The native resolution of VHS is 640 x 480 pixels, not 320 x 240 pixels. Computer monitors use square pixels, so 640 x 480 digitized files will appear correctly (ie: undistorted) on these screens. TV sets use non-square pixels, so 720 x 480 digitized files will appear correctly (ie: undistorted) when played on a regular TV. Incidentally, one of the most important considerations when digitizing videotapes is that the hardware must de-interlace the original signal. Without proper de-interlacing, the video will appear very "pixelated" whenever there is motion (or camera shake) in the recorded tape. If the hardware does NOT de-interlace the signal, there are two things you can do. First, you can use computer software to de-interlace the video after the fact. There are many apps that can do this (such as Handbrake) however, it can take hours to complete the process depending on what de-interlacing algorithm is used. Alternately, you can play back the interlaced video using programs like VLC Media Player that include a menu option for de-interlacing on the fly. Works pretty well. However, I much prefer to get properly de-interlaced videos right off the bat from the capture device. The Elgato does a nice job of de-interlacing but it does "soften" the image a little bit. This can actually be an advantage because a "softened" video appears less NOISY, and old VHS tapes can certainly be pretty noisy (ie: grainy).
All great points. And I totally agree about the interlace comments. I like some of the upscalers as they with the capture card de-interlace the video at 60fps and you can see the difference.
You're right about needing ~480 pixels high. No analog format has a native pixel resolution, but all video formats of a given standard have the same fixed number of scanlines. 525 for NTSC with about 480-486 having information. That's true for VHS, broadcast, laserdisc, etc. But there are no pixels. Resolution across a given scanline is a matter of bandwidth and the way they measure is by how many vertical lines can be resolved (these are lines drawn N-S). Because the number of scanlines is always going to be the same when a given video format's resolution is stated the 480 is implicit. What they're talking about is that number of vertical lines that can be resolved *across* a scanline. You could fully capture the information in a VHS picture with somewhere in the 300-350 pixel across range, so a 320x480 picture would work pretty well but require everything viewing it to be pixel aspect ratio aware, so that it would display as a 4:3 picture properly. That was a fairly common format on the Amiga, back in the '80s and '90s, because it was very video aware. Amigas natively didn't have square pixels. But PCs and Macs are square pixel machines. 720x480/720x486 files with non-square pixel aspect ratios don't always show properly on PCs or Macs if the codec doesn't embed appropriate meta information about aspect ratio or the viewer doesn't make assumptions and apply a transform just based on the container size. Capturing 640x480 is convenient overkill, has the right aspect ratio for viewing on the desktop, while 320x240 is throwing away a lot of information. De-interlacing needs to interpolate and frame blend both spatial and temporal information whether you're looking for the best 30fps result or 60fps result.
I bought a brand new Elgar from eBay and it doesn’t work, first of all the software doesn’t fully run, when it comes to recording time and it only captures and plays the signal once a day if I’m lucky, the problem is not the usb 2.0 I have converter hub, my laptop is new and good, the vcr is good, so the problem is elgato device
Uh, they did. And, you can still find them used. VHS/DVD recording combo. I actually have one. That I seldom used. Other than recording (on DVD!) a soap opera my wife liked but couldn't watch at daily broadcast times. Then, it got put away in a cabinet for years. Recently, I pulled it out and set it up to use to transfer some old VHS tapes to DVD for a friend. And of course, my "single button smart dubbing" doesn't work. I spent a couple of hours setting up because the outputs are RCA and S-video only. And of course, none of my available TVs or monitors have such inputs. When I finally got it to work with an old TV I had, I found that it played the VHS tapes and any DVDs I threw at it just fine. But of course, I can't get the DVD to record. I've spent another five or ten hours messing with it, following the instructions to a T and trying to find solutions on the internet. To no avail. And, silly me, I purchased fifty blank DVDs and labels for the DVDs and for their Jewel cases BEFORE finding out my old combo unit doesn't work. And, it's hardly worth trying to have fixed. That's why I'm here now, for this video. I was trying to find out if those cheap analog to digital converters work. At $35 I was afraid they would just be another Amazon come on waste of money. I still have a computer with a DVD burner in it. And, I've been building a digital music and video library with it. That's the next step I wanted to take if one of these converters will actually work. For old VHS video as well as some old records.
To absolutely maximise the quality of captures I would highly recommend using 75 ohm coaxial cables when possible for video connections (particularly composite and s-video, which is what you're limited to with VHS players) not the 'shoelace' ones typically supplied with most AV equipment. They eliminate a lot of the 'edge ringing' which people often assume to be intrinsic to analogue video signals.
@@MiddleSiggysDigitalWorld You're very welcome. The difference is very easy to see if you compare the cable types with the picture from a DVD player (it provides a clearer reference than VHS) using its composite-out - it's not subtle. It will be somewhat less pronounced with s-video, but still quite noticeable. I've actually seen a player give a better picture with composite via 75 ohm coax than RGB (component) via a poor quality SCART (be thankful you never had to deal with these truly awful connectors in the US) ETA >> BTW, RCA-terminated SPDIF audio cables are the same thing, they carry a similar signal frequency (which is RF) to that of SD analogue video. You can even make your own pretty easily (and cheaply!). If you use RG59 RCA's, most are compression/crimp and don't even need soldering.
After making all of these videos I have found out a few things.. I also think I am going o have to buy a new VCR, because I am limited with the one I currently have, and it does not even have the coaxial connectors.. again thank you for the feedback.. Have a great day!
@@MiddleSiggysDigitalWorld I might have been leading you up the garden path somewhat - S-VHS via dual coaxial would be perfect but of course one is restricted to the standard 4-pin cable and connector, barring some serious modding. Otherwise (and I might be teaching my gran to suck eggs) if your VHS player is a decent one you could just make sure you're using a good S-VHS cable that definitely has individually shielded cores. Keep keeping on!
I appreciate very much the clear graphics & text charts you made - good production values! Tip: next time keep the name & pic of the reviewed hardware on the screen a few seconds longer. Thanks again.
I use a method similar to the 3rd option. I plug the VCR into a upscaler then from the upscaler to the original Elgato HD capture device through HDMI. I use OBS and run it at 720P 30FPS lossless quality. I then upload the footage to UA-cam and even though all the movies get claimed and no one else can watch them, the person who uploaded it can. Free server space for all my movies.
You might want to look into the domesday duplicator for laser-disc project's vhs extension. Basically, you tap into the raw read head's analog signal and that gets recorded. The recorded signal is then decoded at a much higher resolution and quality than the video player's own circuitry is capable of.
Not sure if this channel got the right "clients" for this ;) But yeah, domesday is amazing. I'm still going the DV-A/D conversion route (+ TBC) and let QTGMC do its magic at the end. No crappy "A.I" upscaling.
I would just use OBS to record you can just add your capture device in OBS than record at any resolution, output any file format, crop and use a good deinterlace. I would capture lossless with OBS and than handbrake to compress the file for the best possible quality. For a free software it's surprisingly good and way better than the crappy software provided.
Thanks for the great instructional videos. I just ordered the Yitrox converter, Elgato HD60X and clean power supply. I have about 50 VHS, VHS-C and Mini-DV tapes recorded from 1993 thru 2010 that I'm excited to - gradually - convert to high quality digital videos that can be shared with others. Will let you know how they look after I get started.
@MiddleSiggyHomestead I had also downloaded OBS based on another video I watched about a different method using less capable converter/capture HW. I thought the Elgato capture utility download would be adequate, no?
Yes the Elgato hardware and software is great stuff.. and I did use the Elgato software, but I use OBS because I stream and because I am just so familiar with it. There is nothing wrong with the Elgato software.
Very informative and professional 👏 This very well may be the best VHS to Digital Conversion How To video of our time! Its so thorough and clear, its as if my Father is teaching me.
