Elgato Video Capture ... analog video tapes to digital

[@jimharris3086]

I worked in audiovisual services for over 40 years at a major university and I do not think that you will find a better introduction to digitizing old video recordings than this.

[@kenslagle7799]

Wayne you made great video on how to convert various video tape formats was informative, keep up the great work and enjoy the hobby.

[@cwaynefox]

Thanks 👍

[@AlonzoWhite]

I really vibed with this Guy. He sold me. Thanks!!!

[@boostAWD]

For your age you are incredibly tech savvy! Thank you for this video, easy to follow and informative.

[@FAAMAN841]

Indeed Eric. Sometimes us '' old people '' surprise the younger chaps....LOL

[@erichhaakmeester5276]

"For your age"? Wow that's pretty ageist. What year is this?

[@LD5536]

Thank you so much. I am thrilled that this worked. I am currently converting 1998 analog V8 tape using my old Sony camcorder and Elgato to Mp4 saving on a windows 11 Dell pc. It is amazing how easy this is! Thanks for the tutorial.

[@cwaynefox]

Glad it helped.

[@Fundementia]

This was super informative! Precisely what I've been looking for to feel comfortable converting old tapes. Thank you, sir!

[@cwaynefox]

Thanks.

[@warwickwas]

Your problem with the screen flickering at 24:14 is caused by ‘lack of TBC (Time-base corrector)’. That’s the exact look I got on mine. I have the Elgato, and bought that model because it consistently was rated at number one for VHS to Digital converters. I’m glad I did. However, what I found were videos that were recorded off the TV directly onto the VHS tape converted to digital perfectly. But my Home videos originally captured on an 8mm camera and then copied to VHS play perfectly on a TV, but they all flickered between scenes and during fast panning when passing through the Elgato. On googling I found the fix and it works like a miracle. However not everyone will have access to this. Feed the Video out of the VHS and into the Video In port of a Hard-drive DVD player (Might work with later model DVD players without the HD), then from the Out Video port of the DVD into the Elgato unit. No flicker what-so-ever! Note: There's no need to bi-pass the audio.

[@Anmol-yr9md]

What fix did u find

[@warwickwas]

@@Anmol-yr9md If you read everything in my comments you'll see It's in my notes near the bottom. See the comment: "Feed the Video out of the VHS etc etc"

[@realJoshiBOI]

I'm 24 years old and I grew up watching and recording on VHS. Now I'm waiting for an S-VHS camcorder I ordered a week ago and I have a few blank S-VHS tapes, but there are also a few (and I mean there are very few) home videos that exist from my childhood, 2 of which are currently lost. I'm glad to know that not only people like you, but also younger people like myself are still making videos about keeping old footage.

[@eugenegeiger5283]

Great presentation. The best that I have come across. Looking forward to using this information to digitize years of family memories.

[@RobertGrabko]

The captured footage at [18:30] of the bright candles in the dark scene was the perfect test footage I was looking for. Unlike the cheaper AV2HDMI mini-box I just bought, the darker parts of the image hold up so well here with the Elgato against the bright portions of the image. I just placed my order for an Elgato thanks to your awesome demo Wayne, thank you!

[@cwaynefox]

Glad it was helpful. Let me know how it worked when for you.

[@petergordon4666]

Thanks, Wayne. Did buy the Elgato and worked fine on Catalina for S-VHS, mini DV.

[@peterandresen1524]

Incredibly helpful for myself and all the others out there trying to digitize old family tapes (and for us young folks interested in recording new content on old mediums). Thank you Wayne!

[@cwaynefox]

Glad it was helpful!

[@matthewlutes2966]

Man, very good presentation. It is like you talking to me in terms I can understand! I'm model year '55 and you're rationale is just like mine. Thanks!

[@pacowonderful]

Thank You Wayne for this video. It's was fun and very informative. Best regards.

[@cwaynefox]

Thanks

[@ThePipster2]

Thank you. Another thing off my bucket list! You explained this so beautifully.

[@cwaynefox]

Thanks. glad you found it helpful.

