How to convert VHS videotape to 60p digital video

[@ihartmacz]

I’d love to see an archival master video!

[@taymur0804]

Same

[@MrWiseinheart]

100%

[@jakubolczyk8682]

Me too

[@alphabeets]

Yes, absolutely! You are the premier voice on this subject. So please complete the series and do an advanced video. This information is important and will be more important as time goes on. Thank you.

[@MyArcturus1]

Absolutely!

[@Intelligentsia101]

After trawling through 100's of tutorials, I have finally found what I've been looking for, please keep on expanding on this subject. Thank you

[@MarshallAxani]

This video was even more helpful than I could have hoped for! Not only did it allow me to recover a number of old projects I never have been able to properly capture from tape (even some I thought I had lost) but did so at a higher quality than anything else I had tried. The troubleshooting section at the end probably save me hours of trying to get the sound to connect properly on OBS as well. Genuinely one of the most helpful videos on this subject I could have asked for and highly recommend for anyone trying to digitize their VHS tapes!

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Thanks so much! I'm glad it could help you.

[@ashok48393]

This the best video I have ever seen about converting VHS tapes. I am also interested in upscaling, archival and specially restoration and would greatly appreciate these topics in your future uploads.

[@LegalizeAdulthood]

I would also be interested in the advanced topics!

[@GR8FLMD3AD]

I’m suuuuper interested in all those topics you mention for a future video! Thank you for explaining everything so clearly!

[@wigm]

Thank you for this, for years I've been looking for a quality device, everything I tried was horrible, picked the the GV-USB2. It is working flawlessly. Now I can finally digitize my wedding video before it dies and my wife doesn't break the VCR over my head 🙂

[@JohnHowell00]

I've watch your original video countless times! I appreciate the bump up in production, very nice! Would love to see Denoise, Upscaling and other conversion tips! Cheers

[@taymur0804]

Oh I'm so grateful the new VHS processing tutorial is finally released, Thanks very much Oldskool PC

[@kyleparker9368]

Since this is a beginner video, I think it would only make sense to make a tutorial on advanced capture. Great work as usual!

[@leendertbuijtendijk3603]

Fantastic tutorial! I've been struggeling with capturing VHS, but now clean video without interlacing pattern. Thanks very much. My old simple Terratec G1 proved a neat capturing device, with proper settings.

[@vwestlife]

FYI: Some video editing software, like Apple's iMovie, automatically stretches out any 1440x1080 resolution content to widescreen, since that resolution is commonly used for anamorphic 16:9 1080i video. That's why I prefer to use 960x720 for upscaling standard definition 4:3 NTSC video, because it's 1.5x the resolution of 480i video so you get clean upscaling, it avoids this widescreen stretching problem, it's good enough to get 60fps on KZbin, and 1080p is overkill unless you're using advanced upscaling techniques.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Good advice. I chose 1080p for the tutorial primarily because youtube gives it more bitrate. There's nothing wrong with 720p (especially with VHS tapes over composite).

[@dutchgamer842]

In Europe PAL was already 16:9 before HD

[@TinLeadHammer]

@@dutchgamer842 PALPlus not PAL had provisions for 16:9 and prog-scan.

[@ShelbyRice]

Thank you for the tip! I was hoping to use iMovie instead of OBS from the tutorial and you probably saved me a lot of time and grief ❤

[@Eddie-g2w]

What would you call advance upscaling techniques? Like what programs have advance upscaling techniques?

[@stevekulick2974]

Excellent tutorial. However I cannot agree that the DVC-100 and driver provided in description really works with Win10 or Win11. I had to use the audio workaround in the description footnotes. If you already are down the DVC-100 path, here are the workaround details: 1. Acquire a stereo RCA to microphone cable or adapter to connect your source to your PC. 2. under OBS source menu additionally select "Audio Input Capture". 3. configure crossbar" so Audio Input Capture shows up in the Audio mixed along with your (unused) Video Capture Device. 4. Probably good to set volume for the Video Capture Device to -inf DB or use the 3dots>properties> deactivate option, but I did not verify this myself.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Thank you for your clarified solution!

[@Baybay_85]

Thank you so much for this!!!!! I thought I was the only person experiencing no audio

[@StandingStoneVideo]

Thanks so much! I've been checking daily for this gem. As before, your teaching style is just perfect. I'm a semi-retired video professional having some fun with old family vhs videos, but thanks to your tutorials, I have developed a real commitment to obtaining the best possible transfer results. "Advanced Level Tutorials" would be very welcome some day. By the way, I had started to experiment with OBS and had nothing but trouble. This tutorial helped me solve those issues. So double thank you!

[@TheOldskoolPC]

High praise from a video professional -- thanks!

[@Sjrick]

Im glad i saw this post because i as well am a semi retired professional and i always keep putting off doing the home movies. Im glad i saw this video before i started my project. My goal is to put them on a tablet for my older sister and aunt so they can view them easier.

[@ewashock]

I am extremely well-versed in video capture and editing, but I have a project that requires use of some older tech that I haven't touched in many years. This was a GREAT refresher.

