VHS Capture

[gazzol]

I bought Roxio 2009 and to capture my old VHS tapes and convert them to DVD. However, it was impossible to do, as I had to sit at my computer because the video capture tool would stop the millisecond the tape went fuzzy, as that's what happened between scenes on my VHS tape.

 

Can I set 2010 to capture 30 minutes of capture so that it will continuously listen and capture for the full 30 minutes and I don't have to sit at my computer?

 

Cheers

Lou

[Guest ml]

You are not dumb. The software is, with the way it handles capturing video. If there is any gap, it kicks out.

 

I found that out the hard way. Unfortunately most capture program operate that way.

 

I think a lot depends on what you're capturing from.....

 

When capturing from a camcorder....Setting the time didn't work because the program would not advance the camcorder. The camcorder would capture up to the time that there was a gap, then the program would only capture a blank ( or blue ) screen that was being sent by the camcorder or it would lose the signal and stop.

 

Capturing from a VHS player...... The player would also 'stop' when it reached the blank spot and kick out the signal.

 

The only thing that worked both then and now is if the tape had been 'striped' before filming. Basically, you let the camcorder film a blank wall so that there are no 'gaps' in the tape. Of course, that information is useless to you now.

 

I did find a free program that got around that problem, but darned if I can remember which one. Might have been the free version of Windows Movie Maker that came with Windows.

 

If you find a free program, capture it in AVI format ( its usually one of the options ), then you can edit it in 2009.

[Jim_Hardin]

There is no change, a lost signal is a lost signal… Capture in 2009 can also be set for a set time.

 

Did you update 2009 to SP4?

 

[gazzol]

There is no change, a lost signal is a lost signal… Capture in 2009 can also be set for a set time.

 

Did you update 2009 to SP4?

 

Thanks for the super quick reply. I haven't updated to SP4 yet, I'm assuming that if I do that I will get the feature to set the capture to a fixed amount of time, without stopping during the middle of the video?

 

Cheers

Lou

[Jim_Hardin]

No... if you tape is bad, then software can't fix it.

[gazzol]

No... if you tape is bad, then software can't fix it.

 

I do want to clarify. The tape isn't bad. When I was taping using my video camera (VHS-C), and I would stop taping, there's a half second of blank tape between scenes. I think this is quite common.

 

It seems strange that I can't set the darn thing to tape for 30 minutes. Likely I just don't know enough about the process, but as a dumb user, I would expect to just capture for 30 minutes. Kind of like video taping from the Cable -- it tapes regardless if there's a signal or not.

 

Anywho, thanks for your help.

Lou

[grandpabruce]

I do want to clarify. The tape isn't bad. When I was taping using my video camera (VHS-C), and I would stop taping, there's a half second of blank tape between scenes. I think this is quite common.

 

It seems strange that I can't set the darn thing to tape for 30 minutes. Likely I just don't know enough about the process, but as a dumb user, I would expect to just capture for 30 minutes. Kind of like video taping from the Cable -- it tapes regardless if there's a signal or not.

 

Anywho, thanks for your help.

Lou

 

You are not dumb. The software is, with the way it handles capturing video. If there is any gap, it kicks out.

 

The reason for that is, if there is blank tape, the software doesn't want to keep capturing, when nothing is there. But, I would think that the programmers would be able to program it, so that if it went 5 minutes without any video, it would quit. But instead, if there is any blank spot, you have to babysit the da-mned video, and start the capture again. Extremely poor design, but such is the life with Sonic software.

 

However, when you do get it captured, the software is great for editing and burning your production.

[Jim_Hardin]

Be careful what you wish for… Back in V6, I went out and got delayed so it filled my entire HDD… You can’t have it both ways.

 

2009 Capture allows you to set the time. Here is a screen cap from 10/08:

 

Timed Capture has always been there...

 

Still, you have not even applied the SP4 update and tried it.