I need to digitize VHS movies to an editable format to iMac.

I would suggest using your ElGato.

Record the video in MP4 or h.264. They should be roughly equivalent quality since h.264 is more efficient.

These will import and edit directly in iMovie.

Normally I recommend that you convert mp4 video in HD sizes to Apple Intermediate Codec before editing, but this is standard definition video so it may edit just fine as is.

If you want to convert to Apple Intermediate Codec, there are two ways. (Three ways if you have the EyeTV 3 software).

1) Convert it using the EyeTV 3 export menu.

2) Import to iMovie and choose Optimize - Full

3) Drag the MP4 into MPEG Streamclip (which is a free app) and use FILE/EXPORT TO QUICKTIME. Choose Apple Intermediate Codec for the compression. Then add to iMovie using FILE/IMPORT MOVIE.

The alternative are the Firewire-based DACs from Grass Valley. They will convert to DV, and in my experience do not produce enough qualtity difference to justify spending several humdred dollars more. After all, the original VHS is roughly 400x300 pixels, so it is never going to look like DV from a DV camera.

Personally I use the EyeTV Hybrid with the EyeTV 3 software. I do not know for sure, but I assume the EyeTV Video Capture is very similar, but without the TV Tuner.

Hi Appleman1958

As You know I use a Grass Valley ADVC-300

• due to that many of my VHS-tapes are old and have drop-outs.

This is sort of healed AND Audio is still in perfect Sync.

HOW is Your EyeTV or ElGato - when dealing with old VHS tapes with drop-outs ?

I can leave mine to do a full 8 hours Import (VHS-tape in LP-mode 240) without babysitting.

Yes I need lot's of hard disk space to do this (about 13.5Gb X 8 > 100GB)

Still it can do it. Yours ?

And in perfect Sync ?

Yours Bengt W

I have not had any problem with drop outs. I am not as ambitious as you about making 8 hour tapes. I used mostly 2 hour tapes from my camcorder, with an occasional 4 hour tape recorded from TV.

Here is a sample of my results from the EyeTV Hybrid.

Cute video AppleMan. I'm transferring some right now from CVHS using your method.

"1. Convert it using the EyeTV 3 export menu"

I'm using this method. I play the video in eyeTV and record to the .eyetv format. Then I find the file, open in eyetv and export. Do you think this will give me the best quality I can get from my old movies without losing data?

It should be fine, but there is no harm in experimenting to see if you can do better.

If you have Final Cut Pro installed, you can export from EyeTV 3 as ProRes 422. (and use this in iMovie)

With iMovie, you can export to Apple Intermediate Codec for better performance.

For VHS files, you can edit the h.264 without really taxing your system, so that is OK too for simple edits. (If you plan to add a lot of effects, color correction, etc. use Apple Intermediate or ProRes. For simple edits, h.264 is OK in these small sizes.)

FYI, when you have a .eyetv file, that is really a package. You can right click on it and select Show Package Contents to see the clips.

Depending on your EyeTV quality settings these clips within the package will either be h.264 or MPEG2.

I used to convert them myself, but when EyeTV added the ability to export what I need from their menus, that is what I do now.

I don't have Final Cut Pro, just iMovie. Is the .dv file that I generate out of eyeTV and import into iMovie h.264 format? How do I know if I'm working in h.264 vs. Mpeg2 format?

DV is OK but will create a very large file. It will be fine for editing standard definition movies. It is very different from h.264.

When you open the package contents, if you have a .mpg file, that is usually MPEG2. If you have a .m4v file, that is probably h.264.