[@michaelbishton9439]

You are an outstandingly clear presenter. I have ordered the dazzle device based on your recommendation. I look forward to transferring old videos from VHS to MP4. Thank you!

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Thanks! Unfortunately, I *just now* edited my video's description to say that I no longer recommend the Dazzle device because too many people were having trouble with no audio capture in Windows 11. You can still use it, but you might need to connect your audio cables to another capture device, like a line-in port on your desktop computer.

[@orionred2489]

@@TheOldskoolPC using the audio ports works OK. I had to do that with Linux and my Dazzle 100.

[@VmanJeff]

Happy to see you address this subject again. The last tutorial helped me immensely with my old 8mm NTSC videos. Always good to get a refresher!

[@KA9DSL]

To insure a near perfect copy, I used a time base corrector. Gets rid of video flagging and lost frame video hits. Also color and tint correction. It creates perfect horiz and vert sync pulses essential for mpeg2 to HEVC recording. A must have. (ex-TV Broadcast Eng)

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Couldn't agree more. I've got a DPS-290 sitting right next to me :-)

[@MISSY4EVR]

Is this different than what was suggested or is it something you add to what this video suggests?

[@bobfrates8485]

@@MISSY4EVR It's something that you add, between the VCR and the capture device.

[@MISSY4EVR]

@@bobfrates8485 I tried but it doesn’t connect

[@Eddie-g2w]

@@TheOldskoolPC I have a Super VHS JVC with a built-in timebase corrector. Could I use this or do I need a standalone like your DPS- 290. I am looking to get the best results from VHS to digital.

[@dbsean]

Like many others here, I've watched my fair share of tutorials for capturing analogue video from a VHS source on KZbin. Your video is hands down the most clear and concise of them all and it produces the best results by a long shot compared to the countless other methods I've tried. I swear the IO DATA GV-USB2 is magic. Quality of the capture is light years ahead of any other option out there. Leave it to the Japanese. The driver support for Windows 11 was tricky but I was able to download it from their website. Amazing stuff, absolutely amazing. THANK YOU!

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Thanks for mentioning that there is a Windows 11 driver!

[@myronachtman4304]

There is one other important setting to consider when using the Windows platform. Microsoft updates sometimes change your PRIVACY settings. In my case, a recent update turned off "Access to My Camera." As a result, none of my video capture cards showed up in the OBS Studio drop-down menu. Very frustrating. Fortunately, I remembered to go back to the PRIVACY settings and turn Camera Access back on. This solved the problem and my capture devices came up properly in OBS.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Good point. I had a windows update completely erase my firewall whitelisting preferences, and it took me a bit to figure out what was going on the next day.

[@NamNguyenSE]

For those wondering: Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Camera, then make sure Camera access is turned on

[@vincentpicpic]

i have watched maybe 50 videos about VHS capture devices and none of them come close to what you have done, you have been extremely helpful, thank you sir! also, quick question : i have the i-ODATA GV-USB2 and lately i have been trying to move my operations from PC to MAC and i was wondering if there might be a similar product supported by Mac, let me know if you can help, thanks!

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Thank you so much for your support, it definitely means a lot and helps me make other videos. I'm glad this tutorial was useful for you! Unfortunately, I don't have a mac, so I can't recommend any specific capture device. Luckily, OBS operates the same on Mac as it does on windows, so the tutorial is still valid if you end up finding a good device. If money isn't a problem, you could try any capture device from blackmagic, just make sure wherever you buy it from has a return policy if it doesn't work out.

[@vincentpicpic]

will check it out! thank you very much :) have you ever used the Elgato video capture device? if so do you know if it passed both fields through unharmed? @@TheOldskoolPC

[@brucefox6580]

Hi Jim, another outstanding tutorial - thank you. I followed your 2016 video and have used it to experiment with as I too have tapes to convert. Please, please do an advanced tutorial (covering everything that was out of scop in this one); that would be very much appreciated. I am interested in PAL (Australia) settings, so I appreciate it when you mention those. Thanks once again.

[@StephenQuadros]

I have to say that THIS is one of the BEST tutorials on this subject. Bravo! So many questions answered. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@MB-ke9mi]

Please do a video on restoration, upscaling, and interlacing. Basically how do you make our new analog to digital videos even better.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

I really should. Maybe in February?

[@Chubbynetwork]

A few years back I used the exact same cheap unit that you showed as bad options. It got the job done but I might take another shot at it with the ones you recommended. Thanks for the great video!

[@RFVisionary]

👍🏻 Excellent and comprehensively explained. I'm sure: many have been waiting for such a conversion option. Thanks very much!

[@dgabiati]

Would love to see the advanced tutorial, this is such a comprehensive guide. Very Helpful!

[@myronachtman4304]

For "Recording Quality" I would strongly recommend using "Indistiguishable Quality, Large File Size." It is noticeably better than the option you recommended, "High Quality, Medium File Size." This has been my experience when capturing S-VHS tapes using S-Video cables. Perhaps the quality difference would not be as important if you are working with VHS tapes and the composite connection (the yellow connector).