Thanks for the great videos! I've started the vhs conversion journey with the yitrox upscaler and hd60 pro. However, some doubts about getting the right settings in place remain... Using OBS seems the way to go. But what would be the best choices resolution wise? Setting the yitrox to full 1080@60 output will distort the 4:3 PAL aspect ratio. Would it be better to go for one of the 4:3 outputs, or rescale afterwards in OBS to a 4:3 aspect ratio? Is there a reason to go for 60fps or 50, like 60 is 2x30 from ntsc and 50 is 2x25 from pal?
Great job on the VHS to digital conversion. The Elgato clearly provided the best quality result; however, it upscaled and stretched the original 4:3 image to 16x9 at 1080p. I'd like to see the 1080p squeezed back to the 4:3 aspect ratio. That, I think, would provide more of an apples to apples comparison and provide more of a visual improvement. I digitized my old 8mm films at 1080p while keeping the original 4:3(ish) film aspect ratio in a 16x9 window (fame). I then edited them in DaVinci Resolve and rendered them at 3840 x 2160 (super scaled to 4k) while keeping the movie image at a 4:3 aspect ratio inside of a 4k 16x9 window. I'm curious to see your 720p 4:3 result upscaled to 4k in a 16x9 frame via DaVinci Resolve or render your 720p version in DaVinci and do an upscale in Topaz Video AI. They both would keep the the aspect ratios correct, 16x9, without altering the original 4:3 image. Just a thought. Again, great job on you tutorial. Thanks!
I do not like stretching the image that way. I use the Elgato device and follow the instructions of another UA-cam creator to use OBS capture software. I include interlacing at 60 fps for smoother motion. I prefer to preserve the 4x3 aspect ratio to avoid distorting the image.
Thank you for extremely informative and helpful video. I had tried various methods with the gears that the camcorder came with but none that my computer would recognize the video input. I was going to get the Roxio VHS to DVD software package but ultimately decided on the Elgato (after watching your video). Again, thank you, sir!
I have successfully transferred VHS & Betta tapes to didgital files,burn to DVDs using LG HDD recorder,can use pause function to cut-out unwanted material on tape.Your methode is much cheaper & improves video images better,thanks for your clip
That is a great question. I use Vegas for my editing. I will run some tests on the videos I have and find out. Might be a bit I have a bunch in the queue. I will post it as a video in the future. Thanks again.
THanks for the vid, do you ever have issues with audio/video sync? My audio after doing this always comes delayed by about 20frames, very annoying as have to bring in premiere and re-export it. Any advice appreciated 🙏
I decided to follow your recommendation but did the ElGato HD60x since I only have laptops... but the issue I am dealing with is my VCR only has Yellow/White components and the upscaler feed is black & white... do I need a VCR with the 3 component jacks (which I thought was better audio only)? Any idea what I may be doing wrong?
And I'll add that even if I try to capture it on the elgato, I get an error that 1280x1024p59 is not supported. The Yitrox shows (when I connect it via HDMI to my tv) 800x600, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. The instructions for both devices are nonexistent!
they say elgato is obsolete now dec 2023, ? , what is modern capture cards etc i could use today ? i have a black magic intesity shuttle.. do i need to pair this with a decent video card in my home pc ? or any video card work ? i am transferring many old svhs tapes ot ditigal.
This is a decent overview. But with option #3, why did you upscale a 4:3 image to 16:9, stretching it horizontally in the process? Certainly, you don't intend it to be viewed like that. How do you then correct for the error afterward? By scaling down to 4:3 again and throwing some of the data away? But if you do that, you're effectively blurring it twice.
Thank you for the compliment. The short answer on stretching is I did not think it looked that bad (I am just a little chubby in the video 😁 because of the stretch) and it was the sample I had at the time I edited the video. That was my very first video for UA-cam and I just forced myself to get it out, so I cut a few corners.. I don’t think I would ever go back, although I could. I think I would just recapture and not have the software stretch. Again thanks for the feedback.
Personally I really hate seeing the incorrect aspect ratio. It is always very obvious to me and annoying. I’m sure the video would look best out of the three options if it was corrected.
Thank you for this video. I was using the Hauppague PVR to digitize some VHS performance tapes, but that unit no longer works. I am not as educated as others on the various components needed to make the upscaling and conversion work on a video that lasts almost 3 hours. I get the upscaling converts the 480 res file to a 1080 file, so that is the first step? Then which Elgato unit to use to send the file to the computer? I am using a laptop to do this.
I would have been nice to see the comparison between the already scale 720 Diamond VC500 and Elgato 1080 with the upscaler, to see if it is worth it to spend the extra money.
Thanks for the video! I hope you don't mind a quick question. I purchased the Elgato HD60X (external) capture device and, on the box, it says NVDIA GeForce GTX 10xx is required. I will be using a mini-PC with Intel Corei7-13700H (13th gen) with integrated Iris Xe Graphics. Will my PC and the HD60X work OK for VHS conversion? I am still looking for an upscaler so I'm also interested if you (or any fans) have updated your recommendations.
The Elgato is easy to use and works great. As far as an upscale I’ve yet to find one that works. Prism and Hitpaw did nothing and Yitrox was a waste of money. On all of these the output video was no different than the original.
8:27 Yeah, because the VCR records in 480i, not in 240p, also the horizontal resolution is more then 320, but it's in analog. The real resolution is arround 400x440i.
Newbie here. Your videos are excellent! In trying to mesh several of your videos together to go straight from VHS to hi def (1080p, I think). Would I connect the VCR to the Yitrox HD Converter to the Elgato HD 60 X to my laptop USB to make this work? And it sounds like the S-cable is superior to the composite cables so I have that option available. Have I understood how the Yitrox and the Elgato work together in between in the VCR and the laptop? Or should a newbie just stick with the regular Elgato simple setup because it's good enough? Thank you for all the videos.
You got it all perfectly. The VCR / Camcorder what ever will use the RCA or S-Cable to go to the Yitrox (the upscaler) and that will go into the Elgato Capture card. then the piece I did not share, use something like OBS Studio to record the video, or Elgato will provide software also.. But I used OBS. thanks for watching
Stumbled onto your videos and subscribed. I have tons of older videos I would like to convert to digital. I had originally copied many videos to DVD using a DVD burner however the results are not near as good as I would like. Both VHS and Hi-8 formats. But I also have a ton of even older 8mm/Super8 film that needs converting as well. I've sorta been eyeing a company in AZ that will do this for you. They also have the ability to enhance the video quality to make these older videos look even better......at a price however. I might have to try your methods for the newer(VHS/Hi8) stuff. I will admit however that over time the videos degrade on tape making the conversion possibly less than original.
I cannot see the utility of changing the aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9, as it stretches the picture horizontally. That being said, the sharpness and clarity of the third option was impressive.
It depends on the type of tapes you have. If you were going to get one minimally I would get one labeled hi-definition with 4 heads. But if you had some of the newer high definition vhs tapes you would want to get one that could support the highest quality tape. Some of the higher end ones also have the S-video port and that might get you a better quality picture.
Hi, thank you for your videos..ive learned so much. I did create the similar set up with upscaler and elgato hd60+ with OBS. I did a 5 minute test run with my vhs transfer.1440x1080p 60 fbs, mp4...after I completed and it transferred to my laptop...the video file was huge. 5 minutes = 1GB of a 6 hr tape! I lowered to 720x480 (1gb=9 minutes) then 680x480 etc. Obviously the OBS does not compress. What do you do with your files using this way? Do you use a compression software? Perhaps, I've completely set the parameters wrong. I'd appreciate any advice. I should say, I'm tech savvy but a little more than a beginner. Thank you
I'm using Method 3 to digitize some VHS-c tapes in a standard VHS adapter tape (the HD60 Capture Card and the Yitrox) plugged into an srd4900 VCR and my video is coming out B&W and the A/V cuts out every few seconds. I've returned my first Yitrox thinking it was defective but the second one is now doing the same thing. Tried connecting the Yitrox and VCR to my TV and the problem persists. Any idea why this is happening? The VCR and tape work fine when connected directly through composite cables to my TV. The VCR and tape also work fine when routed through a different, lower quality AV:HDMI converter box.
