[Ti] Vhs to dvd: my long diatribe of hardware/software suggestions

[andrew dean]

Here are the different options I've explored for burning dvds from vhs.
Hopefully my experience will help you out:

---------------------------------
Option 1:

Using a firewire DV converter, capture the vhs as a dv stream into a program
such as imovie or final cut, then convert the dv stream to mpeg2 and
author/burn a dvd.

advantage: as a dv stream you have exact control over the files and are able
to edit frame accurately anything you care to.

disadvantage: if you have loads of vhs source, the hours and hours of dv
files will be gigantic on your hard drive. Plus, it takes a lot of time to
encode the dv into mpeg2.  Apple's encoder is fairly fast but kinda brutal
on image interlacing.  Furthermore, since you do not have an apple
sanctioned dvd burner, then you will not be able to use idvd.  This requires
you to purchase a different mpeg2 encoder.  (Its possible that toast 6
includes an mpeg2 encoder, if so, you can ignore that part.)  Unless toast 6
has added a dvd authoring app, you'll have to buy that too in order to
create the dvd.

note: some dvd burners came with authoring software, like formac. In which
case, you can use that.

---------------------------------
Option 2:

I purchased a usb "instant dvd for mac"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00007AKAU/ or
http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=752077

Its a usb device with analog video and audio inputs. It acts basically the
same as a dv converter, but it saves mpeg2 files (what dvds use) directly to
your hard drive.  In theory this saves not only the scads of disk space but
also saves all of the encoding time. If you are concerned about usb vs
firewire, once video is encoded into mpeg2, a usb1 bus has more than enough
bandwidth to carry the signal.  I'd rather have at least usb2, but I havent
found usb1 to be a bottleneck at all.

The device comes with capturing software (since its mpeg2, you cant use a dv
app like imovie) as well as an mpeg2 editor (it lets you trim out chunks
that you don¹t like, but if you want to do more than "take out that long
section where timmy stabs himself" then you'll want to go with option 1).
It also comes with an authoring utility so you can create menus and burn the
dvds.

Now... It SOUNDS like a dream come true, and its only $225 and can have a 2
hour vhs tape turned into a dvd in around 3 hours...    But all the software
is pretty klunky.  Its all some port of some pc version where having
non-intuitive windows and buttons and protocol made sense... Also, I had to
search some japanese website for an update to the "capty dvd" app to make it
happy with jaguar. (havent tried it on panther yet).

THAT being said... If you are willing to tinker around and be patient with
the software and try to figure out what they were doing when the wrote it
and you are willing to hunt down software updates in japanese...

Its a hell of a lot of package for $225.  I'm very happy I bought it.  I am
a big fan of real time encoding. There is also an option to save out the
files as a format that dvd studio is happy with, so when I've needed to,
I've been able to ditch most of the klunky software and just use the usb
device to grab analog video in realtime, then slap it in dvd studio and be
burning in minutes. (great for time pressure stuff like burning a dvd of a
wedding during the reception)

Now... If you are like me, you may be tempted to use the instant dvd to
create dvds from DV camera sources.  This works, but the step where you play
back the digital video via analog into the encoder introduces a lot of
analog noise to the mix.  Nicely shot footage looks fine, but when you look
at blacks or really dark footage, you can see the analog noise. (like you
would watching it back on a tv.)  If your source is VHS, then the source is
noisy to start with and I couldn¹t see any difference between the instant
dvd captured mpeg2 footage and footage captured from vhs to a dv encoder to
the hard drive then encoded in software to mpeg2.

Advantages: real time encoding means you can save lots of footage using a
small amount of disk space.  It also means that you can save tons of
encoding time.  This option comes with all the software you need to turn a
vhs tape into a dvd, so if you have an external burner, this is absolutely
one of the cheapest options.  Another advantage is that you can drop the bit
rate down to 2 megs (it starts to beat up vhs footage, depending on the
quality to start with) and you can get like 6 hours onto one dvd.  This isnt
ideal for gorgeous footage, but fantastic for giving the family the extended
boredom mix of last year's hannukuh party.

Disadvantages: The software is dodgy.  And that is being polite. It works,
and once you figure it out it is "logical" in a sense... But it violates
pretty much every mac convention. (there are menus in the windows that arent
in the menu bar, etc).  I was impressed with the mpeg2 editor, not because
it is great... I mean, its slow and klunky and counterintuitive... But I was
impressed because it worked.  Being able to edit an encoded mpeg2 file was
pretty sharp and I've actually used it a few times to trim scenes from an
mpeg that I encoded in software rather than re-encode it.

---------------------------------
Option 3: 

Spend around $330 and buy an external dvd recorder and forget using your mac
at all.  You can hook your vhs deck up directly to an outboard dvd recorder
such as http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000CCY7A
As long as you don¹t care about having menus and navigation features.
Most dvd burners will create menus of the clips you have stopped and
started, but its generally an ugly blue screen with "panasonic" or whatever
all over it, rather than "happy 3rd anniversary tammy and vivian!" with a
picture of puppies hugging kittens in a basket filled with bows.

Advantages: Talk about easy. If you can copy a video tape you can use this
set up.  Hit play on the vhs, hit record on the dvd and go lie down with a
jug of jim beam and drink your vision away while the dvd is burning away.

Disadvantages: no editing whatsoever. No custom menus. (this doesn¹t sound
like that big of a deal, but the menus are kind of the thing that "makes" a
dvd gift magical... If you arent making it as a gift... Perhaps that doesn¹t
matter then)  

---------------------------------
Option 4: 

Buy a new powerbook 17" with built in dvd burner AND a dv media converter as
described in option1.  This way you can use imovie and idvd and you'll have
buttloads of storage space for the dv files and you'll have the cpu power to
speed up mpeg2 encoding.

Advantages: Dude! you got a new 17" powerbook! check it out!

Disadvantages: Sure, you just dropped another $2500 at least, plus the media
converter and you still have to wait for capture time, wait for encoding
time, etc... But DUDE! you got a new 17" powerbook! check it out!

-------------------

So, those are the options I would suggest.  As to the exact model of dvd
recorder, I am not endorsing that one, its just the cheapest one I spotted
on a quick amazon search.  I havent spent enough time with any one brand to
consider it better than the others.


I hope all my typing was useful to somebody.

-andrew dean






> Date: Sat, 03 Jan 2004 09:41:25 -0800
> Subject: [Ti] Vhs to dvd
> From: supershanefx <supershanefx at hotmail.com>
> Message-ID: <BC1C3EC5.11BF%supershanefx at hotmail.com>
> 
> 
> So whats the easiest way to convert all my VHS tapes to DVD? I have access
> to an external dvd burner and a vcr. But how do I connect them to my
> titanium? And do I need to burn the dvd in a certain way to play like a
> regular dvd? (I have TOAST 6 also).
> 
> Thanks.