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Info: British new kid cuddling 3 VHS tapes... — Page 2

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I recently invested in a fairly decent standalone recorder - a Panasonic DMRES10 - which is great for Sky stuff as it has an RGB input.

But for this kind of work I'd still capture to the PC (via DV) and use a good software MPEG encoder - the hardware encoder in the Panasonic just doesn't have enough finesse, particularly when you're squeezing upwards of 120 minutes onto a disc. Sure it'll take a lot longer, but the results really do speak for themselves. PM me if you need any more pointers (fellow UKer here!)
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Hello Jonno!

I do think the transfer to PC idea might have the most merit.

Presumably the optimum transfer available to me for a VHS tape is composite?
Don't you call me a mindless philosopher...!
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while there are probably professional VHS decks with component connections somewhere in the world, the best commonly available method is to use an S-VHS deck for playback, which will of course have an s-video (Y/C) output (yes, this WILL benefit standard VHS playback, before anyone disputes it!)

You should be able to pick up a relatively cheap S-VHS deck (most on the market are JVC), and most PC analogue capture devices have the 4-pin mini-DIN s-video socket.
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Ah, S-VHS! Of course!

So, S-VHS connection to video card to DVD. That's doable. And I'm much more likely to get a new desktop than a DVD recorder, actually.

Can you get dual-layer drives in PCs in the UK?
Don't you call me a mindless philosopher...!
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Dual layer should be fairly standard now - the Pioneer 111 is a good one if you have any choice (suppose that depends on where you're getting the PC!) Not that I've attempted any dual-layer authoring myself - the compatibility issues have made me a bit nervous, and I haven't done any projects that have really demanded that much capacity on a single disc.

Still, if you want to encode your VHS transfers at maximal bitrates (for maximum 'transparency') I guess it's the only way to go!
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That was my intention. I realise VHS transfer is not going to look tip-top but I'm hoping that, with good quality equipment and cabling, I'll be able to make the best of the remastered 1995 widescreen tapes.

Actually, I'll need a 2-phono stereo lead for the sound, won't I? S-VHS doesn't carry sound, does it?
Don't you call me a mindless philosopher...!
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Nope - picture only. You can get an s-video/2 phono 'bunch', or just hook them up separately. Do you have a capture card / editing software in mind?
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Originally posted by: Jonno
Nope - picture only. You can get an s-video/2 phono 'bunch', or just hook them up separately. Do you have a capture card / editing software in mind?


Er...

My cat's breath smells of cat food!
Don't you call me a mindless philosopher...!
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Well, get your PC sorted and take it from there. Don't bother with an all-in-one type graphics card, they're rubbish for serious video work! You're unlikely to get a 'proper' capture card with analogue connectivity in an off-the-peg PC, but it should at least have a firewire socket, in which case you can use an external analogue>digital converter (£150ish).

Alternatively, I think I might have a card that you could use - will need to look for recent drivers for it before I can be sure. Are your PMs on?

edit: apparently so...
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Yes, I think my next step has to be assembling a decent desktop PC.

People, I am typing to you now from an old Sony laptop on which I have managed to crack the LCD screen. There is a crack, with associated splodge of blackened pixels, running from the upper right of the screen up to the top in the middle and also down to the lower left. It has been like that for almost two years.

I think my next step has to be assembling a decent desktop PC.
Don't you call me a mindless philosopher...!
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Any closer to getting yourself kitted out?
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A belated response to your question, Jonno:

I purchased a JVC HR - S6722EK S-VHS deck last Wednesday from Ebay UK!

The possible purchase of a new desktop PC has been provisionally accepted by the wife, so we're on our way!!
Don't you call me a mindless philosopher...!