Hi Awesome video, thank you. I am in Australia we use PAL system. I want to convert Hi8 to digital. Would the YITROX AV Svideo HDMI to HDMI Converter Upscaler in combination with the Elgato HD60X (Windows laptop) work here? Would really appreciate your thoughts
Appreciate the videos and peoples comments. I'm Capturing video from VHS tapes using my Samsung DVD-V8600 dual DVD and VHS player (which plays S-VHS tapes, and has both S-Video out and Component out...) I'm still uncertain what is recommended for getting the best reasonable results. I'm mostly doing this to preserve the content for the future... I have both a Windows 10 laptop and Macbook Pro 2017 (with Final Cut Pro), so I can use either... Is S-Video out the best? And plug it into what? Should I use an upscaler or not? And what software? Again, thinking of the best reasonable results. I'm willing to spend a reasonable amount if needed... Thanks!
Chris, watch my video on the upscalers.. what you will end up as a recommendation for your situation is the Yitrox upscaler, which does support the S-Video cable, and yes you want to use that if you can. Then a good capture card. I would recommend any of the Elgato brands, I have been having a lot of luck with them. For a Laptop look at the HD60X
Great video! I Have actually copied a lot of my old videos and video 8 tapes to my PC a few years ago using a pretty cheap bit of kit I bought on Amazon. The results were ok considering. However seeing that software has come on a lot since then I'm thinking of doing them all again. The top quality product looks great but how do I use it without a tower to fit it in? What device will I need to house it with a laptop? Cheers.
You are exactly where I have been for the last few months, which is what started all of this.. So good luck with your project.. :) If I were to do it again (and I just might) with a laptop, I would go with 1)The Elgato Video Capture device I shared in the video. or 2)The Elgato HD60 X External Capture Card which will work with a laptop. Plus an upscaler... (Right now I am leaning towards the "YITROX AV Svideo HDMI to HDMI Converter Upscaler") also listed above... This would be my choice if I did not already have the Elgato internal capture card. If you give me a few weeks I am reviewing a stack of upscalers that are reasonably priced, and I should have a video out as soon as I can. (There are links to all of this in the Description). Be aware I have had some issues with the different upscalers, so waiting for the video might be a good idea before you make the investment. There is too much to share in this comment. I believe a friend of mine has the Elgato HD60x, I will see if I can borrow it and make a video. Thank you for the comment.. have a great day!
@@MiddleSiggysDigitalWorld thanks for the reply! I Just cant see how I can use the Elgato HD60 Pro with a laptop? How does it plug in etc? You mentioned an external device in the video?
You need the HD60X the internal one I have is the HD60. I spoke with a friend of mine who has the HD60X and he said it works like a pass through, meaning you would plug in the upscaler into it and then it plugs into your PC with a USB to control the capture part. That is what I got from my friend. I will see if I can get some better pictures because the images on the Elgato web site are not great
Thanks for the info. But I still have my great Magnavox DVD/VHS player/recorder to convert some of my very old VHS tapes. Most of the VHS movie stuff I have is already in digital renditions, so I don't mess around doing them. My old personal home videos are very easy to convert VHS to DVD with this Player/Recorder. Take care.
Thank you for this informative video. I recently got a VCR, with other accessories, to convert our old VHS tapes. Do you have any recommendations on a software that would upscale after we transfer the movie to the computer?
There are multiple ways to do that, off the top of my head any of the professional editing software can do it, like Adobe Premier, Sony Vegas, or others. Thanks for watching
Hi, thank you for this informative video!! I do experience some problems with method 3 (I ended up with the EasyCel upscaler + Elgato HD60x connecting with my macbook pro 2021): it seems like the Elgato capturing software is not recognizing the device (there is a blinking red light): any ideas how I can fix this? thank you !!
Thank you for the good explanation! But in my case I got only blue screen or the logo of the video player, olso I tried different capture device RCA to USB, Win 10 and 11, and Mac, and different video players but without success. Please give me advice on what to do?
I am looking to convert some old vhs tapes to digital format. I have a Magnavox zv427mg9 VCR to DVD combo, but I want to convert the vhs tapes directly to digital. The Magnavox has an HDMi output which makes the resolution of the vhs tapes very good when watching. Any thoughts?
You can, but you will need the external version of the Elgato Capture Card, not the internal one. As for storage, if your laptop runs out of space you could purchase a different external drive and copy the videos off to that drive.
I plan to finally try converting VHS and VHS-C casettes to DVD's using a Funai converter. Do you think that the setups shown in this video will give better quality than the Funai converter?
I run Mac mini so no way to add a card do you have a suggestion on which usb capture device would be best to use at the top end I would like to get the best quality I can
@Creg P, You have a few options: Option 1) The Elgato Video Capture USB device does support a Mac, so that is one path.. This will capture the videos in 720x480 and they look great. (Depending on the original tape :) ) Option 2) The Path I went down, and you could look at is using an upscaler, and then using the Elgato HD60X which is an external inline product. Then use OBS or the Elgato Capture software to store the video in 720p or 1080p. This personally is what I have done, but instead of the external HD60X I am using the internal HD60... For an upscaler, I would go with: - RCA to HDMI Converter, Wenter 1080P AV to HDMI Converter - $15 - amzn.to/3JZjNgT - YITROX AV Svideo HDMI to HDMI Converter Upscaler - $37 - amzn.to/3lc5LOr
rather then go to DVD can I just go USB/computer? and about how much space does say a 8hr video take? I have surface pro, just checking if i can use that?
Thanks for the great video! I am having trouble connecting the Elgato to my DVD player. My LG DVD player does not have the yellow/white/black audio video jacks, just an HDMI jack (out to TV). Is there a coupler I can use to hook up these two (the female elgato jacks to the HDMI)? Any advice you can offer would be great!
Interesting demo of these 3 different converters. They all look great, but i really didn't care for the 4:3 to 16:9 upscaler, because it seemed to stretch the picture. Unless i missed something, is there a way to up scale to a 4:3 to an HD without stretching it to 16:9? Thanks
Yes with the Yitrox it does support 4:3, I was learning in some of these and at times got lazy and just stuck with the 16:9. You might also need to set up a special profile with something like OBS because most computers are 16:9 now and they all want that format. good luck
I want to save my vhs tapes to digital on my computer and then make dvd copies from that. Per your recommendation I purchased the yitrox with added power supply. Should I connect my yitrox to my vcr then from yitrox to Elgato hd60 x then to my computer using the elgato software. Also what resolution do you recommend I set my yitrox to. I’ll be using 4:3
Hello! This is a great video and I want you to know how much I appreciate you producing it! Do any of the capture methods allow you to break the recording into distinct segments or recording sessions? Thank you, David Lavimoniere
Dave the only one that gives you any ability to cut or trim the video is the Elgato software. But it only allows for a trim on the beginning and end. You will really need some other video editing software. I use Sony Vegas. I have been thinking of researching others to share that don’t cost as much. I do think Microsoft’s movie maker has some basic functions and then some better for a fee. Hope that helps
I recently started capturing footage from my VHS tapes using a Diamond VC500 and OBS Studio. There's an excellent UA-cam video from Tim Ford which has detailed instructions on using OBS to capture videotapes. As for software to edit and cut segments without re-encoding, I recommend a free program called LosslessCut. It's easy to use but quick and clean cuts can only be done at keyframe locations so I specify a keyframe interval of 2 seconds in the OBS recording options menu for that purpose. The default keyframe interval of 0 in OBS is the "auto" mode which is around 8 seconds and not ideal for precise cuts.
I've used the Elgato on my MAC for a few months. It was great. Then all of a sudden NO video signal (but I do have the audio) I did not change the physical connections. I tried the coax (yellow) and it did not work as well as the S-VS connection and no video. I reinstalled the program and no luck. Any ideas? TIA
Does a broken camcorder screen affect digitalisation? I have a sony handycam, tapes all working when viewing through the viewfinder, but the camcorder’s viewing screen had broken sometime ago, so the issue i have been running into is a black screen only when i open any video capture software, obs or any other does is the broken camcorder screen causing this issue? And do i now have to seek for a new camcorder ?