[@chrispickrell4027]

Great video Wayne and very instructive.Looking to purchase one soon.Cheers

[@cwaynefox]

Thanks 👍

[@Luke17d]

Looks pretty cool. Cant wait to relive my youth and places I visited. Thank you

[@g0mhc]

Great video Wayne, very informative and easy to follow, thanks. And a BIG thank you for no adding intrusive music. Keep up the good work.

[@gugy68]

Great videos. I’m am considering digitizing my mini DV tapes. I have been procrastinating big time. Your video is a great guide and hopefully I’ll get motivated. 😂

[@doughughes257]

Thanks! This gave me the confidence to start my own VHS archiving project.

[@cwaynefox]

Good luck. I've found it an enjoyable process.

[@lukasnikel1835]

Best regards from Czech Republic :) Thank you so much for this video.

[@cwaynefox]

Thanks for watching!

[@jameswubbolt7787]

This was the best explanation of how to vhs conversion i seen.Being a old timer my self it nice to have someone explain it without confusing rushed explanation. Thx.

[@ErnestCBattle]

Extremely helpful. As others have commented, our video experiences are quite similar. The journey down video memory lane was priceless!!! Thank you!!

[@billstrasser3520]

I enjoyed this video. Very straight forward and informative. Thank you.

[@cwaynefox]

thanks. I appreciate the feedback.

[@cdv.8244]

Nice step by step video. I love it. Once I order the Elgato and I’m ready to actually begin digitizing my VHS-C home videos, I will watch this awesome video again. Thumbs up! Thank you Sir. God bless.

[@cwaynefox]

Glad it was helpful!

[@gregcole5693]

Thanks Wayne. Very informative.

[@sidstevens9035]

Very good presentation, well done !

[@cwaynefox]

Many thanks!

[@saca1951]

Informative video, I have an Elgato on order from Amazon...Looking forward to it...

[@cwaynefox]

Have fun!

[@TheMinnow101]

Great Video!!!! Just starting this project myself. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@cwaynefox]

Glad it was helpful!

[@familyhistorywriting]

Your end goal is the same as mine. Thanks for affirming my thoughts :)

[@cwaynefox]

Glad it was helpful. good luck :)

[@peteanderson2533]

Awesome video, thank you. It wasn't $80 here in Australia though lol! It was $150. I hope to get through my tapes in short order, it was close though, I tested a tape and the old 24 year old vcr didn't have a good time. Once I removed the clothes peg and random bit of plastic (thanks son!), gave it a clean, it fired up awesome.

[@cwaynefox]

Good luck!

[@mitchellgarrah4028]

The vhsc camcorders did come out with the hour long takes compared to the 20 minute tapes we loved the jvc camcorders worked great used them for years

[@cwaynefox]

Thanks for the info!

[@neilmartin99]

Any idea why the video quality is so poor when using the Elgato? I'm using a combo TV-VCR as my source for playing the VHS tapes. Using RCA cables from the TV to the Elgato device and plugging that into a USB port on my windows 10 computer. The VHS video displayed on the TV is decent but the recorded video on my computer looks bad. Any suggestions?

[@agenttex]

Greatly appreciate your efforts - thank you…

[@imtrex521]

enjoyable. I like your presentation.

[@cwaynefox]

thanks

[@tvenergyproductions1]

Fascinating video. I am 73 so have followed almost the same film & video path as you, but in the UK. Does your Elgato capture interlaced or progressive? If the latter, do you just change the framerate from 30 to 60 to preserve the lovely analogue smoothness?

[@SteveHowardPhotography]

Wayne - You and I have a lot in common- I've been through all those video and film formats too. I have that same Hi-8 VCR shown on your table. Still use it for conversion. I shot mostly landscapes, but still enjoyed video too. I am in the middle of conversion myself now, and am very interested in your 8mm movie technique. I just started a channel on preserving photo memories myself. Great info you share, thank you so much.

[@cwaynefox]

yep, sounds like we're headed down a similar path. I'll get the video about how I did the 8mm movies next.

[@Bonzi_Buddy]

Get a Digital8 camcorder or player with firewire output. That's cake to do. Otherwise, this method works all the same.