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Thanks for the tip. I agree that if you are capturing a higher quality source, a higher-quality preset can keep more information around.

[@dr.jenniferbrooksd.c.111]

Thank you for a basic, easy to understand tutorial…. I was about to lose my stuffing and throw away $$$ because every other video tutorial was useless!! My stuffing and wallet are now intact!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[@alphabeets]

Absolutely superb. Thank you, and please make the advanced third part of this series!

[@101BackDr]

This the most comprehensive review of understanding the pitfalls of video transfer of composite video. Bravo.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

You, sir, get the gold star for uncovering the true purpose of this video.

[@MrBodin26]

Great video. Please also do archival masters and 4K upscaling videos, don't let another 6 years pass for it 😊

[@user-tc2ky6fg2o]

I tried the Topaz Video Enhancer AI to upscale VHS videos downloaded from YT with a reasonable result (don't expect native 4K sharpness or experience). You can adjust some parameters, so the 'AI' does not transform people and everything else zombies. I have the original VHS (a concert from '95), which I like very much. It is still foiled, never played, waiting for the right moment and method to capture. With this tutorial, it definitely has come. I'll give it a try, this deinterlaced 50-60Hz settings look very great. And sure, there are tons of other enhancement methods as well in video software built-in.

[@BillyZer0]

Great tutorial! I've been putting off digitizing my family's home vids for years. We have a LOT of tapes so I needed something that looked good AND was fast. I barely have the time to capture video so skipping all of the editing and rendering is what I was looking for! Thank you!

[@myronachtman4304]

This is a fantastic tutorial for those who want to use OBS Studio. However, I achieve much better results capturing my native files from S-VHS tape at 640 x 480 pixels in conjunction with the capture software that came with my capture card. More details are provided below. As a side note, for my testing, I'm using a S-VHS source tape, the original recorded tape, that was shot at my wedding with a professional 3-chip camera. So the image quality is super clean. There are two major problems with the methods used in this tutorial. First, is video "noise" which shows up as graininess or coarseness in the 1440 x 1080 output. Using Adobe Premiere, I "upscaled" my 640 x 480 digital file to 1440 x 1080 and it looks way better than the OBS result. I can easily compare the two results by using a split screen of the two videos in the Premiere Pro timeline. My upscaled native video appears slightly "softer," but there is none of that grainy texture that shows up in the OBS file. Simply stated, the 640 x 480 file is superior. The second problem is more distressing. It is the residual interlacing in the OBS file that persists despite using the exact optimal deinterlacing parameters presented in this tutorial. By residual interlacing, I'm referring to the pixelated edges that are still visible in the 1440 x 1080 output by OBS. Sure, it's way better that an interlaced video, however, it doesn't come close to the deinterlacing algorithm that my 640 x 480 capture card uses. When I "upscale" my 640 x 480 digital file to 1440 x 1080 in Adobe Premiere, there is no visible residual interlacing. The difference is astounding. For the side-by-side comparison, see ... www.adita.com/OBS-versus-AVerMedia.jpg So what capture tool am I working with? I'm using an internal PCIe capture card that I purchased from AVerMedia for $130.00. It's called the C725 and I don't even know if they're still selling it. The card has both composite and S-VHS jacks, but I use S-VHS because my source tapes are S-VHS. The capture software that came with the card is called AVerMedia Capture Studio. The user interface looks like something from the days of Windows 3.1. The interface is rather clunky (not elegant like OBS) but it offers the essential parameters for setting the data rates for video and audio, the file format, and the deinterlacing options (but there are only 4 options). One final note. I'm using a typical consumer grade S-VHS deck for playback, and I'm NOT using a TBC (Timebase Corrector). Jim, keep up the great work. Your presentation manner and voiceover are spectacular. Here is a link to an AVerMedia capture card that is very similar to mine: www.dhgate.com/product/ce310b-professional-sd-pcie-capture-card/544866025.html?f=bm%7cGMC%7cpla%7c16625114107%7c%7c544866025%7c%7c103014%7cUS%7czuny%7cc%7c2%7c&GMC&gclid=CjwKCAjwov6hBhBsEiwAvrvN6KKvwvvDrj0W8dm6Hc_z8j0EgRuYWbzU9qB8ReZRQiF8Sv8WZy9NUBoCC70QAvD_BwE

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Thank you for a detailed explanation of your process, and a description of the hardware you're using! And thanks for the kind words :-)

[@christianb8900]

Good info. - I will point out that S-VHS and S-video are not the same thing, but i knew what you meant.

[@FoVision]

Can you share your settings or make a video on your process as well? I have a c725b as well and would like to convert a bunch of tapes with great quality. Thank you

[@FoVision]

@myronachtman4304 ^ see question about your setup

[@myronachtman4304]

@@FoVision I hope you got my email explaining my settings for the c725b capture card (AVerMedia).

