Convert DVD and Audio Tapes to Digital

Part 2 -

In order to digitize your analog video tapes (VHS, analog camcorder) the first problem is that SCART connector. If you are using devices that have SCART the first thing you will need a SCART-to-SVideo or SCART-to-CompositeVideo adapter like this one. This is just for making the necessary cable connections, regardless of whatever video converter device you may use.

Then, you also need a device to convert the analog video to digital. The converter I prefer is the Canopus/Grass Valley ADVC-110 which is unfortunately no longer being made, but you can readily find them on eBay and other online sellers. You connect your analog video/audio cables to the ADVC-110 and connect the ADVC-110 to your MacBook Pro via Firewire. It can be used with both NTSC and PAL video and converts the analog video to DV, which you can edit on your MacBook Pro.

The Elgato device converts analog video to H.264 which can also be edited on your MacBook Pro as long as you have one of the newer versions of iMovie (9 or 10) or Final Cut Pro X. It connects to your MacBook Pro via USB, which imho isn't ideal for video capture but it may be ok for you. (Just don't use ANY other USB devices at the same time other than perhaps your keyboard and/or mouse.) It also comes with a SCART adapater, so this may be your preferred device.

It would help if you could add information about:

a) VHS VCR (make and model)

b) camcorder (make and model), if available

c) access to older Macintosh computers with AV ports, if any

d) audio equipment (make/models/ports)

In the meantime, an old Macworld article could perhaps be of interest to you:

https://www.macworld.com/article/1030972/software-graphics/fromvhstodvd.html

Good. I think I got mine at Amazon, not sure where it's easier to buy in Italy. The going rate for one in the USA is around $88.

You will see that it has a USB-A connector on one end for the Mac, and on the other end it has the color-coded standard RCA phono plugs to be plugged into the equivalent video and audio connectors on a standard VCR.

May I ask, where are you in Italy? We love traveling there, visited Tuscany last year.

Partial reply here,

If you have a tape out on your tape deck, it would be better to connect that to your Macbook Pro rather than the headphone out. The headphone out will work, but you will get better audio quality via the tape out because the impedance is matched better to the audio IN on your Macbook Pro.

Regarding the Marantz amp, yes, I'd go with that one. I think it's a much better amp. Connect your turntable to Phono IN, then use either the Tape 1 OUT or Tape 2 OUT to connect to your Macbook Pro.

I have used this device to digitize VHS tapes into Macs with great success. It's affordable and easy to use.

https://www.elgato.com/en/video-capture

However, the problem here is that it requires Mac OS X 10.6.8, and even though that system version is 10 years old, it is still too new for the two Macs you have. Your might try to hunt down a different VHS digitizer that is compatible with your older Macs. But that might be a challenge because those Macs are so old.

A more practical option is to find a newer Mac that can use the device I linked to, or something similar. It wouldn't have to be a very new Mac, that type of device works with Macs several years old. It's just that the Macs you listed are ancient. The G4 is between 15 and 20 years old. The PowerBook 1400 is at least 22 years old!

You may be able to find an old VHS digitizing card that can be installed in one of the expansion slots of the PowerMac G4. But I can't even remember what brands those were. It would take some effort to locate one that is specifically compatible with the G4 slots, since the standard for those has changed several times in the last 20 years.

Martin R thank you for your answers. It's clear for me with the turntable and Marantz, which has a dedicated in-out for phono.

As for the video, I happen to have the SCART adaptor already, but will need to buy the Canopus/Grass Valley ADVC-110. The Italian Amazon has them, but they're in the price range of € 150 -€ 300 and upwards! Many models, and all don't look like they have firewire on the photos.

Hi Jan, We have a Sony Handycam Hi8 DCR-TRV6E. There is also HITACHI 8mm camera/recorder VM-H37E. I've never used them myself until now, so I'd have to learn how they work. Can they substitute that Canopus/Grass Valley?

Convert DVD and Audio Tapes to DigitalHi Jan, We have a Sony Handycam Hi8 DCR-TRV6E. There is also HITACHI 8mm camera/recorder VM-H37E. I've never used them myself until now, so I'd have to learn how they work. Can they substitute that Canopus/Grass Valley? 

Page 96 in the following manuals looked promising. However, in the second manual/edition, it says "DCR-TRV20E only"...

It could possibly be worth investigating further, though.

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/res/manuals/3059/30595931M.pdf

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/res/manuals/3059/30595941M.pdf

Addendum

Quickly reading through the manual(s) appears to indicate that the DCR-TRV6E model is not capable of handling analogue in (only out). If so, this would mean that the DCR-TRV6E cannot accept analogue signals from a VCR. The effect is that an internal camcorder analogue-to-digital conversion (as shown on page 96) would not work. However, since the two manual editions are different, it may not be a bad idea to test whether or not a conversion really is impossible with the DCR-TRV6E.

The digital output from the DCR-TRV6E appears to be OK, though, meaning that it should be possible to transfer existing Mini DV cassette content to a computer with a FireWire port.

https://www.sony.co.th/en/electronics/support/articles/00029443

Hello Jan, I now have the Sony camera back in my possession, and the version is TRV70E PAL. I mis-read the '70' for '20'. The 70 isn't in my manual, so I'll have to look it up online. If it's a later version maybe I'll be lucky and it will do the job.

Hello Janet,

Thank you for this information. Looking forward to hearing more about the Sony camcorder model.

Kind regards,

Jan