[@MyRedTruck]

Thanks. I see myself and my video library, also unwatched but saved for exactly your instructions about making it available on my computer and big screen TV. I am sure you did not intend it to be hilarious but, for me, it was sensationally hilarious.

[@CheaddakerT.Snodgrass]

Exactly what I needed the video to be. Thanks

[@cwaynefox]

Glad it helped

[@brettalexander5585]

Great video! I had been eying this conversion project of both pictures and VHS tapes for a long time and pandemic has gave me time to seriously consider it. I've been considering Plus Tec picture scanner which before seeing your video on that and even though you didn't approve for my costs I think it'll work for me and I've extensively reviewed questions on the amazon page of whether or not it will work for rougher pictures that were torn from picture books that still have glue and cardboard residue on them. It seems that it will. (what a project that was just to get them condensed down from 10-15 huge storage bins of clunky photo books to 1 single tub.) That process took 3 or so months. The picture scanner will allow me to thin that even more so I can just keep the hard copies of the videos and pictures together in 1 tub as a back up even after I've digitized. I'm hoping I'll be able to sell back that plus tec scanner for a slight loss locally for someone looking on next door or something for someone that might be interested to at least recoup some of my money. The video project has got me narrowed down to this Elgato product as well as a couple of others and I'm glad to have watched your video .

[@DuncanRawlinson]

Your videos are awesome. I find all of them super useful! Thanks.

[@cwaynefox]

Glad you like them!

[@lieschenmuller7606]

Nice video! Thanks. Very informative. Greetings from Germany

[@jackhuddleston6830]

Thanks for the video. You have quite the set up.

[@cwaynefox]

Thanks for watching!

[@Ceres1038]

Thanks for the info. Can you insert an upscaler in the process to improve the video quality?

[@cwaynefox]

never tried an upscaler. For me the quality is fine, it’s more about the memories. you would just have to run the files through such a program after importing them from the tapes. Unless it’s pretty high end with some serious A.I. not sure it would be any different than what the TV does when it shows such a low resolution video and scales it the 4k display.

[@cozythunder1]

Awesome instructional video! I'm buying one!

[@quinbee99]

Great info ,easy to follow , will check out the KZbin part, very interesting

[@brunomarado890]

Good video. Very pleasant to see. Two years ago I also digitized 40 hours of VHS and 8mm/Hi8 and 70 hours miniDV and HDV. It was a lot work but also a lot off fun to see and revive those moments. At the end I offeres a HDDs and DVDs to parents, brother, uncles, mother in law, etc. If I may I would like to recommend you 3 things: (1) On the DV tapes remember to digitize them with the date superimposed on the screen (2) If your JVC camcorder is HDV (high definition), try to get a FIREWIRE transfer in order to have the HD definition (3) i assume you will use the 8mm film projector to project it on the wall and record with a camcorder. Use the JVC for best quality, and when you have an odd ''flashing'' or stange effects, try to play with the shutter speed on the camcorder. Good luck with the project: I am sure your kids will enjoy the memories. Best regards.

[@cwaynefox]

Yes, planning on a video about using firewire for DV tapes. Movies I captured with a frame by frame scanning device (downside is the device is a little pricey) . Hoping to do a video on digitizing old 8mm movies using 3 different techniques.

[@azwb]

I bought one from your link. I started with another setup with Blackmagic Analog to SDI & SDI to UpDownCross 1080p converter to Elgato 60X and although it worked for my Cam Corder it did NOT work on my CHS tapes. Had some dropped frames. Were they due to Time Based Correction? That was a feature included in the Analog to SDI Converter. Maybe popping for a VHS deck with time base correction would fix this. Not sure. I can wait another 2 weeks to figure it out.

[@cwaynefox]

Not sure. I didn’t have any problems. Did you come up with anything?

[@CruizersMotorsports]

some links to the newest installation/driver software would have been good

[@gosman949]

I keep looking for those High 8 decks but they are hard to find and expensive if you find one.

[@lordflacko6770]

Whats the jvc cam model? 😊

[@JarvMonster]

Thanks for proving some old timers can talk tech just as well as millennials!