[@robertworden9810]

This is by far the best video on videotape transfer. I watched numerous other videos and read many message board posts about the topic, all seemingly contradicting each other on what software and hardware to use, but with little evidence or instruction to support their opinions. It is so nice to see an actual example with explanations of what is being done.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Thanks! I try to make videos of the quality that I myself would prefer to see on KZbin.

[@jeffborkowski]

I would definitely be interested in your approach to producing more of an archival master, how the equip recommendations would vary, optimal software capture/processing recommendations (if different) etc. It's my understanding the player can make a big difference. I'm curious too if there are any worthwhile AI tools to process / enhance for noise, color, interpolation etc.

[@tomyyoung2624]

Yes audio duing capture

[@christianb8900]

If i remember, the best player to get are component video VCR's. It seems like they were mostly used at TV stations, etc. But a quick ebay search didn't find much. - As a side note, I have also read that s-video isn't always better than composite.

[@tomyyoung2624]

@@christianb8900 Yesthing wrong with using the older method

[@J0SHUAKANE]

​​​@@christianb8900 I have several combo units with component outputs & none of them allow for component video output for vhs, only dvd. You have to use s-video for vhs, any conversion to component would be just that, a conversion, & not a raw output.

[@christianb8900]

@@J0SHUAKANE Research it and you'll see that i'm talking about professional VHS players that rip raw from component video. Combo units obviously won't work.

[@frazz23]

Best tutorial for VHS transfer by far. Thanks for all the help. BTW if you purchase the I-O Data capture device use the updated driver that's available online. The CD it comes with is very outdated.

[@stimpy2k]

Excellent tutorial. I too would be interested in hearing your take on a more advanced tutorial. Better upscaling/deinterlacing, etc...

[@manjacovus5342]

A totally vital masterclass! Many thanks. I've been digitizing VHS tapes for quite a while now, but clearly I've still got masses to learn! Many thanks again 😀

[@ronkloiber]

One nice feature of OBS is you can set a record length timer so if you know the time length of your VHS tape, or you w. ant to record a portion in the middle of the tape, you can set this. This is under the main menu bar, Tools/Output timer. You can record a 2,4 6 hr tape and then edit the ouput file into segments.

[@catgarcia2238]

Thank you

[@rayaee]

Thank you for this! Will definitely check out obtaining one of those devices you showed to convert my tapes in 2023.

[@Abadani]

Jim, I like to thank you a lot for such a thorough and comprehensive video. I'm sure you spend lots of time explaining and presenting the Fields, interlaced videos, FPS mainly using 60 FPS, and more. Your technical presentation was awesome, thank you again to take the time for us. I bought a rather pricy USB dangle couple of years ago ($130) and did not like the flickering results converting my Hi8 mm analog videos but unfortunately, I had not seen your previous posting and there were not many postings at the time. I searched and searched and found a posting for a Firewire capture card that could help me with my Digital recordings on my Hi8 video tapes. Now that I was not able to find an efficient solution for my relatively high-quality analog recordings on metal evaporated Hi8 SONY tapes. I purchased a couple of IEEE 1394 cards but never tried them to this date. I was hoping since my recordings were digital, I have better results in transferring or converting to MP4. I like to know your input on converting Digital mini DVs and digital Hi8s to MP4 by Firewire or other better methods. I don't mind spending a few hundred dollars to buy quality equipment for my priceless memories. Going through the KZbin videos I came across Gefen CI GTV-COMPSVID-2-HDMIS which is roughly about $250. I'm not sure about this device, does it still allows both fields to pass through? Do I still need to use OBS studio software? Do I get better quality with this device VS IO-DATA GV - USB. Also, what do you think of upscaling built-in devices such as Gefen CI GTV? Is this feature the same as what you can do in Adobe Premiere pro-CC by clicking the clip and then clicking on the "Set to frame size" or "Scale to frame size"? I think there is a demand for higher-quality tutorials (solutions) for this conversion even at a higher cost. Thanks for your time.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

If your sources are truly DV, then you should not follow this tutorial and instead capture the source files via firewire (IEEE 1394). This will result in no generational loss, as firewire transmits the actual digital data right off the tapes. I've used WinDV in the past to do this on Windows. You can then use the FFMPEG command-line in this video's description to convert them without using OBS. As for hardware upscalers, I can't recommend them because 1. I haven't tested any since the early 2000s, and 2. I have no idea how decent the upscaling is per upscaler, and whether or not the processing can be customized. There are probably better videos than this one that cover upscalers -- sorry!

[@lherisknowledge4fun]

For my firs time watching a video on that topic, I can tell you without a doubt i really LOVE the tutorial, thank you. You have a new subscriber.

[@jarrettgoldman]

I saw the original tutorial 6 years ago, as I had a mountain of 8mm and VHS tapes to digitize. I've since properly digitally preserved my entire collection of irreplaceable memories and helped lots of family and friends! I've always been a stickler for proper tape field/frame rates, needing that 60fps output, but nobody on planet earth seems to get this right. These videos have been lifesavers!!! So happy to have this new, easier 1-step version, will save time. ?: Do you know if any of these devices have dual Mac and Windows compatibility or is it either one or the other? Thanks for posting!! Hopefully, you can post more advanced techniques in the future.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Thanks! I'm afraid I don't know about the hardware drivers for Mac, so you should definitely research before making a purchase. But OBS itself is cross-platform, so that part should be the same.

