Analog to Imac - cheapest option

6 replies [Last post]
BrendanK
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Joined: Sep 1 2003

What do I need to buy to capture the family vhs tapes to the domestic imac (anglepoise style).

Not even contemplating tying up the work's G4 for this stuff!!!

Suggestions please - the old g3 and miro dc30 have bit the dust...

PaulD
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Joined: Aug 31 2002

Hi
Put the old DC30 (or better still a DC30+) into a faster G4 tower Mac and in makes an excellent analogue>DV capture card with drivers from alfanet.it/squared5

In an iMac the best solution is a Canopus ADVC100 or 110 converter box (or the better ADVC 300 which has a timebase convertor for stabilising VHS footage). Or a camcorder with analogue to digital pass through.

Filmaker
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Joined: Jun 21 2005
Getting VHS into the iMac

You could buy a Sony TRV-240 Digital8 camcorder, which is under £300.
I had one of these and it worked very well as an analogue to digital converter.
You hook up your VCR to the camcorder with a SCART to composite and phono lead and the signal is converted in the cam and passes through and then along the firewire lead into the iMac as a digital signal.
You can also record simulaneously onto 8mm tape if you want to, resulting in a pure digital copy of the original but in 1's and 0's.
The cam can also be used with the firewire and its analogue signal can be hooked up to a monitor. You can also use it as a camcorder!
I used my TRV-240 for a number of jobs when I had my video business and was very impressed with this excellent piece of kit and can well recommend it.

bcrabtree
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Joined: Mar 7 1999

Of course, bear in mind that if you won't need the camcorder or analogue>DV converter box after the transfers are done and dusted, you can then sell off the hardware and cut the real cost substantially.

Bob C

Charles
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Joined: Apr 7 1999

Or make it even cheaper and have someone like myself or others on this forum who offer a analogue to dv transfer service and you end up with everything on Mini-DV tape which you can keep or use again.

Regards
Charles
avsvideo.co.uk

Richard Payne
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Joined: Sep 15 2000

A Datavideo DAC100 is the cheapest bidirectional AD converter at £149 Inc VAT. It has composite and S-Video in and out as well as FireWire.

bwbwbw
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Joined: Dec 9 2000
Filmaker wrote:
You could buy a Sony TRV-240 Digital8 camcorder, which is under £300.
I had one of these and it worked very well as an analogue to digital converter.
You hook up your VCR to the camcorder with a SCART to composite and phono lead and the signal is converted in the cam and passes through and then along the firewire lead into the iMac as a digital signal.

I have a Sony DCR-TR7000E Digital8 camborder. Using a Digi-8 Widget i have enabled (yes I hate the EU!) DV-IN. The Widget also enables the Analoge-IN Once I connect the Fire Wire "DV-IN" appears in the vewfinder. So, how would the camcorder know that I want to use the analogue input and not the digital one? Which buttons do I press? For the moment I first have to record on tape.