[@JafriYakin]

MY DUDE IS A OG !

[@thehollowaytotravel]

Thank you, I'm beginning this process and your video is very helpful. Since it's now 2022, I'm wondering how far you got in your project?

[@SpectralightPhoto]

Well done video, Wayne! I enjoyed hearing how you mapped out your video transfer game plan and using small excerpts from longer recordings because who wants to watch all the "excess" video any way?

[@unpopularmoviereviews3622]

Contrary to what a lot of people say, I have noticed significant differences in quality from the various methods of converting VHS to digital. Elgato, unfortunately, was not the highest quality and I wouldn't notice it unless I put it side by side to the higher quality version.

[@cwaynefox]

what other devices? I certainly have no problems with the quality of these old videos. . These VHS tapes are very low resolution/quality, and this device is for the average person who just wants a simply and inexpensive way to view their family tapes in a more convenient way. Not trying for HD cinematic quality here.

[@alanvanallen7762]

Hi Wayne ,good video,thanks,I wanted to transfer my old 8mm videos to computer,upon tryingout my old Sony F455 handycam it would not work properly and gave a nasty smell,so I purchased a Sony TRV110E off Ebay,which plays 8mm,Hi 8 and Digital 8 so used that using the Firewire connection,I was lucky enough that an old Toshiba laptop had a Firewire socket and that made it it very easy,but transferring to AVI resulted in very large files,so I got a USB SSD 1TB drive to store the videos

[@Hhuespe]

Which compression codec are you using?

[@dianeoliveira381]

The only thing I’m wondering is where is best to have the digital conversion for viewing? Should I just keep them on a hard drive??

[@alanvanallen7762]

I bought a USB SSD 1TB to store my videos ,if you save them as AVI 1hour of video uses about 12gb of spacebut is lossless,MP4 takes up much less space

[@MrAdonis2004]

do you have a video downloading the Elgato video capture to your windows pc

[@anonymoso]

Wayne, did you look at the Roxio VHS conversion solution as well?

[@UMirza-ld4up]

Great video! It was really helpful. Thank you!

[@cwaynefox]

You're welcome!

[@marianogonzalez9248]

@@cwaynefox do you hate easycap?

[@denzil932]

Really good and informative, just what I wanted.

[@foot2]

What about deinterlacing?

[@gerilennon6073]

OK Wayne, you are my self appointed hero. Your presentation was EXACTLY where I am at and I so value how you presented. Your philosophy and end goal are spot on. Amazing. I hope you will contact me as I would like to stay in touch. I've hidden all sharp objects and tools and limited myself to 1/2 glass of wine for the project. Thanks. I got a lot out of it all and will order an El Gato Yes, I have multi genres of cameras and doo dads and connectors.

[@alfonsozarco6365]

Thanks help me of lot. Good video

[@introvertedentrepreneur1872]

Thank you. This was a great video to follow. I have successfully set it all up now and it's so easy to use.

[@j.belair7091]

I did buy the Video Capture by Elgato and had no success except for the first two tapes. Starting at the 3rd one, the recording was very jerky and at one point I lost the sound and had to reinstall the drivers. I had to call numerous times for help but just decided to return it after spending about 20 hours on it :(

[@LarryRood]

Wayne, enjoyed this video, am in the process of doing very much the same. You mentioned a video in which you describe how you processed old movie film, has it been posted? Larry Rood

[@cwaynefox]

Currently doing a video on Epson drivers installation, then the one on digitizing movie film is up. hopefully by the end of Feb.

[@jenna2026]

If you live in America you want to capture your VHS videos to 720x480 29.97 fps. That is the highest quality you will get from a VHS digital copy. What I don't understand is why this device in the video only captures at 640x480? That is even below DVD quality. Plus if you ever wanted to put that on a blank DVD or blank Blu-Ray it would need to be reconverted again. So when you look for a GOOD device to make digital copies of your VHS always make sure it gives the options on file format (ideally MPEG-2 for DVD, or MP4), and make sure it captures your video in 720x480 at 29.97 frames per second.