[@SteveHowardPhotography]

I have had good luck with the ElGato Video Capture device on the Mac, terrible luck with the Roxio. I use the ElGato to convert for others and have had no problems. I would like to use OBS for more flexibility though. ElGato supplies the software for theirs.

[@vincentpicpic]

@@SteveHowardPhotography do you know if the Elgato module keeps ''both field unharmed'' like the I-Odata one? would you recommend buying the Elgato? i have been trying to make all my operations on the Mac but can't use the I-OData on it, i've been hesitating about buying the Elgato

[@LordHasenpfeffer]

Very nice! I saw your first video on this in 2017 and only tonight discovered you've posted a new update to it! Excellent info! I have a crap ton of tapes to digitize and need to upgrade my hardware before I begin that.

[@thijsviegers]

Excellent! this was most helpful. Also really appreciate the entire presentation. I'm definitely interested in more advanced tutorials on things like restoration and other topics.

[@Deee.X]

I'm about a week in with all this VHS to digital. Purchased 3 capture devices. Two of them are recommend here. Not getting results I expected. This tutorial is not helpful at all.

[@ShelbyRice]

Unfortunately, I found this video after buying a converter online and trying myself. After a small investment of money and a large investment of time I was not happy with the results. You did a GREAT job explaining why my set-up failed and are saving me a lot of time and effort with trial-and-error. Thank you for sharing! 🙏

[@JussoHaikonen]

Can you create a video on making an archival quality VHS transfer?

[@mikeb1246]

Thank you so much for this. I just bought and set up everything last night and made my first 2 conversions. It was easy! Just follow this video...Thanks Man!!!!

[@DarkenMoon97]

Another troubleshooting step for out of sync audio is making sure all of your input and output devices are at the same frequency, ie 48 or 44.1 kHz.

[@sisterspike281]

Yes to more on restoration and arrival masters!

[@JR_5k]

As a person who has been digitizing tapes for 20+ years, I always appreciate different techniques and methods as I am always looking to make the process better, faster and with the best results. With that said, this video would give Lord Smurf a heart attack. 🤣

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Completely understand. My own process is not this process; this tutorial is just a generic one-click solution for people who just want something simple.

[@JR_5k]

@@TheOldskoolPC I'm looking forward to your more, in depth method. Thank you for contributing.

[@seasonstudios]

Thanks for this. I've been checking in here for awhile waiting to see what you would do next and what makes me happy is the easy guide to what I've found to be a very busy screen by OBS. Some people seem to catch on to OBS easily but for me it always seemed like there was too much there. Your video is going to help emmensly. Thanks again.

[@vidsinthecloud]

Fantastic video. Thank you. Upscaling etc video would be great too please 👍

[@marcsico7664]

I would definitely to producing archival and hd upgrade. Love both of your tutorials!!

[@thepirategamerboy12]

Honestly, that's probably the best quality version of Don't Copy that Floppy I've seen even though the official upload is from the original master (it's compressed and missing half the frames).

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Yes, and isn't that really sad? Nobody gets fields right. Drives me nuts. The quality of Don't Copy That Floppy in this tutorial wasn't even my full process -- I can flex harder ;-)

[@garfieldepicmoments]

​@@TheOldskoolPC If you could post a full Don't Copy that Floppy capture I think you would be doing the world a service.

[@josephtsui125]

Thank you for the video. I am trying to convert some of my Camcorder tapes to digital. These tapes were recorded over twenty years ago. They documented my kids' activities over the years. Hope I will be sucessful. Thanks again.

[@FBek14]

This video makes things so simply obvious! The tutorial is concise and easy to follow, turning a complicated and confusing process into something straightforward. I’ve had one of those cheap EasyCap capture sticks for a while and used it on and off, but always struggled with the settings. Before I discard it and look for one of the recommended devices, I have a few questions, as an unexperienced user: 1. Frames & Fields: How do I test if the device captures both fields of a (PAL video-8) source? I did a few short trial recordings with OBS and thought I could see a quality improvement when deinterlacing is switched on, and a jagged/backward motion when the top/bottom fields are reversed. Does that mean the version of drivers I have installed can capture both fields? 2. Formats: with my limited understanding, I’ve set up to capture in AVI format (rather than MP4), unprocessed, uncompressed, aiming to record a ‘raw’ digital format as close as possible to the analogue original and using it as a master for eventual post processing in the future (file size not really a problem since what is considered large today will certainly not be so in a few years). But setting the Base and Output resolution to 1440x1080 did not produce a good recording result, and so, I resorted to trying 640x480 or 768x576, same as the capture card, which gave better results. For the best capture of VHS/Video-8 (PAL) sources in AVI, what would be the best settings in OBS? I would appreciate any feedback anyone might have on the above, and thank you in advance.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

If you swap the field order, and notice that the video goes from normal to "jittery", then your device is capturing both fields correctly. Good thinking. If you want to capture to a high quality file for later editing/restoration/etc. then you should use AVI, a lossless codec (or uncompressed), and set the size and framerate to exactly that of the signal (ie. 720x576 25fps for PAL). For that, I would actually recommend something slightly easier than OBS, like amarec or virtualdub2.

