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The VHS>DVD Business

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Hi everyone,

I've been toying with the idea here lately of starting a business where I backup people's old VHS tapes (home movies, wedding tapes, etc. - i.e. nothing copyrighted) to DVD.

I was wondering what sort of equipment I would need to start such a business. I think I am getting the software end of things down-pat, but I don't have a video capture card (or whatever it is that I need).

I assume you just plug in AV cables from the VCR to the capture card, hit record on a capture program, hit play on the VCR, and then edit to the customer's liking.

What would be a good piece of hardware to use? Software?

What would be a fair cost to charge for such a service?

Is VHS the most typical format folks want backed up, or is there a big demand for backups of 8mm, slideshows, etc.?

Thanks - feel free to pm or email me with information if you don't want to reply here.
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An industrial deck like the Panasonic AG-1980 would be a good investment, as it's built in TBC and video noise reduction can cope with all but the worst tapes. They are getting harder to find new though. Odds are if you stay in business long enough, somebody will approach you with a stack of Beta or 8mm videotapes. (When I was in college, people often came to the tv station seeking transfers to VHS, but we had to turn them away for some silly regulation! I could have started a business under the table had I been less innocent and more evil.)
I got a decent middle of the line Sony Betamax for off Ebay a couple hundred that works well enough for transfer purposes. You don't need the ultra-expensive high end Sony models with bells and whistles the collectors all chase. Avoid non-Sony manufactured betas like the plague! And don't bid on any Ebay auctions where the seller can't or won't test the deck they're selling. Sony did make 8mm decks, but a camcorder is probably easier to get at this point.

Where were you in '77?