Good morning, do you think adding a time base corrector will help with the digitizing process? Or is it just overkill because of the multiple connections? Thanks
Hi, Very nice which is reason, for teh first time, that I ask a question: The Hi8 video look OK in teh eye-piece. Hooked to a TV they look a little fuzzy and quality of voise deterirated. Hooking with a Video Capture card the video quality is terrible, jumping all over, color distortion, poor audio. This is an inexpensive Video capture external unit. Will the more expensive video capture unit get me better result, or there is something else need to sync the laptop and teh camcorder? I followed all the set up as they showed it and tried to different SW. Thanks
Thanks so much for this! I have a Mac, and have found that many of the video capture devices are spec'd for PCs. Do you have a recommendation on the best HW/SW to convert VHS tapes to digital files on a Mac?
OBS studio is supposed to work with a MAC and you can use the external Elgato capture device and maybe go that way. I am not a MAC guy but I think that path should work
i am trying to connect my vcr to the elgato video capture card i get audio but i don't get video i've tried using the svideo as well as the rca composite but all i get is audio but when i hook my vcr to tv i get video and audio can you give me advice as to what i'm possibly doing wrong
The best way is a DVD Recorder. Keeps the video in a 576i 50i and then pull the VOB files onto your PC off the DVD. Everything else introduces noise and compression that you don't want.
DVD is highly compressed MPEG2 with GOP. The best way is a DV conversion (well actually the best way is domesday duplicator but anyway) where you get a 25Mbps intraframe AVI file you can throw through Avisynth filters after cutting and color correction in a NLE (Premiere/Resolve..) which is "losless" when done right [smart rendering]. QTGMC will deinterlace to 50p, denoise and sharpening the image a little and catapult the quality to another sphere.
So remember this is just a digital converter, not a capture card, so you need a capture card that can take the output from the upscaler, into something like the Elgato, I then use OBS Studio, although Elgato also has its own software you get with their hardware
I tried this and it didn't work. I went from a VHS player to the YITROX Upscaler to the Elgato HD60 S+ to my laptop and I just get a blank screen. When I cycle through the resolutions on the upscaler, the best I can get is a flashing rainbow screen that says there is no input. Am I doing something wrong or does this combination not work?
I am sorry new to this, so my questions is does converter capture at high def and use the upscaler for just a better play back in he? Do you have to use both to get hd out of the VHS on computer?
Do either of the usb options fix the audio sync problem? On a long capture, the audio gets increasingly out of sync with the video with all of the devices I have tried so far.
My problem is that my videos have mold. I have about 50 tapes. I tried putting one in the vhs and it jammed. And I dont have the time nor the capacity to do this myself. Can you recommend a professional service that can clean and convert to digital? One idea I had is to see if it is possible to move the vhs tape to an old time movie reel and then project on the walls.
Your video was incredibly easy to understand and helpful! Thanks! One question: I am a MacBook user and I would like to go with the highest end transfer possible from VHS. Do you know if the Elgato HD60 Pro works on Mac OS or do you have any suggestions for a similar product that works with Mac OS? Thanks again!
The HD60 is an internal card, so no, but Elgato had an external version HD60X and there might be a 4K version now because the HD60’s are now a little older. I have a good friend that uses the HD60X with his MAC
@@MiddleSiggysDigitalWorld thanks! I managed to grab a new Gefen online and am going to look into the Elgato HD60X. Another unit a friend highly suggested to me was called a Blackmagic Intensity Pro or a Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle... are you familiar with either of those?
When converting there is a latency in signal from the vhs tape to the recording software. The first few seconds show a black screen without sound and is missing. How do you fix this? Also, green flashes sometimes appear in the saved video. How to get rid of this?
320x240 is not the VHS resolution. Both Ealcheapo and Elcrapo USB devices are as the name suggests. Is Elcrapo paying you? The final method distorts the picture to incorrect aspect ratio. Bst option is to just convert to DV, or take an interest in the RF archiving.
I was wondering about your third option. If you upscale an output to 16 x 9 at 1080P, doesn’t it just stretch your image? It looks good, but everything seems stretched out. Is it not possible to output and upscaled 4 x 3 file with the Elgato software or OBS? I know 4 x 3 is less attractive but it is native and the images and people in the video will look proportional.
Guys if you can deal with spending the money for the Elgato I would do it, cause you NEVER know with the cheaper one. I got mine a few weeks ago but didn't start converting till last Sunday (4/16/23) it was super easy! I have no regrets.
I just started a a digital conversion company and this helped me streamline it all amazing video great job
Glad it helped!
What is the name of your company. Is it possible for me to convert the VHS tape of my parents wedding without having to buy the equipment 😢
The native resolution of VHS is 640 x 480 pixels, not 320 x 240 pixels. Computer monitors use square pixels, so 640 x 480 digitized files will appear correctly (ie: undistorted) on these screens. TV sets use non-square pixels, so 720 x 480 digitized files will appear correctly (ie: undistorted) when played on a regular TV.
Incidentally, one of the most important considerations when digitizing videotapes is that the hardware must de-interlace the original signal. Without proper de-interlacing, the video will appear very "pixelated" whenever there is motion (or camera shake) in the recorded tape. If the hardware does NOT de-interlace the signal, there are two things you can do. First, you can use computer software to de-interlace the video after the fact. There are many apps that can do this (such as Handbrake) however, it can take hours to complete the process depending on what de-interlacing algorithm is used.
Alternately, you can play back the interlaced video using programs like VLC Media Player that include a menu option for de-interlacing on the fly. Works pretty well. However, I much prefer to get properly de-interlaced videos right off the bat from the capture device. The Elgato does a nice job of de-interlacing but it does "soften" the image a little bit. This can actually be an advantage because a "softened" video appears less NOISY, and old VHS tapes can certainly be pretty noisy (ie: grainy).
All great points. And I totally agree about the interlace comments. I like some of the upscalers as they with the capture card de-interlace the video at 60fps and you can see the difference.
You're right about needing ~480 pixels high.
No analog format has a native pixel resolution, but all video formats of a given standard have the same fixed number of scanlines. 525 for NTSC with about 480-486 having information. That's true for VHS, broadcast, laserdisc, etc. But there are no pixels. Resolution across a given scanline is a matter of bandwidth and the way they measure is by how many vertical lines can be resolved (these are lines drawn N-S).
Because the number of scanlines is always going to be the same when a given video format's resolution is stated the 480 is implicit. What they're talking about is that number of vertical lines that can be resolved *across* a scanline. You could fully capture the information in a VHS picture with somewhere in the 300-350 pixel across range, so a 320x480 picture would work pretty well but require everything viewing it to be pixel aspect ratio aware, so that it would display as a 4:3 picture properly.
That was a fairly common format on the Amiga, back in the '80s and '90s, because it was very video aware. Amigas natively didn't have square pixels. But PCs and Macs are square pixel machines. 720x480/720x486 files with non-square pixel aspect ratios don't always show properly on PCs or Macs if the codec doesn't embed appropriate meta information about aspect ratio or the viewer doesn't make assumptions and apply a transform just based on the container size. Capturing 640x480 is convenient overkill, has the right aspect ratio for viewing on the desktop, while 320x240 is throwing away a lot of information. De-interlacing needs to interpolate and frame blend both spatial and temporal information whether you're looking for the best 30fps result or 60fps result.
I bought a brand new Elgar from eBay and it doesn’t work, first of all the software doesn’t fully run, when it comes to recording time and it only captures and plays the signal once a day if I’m lucky, the problem is not the usb 2.0 I have converter hub, my laptop is new and good, the vcr is good, so the problem is elgato device
I'm surprised an all-in-one device doesn't exist that takes the vhs and records directly onto a usb without needing playback on a screen
It does exist, but I don't know how good it is. I haven't researched it.