[@TheHassellov17]

I have been trying for the past six months to digitize VHS tapes with the program that was included with the device I bought, without any success. The issue was that the contrast was way too high and it seems like there was no way to fix it. So after watching this video and switching to OBS, my issues were solved. Thank you were much for this very well made video.

[@ObiWanBillKenobi]

I am definitely interested in learning more about noise removal, 4K upscaling, and whatever else you have to teach about converting VHS tapes into computer video files.

[@jliz3821]

Amazing work, I've been waiting for this video since you commented on the first one that there are better ways of doing this

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Hope you found it worth the wait :-)

[@trevordare6654]

Excellent video...more advance video please

[@benrandall89]

I love that the content of the VHS you used as an example is about copying videos. Very meta. Well done.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

😉

[@iVTECInside]

In my experience a TBC has been pretty much essential. Old tapes, particularly SLP recordings would drop frames like crazy without it. That old Dazzle may even have one built in since you mention it handles them better. I wouldn't bother capturing at anything higher than 640x480 if you are after simplicity, its way more than VHS will give you anyway. I believe the standard capture for NTSC is 704x480 in a 720x480 frame (ITU 601), yes rectangular pixels. The display aspect ratio can be set in the file and it ends up at 640x480 anyway, but you capture a bit more of the original signal doing so. If I were using OBS like that I would drag the source slightly oversized to crop out the head noise at the bottom. 102% zoom usually does it and still leaves you with more over-scan area then you would have ever seen on a 4:3 TV. (The rest of this is just how I do it if anyone cares) In the end I now use an external video processor for TBC, de-interlacing, and digitization to 720x480p30. I use that same processor to scale the image 102% to remove the head noise at the bottom of the frame, still captures more of the over-scan area you would have never seen anyway. Then I just capture the video as digital over HDMI right to MP4 at 8000KB/s CBR (over double what is really necessary). Arguably I should just be setting everything to 640x480 (processor and capture) since it's only ever viewed at 4:3 anyway and certain media players don't notice the DAR set in the file, KZbin does though when uploaded. I have a few captured this way on my channel if you'd like to see.

[@michaeljohnson378]

I prefer a 3x2 aspect ratio so I use 720x480 (3*240 x 2*240). This format looks good when playing old videos full screen, but more importantly, looks great when playing in a window. I also scale older 640x480 sources to 720x480 so I can eliminate left and right black bars while losing very little top and bottom video info. I noticed in the demo captures in this video, left and right black bars were present. Ten or 15 years ago, enlarging videos was difficult, but with more recent software, the process is pretty easy. Even if the source is 720HD or 1080HD for some singing or dancing performance videos, scaling to a 3x2 aspect ratio (720x480, 1080x720 3*360 x 2*360, or 1620x1080 3*540 x 2*540) eliminates the extraneous left and right video info, and focuses on the performers making then look bigger. I guess I liked the old-timey squarer TV screens more than the current wider rectangular screens.

[@iVTECInside]

@@michaeljohnson378 preference is one thing, but 720(704)x480 was the established "resolution" for NTSC video. That's rectangular pixels though, it's not intended to be displayed 1:1 like that, and will appear slightly stretched in width. Consider NTSC DVD, all video is 720x480, it's just the Display Aspect Ratio that differs. 16:9 versus 3:2. Apply those ratios and you end up with 853x480 for 16:9 and 640x480 for 4:3.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

I agree a TBC is almost always essential, especially if you want to eliminate the playback as a potential source for sync issues.

[@iVTECInside]

@@TheOldskoolPC I don't even think I got my first tape captured without one. Having the external processor simplifies my life greatly. Not cheap, but don't have to worry about TBC or deinterlacing, and just capture an already digital signal.

[@cristiannavarrete1424]

​@@iVTECInside What TBCs and external processors do you recommend?

[@zachfragoso4581]

This is about to make my analog captures look seamless THANK YOU

[@antonionavarretetroncoso2839]

How can one check whether a USB capturer passes both fields through?

[@TheOldskoolPC]

You can add it as a video source in OBS but without any special processing, and if you see both fields show up as combed lines, you'll know it is passing both fields through.

[@antonionavarretetroncoso2839]

​@@TheOldskoolPCThank you. 😊 Can you elaborate?

[@antonionavarretetroncoso2839]

​@@cristiannavarrete1424.

[@antonionavarretetroncoso2839]

​@@cristiannavarrete1424 Delete this

[@antonionavarretetroncoso2839]

​@@TheOldskoolPC I am not sure I would be able to recognise if the combed lines are present or not. 😅

[@timothyapplegate2881]

I know I'm late to the party, but this video was exactly what I was looking for. It helped me make much better connections with my technology than others.

