00". Then go to the "Capture Preferences" menu and select the used video capture device. In the "Default capture file" specify the path where you want to save the finished file. Adjust the sound quality in the Audio / Compression menu, or leave everything unchanged (in this case, the sound will be uncompressed). Go to the "Video / Format" menu, select the desired picture resolution and the appropriate format for the codec (preferably UYUY). Select YUY2 for lossless copying. Go to the Video / Compression menu, select the codec you need to use.
Step 7
After setting all the necessary parameters, press the F6 button and after a few seconds press the Play button of the tape recorder. Capture data will be displayed on the right side of the window. Press Esc after copying is complete. The capture can be considered complete.