The strategy is to have everyone buy this method first, so companies make as much money as possible.
Most people back in the day used combo units to record to DVD or HDD which can be copied to PC.
Having a screen is better as it lets you know of any issues there will be from the original source e.g. bad tracking or interference.
Uh, they did. And, you can still find them used. VHS/DVD recording combo.
I actually have one. That I seldom used. Other than recording (on DVD!) a soap opera my wife liked but couldn't watch at daily broadcast times. Then, it got put away in a cabinet for years.
Recently, I pulled it out and set it up to use to transfer some old VHS tapes to DVD for a friend. And of course, my "single button smart dubbing" doesn't work.
I spent a couple of hours setting up because the outputs are RCA and S-video only. And of course, none of my available TVs or monitors have such inputs.
When I finally got it to work with an old TV I had, I found that it played the VHS tapes and any DVDs I threw at it just fine. But of course, I can't get the DVD to record. I've spent another five or ten hours messing with it, following the instructions to a T and trying to find solutions on the internet. To no avail. And, silly me, I purchased fifty blank DVDs and labels for the DVDs and for their Jewel cases BEFORE finding out my old combo unit doesn't work.
And, it's hardly worth trying to have fixed.
That's why I'm here now, for this video. I was trying to find out if those cheap analog to digital converters work. At $35 I was afraid they would just be another Amazon come on waste of money.
I still have a computer with a DVD burner in it. And, I've been building a digital music and video library with it. That's the next step I wanted to take if one of these converters will actually work. For old VHS video as well as some old records.
To absolutely maximise the quality of captures I would highly recommend using 75 ohm coaxial cables when possible for video connections (particularly composite and s-video, which is what you're limited to with VHS players) not the 'shoelace' ones typically supplied with most AV equipment. They eliminate a lot of the 'edge ringing' which people often assume to be intrinsic to analogue video signals.
That is very interesting.. Thank you for the information. I am going to have to redo some of my VHS tapes I will look into that before I do so..
@@MiddleSiggysDigitalWorld You're very welcome. The difference is very easy to see if you compare the cable types with the picture from a DVD player (it provides a clearer reference than VHS) using its composite-out - it's not subtle. It will be somewhat less pronounced with s-video, but still quite noticeable. I've actually seen a player give a better picture with composite via 75 ohm coax than RGB (component) via a poor quality SCART (be thankful you never had to deal with these truly awful connectors in the US) ETA >> BTW, RCA-terminated SPDIF audio cables are the same thing, they carry a similar signal frequency (which is RF) to that of SD analogue video. You can even make your own pretty easily (and cheaply!). If you use RG59 RCA's, most are compression/crimp and don't even need soldering.
After making all of these videos I have found out a few things.. I also think I am going o have to buy a new VCR, because I am limited with the one I currently have, and it does not even have the coaxial connectors.. again thank you for the feedback.. Have a great day!
@@MiddleSiggysDigitalWorld I might have been leading you up the garden path somewhat - S-VHS via dual coaxial would be perfect but of course one is restricted to the standard 4-pin cable and connector, barring some serious modding. Otherwise (and I might be teaching my gran to suck eggs) if your VHS player is a decent one you could just make sure you're using a good S-VHS cable that definitely has individually shielded cores. Keep keeping on!
I appreciate very much the clear graphics & text charts you made - good production values! Tip: next time keep the name & pic of the reviewed hardware on the screen a few seconds longer. Thanks again.
Great suggestion!
I use a method similar to the 3rd option. I plug the VCR into a upscaler then from the upscaler to the original Elgato HD capture device through HDMI. I use OBS and run it at 720P 30FPS lossless quality. I then upload the footage to UA-cam and even though all the movies get claimed and no one else can watch them, the person who uploaded it can. Free server space for all my movies.
Nice. I like the idea around youtube. I personally use a plex server and share the home movies with family members that way
Sweet video. Very helpful to see the differences of a few products. Wish I knew this years ago.
Glad it was helpful!
You might want to look into the domesday duplicator for laser-disc project's vhs extension. Basically, you tap into the raw read head's analog signal and that gets recorded. The recorded signal is then decoded at a much higher resolution and quality than the video player's own circuitry is capable of.
Not sure if this channel got the right "clients" for this ;) But yeah, domesday is amazing. I'm still going the DV-A/D conversion route (+ TBC) and let QTGMC do its magic at the end. No crappy "A.I" upscaling.
I would just use OBS to record you can just add your capture device in OBS than record at any resolution, output any file format, crop and use a good deinterlace. I would capture lossless with OBS and than handbrake to compress the file for the best possible quality. For a free software it's surprisingly good and way better than the crappy software provided.
I agree OBS is a great free substitution. I have used it many times already.. Great feedback!
i could turn my VHS into 1080p using OBS? i havent used it yet, but will try thx
@@paulpolizzi3421 The best way is to rip in the original 480p then upscale using a software as Topaz AI Enhanced. The result is amazing.
Upscalling from 480p to 4k introduces artifacts.
You lost me at OBS😮
Maybe I missed this but where is the video stored? A Memory card? my laptop? If it's a card what size do I get? An suggestions?
Thanks for the great instructional videos. I just ordered the Yitrox converter, Elgato HD60X and clean power supply. I have about 50 VHS, VHS-C and Mini-DV tapes recorded from 1993 thru 2010 that I'm excited to - gradually - convert to high quality digital videos that can be shared with others. Will let you know how they look after I get started.
Check out OBS Studio as the capture software..
@MiddleSiggyHomestead I had also downloaded OBS based on another video I watched about a different method using less capable converter/capture HW. I thought the Elgato capture utility download would be adequate, no?
Yes the Elgato hardware and software is great stuff.. and I did use the Elgato software, but I use OBS because I stream and because I am just so familiar with it. There is nothing wrong with the Elgato software.
@@MiddleSiggysDigitalWorld How do you put it directly onto YouTUbe?
Very informative and professional 👏 This very well may be the best VHS to Digital Conversion How To video of our time! Its so thorough and clear, its as if my Father is teaching me.
Wow. You have literally left me speechless and touched. I feel as if we have known each other our entire lives. This seriously means the world to me.
@@MiddleSiggysDigitalWorldThis is so wholesome
Great explanation for VSH to digital
I agree except I'm 73, so it's like my grandson is teaching me:)
Thanks for the great videos! I've started the vhs conversion journey with the yitrox upscaler and hd60 pro. However, some doubts about getting the right settings in place remain...
Using OBS seems the way to go. But what would be the best choices resolution wise? Setting the yitrox to full 1080@60 output will distort the 4:3 PAL aspect ratio. Would it be better to go for one of the 4:3 outputs, or rescale afterwards in OBS to a 4:3 aspect ratio? Is there a reason to go for 60fps or 50, like 60 is 2x30 from ntsc and 50 is 2x25 from pal?
Great job on the VHS to digital conversion. The Elgato clearly provided the best quality result; however, it upscaled and stretched the original 4:3 image to 16x9 at 1080p. I'd like to see the 1080p squeezed back to the 4:3 aspect ratio. That, I think, would provide more of an apples to apples comparison and provide more of a visual improvement. I digitized my old 8mm films at 1080p while keeping the original 4:3(ish) film aspect ratio in a 16x9 window (fame). I then edited them in DaVinci Resolve and rendered them at 3840 x 2160 (super scaled to 4k) while keeping the movie image at a 4:3 aspect ratio inside of a 4k 16x9 window. I'm curious to see your 720p 4:3 result upscaled to 4k in a 16x9 frame via DaVinci Resolve or render your 720p version in DaVinci and do an upscale in Topaz Video AI. They both would keep the the aspect ratios correct, 16x9, without altering the original 4:3 image. Just a thought. Again, great job on you tutorial. Thanks!