[@cwaynefox]

VHS videos are 4:3 aspect ration. So if you capture at 720x480, you will have to crop the top and bottom of the video so you can expand the horizontal area to fill in the 720 or you will have a “squished” result. 640 x 480 is the same resolution, just leaves black bars on the sides of a 16:9 format TV. The VHS video only has about 200-250 lines of vertical resolution, and even super VHS only had around 250-400 lines of vertical resolution, so to create create the 480 vertical lines of resolution of in a 640 x480 video still requires interpolation. If you expand the video to 720, then you would have to interpolate even more because you are losing some of the available vertical resolution, result is a very slightly softer picture . You can capture in 720x480 mode if you want, but personally I would like the entire original image available, Never know what information will be cut off if you expand it. You can’t get DVD quality out of VHS tapes, there just isn’t enough available data.. And you don’t need to convert it again, if you want to do a DVD or Blu-Ray, the encoding software can “letter box” it with the black bars on the side to fit the 720 format. Personally not sure why make dvd’s or Blu-rays, they are dying pretty fast. Better solution is a good location on the cloud. as far as a “good" device, this device is aimed at someone who just wants a more convenient way to watch their family videos. Quality is fine, and it’s a very affordable option. This isn’t directed at anyone who is trying to make digital copies of TV shows or movies from their old VHS collection.

[@stephenvalley5938]

Thanks for this Wayne. I have some VHS tapes that were transferred from 8mm many years ago, so no audio. Is there a way to dub in a music soundtrack?

[@cwaynefox]

pretty easy to add a soundtrack using a basic video editing program. Just drop your video into the timeline, and drop in an audio track, and then export the results. Should be able to use iMovie on the Mac, or an equivalent video program on Windows.

[@tvenergyproductions1]

I forgot to mention that I use an HDMI to USB convertor with OBS software, and 50fps progressive. The quality is superb.

[@SpectralightPhoto]

Could you share the link to your video showing how you transferred your 8mm movies to video? Thanks!

[@QuixoteX]

If the device has S-video out I recommend using it. Cables aren't all that expensive.

[@cwaynefox]

agreed, although the end quality isn't much different. s-video doesn't add any resolution and side by side there isn't much (if any difference). These old videos compared to what we have now just don't have much clarity and sharpness.

[@Hhuespe]

@@cwaynefox Google "dot crawl composite", S-video gets rid of that.

[@rondahewes2019]

Hello Wayne, I found your presentation very informative thank you so much. I noticed your recording had several topics, can you please advise me on what editing program you recommend to divide these into their own file/DVD. Thanks Ronda (Australia) PS I have just read your reply to Nivea Marshall with similar query. I will now check out QuickTime for my Windows 10. So helpful, greatly appreciated. 🤗

[@cwaynefox]

working on the video to use Quicktime to accomplish this now. Should have it online within a couple of weeks.

[@rondahewes2019]

@@cwaynefox look forward to viewing your results Wayne. I hope to achieve dividing my long video into separate files using QuickTime as you have suggested too. Thanks for your advise on this topic 🤗

[@nosracsmra6833]

Nice and thorough video. Thank you. I have a vhs to dvd converter and the quality is poor. I cleaned the heads and quality is still poor. So I’ll probably be getting that digital converter you have and another cheap vcr with better quality. And no i dont think the tapes are bad cause ive played them elsewhere and quality is perfect. Thanks again for the video!

[@Repeatingpower7]

Hey Wayne! I have a question regarding what devices to use to play the Hi8 tapes. Should I invest in a deck like yours to get the best quality or just use my Sony Handycam with an s-video cable?

[@cwaynefox]

The handycam should be fine.

[@Repeatingpower7]

@@cwaynefox Ok thank you! My camera has a DV port too. Should I try to use that or is S-Video the same or better quality than the DV port?

[@nvsilverlady]

hi Wayne. great tutorial. I'm running into an issue with the connecction from the vcr to the elgato video capture device. My vcr only has the yellow and white composite connectors

[@cwaynefox]

Sounds like the vcr only has mono sound out. You could buy a Y splitter to feed both audio channels from the single output audio channel of the vcr, I believe I’ve heard of others doing that. That way you won’t get audio from only one speaker. Something like this maybe .... amzn.to/3PMi7Yq.

