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You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > MacNN Lounge > VHS to Mac: What's the best approach

VHS to Mac: What's the best approach
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0157988944
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Apr 18, 2008, 12:58 PM
 
I want to take my home videos and get them into my Mac so I can do some cutting in iMovie/Final Cut and more importantly, have them preserved on a less fragile medium.

What is the best way for me to go from VHS to some sort of movie file?

Optimal would be to get it to import direct into iMovie...

I have the VCR, I assume I'd need some cables, would I need any intermediate device?
     
osiris
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Apr 18, 2008, 01:01 PM
 
You need a media converter. One I've used is the Sony Insanely Great Mac Review: Sony Media Converter

I've used it for copying VHS and printing to VHS. It uses firewire and composite video with a hardware codec to convert to DV, works great! There are probably a lot of options out there, some use USB too.
"Faster, faster! 'Till the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." - HST
     
0157988944  (op)
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Apr 18, 2008, 01:06 PM
 
Ack! Anyone know anything cheaper?
     
osiris
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Apr 18, 2008, 01:14 PM
 
Originally Posted by adamfishercox View Post
Ack! Anyone know anything cheaper?
OMG I just noticed that price - but I think that's full retail (if you go to a drug store at 3 am)
I payed $250, but there are cheaper options out there.
"Faster, faster! 'Till the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." - HST
     
Mithras
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Apr 18, 2008, 01:23 PM
 
I think another standard route is to use a DV camera that has composite inputs; record via composite onto the camera, and then use Firewire to transfer to your Mac. If you don't have one, you might know someone who does & would let you borrow their camera for an afternoon.
     
0157988944  (op)
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Apr 18, 2008, 01:25 PM
 
Yeah, I was just looking at that option. Apparently some camera's have a "pass through" mode in which t basically acts as a converter, but the video quality is not pristine (Don't really care about that, it's not like my VHS tapes are crystal quality either.)
     
SSharon
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Apr 18, 2008, 02:20 PM
 
I have used my eyetv for this in the past. Even my USB1 eyetv could do it with decent enough quality. Now with the switch to digital and everyone buying new TVs eyetvs can be had for cheap in the marketplace.
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Nexus5
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Apr 18, 2008, 02:29 PM
 
     
BigBadWolf
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Apr 18, 2008, 02:33 PM
 
I use my Elgato EyeTV hybrid. It was around $120 at the Apple store.

Amazon.com: Elgato Eyetv Hybrid (NTSC): Electronics
     
imitchellg5
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Apr 21, 2008, 09:56 PM
 
VHS? What's that?

My dad bought the Elgato Eyetv to get our old home movies on the Mac. It worked well, seems to have decent quality.
     
ebuddy
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Apr 21, 2008, 10:04 PM
 
Switching from VHS to Mac is a steep learning curve, but I think you'll find OSX very agreeable.
ebuddy
     
0157988944  (op)
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Apr 21, 2008, 10:06 PM
 
Originally Posted by ebuddy View Post
Switching from VHS to Mac is a steep learning curve, but I think you'll find OSX very agreeable.
Will my MAC chew up the tapes like my VHS?
     
OwlBoy
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Apr 21, 2008, 10:10 PM
 
Originally Posted by adamfishercox View Post
Ack! Anyone know anything cheaper?
heh, that was $500 in 1999. I would hope in nearly 10 years there would be something cheaper…

-Owl
     
0157988944  (op)
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Apr 21, 2008, 10:12 PM
 
Good point... Still, I'mm looking at the $200 range, and I dont know about resale value.
     
   
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