Thanks Bob, I am glad you enjoyed the video. Sounds like you have a fun project on your side also
I do not like stretching the image that way. I use the Elgato device and follow the instructions of another UA-cam creator to use OBS capture software. I include interlacing at 60 fps for smoother motion. I prefer to preserve the 4x3 aspect ratio to avoid distorting the image.
Smart I actually do the same just did not put all of that in my videos
Thank you for extremely informative and helpful video. I had tried various methods with the gears that the camcorder came with but none that my computer would recognize the video input. I was going to get the Roxio VHS to DVD software package but ultimately decided on the Elgato (after watching your video).
Again, thank you, sir!
Fantastic you answered all the questions I had to ask, and more! Thank you very much for making this video!
Thank you Dino.. that makes my day!
I have successfully transferred VHS & Betta tapes to didgital files,burn to DVDs using LG HDD recorder,can use pause function to cut-out unwanted material on tape.Your methode is much cheaper & improves video images better,thanks for your clip
IvoMac, Thank you for watching and the comments.
Very good and concise video, thanks much.
Do you think that a Magix’s Vegas Pro would do a better job of upscaling than a hardware solution?
That is a great question. I use Vegas for my editing. I will run some tests on the videos I have and find out. Might be a bit I have a bunch in the queue. I will post it as a video in the future. Thanks again.
was just going to send my vids to imemory and was freaking out to send-i found your vid and am going to do #3 option.
THanks for the vid, do you ever have issues with audio/video sync? My audio after doing this always comes delayed by about 20frames, very annoying as have to bring in premiere and re-export it. Any advice appreciated 🙏
Clear and concise, thoroughly informative video
Glad it was helpful! These are my first videos.. So that means a lot.. Thank you!
I decided to follow your recommendation but did the ElGato HD60x since I only have laptops... but the issue I am dealing with is my VCR only has Yellow/White components and the upscaler feed is black & white... do I need a VCR with the 3 component jacks (which I thought was better audio only)? Any idea what I may be doing wrong?
And I'll add that even if I try to capture it on the elgato, I get an error that 1280x1024p59 is not supported. The Yitrox shows (when I connect it via HDMI to my tv) 800x600, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. The instructions for both devices are nonexistent!
Hi, that final image is stretched though. Does the upscaler allow you to output in 4:3 aspect ratio?
looks like the upscaler has the following formats: 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x1024, 1920x1080
Very informative video. What program is best for editing the video once it is downloaded to he PC?
Great breakdown of the various devices 👍 I have some family video to convert and your instructions were well done. Thank you 🙌
they say elgato is obsolete now dec 2023, ? , what is modern capture cards etc i could use today ? i have a black magic intesity shuttle.. do i need to pair this with a decent video card in my home pc ? or any video card work ? i am transferring many old svhs tapes ot ditigal.
Look at the Elgato 4K cards
The Elgato worked great.
Thanks for the guide
no, it is bad. I use easycap. it is cheaper and produces better quality
Composite video capturing? Hmmm, bad idea.. Use SVHS y/c signal wherever possible. Edges will be sharper and colour less shifted.
I would but considering these tapes are from the 80’s and they are standard VHS I am sort of stuck. But thanks for the idea.
Great clear instructions, Thanks
Thank you, Thank you! This was EXACLY what i wanted to see!
Glad it was helpful!
This is a decent overview. But with option #3, why did you upscale a 4:3 image to 16:9, stretching it horizontally in the process? Certainly, you don't intend it to be viewed like that. How do you then correct for the error afterward? By scaling down to 4:3 again and throwing some of the data away? But if you do that, you're effectively blurring it twice.
Thank you for the compliment. The short answer on stretching is I did not think it looked that bad (I am just a little chubby in the video 😁 because of the stretch) and it was the sample I had at the time I edited the video. That was my very first video for UA-cam and I just forced myself to get it out, so I cut a few corners.. I don’t think I would ever go back, although I could. I think I would just recapture and not have the software stretch.
Again thanks for the feedback.
Personally I really hate seeing the incorrect aspect ratio. It is always very obvious to me and annoying. I’m sure the video would look best out of the three options if it was corrected.
@Tyler Hickernell message was received.. check out my latest video on film conversions.. I think I got it right in that one :)
Thank You for Watching!
Great video cheers 👍 just ordered the 3rd option from Amazon.
Perfect, Thank you for watching
Thank you for this video. I was using the Hauppague PVR to digitize some VHS performance tapes, but that unit no longer works. I am not as educated as others on the various components needed to make the upscaling and conversion work on a video that lasts almost 3 hours. I get the upscaling converts the 480 res file to a 1080 file, so that is the first step? Then which Elgato unit to use to send the file to the computer? I am using a laptop to do this.
I would have been nice to see the comparison between the already scale 720 Diamond VC500 and Elgato 1080 with the upscaler, to see if it is worth it to spend the extra money.
Thanks for the video! I hope you don't mind a quick question. I purchased the Elgato HD60X (external) capture device and, on the box, it says NVDIA GeForce GTX 10xx is required. I will be using a mini-PC with Intel Corei7-13700H (13th gen) with integrated Iris Xe Graphics. Will my PC and the HD60X work OK for VHS conversion? I am still looking for an upscaler so I'm also interested if you (or any fans) have updated your recommendations.
The Elgato is easy to use and works great.
As far as an upscale I’ve yet to find one that works. Prism and Hitpaw did nothing and Yitrox was a waste of money. On all of these the output video was no different than the original.
8:27 Yeah, because the VCR records in 480i, not in 240p, also the horizontal resolution is more then 320, but it's in analog. The real resolution is arround 400x440i.
Newbie here. Your videos are excellent! In trying to mesh several of your videos together to go straight from VHS to hi def (1080p, I think). Would I connect the VCR to the Yitrox HD Converter to the Elgato HD 60 X to my laptop USB to make this work? And it sounds like the S-cable is superior to the composite cables so I have that option available. Have I understood how the Yitrox and the Elgato work together in between in the VCR and the laptop? Or should a newbie just stick with the regular Elgato simple setup because it's good enough? Thank you for all the videos.
You got it all perfectly. The VCR / Camcorder what ever will use the RCA or S-Cable to go to the Yitrox (the upscaler) and that will go into the Elgato Capture card. then the piece I did not share, use something like OBS Studio to record the video, or Elgato will provide software also.. But I used OBS. thanks for watching
Stumbled onto your videos and subscribed. I have tons of older videos I would like to convert to digital. I had originally copied many videos to DVD using a DVD burner however the results are not near as good as I would like. Both VHS and Hi-8 formats. But I also have a ton of even older 8mm/Super8 film that needs converting as well. I've sorta been eyeing a company in AZ that will do this for you. They also have the ability to enhance the video quality to make these older videos look even better......at a price however.
I might have to try your methods for the newer(VHS/Hi8) stuff. I will admit however that over time the videos degrade on tape making the conversion possibly less than original.
I am working on my 8mm and super 8 film conversion you will have to check that out. Thanks for watching
I cannot see the utility of changing the aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9, as it stretches the picture horizontally.
That being said, the sharpness and clarity of the third option was impressive.
Awesome video! Just watched your upscaler video, very informative. Do you recommend certain VCR players? Thank you.
It depends on the type of tapes you have. If you were going to get one minimally I would get one labeled hi-definition with 4 heads. But if you had some of the newer high definition vhs tapes you would want to get one that could support the highest quality tape. Some of the higher end ones also have the S-video port and that might get you a better quality picture.
Hi, thank you for your videos..ive learned so much. I did create the similar set up with upscaler and elgato hd60+ with OBS. I did a 5 minute test run with my vhs transfer.1440x1080p 60 fbs, mp4...after I completed and it transferred to my laptop...the video file was huge. 5 minutes = 1GB of a 6 hr tape! I lowered to 720x480 (1gb=9 minutes) then 680x480 etc. Obviously the OBS does not compress. What do you do with your files using this way? Do you use a compression software? Perhaps, I've completely set the parameters wrong. I'd appreciate any advice. I should say, I'm tech savvy but a little more than a beginner. Thank you
I'm using Method 3 to digitize some VHS-c tapes in a standard VHS adapter tape (the HD60 Capture Card and the Yitrox) plugged into an srd4900 VCR and my video is coming out B&W and the A/V cuts out every few seconds. I've returned my first Yitrox thinking it was defective but the second one is now doing the same thing. Tried connecting the Yitrox and VCR to my TV and the problem persists.
