How much do you care about what's on the VHS tapes? If it's not all that important, then a cheap composite video to USB converter will do. Capture software will probably come with hardware. There was an adapter that accompanied the EyeTV Hybrid receiver (don't know if that's still the case) so I no longer need the adapter and still have the TV receiver ( 😉 ). Roxio sells a converter rig. Both Elgato (EyeTV) and Roxio have software for recording as part of the package. [PS, neither of these options yielded adequate results... for me.]
If what you're trying to preserve is worth a small investment, then you should consider getting a higher grade converter like those sold by Canopus (or "Green Valley" whichever they're deciding to call themselves lately) — the ADVC-55 is an adequate starting point depending on your budget for the project. The ADVC-55 and better converters are Firewire and deliver timecode (you might need the power adapter if you only have FW800 connections). They can be used directly with FCPX to ingest the video. Any software that will record from Firewire will do, and I *believe* that includes Quicktime Player (X - but I'd recommend QT7Pro instead.)
The reason why the Canopus (and other similar) converters are superior is that they have the ability to amplify the signals (that might be somewhat worn) and they have firmware to help stabilize the incoming video signal. Where you might get "flipping" or tracking errors in the USB devices, the higher end converters are able to minimize those problems (I said *minimize*... some VHS video is unrecoverable, no matter what.)
Ideally, you should play the tapes on the same machine that recorded them, provided the player is still in excellent functional condition. Clean the heads before recovery ("dry" tape should be acceptable). I also recommend that you fast forward and rewind each tape at least a couple of times, end to end, each (helps re-align the tape in the cartridge.) If you find a lot of tracking problems, look into a new vhs deck with as much resolution as you can find. By that, I mean most inexpensive players available at the local electronics or tv stores deliver about 280 lines of vertical resolution (they're cheap for a reason!) Panasonic used to have sets that delivered 520 lines (it will probably be a miracle if you can find one with that much resolution.) If you can find one with 400 or more lines, it's a good find.
Recover everything then sell the vhs equipment on ebay (if you had to buy something new.... or not.)
— Don't look back 😀
