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Q: Has anyone used the Elgato to transfer old VCR movies to DVD?

Thinking about buying Elgato to transfer old VAhS tapes to DVD.  Has anyone used it?   Was it satisfactory?  Easy to use?  Tips for use!

 

Thanks

Posted on Aug 8, 2013 5:31 PM

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Q: Has anyone used the Elgato to transfer old VCR movies to DVD?

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  • by Glen Doggett,

    Glen Doggett Glen Doggett Aug 8, 2013 7:27 PM in response to reading facilitator
    Level 4 (1,875 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 8, 2013 7:27 PM in response to reading facilitator

    I have not used the Elgato products, but I tried this other system, the Pinnacle Dazzle for Mac, which is supposed to do the digital video encoding with hardware in the external USB device, but it was kind of buggy.  Seems like you had to quit all other appllications and start your video playback then start the capture, I think the device needs to calibrate itself with the actual video source and if the camera was in blue-screen standby mode when you start the capture then you get some strange artifacts.  I got some good captures with it, but it was not very consistent.  One major gripe was the sound quality.  You could not adjust the levels at all coming through the RCAS audio jacks on the USB device, and some videos would peg the input and distort.   It is very easy to use mainly because you can't adjust any controls, you get a video capture and it appears in your iTunes library.  One size fits all, no resolution or audio adjustments allowed.

  • by kaz-k,

    kaz-k kaz-k Aug 8, 2013 11:06 PM in response to reading facilitator
    Level 5 (5,789 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 8, 2013 11:06 PM in response to reading facilitator

    I've been using EasyCAP with EasyCapViewer2 driver for Mac to capture VCR movies

    https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/32004/easycapviewer

    http://www.bentrask.com/easycap/

  • by stumbleone,

    stumbleone stumbleone Aug 9, 2013 8:05 PM in response to reading facilitator
    Level 2 (317 points)
    Aug 9, 2013 8:05 PM in response to reading facilitator

    I have an Elgato Eye TV Hybrid several years old that I have used many times to record VHS tapes on my G5.  Has always worked fine plus it gives me dig TV reception via an antenna.

  • by a brody,

    a brody a brody Aug 14, 2013 9:03 AM in response to reading facilitator
    Level 9 (66,875 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Aug 14, 2013 9:03 AM in response to reading facilitator

    Mind you, if you are talking commercial movies, we can't discuss that subject here.  Home movies though Elgato's devices work fine, though you have to sometimes be careful to adjust the video quality several times, as sometimes it will capture it too brightly.  Often you won't recognize it until after it has been made into a DVD.