Any idea why this is happening? The VCR and tape work fine when connected directly through composite cables to my TV. The VCR and tape also work fine when routed through a different, lower quality AV:HDMI converter box.
Question: Does the software allow to you to add text comments to the converted video. For example, names of people or places in the video?
For method #2, can you pause/move footage frame-by-frame for editing with Elgato?
Hi Awesome video, thank you. I am in Australia we use PAL system. I want to convert Hi8 to digital. Would the YITROX AV Svideo HDMI to HDMI Converter Upscaler in combination with the Elgato HD60X (Windows laptop) work here? Would really appreciate your thoughts
Appreciate the videos and peoples comments. I'm Capturing video from VHS tapes using my Samsung DVD-V8600 dual DVD and VHS player (which plays S-VHS tapes, and has both S-Video out and Component out...) I'm still uncertain what is recommended for getting the best reasonable results. I'm mostly doing this to preserve the content for the future... I have both a Windows 10 laptop and Macbook Pro 2017 (with Final Cut Pro), so I can use either... Is S-Video out the best? And plug it into what? Should I use an upscaler or not? And what software? Again, thinking of the best reasonable results. I'm willing to spend a reasonable amount if needed... Thanks!
Chris, watch my video on the upscalers.. what you will end up as a recommendation for your situation is the Yitrox upscaler, which does support the S-Video cable, and yes you want to use that if you can. Then a good capture card. I would recommend any of the Elgato brands, I have been having a lot of luck with them. For a Laptop look at the HD60X
Great video! I Have actually copied a lot of my old videos and video 8 tapes to my PC a few years ago using a pretty cheap bit of kit I bought on Amazon. The results were ok considering. However seeing that software has come on a lot since then I'm thinking of doing them all again. The top quality product looks great but how do I use it without a tower to fit it in? What device will I need to house it with a laptop? Cheers.
You are exactly where I have been for the last few months, which is what started all of this.. So good luck with your project.. :)
If I were to do it again (and I just might) with a laptop, I would go with 1)The Elgato Video Capture device I shared in the video. or 2)The Elgato HD60 X External Capture Card which will work with a laptop. Plus an upscaler... (Right now I am leaning towards the "YITROX AV Svideo HDMI to HDMI Converter Upscaler") also listed above... This would be my choice if I did not already have the Elgato internal capture card. If you give me a few weeks I am reviewing a stack of upscalers that are reasonably priced, and I should have a video out as soon as I can. (There are links to all of this in the Description). Be aware I have had some issues with the different upscalers, so waiting for the video might be a good idea before you make the investment. There is too much to share in this comment.
I believe a friend of mine has the Elgato HD60x, I will see if I can borrow it and make a video.
Thank you for the comment.. have a great day!
@@MiddleSiggysDigitalWorld thanks for the reply! I Just cant see how I can use the Elgato HD60 Pro with a laptop? How does it plug in etc? You mentioned an external device in the video?
You need the HD60X the internal one I have is the HD60. I spoke with a friend of mine who has the HD60X and he said it works like a pass through, meaning you would plug in the upscaler into it and then it plugs into your PC with a USB to control the capture part. That is what I got from my friend. I will see if I can get some better pictures because the images on the Elgato web site are not great
@@MiddleSiggysDigitalWorld Ironic that 'the images on the Elgato web site are not great'.
Good video
Exactly what I wanted to see
Thanks a lot to record this helpful video:)
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the info. But I still have my great Magnavox DVD/VHS player/recorder to convert some of my very old VHS tapes. Most of the VHS movie stuff I have is already in digital renditions, so I don't mess around doing them. My old personal home videos are very easy to convert VHS to DVD with this Player/Recorder.
Take care.
Thank you for watching..
Thank you for this informative video. I recently got a VCR, with other accessories, to convert our old VHS tapes. Do you have any recommendations on a software that would upscale after we transfer the movie to the computer?
There are multiple ways to do that, off the top of my head any of the professional editing software can do it, like Adobe Premier, Sony Vegas, or others. Thanks for watching
Amazing, Joe!
Thank you.. Stay tuned for more.. Having fun!
Hi, thank you for this informative video!!
I do experience some problems with method 3 (I ended up with the EasyCel upscaler + Elgato HD60x connecting with my macbook pro 2021): it seems like the Elgato capturing software is not recognizing the device (there is a blinking red light): any ideas how I can fix this? thank you !!
Thank you for the good explanation! But in my case I got only blue screen or the logo of the video player, olso I tried different capture device RCA to USB, Win 10 and 11, and Mac, and different video players but without success. Please give me advice on what to do?
I am looking to convert some old vhs tapes to digital format. I have a Magnavox zv427mg9 VCR to DVD combo, but I want to convert the vhs tapes directly to digital. The Magnavox has an HDMi output which makes the resolution of the vhs tapes very good when watching. Any thoughts?
Hello, can I use options 1 or 2 on a laptop or do I need a larger pc? Thanks for all the great info!
You can, but you will need the external version of the Elgato Capture Card, not the internal one. As for storage, if your laptop runs out of space you could purchase a different external drive and copy the videos off to that drive.
There is a new one out called the Clear Click video 2 digital converter. No computer needed.
I plan to finally try converting VHS and VHS-C casettes to DVD's using a Funai converter. Do you think that the setups shown in this video will give better quality than the Funai converter?
I run Mac mini so no way to add a card do you have a suggestion on which usb capture device would be best to use at the top end I would like to get the best quality I can
@Creg P, You have a few options:
Option 1) The Elgato Video Capture USB device does support a Mac, so that is one path.. This will capture the videos in 720x480 and they look great. (Depending on the original tape :) )
Option 2) The Path I went down, and you could look at is using an upscaler, and then using the Elgato HD60X which is an external inline product. Then use OBS or the Elgato Capture software to store the video in 720p or 1080p. This personally is what I have done, but instead of the external HD60X I am using the internal HD60...
For an upscaler, I would go with:
- RCA to HDMI Converter, Wenter 1080P AV to HDMI Converter - $15 - amzn.to/3JZjNgT
- YITROX AV Svideo HDMI to HDMI Converter Upscaler - $37 - amzn.to/3lc5LOr
super helpful! thanks a lot
Glad it was helpful!
rather then go to DVD can I just go USB/computer? and about how much space does say a 8hr video take? I have surface pro, just checking if i can use that?
Thanks for the great video! I am having trouble connecting the Elgato to my DVD player. My LG DVD player does not have the yellow/white/black audio video jacks, just an HDMI jack (out to TV). Is there a coupler I can use to hook up these two (the female elgato jacks to the HDMI)? Any advice you can offer would be great!
are you trying to record on the DVD? what Elgato device are you using?
thanks! I need to do this for so many tapes
Interesting demo of these 3 different converters. They all look great, but i really didn't care for the 4:3 to 16:9 upscaler, because it seemed to stretch the picture. Unless i missed something, is there a way to up scale to a 4:3 to an HD without stretching it to 16:9? Thanks
Yes with the Yitrox it does support 4:3, I was learning in some of these and at times got lazy and just stuck with the 16:9. You might also need to set up a special profile with something like OBS because most computers are 16:9 now and they all want that format. good luck
I want to save my vhs tapes to digital on my computer and then make dvd copies from that. Per your recommendation I purchased the yitrox with added power supply. Should I connect my yitrox to my vcr then from yitrox to Elgato hd60 x then to my computer using the elgato software. Also what resolution do you recommend I set my yitrox to. I’ll be using 4:3
Hello! This is a great video and I want you to know how much I appreciate you producing it! Do any of the capture methods allow you to break the recording into distinct segments or recording sessions? Thank you, David Lavimoniere
Dave the only one that gives you any ability to cut or trim the video is the Elgato software. But it only allows for a trim on the beginning and end.