[@chrispm63]

Super thx. If I want to cut clips and move them around after converting what is the easiest s/w to use?

[@cwaynefox]

If you use a Mac, Quicktime works well. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIqqf4SbqdyNnNU Not very familiar with Windows, but I’m sure there are programs that would work similarly to this.

[@bardtheheadthatroared3041]

My Canon es8400 only has A/V out will this work? Thanks

[@aemjae]

Hey Wayne, did you finish the video about converting 8mm clips? I can't find it and I have a ton of 8mm videos I wanna convert, so I would love to get some info on how to do it :)

[@benzampino5248]

Once converted and downloaded to your PC do you need another program to put them on a Disc

[@lithiumlounge6731]

Any copyright problems? Macro vision?

[@upsidedownjim]

Elgato Video Capture Device is "easy" to use BUT I would warn that you are losing a lot of picture quality: detail and the blacks get crushed. I would recommend using a Digital 8 camcorder. Most Digital 8 Camcorders (found on eBay, Facebook Marketplace) will play 8mm and Hi-8 tapes (check the model to be sure). It connects to a computer via Firewire 4-Pin. That port isn't available on modern computers. On PCs you can buy PCI adapter cards or cable adapters to go from Firewire 4-Pin to TB2 or TB3. On Mac, you'll need to use adapter cables. There's some KZbin videos on this method. Basically, adapters needed: 1. Firewire 400 (4-pin) to Firewire 800. 2. Firewire 800 to Thunderbolt 2 (TB2). 3. Thunderbolt 2 (TB2) to Thunderbolt 3 (TB3). Apple sells the latter two which works on PC (according to several KZbinrs. I couldn't ge this to work myself. Avoid cheap firewire cables. Tripp-Lite has a Firewire 4 pin to 800 on Amazon that worked for me. If on a newer Mac (possibly PC as well not sure), I don't think there is support for the DV codec so you may have to go H264 or similar. I've been using a 2010 iMac, Firewire 4-pin from the camera to TB2 into Final Cut Pro 7. Capturing with a Digital 8 camera gives a consistent resolution of 720x480, 29.97 fps and best picture quality. There are a few capture options above this method to eek out a bit more quality but likely costs thousands more. Elgato captured files to me are hard to watch with how poor the quality is. Hi-8 is actually pretty decent when captured via Firewire. Of course, budget and accessibility are understandable issues and if Elgato is your only option it's still better than keeping those moments locked on tapes.

[@johnfarrell6786]

I have the same set up but occasionally (annoyingly) have audio sync issues. Especially on early miniDV. Any work around?

[@upsidedownjim]

@@johnfarrell6786 I had an issue with audio going out of sync over the duration of the capture. IIRC, on the Sony DCR-TRV 820 Digital 8 camcorder in the menu "Tape Set > Audio Mode" I changed 12-bit to 16-bit (or the reverse). I think this solved the issue for me. Hope that helps!

[@CheaddakerT.Snodgrass]

So I just got one of these Elgato transfer devices. It's the only one I've used and it does the job. The software is straightforward and easy to use but I think they should update it. Specifically I found that trimming off the beginning or end of a recording can be fine but in some cases it's not possible to move the slider one second at a time. Not a deal breaker but some fine-tuning would be nice considering this thing costs nearly $100

[@cwaynefox]

I haven’t had any problems with that. Thanks for the report

[@deebee5310]

Try using the arrow keys for finite adjustments.

[@Musthi834]

How ro covert to a DVD from the computer?

[@cwaynefox]

a program such as HandBrake

[@kenlogue]

Great video. Thanks!

[@cwaynefox]

Glad you liked it!

[@eljefe2211]

would this be the same quality as any other vhs recorder?

[@22boali]

Thanks a lot, I bought it and it worked great

[@denniswoods3700]

Just watched your video on transferring analog video tapes to digital. Very informative. I'm interested in what you used to transfer your Super 8 movies? You stated in the video that you would be posting another video about the device you used for that transfer. Just wondering if you've got around to that yet? Also, I really like your idea about posting condensed clips on a private KZbin channel. Great idea!