[@StusGameReviews]

Great video as always Jim! I have had good luck with the GV-USB2, and not good luck with the Dazzle, so I would recommend the former. Question - what do you recommend doing with the last couple of scanlines at the bottom of the VHS signal?

[@TheOldskoolPC]

I agree the GV-USB2 is the more solid choice. For cropping the overscan (or the lines on the bottom of the frame) in OBS, you can resize the video capture input device to be slightly more than 1440x1080 -- the edges will disappear off the canvas. Remember, only what's visible on the canvas is what's written to disk.

[@jimkornmeyer9856]

Thanks for the detailed explanation of interlaced video. Your two videos showing how to get the best quality from analog tapes are the only ones that I've found on KZbin. Thanks again.

[@YannickCamilo]

Very interesting video! But I'm a little bit confused about 3 things after watching your previous tutorial: 1. Why do you choose to capture in 60fps instead of 30fps? I thought the source footage was always 30fps or 25fps (pal). 2. In your previous tutorial you captured with a lossless codec (ut video) instead of a lossy codec (mp4). The quality of a lossless codec is far more superior than a lossy codec, especially if you want to edit the video. 3. The aspect ratio of NTSC is 720x480 and PAL is 720x576. Why do you capture in 1440x1080?

[@steverogers8163]

@@shade221 yeah he offhand mentions and should probably more promenitaly say that he's doing this because it makes KZbin display the videos better, giving them a higher bitrate. Which is fine if that's your intention, though I think most beginners looking to capture home VHS do not intend to upload any of them to youtube or any other streaming site.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

1. If you re-watch this video's deinterlacing section, it hopefully explains that each frame contains two moments in time. So a 30-frame per second capture is really 60 images per second. 3. The resolution of NTSC is 720x480, but the pixels aren't square. Stretching to 960x720 or 1440x1080 (or 640x480) adjusts the aspect ratio for square pixel displays (ie. all modern displays).

[@ValdikSS2]

@@TheOldskoolPC could you explain why exactly 1440×1080 was chosen? Capturing at 960x720 is much less CPU demanding and produces less file size with the same video quality.

[@woodandwheelz]

I have one of the Old Dazzle devices that I believe I purchased in the late 90's early 2000's (I forget). This is probably one of the most concise videos on this topic. I do believe that most of my videos will need a more in-depth method of restoration, but I think this could be a great place to start for now. Thank you for sharing. God bless.

[@atheistonyoutube]

The old guide was very good not this one obs is not good for VHS capture. It's not necessary to add affiliate links in the description we you could just recommend a product and we can find it ourselves.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Hi, can you expand on why OBS is not good for VHS captures? I didn't experience any problems across 3 different capture devices, so I'd like to know if there was something I missed. As for the affiliate links, they're just an attempt to recoup the costs I incurred buying USB capture devices to make the video ;-)

[@atheistonyoutube]

@@TheOldskoolPC OBS does not capture in yuy2 color space and 4:2:2 chroma sampling rate. It outputs recorded files to a strange playback format FLV and MKV not good if you need to color correct the footage MP4 is fine but only as a final delivery format, vhs captures should always be done using lossless codecs, virtualdub is the go to tool for VHS capture, for deinterlacing QTGMC using avisynth frame server, if that's different for the average user then virtualdubs built in yadif filter is good but not as good as QTGMC de-interlacer. I don't understand why do you need to recoup the cost for the capture cards shown because you've used them in the old video from 6 years ago. Why should you expect to anyway? How can we trust these are the best when u are getting a commission even if they are?

[@cristiannavarrete1424]

​@@atheistonyoutubeCan you elaborate on the first sentence? I don't understand it. Also, can you give more info about virtualdub and QTGMC using avisynth frame server?

[@atheistonyoutube]

When capturing on VHS you need to capture 4:2:2 otherwise you lose colour information. Virtuldub is a capture software QTGMC is for de interlacing​@@cristiannavarrete1424

[@ColbyHenderson13]

Thank you for the quick tutorial, I found this video very helpful.

[@bluevabank]

not so much help with audio problems

[@eri4041]

I am using this to convert some old family videos using the dazzle 100. It took some time to sync the audio correctly since it was not loading. I had to change the settings in configure crossbar for the audio output and now it is working. Thank you so much for the updated video this is a much easier process than having to use multiple software programs like handbreak in your older video. You are a life saver thank you so much!!! I actually get to see a video of my husbands 4th birthday :)

[@djmoobeat]

Been trying to use dazzle 100 and can’t get OBS to recognize the audio source. Any suggestions??? Video comes through but no audio?? We are using windows 10.

[@ronalddavis]

that obs looks like a pain in the butt

[@Bleats_Sinodai]

You only have to set it up once

[@NickzAndMikz]

Maybe for a boomer

[@willthor6639]

i use bandicam

[@weirdboyyyy]

Nah its pretty easy

[@bradleyn5942]

It's here!!! I haven't watched it yet, but saw the post and can't wait :) Dropped a pre-watch like knowing you gave this your best. Thank you!!!

