Viability of cheap VHS capture

[bendermac]

You mean inverse telecine? My VHS tapes are all PAL, they're not telecined.

If you captured files show any sign of been interlaced, then interlace them -> 50i to 25p

Always de-interlace before you do any frame rate conversion.

[crissrudd4554]

Everything is captured through the device. Unfortunately this version of Dazzle does not give me any options to preset the video and sound options unlike prior versions of the software. Even if i were to capture the sound separately it would be difficult since it's all composite and I would have to have it synced to two softwares simultaneously unless there's some type of splitter of sorts that will allow me to do that. Another option would be recording the tape two separate times and syncing one to the other but that's a lot of work and I don't wanna wear out the tapes. Any suggestions guys???

[Feallan]

You can buy a cable with two composites on one side and minijack on the other and stick it to Line In in your PC - unless your capturing device is high end (or your audio card is really low end) that would most likely give much better results.

You don't have to play the tape twice, you can set up your program to record video and, say, Audacity to record audio from one playback. Then, synchronizing it would be fairly easy, because you would only need to get the starting point right.

[bendermac]

There are also tools that make one input available in multiple applications.
On Mac there is SoundFlower. I'm sure there is something similar on Windows.

[crissrudd4554]

Probably gonna buy this cable (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B016PY7TT...ref=plSrch) and reinstall my Honestech software and simultaneously capture the video from my Vidbox capture device and the Dazzle device. Then with Pinnacle Studios I'll sync the Honestech video with the Dazzle video which will probably be better than capturing the audio separately since I'll have a video to guide and compare with.

[crissrudd4554]

Well that didnt work. The VCR can only work with one program at a time. The VCR can be detected through the new cable to the capture devices but basically if I open one program and it reads the VCR the other software won't. Essentially I have the VCR hooked to the VIDBOX and Dazzle which are hooked to the computer but then I try to open a software, lets say Honestech, in that case the VCR wont appear on Dazzle and same the other way around. So I cant run the VCR through both simultaneously. Not to mention twice my computer shut down while I was messin with this and now its taking a bit to boot up again so I honestly dont feel safe with this approach. Back to square one again.

[Evit]

Do these dual composite cables degrade the audio/video quality in any way?

[crissrudd4554]

Not sure. Never got as far as playing a tape once I realized I couldn't get the VCR to appear simultaneously in both programs. It stinks because image quality wise both the current Roxio and Dazzle Im happy with for the most part. However, they both record loud and produce a bit of static buzz that I never detected in any of the other softwares I used and sadly neither of these two programs have options to adjust the audio or video format beforehand. I can adjust the volume of the recorded video in Pinnacle Studios but the slight buzz will still be there unfortunately. Itll be less noticeable with the video less loud but still there. At one point I was able to record a sampled video using Debut Video Capture with sound recorded from my VIDBOX software and the video from Dazzle but the motion of the video was jarring and less smooth and the sound still came out loud

[Feallan]

Try my Line In advice, seriously.

Anyway, unless I'm missing something here your setup should work. That splitting cable is connected to your VCR, and two different capture devices are connected to the other end (ends) of that cable? If that's the case then I don't see how those programs could take the signal exclusively for themselves, unless the cable is somehow damaged.

[crissrudd4554]

Well as i mentioned before twice my computer shut down while I was working with that cable so I honestly don't feel safe with that approach.

I'll try it with Audacity later in the week.