How to Video Card Capture a VHS & Watch It on HDTV
VHS--video home system--tapes were first introduced in the 1970s and rapidly became a popular medium for home media storage. Even today, VHS is still a widely used format. However, VHS is quickly being supplanted by digital media storage and viewers. But you can capture those old VHS tapes with a video card in your computer and watch them on your HDTV.
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Things You'll Need
- VHS deck
- Breakout box
- RCA connection cables
- Computer
- Capture software
- Blank DVD
- DV camera
- Firewire cable
Instructions
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Set up the VHS deck near your computer. Connect the RCA outputs on the back (or front) of the VHS to the inputs on your video capture card. The RCA cables are color coded for easier connections--red and white are audio, yellow is video. Plug the other end of the wires into the card.
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Start your video capture software. Underneath the "Preferences" or "Settings" menu, change the video input to your USB breakout box.
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3
Cue the tape up to where you want to start the capture. Use the control buttons on the front of the VCR or the remote control. Watch the preview monitor in your capture program to monitor the tape. Press "Record" in your capture program when you have the VHS tape cued up to the proper spot.
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4
Capture the video. Press "Stop" or "End Capture" in your capture program when finished.
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Edit your video, if needed. You can also add titles or graphics, as well as make any adjustments.
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Export your video. The format you select depends on what equipment you have that will connect to your HDTV. If you have a DVD deck, for example, select "Export to DVD" in your capture program. Insert a blank DVD and burn the film to disk. If you don't have a DVD player but you do have a DV camera, you can export the movie to your DV camera through a firewire cable.
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Ensure that your equipment (either DV camera or DVD) is hooked up to the HDTV. Switch the HDTV so that the input selected is your connected equipment.
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References
- Photo Credit camera and colored film stripes image by Oxlock from Fotolia.com
