Video transfer question

[pleschga]

At the risk of angering a mod, I'm porting this question here because I think i'll get a better cross-section of replies, instead of posting in Science and Technology.

If one were trying to pull video from a 16 yr old VHS tape to Final cut, without wanting to drop money on yet another video capture device, could one connect a VCR to a MiniDV camera, and then connect the MiniDV camera to the computer? Would the VHS video need to be recorded to miniDV and then replayed into Final Cut, or could one go directly from VHS, using the miniDV camera as a bridge?

Thanks, and a mod can feel free to move if I am "out of bounds" here....

 

[Mallory]

It's fine here, don't worry about it.

 

[Noname Given]

At the risk of angering a mod, I'm porting this question here because I think i'll get a better cross-section of replies, instead of posting in Science and Technology.

If one were trying to pull video from a 16 yr old VHS tape to Final cut, without wanting to drop money on yet another video capture device, could one connect a VCR to a MiniDV camera, and then connect the MiniDV camera to the computer? Would the VHS video need to be recorded to miniDV and then replayed into Final Cut, or could one go directly from VHS, using the miniDV camera as a bridge?

Thanks, and a mod can feel free to move if I am "out of bounds" here....

As long as the MiniDV camera can do a passthrough of the video singal; and that signal is strong enough that your capture device can read it so that you don't start loosing frames during the capture process; I don't see why it wouldn't work. best advice, try it and see what you get. Worse case is that you're no better off thn you were before, and as long as you use the proper inputs, nothing should get damaged.

 

[USS Intrepid]

At the risk of angering a mod, I'm porting this question here because I think i'll get a better cross-section of replies, instead of posting in Science and Technology.

If one were trying to pull video from a 16 yr old VHS tape to Final cut, without wanting to drop money on yet another video capture device, could one connect a VCR to a MiniDV camera, and then connect the MiniDV camera to the computer? Would the VHS video need to be recorded to miniDV and then replayed into Final Cut, or could one go directly from VHS, using the miniDV camera as a bridge?

Thanks, and a mod can feel free to move if I am "out of bounds" here....

As long as the MiniDV camera can do a passthrough of the video singal; and that signal is strong enough that your capture device can read it so that you don't start loosing frames during the capture process; I don't see why it wouldn't work. best advice, try it and see what you get. Worse case is that you're no better off thn you were before, and as long as you use the proper inputs, nothing should get damaged.

Beat me to it.

Never tried it myself, but I agree, theoretically it might work.

 

[Johnny]

I've run a VHS through a DV deck which seemed to work fine without having to run it off to DV first, but not tried it through a camera.

 

[Maurice]

Or, minus pass-through, you just record to the mini DV cam and then capture the footage off it later. I've done that plenty of times.

 

[noknowes]

Just buy a dvd recorder.They only cost $60.

 

[pleschga]

Or I could just call myself an idiot for not remembering that I have an external TV tuner with composite inputs that I bought ages ago, and use it to go directly from the VCR to my computer.....

Thanks for the suggestions, though.

 

[Jim Steele]

Just buy a dvd recorder.They only cost $60.

Right, because that would really help with getting VHS footage into Final Cut Pro.

 

[noknowes]

I've run a VHS through a DV deck which seemed to work fine without having to run it off to DV first, but not tried it through a camera.

Just buy a dvd recorder.They only cost $60.

Right, because that would really help with getting VHS footage into Final Cut Pro.

What is that?

 

[Maurice]

I've run a VHS through a DV deck which seemed to work fine without having to run it off to DV first, but not tried it through a camera.

Just buy a dvd recorder.They only cost $60.

Right, because that would really help with getting VHS footage into Final Cut Pro.

What is that?

Google it, fer pete's sake...