Stupid Question?

[Gordon B. Alley]

On Sat, 22 Mar 2003 18:23:51 -0500, "BigScanner.com" 
<terry at bigscanner.com> wrote:
>
>On 3/22/03 2:48 PM, "Steven Rogers" <srogers1 at austin.rr.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>  On Saturday, March 22, 2003, at 10:59 AM, BigScanner.com wrote:
>>
>>>  Newbie - sorry if this is a dumb question...
>>>
>>>  I would like to take some old video tapes and convert them to DVD. The
>>>  videos are about 90 minutes each.
>>>
>>>  What (low cost) equipment and software do I need to do this
>>>  successfully with?
>>
>>  You can do it with a VCR to play your tapes (assuming they're VHS) and
>>  something to act as a digital bridge into iMovie and iDVD. If the tapes
>>  are 8mm, you could use a Sony Digital8 camera as the digital source.
>>  You could also skip the computer entirely and just record them with one
>>  of the new DVD recorders that are the DVD version of VHS recorders.
>>  They're kind of expensive though.
>>
>>  SR
>>
>
>Thanks - yes, they are on VHS tape - and yes, I need "something" to act as a
>digital bridge. Suggestions?

If you plan to get a digital camcorder, get one that has the 
"pass-through" function. This allows the camcorder itself to act as a 
digital bridge (analog-to-digital converter).

You would connect the output of your VHS deck to the camcorder's 
analog inputs, and use FireWire to connect the camcorder to your Mac. 
Then just play the VHS tape "through" the camcorder to capture it on 
your computer.

Most (but not all, IIRC) Sony Digital8 camcorders can do this. Many 
(most?) Canon digital camcorders (like my ZR-40 miniDV) can do it. My 
ZR-40 can also convert the other direction (digital-to-analog).

-- 
Gordon Alley  <*>
<mailto:galley at texas.net>
<http://galley.home.texas.net>