Is there any way to digitize video from a regular old video camera? Or could it be done from a VCR? I do it all the time with audio tapes but have no idea if there’s a way with video. Thanks for any help you can give me.
Carol
Carol, there are some digital video cameras that will accept your old video camera (or VCR) as input and convert it to digital. This feature is known as analog to digital conversion. Not all digital videos can do this, though. Ours is a fairly basic Sony (DCR-TRV22) from a year or two ago, and it has this ability. I’m sure others will chime in with a few methods that will work. Good luck!
Jef
Thanks, Jef. I was hoping I could avoid buying a digital video camera and just digitize from the video camera into the computer, as I do from the tape recorder into the computer when converting analog to digital music. I might be asking for too much though.
Thanks!
Carol
Actually, hehe, I found some information in a Windows movie application…looks like I just need a “video capture device.” Think I got this one figured–thanks!
Carol
Hmmmmmmmm. I wonder what the ransom will be.
Carol, we have used an Osprey 210 card.
Here is the page for the card.
I’d Google for better pricing.
Disclamer…It was a few years back and I don’t remember why we picked the sucker. The software was a bit funky but we got it to work without too much trouble.
Go to bestbuy.com and type in : dazzle
you will see video capture devices starting at $50
The Dazzle connects you VCR (or other video/audio source) to your computer via the USB port.
I got one a few weeks ago and the hardware works quite well. My problem is using it on an older computer that doesn’t support DIRECT X 9.0 on the sound card. The computer often crashes. You may have to go to Microsoft to download free Direct X drivers. You can also download a free version of Microsoft Media Encoder to capture the video.
I just bought a video capture card from Fry’s for $20 with a $20 rebate. It’s not fancy but it works well enough for me, I’m creating DVD’s from a few select VHS tapes that are hard or impossible to find on DVD.
No bad for the price of a stamp.
Thank you! You guys are great!
Another question if I may: If I would get something like dazzle, would I also need a video capture card, or are they two ways to do the same thing?
Thanks again!
Carol
Same thing. The Dazzle is an external device as opposed to getting an internal card. You still need a DVD writer.
djm
Depends… (and not the adult diapers) Many DVD players read CD’s so you should be able to burn them as VCD’s.
I’m not sure of the format they are in… MPG, MOV or AVI.
Carol, was it your intention to view them on a TV/DVD or only a computer?
cough Well I hadn’t got that far in my thinking. This is all to satisfy the creative urges of my kids, who have big plans for making a movie about aliens that features our dog Daisy in a prominent role, and then adding the “grainy old movie” effect to it. (They already have a music video of Stayin Alive with Daisy dressed in their dad’s old polyester shirt, but alas, it is merely analog, and no cool effects can be added to it.)
I bought Dazzle last night and except for not having the required S-video cable, it looks like it’s easy to use and we’ll be off and running soon.
Thanks again everyone!
Carol