[@cwaynefox]

Next one I'm going to finish. another week or two.

[@ROCKnROLL1406]

Does the Elgato function properly with the newer Windows 10 platform? My Pinnacle software doest function properly on the newer Windows 10 build...

[@xSuperFryx]

This is working but I’m not super happy with the quality. The raw output looks fine but the mp4 compression is rough. Is there a better method? I’ve set it to high quality mode and I’ve got a high end PC.

[@FAAMAN841]

Thanks for the great video. I have a question.. I can see how easily one can crop the beginning and the end of a recording with DelGado. Let's say I have a 1 hour VHS video, and at the 20 min to 30 min points there is unwanted scene. ( So the portion I wish to delete is in the middle of the hour) . . It appears the Delgado software cannot do what I just mentioned. I guess I would have to '' piece-meal '' the recording separately. i.e. Rename the one hour recording and work on removing that unwanted scene separately.? Thanks

[@cwaynefox]

Yes the elgato software only allows trimming the beginning and end. Only option would be to split it into separate recordings while transferring. If. you are on a Mac Quicktime is a good solution, did a video on splitting out separate clips or getting rid of sections using Quicktime (kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIqqf4SbqdyNnNU ). If on windows, I’m sure there are programs with similar capabilities.

[@FAAMAN841]

@@cwaynefox Thank you for your timely response. I appreciate it. It is interesting that ElGato appears to be the most '' user friendly''. Although Dazzle and OBS Studio are probably fine programs for the more advanced user, they seem, to this novice, to be complicated to navigate. For example, one must set the quality of the output video but ElGato seems to adjust this automatically for the user. I think I will purchase the ElGato system for the VHS tapes I want to copy from the 70's and 80's. Thanks for your time.

[@beardedelephant3023]

Appreciate the video. Very informative. I’ve been researching different devices for a while. Can you further edit the video in other software?

[@cwaynefox]

Thanks. Glad you found it helpful. It creates a standard .mov or H.264 video file. you can open them in any video editing software such as iMovie, Premiere, Final Cut Pro, etc. I open in QuickTime and them edit them down to smaller segments, posted a video about that if you are interested. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIqqf4SbqdyNnNU

[@beardedelephant3023]

@@cwaynefox perfect

[@bobsmith1965]

Question Wayne. You had one huge .mp4 at the end and you said that it will ask if you want to do it again or quit, so can you separate all the different moments in this software to their own file so instead of having 120 minutes you will have 15 different events that are saved as .mp4 files. Or do you have to do that after the fact with different software. Very informative and well done. Thanks

[@cwaynefox]

The Elgato software just lets you clip dead/empty space from the beginning and the end of the video. I open the resulting video into Quicktime on the Mac, and can then create video segments of various events rather easily.

[@bobsmith1965]

@@cwaynefox Thank you Wayne just the info I needed.

[@NancyONeill]

What happens if the camcorder doesn't have the three colored cables ports? My Sony Hi8 has a single plug on the camcorder with a cable that has only two plugs on the other end, a yellow and black. Wonder if this Elgato device will still work when the cable for my camcorder only has the two colors?

[@dudekiwi]

Hi Wayne. Like yourself I am looking at digitalizing all my 8mm and VHS. Please may I know if you know exactly what a setting Perserve Source Format does? Why I asked is because it seems if I have it set the footage almost seems better quality! Like most VHS tapes the quality is shocking? I dont appear to have all those video setting and are hoping this is because you are using S Video. Please is possible for you to try doing the same tapes but using the 3 rca plugs and the the the SVideo and seeing if the settings are different. Thank you

[@cwaynefox]

Preserve format tries to match the resolution and frame rate of the source. In most cases with with old VHS tapes, this probably isn't desirable, but if the tape happened to be recorded at 720p at 60fps, then you might want to use that setting. Most of the old videos are much lower resolution, and I think you'll get better results without this on. As far as using S-video, I recommend this and for most of my videos I used the S Video cable. But the difference is extremely subtle and not noticeable quite often. I think here again it depends on quality of the original. I think 8mm videos were recorded at a higher quality than the original VHS formats so S-video might offer more of a noticeable improvement. I've been working on a video that compares S-video to composite but not much time lately, trying to get ready for my upcoming wedding. Probably get around to finishing it mid august or so.