[@Spore20Esq]

My families old home VHS videos mean the world to me. I just transferred tonight for the first time some VHS to DVD using a old Funai VHS DVD combo. I stumbled on your channel tonight looking up tips on how to do it better. Please cover 4K and noise reduction and the hardware required for archival masters. Thank you so much.

[@calcornaby7729]

This was the perfect tutorial for deinterlacing and recording VHS tapes. THANK YOU!!

[@chavaflamenco]

This is an excellent tutorial, and I'd love to see an advanced one for archival masters!

[@smamidenna]

Thank you so much for detailed explanation, purchased the GV-USB2 frm your and followed instructions to the T.

[@ChemloWright]

I'm just stoked to find out that my Dazzle is still useful. Also stoked to see that Yadif produces such good results (it's been a long time since I've deinterlaced video.)

[@TheOldskoolPC]

YADIF2 is long in the tooth but it is still the best realtime deinterlacer I've found (it doesn't force-bob still titles, unlike some other methods). The best offline deinterlacer is QTGMC but I don't recommend that for beginners.

[@SFCFilms]

2:36 I would be interested in more topics about Archival Mastering. Actually anything to do with preserving screen arts for generations is of interest to me. Thank you.

[@SonofChurchill]

Something I been meaning to do for years, I got so many VHS tapes. Thanks

[@TheIndigoBros92]

Thanks for the tutorial, my capture card was a pain in the butt to properly set up, mainly due to the audio pin not being selected on the crossbar settings of the capture device, but now just managed to hook up my TBC VCR and let's start to see what the results end up.

[@JeSuisUnePatate]

The best tutorial I've seen about this subject. It works perfectly well ! Thank you so much.

[@cowmix]

Not normally a fan of OBS capturing... but if you are gonna do it -- this video is a great tutorial.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

I'm not normally a fan of it either; I just wanted to create something as close to a "plug and play" process as possible.

[@LaizyDaisy]

@@TheOldskoolPCI’ve plugged but it’s not playing (audio)

[@JOBT0]

Best tutorial ever, that's it, simply the best. Thank you very much, it solved numerous questions for me. 😃

[@itamarandneomifahn5907]

thank you so much for the very well explanation, I used to do video capturing 15 years ago with my dazzle & pinnacle, but its seems that your results and software are much better

[@joopsexclimationpoint]

I’ve been kinda overwhelmed with trying to figure out the best way to convert my family’s old videos as a surprise for my mom and your video has really taken the edge off. Thank you so much for the extremely clear instructions and recommendation ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ I can’t wait to check out more of your videos next!

[@wowcheers7488]

Your content shows respect and sincerity. Wish you more success and support, friend. ❣💕

[@tylergoodrich-hu1sr]

Please post videos of upscaling smoothing and the extras please.

[@moukafaslouka4796]

Thank you for the tutorial. I would love to see a master archive tutorial.

[@mattmc5069]

Its also good to mention CRTs displayed differently then a computer does.on a computer you get jag edges becuse its trying to display 2 points in time at once in one picture. CRTs would show one field then as it starts to fade field two is shown, and your vision puts it together. Even and odd first or last doesn't matter on a CRT. But for progressive it does. Also keeping the color burst timed is important too.

[@RetroTechorDie]

Thanks! This has been incredibly helpful!

[@TheOldskoolPC]

Thanks so much! I hope it helps!

[@SensuousBanana]

Thank you! Perfect guide for getting some nice VHS capture using my GVUSB2

[@J.robertfrick]

A+ Really great video, thank you very much! Time to finally get those home movies out of the garage

[@bobfrates8485]

I bought the GV-USB2 and installed the Windows 11 drivers (version 1.15) from the manufacturer's website, but was unable to get the deinterlace function to work in OBS. Also, the device settings screen didn't match what was shown in the video. So I started over, and installed the older drivers (version 1.11) from the CD-ROM that came with the device. The settings screen matched what was in the video, and the deinterlacing now works great. Thanks for an extremely helpful video.

[@oOTheMastaOo240]

What can be done about the overscan lines on the bottom of the capture? Or atleast what should we do?

[@alexeytheinterpreter]

Great tutorial, thank you. I don't have any VHS tapes to convert but I still watched the video till the end. Let me make just one remark here on the recording format. There's little value in recording in mp4 directly. The MKV format is safer and recoverable in case there's a glitch or something goes wrong. Then you can always remux your mkv to mp4 using the OBS built-in remux feature. You go to File > Remux recordings.

[@TheOldskoolPC]

This is true, however I wanted to keep the number of steps as minimal as possible for the absolute beginner.

[@alexeytheinterpreter]

@@TheOldskoolPCMKV is the default recording format in OBS after installation. So, never change a running system.

[@brianwalker7771]

Great tutorial simple and to the point. I would love to see upscale tutorials that is if you have not already done it.