You will really need some other video editing software. I use Sony Vegas. I have been thinking of researching others to share that don’t cost as much. I do think Microsoft’s movie maker has some basic functions and then some better for a fee. Hope that helps
I recently started capturing footage from my VHS tapes using a Diamond VC500 and OBS Studio. There's an excellent UA-cam video from Tim Ford which has detailed instructions on using OBS to capture videotapes. As for software to edit and cut segments without re-encoding, I recommend a free program called LosslessCut. It's easy to use but quick and clean cuts can only be done at keyframe locations so I specify a keyframe interval of 2 seconds in the OBS recording options menu for that purpose. The default keyframe interval of 0 in OBS is the "auto" mode which is around 8 seconds and not ideal for precise cuts.
I've used the Elgato on my MAC for a few months. It was great. Then all of a sudden NO video signal (but I do have the audio) I did not change the physical connections. I tried the coax (yellow) and it did not work as well as the S-VS connection and no video. I reinstalled the program and no luck. Any ideas? TIA
Hi - What would you use to copy from a DV media - JVC GR - D23 DV camcorder to laptop? Thanks....
Kindly make a video that explains about "chemical cleaning" of VCR tapes and how to do..?
I have never looked into that, I will put it on my list.. Thanks for the suggestion
Does a broken camcorder screen affect digitalisation? I have a sony handycam, tapes all working when viewing through the viewfinder, but the camcorder’s viewing screen had broken sometime ago, so the issue i have been running into is a black screen only when i open any video capture software, obs or any other does is the broken camcorder screen causing this issue? And do i now have to seek for a new camcorder ?
Good morning, do you think adding a time base corrector will help with the digitizing process? Or is it just overkill because of the multiple connections?
Thanks
Depends on how bothered you are about perfection, but to be honest it sounds excessive for simple projects.
Hi,
Very nice which is reason, for teh first time, that I ask a question: The Hi8 video look OK in teh eye-piece. Hooked to a TV they look a little fuzzy and quality of voise deterirated. Hooking with a Video Capture card the video quality is terrible, jumping all over, color distortion, poor audio. This is an inexpensive Video capture external unit. Will the more expensive video capture unit get me better result, or there is something else need to sync the laptop and teh camcorder? I followed all the set up as they showed it and tried to different SW. Thanks
Does the same upscaler matter if I go for the Elgato 4k60 pro or HD60 pro? Do I need a "4k" upscaler? Or it doesn't matter?
what about if you have a laptop that only takes USB type C? It's a MacBook laptop from 2022. Can I still use elegato and VC500?
Thank you for this excellent video!!
Thank you Daivd!
Question: I want to convert my VHS tapes to a thumb drive to connect to my tv for family viewing and to share. Which software lets me do that?
I have an old video from back around 1990. It has been kept in a box since then. Any chance that video is still viable?
Thanks so much for this! I have a Mac, and have found that many of the video capture devices are spec'd for PCs. Do you have a recommendation on the best HW/SW to convert VHS tapes to digital files on a Mac?
OBS studio is supposed to work with a MAC and you can use the external Elgato capture device and maybe go that way. I am not a MAC guy but I think that path should work
@@MiddleSiggysDigitalWorld Thanks. I'll check it out.
i am trying to connect my vcr to the elgato video capture card i get audio but i don't get video i've tried using the svideo as well as the rca composite but all i get is audio but when i hook my vcr to tv i get video and audio can you give me advice as to what i'm possibly doing wrong
any ideas on how to upscale vid files to HD or 4k. thanks. loved your vids.
The best way is a DVD Recorder. Keeps the video in a 576i 50i and then pull the VOB files onto your PC off the DVD. Everything else introduces noise and compression that you don't want.
DVD is highly compressed MPEG2 with GOP. The best way is a DV conversion (well actually the best way is domesday duplicator but anyway) where you get a 25Mbps intraframe AVI file you can throw through Avisynth filters after cutting and color correction in a NLE (Premiere/Resolve..) which is "losless" when done right [smart rendering]. QTGMC will deinterlace to 50p, denoise and sharpening the image a little and catapult the quality to another sphere.
@@surject Deinterlacing reduces resolution. Sharpening introduces artifacting. Denoising loses detail. Nice try, mate.
Lol. You serious? ..whatever, have fun with your Macroblocks. @@KrytenXBP
Hi, What Windows version you're using? Windows 10 32bit or 64bit or Windows 11?
I have a tv/vhs combo. Can I use this to convert my vhs tapes? It only has audio/video (white-yellow) inputs.
Hello, nice video. I bought the Yitrox upscaler. Which video software works with this? I can't figure it out. Thank you.
So remember this is just a digital converter, not a capture card, so you need a capture card that can take the output from the upscaler, into something like the Elgato, I then use OBS Studio, although Elgato also has its own software you get with their hardware
Looking to get elgato hd60 external plus upscaler. Does this allow me to recor videos?
Thank you for the good video
I tried this and it didn't work. I went from a VHS player to the YITROX Upscaler to the Elgato HD60 S+ to my laptop and I just get a blank screen. When I cycle through the resolutions on the upscaler, the best I can get is a flashing rainbow screen that says there is no input. Am I doing something wrong or does this combination not work?
I am sorry new to this, so my questions is does converter capture at high def and use the upscaler for just a better play back in he? Do you have to use both to get hd out of the VHS on computer?
Do either of the usb options fix the audio sync problem? On a long capture, the audio gets increasingly out of sync with the video with all of the devices I have tried so far.
My problem is that my videos have mold. I have about 50 tapes. I tried putting one in the vhs and it jammed. And I dont have the time nor the capacity to do this myself. Can you recommend a professional service that can clean and convert to digital? One idea I had is to see if it is possible to move the vhs tape to an old time movie reel and then project on the walls.
Your video was incredibly easy to understand and helpful! Thanks!
One question: I am a MacBook user and I would like to go with the highest end transfer possible from VHS. Do you know if the Elgato HD60 Pro works on Mac OS or do you have any suggestions for a similar product that works with Mac OS?
Thanks again!
The HD60 is an internal card, so no, but Elgato had an external version HD60X and there might be a 4K version now because the HD60’s are now a little older. I have a good friend that uses the HD60X with his MAC
@@MiddleSiggysDigitalWorld thanks! I managed to grab a new Gefen online and am going to look into the Elgato HD60X. Another unit a friend highly suggested to me was called a Blackmagic Intensity Pro or a Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle... are you familiar with either of those?
I am not, but cost wise they seem to be about the same as the Elgato..
When converting there is a latency in signal from the vhs tape to the recording software. The first few seconds show a black screen without sound and is missing. How do you fix this? Also, green flashes sometimes appear in the saved video. How to get rid of this?
Eat cheese, what equipment are you using to do your process?
I am using a device similar to method 1 from the video to capture footage from a camcorder. I am using OBS as recording software
320x240 is not the VHS resolution.
Both Ealcheapo and Elcrapo USB devices are as the name suggests.
Is Elcrapo paying you?
The final method distorts the picture to incorrect aspect ratio.
Bst option is to just convert to DV, or take an interest in the RF archiving.
I was wondering about your third option. If you upscale an output to 16 x 9 at 1080P, doesn’t it just stretch your image? It looks good, but everything seems stretched out. Is it not possible to output and upscaled 4 x 3 file with the Elgato software or OBS? I know 4 x 3 is less attractive but it is native and the images and people in the video will look proportional.
Your videos are great! Could you do a video on converting hi8 to digital please.
Guys if you can deal with spending the money for the Elgato I would do it, cause you NEVER know with the cheaper one. I got mine a few weeks ago but didn't start converting till last Sunday (4/16/23) it was super easy! I have no regrets.
Have to agree 100%
Thank you for the info!
so if I have a 2020 MacBook 16 inch I basically have to go with eh el gato correct?