[@azhari1411]

Hello Any idea on why am receiving no signal using the elgato while the audio is playing fine in the background ?? Any fix?

[@cwaynefox]

@@azhari1411 what computer and OS?

[@alexey2093]

man can I ask you to capture the fast forward mode with no footage on screen? I need that little genuine "FFWD" sign in the corner - can't find it anywhere, would be so thankful if you can help! thank you!

[@ms2668]

Great video. I've run a Sony Hi8 into a Sony DV (set to VCR if I remember correctly) for the A-D conversion...then plugged the DV camera into a computer using Firewire to capture the old Hi8 videos. Lots of cables and power cords, but worked fine on both on my PCs and Macs. If you already have both cameras, no need to buy the Elgato Video Capture. Also used a Canopus A-D converter to get old Hi8 video on the computer via Firewire and got similar results, but the Canopus can be kind of finicky, especially with WIN 10. Based on your video, might try the Elgato to see if I can improve my results.

[@cwaynefox]

if you try the Elgato, let me know what you think. interesting scheme to get the Hi8 into the computer.

[@ms2668]

@@cwaynefox Bought the Elgato Video Capture and an I-O Data GV-USB2 to run against eachother. Couldn't get my old Dazzle DVC100 to run on WIN10 or would have a 3rd piece of hardware to compare. Initial impression is that, if I didn't want to spend too much time on a computer capturing, processing and converting videos into computer-friendly files, the Elgato is a good choice. Results were decent and very easy to create reasonably-sized video files using Elgato's software....probably the best choice for the vast majority of people. Think if I had the time, inclination and disk space, however, I'd go with the I-O Data GV-USB2, use VirtualDub (free software) to capture and process (deinterlace/resize/etc) the AVI files and Handbrake (also free software) to turn the AVI files into smaller MP4/M4V files. Much more time consuming and technical, but the results appear better to my untrained eye. I tried both the Elgato and I-O Data hardware to capture video using VirtualDub, but found the Elgato hardware dropped about 10% of the frames and the results were choppy. There may be a setting I missed, but the I-O Data hardware didn't have any drops and is about $30 cheaper if you are going to go the VirtualDub/Handbrake route. VSDC (free video editing software) also allows capture using either the Elgato or I-O Data hardware. Tried it to see if it would work, but didn't compare the results with VirtualDub. I'm running a home-built PC with a Ryzen 5 processor and 16GB of RAM, so pretty basic...nothing extreme.

[@devizebeats]

You talk too much. Btw elgato is great,converted hundreds of vhs,hi8,mini dv,vhsc tapes as mybusiness

[@greggould4275]

Great video! I have a question - I am considering switching to this ElGato... Here is my situation- I am mac based, and I have a canopus ADVC-100 digital bridge I have used for YEARS, and its been amazing, but, these days its a bit buggy communicating / dropping frames with my new set up since having moved to a new home (capturing in Premiere and iMovie - whichever I can get working!). I am only looking for a digitizer to take analogue signal from Hi8 / VCR tapes that can produce a good looking digital file that I can then take into Adobe Premiere and Encore and manually author (or, move to a Thumbdrive for clients that want that). Seems to me that the ElGato you are using is MUCH more reliable as a standalone system (not having to capture into premiere, since this converter has its own captrue software). Would you say that this ElGato would be a good switch for me? I have clients in the town I live that come to me with A LOT of analog tapes, and the ADVC100 just seems really buggy with my setup now, and I am looking for a better alternative. Thanks!!

[@cwaynefox]

Sry to be so long. Im pretty happy with the quality. I’ve seen the results from other devices and just don’t see much difference. The Elgato is such a easy solution. It’s certainly cheap enough to give it a try.