How best to save VHS tapes to DVDs using a Mac ?

Klaus1, thank you.

This post in Amazon concerned me. I am especially concerned because audio syncing is the problem I'm having, and I'm wondering if it's because of the signal being sent from my camcorder.

Here's the post: I found the Canopus ADVC110 to be unusable on older (c. 10 years) Hi8 tapes. Symptomatically, there would be times where the frames would jump around, or black out entirely for parts of a second in the ADVC110 digital output stream. What seems to be happening is that the sync signal on the edge of older Hi8 tapes may be degraded, and the codec of the ADVC110 is not robust against such degradation; it loses sync on the frame, or gives up entirely and blacks out the output. Changing the fixed sync dip switch on the ADVC110 did not help it. (The same problem also occurred digitizing an old VHS tape). I put the same Hi8 tapes through the pass-through digitizer on a Sony DCR-HC32, and it had no problems whatsoever. The ADVC110 codec also produces more contrasty images than the Sony DCR-HC32; details in shadow are lost; frames are grainier; noise in the tape signals are amplified into subtle rainbow waves on the ADVC110, not so noticeable on the Sony, which seems to have a more linear codec. So, for a little more money you can buy a camcorder with more robust A to D conversion and better image than the ADVC110.

Frank Caggiano wrote:

So checking to make sure there are no digital outputs on any of the OP's equipment seems like a simple easy to do step that, if it pans out, would save the OP a bunch of money and time,

Fair enough. I assumed that if the OP had one of these devices he would not be asking about converters & Mac software for them, but maybe I was assuming too much?

I'd be a little concerned about an investment based on the FireWire interface... Your next Mac probably won't have FireWire. My old apogee audio DAC did a fantastic job back in the day... But I have to replace it now because my macs don't have FireWire ports anymore and I'm not keen on buying a thunderbolt dock/converter dongle. I suppose I could upgrade to a Thunderbolt Display "just to get legacy FireWire support" go (among other goodies) but...

MacPcConsultant wrote:

Captured the video using which software ?

iMovie.

And as Alchroma wrote connecting a FireWire camera to a new mac is not a problem. Not sure why FabrizioRizzo feels the adaptor is not a valid solution.

Just learned the hard way that Roxio simply doesn't work. About to plunk down for the Grass Valley ADC 110. The ADC300 is discontinued per their website. I noticed something in this string about problems "solved" with the 300 - does the 100 have syncing problems or does it work and syncs audio, etc. I have a Sony Handycam Vision CCD-TRV65 NTSC video Hi8. I have a late 2009 iMac and a recent late 2013 iMac. My handycam has RCA (and yellow) and SVideo output. Looking for assurance that the 110 will work, because the comment that the 300 solves problems made me think the 110 was problematic.

Hello Bengt,

I see that you have had success using the ADVC300 to capture VHS video. I was ready to buy one, until I saw an Amazon reviewer who said that the ADVC300 is difficult to interface to the newer Mac OS X versions (10.8 onward). Which version of OS X did you use successfully?

Thanks,

Joe

Do you wish to do a straight transfer or do some basic editind and titles?

Al

I never said anything about the validity of the solution, only pointed out that a new investment in a legacy interface may have to be replaced sooner rather than later... ymmv.

Happy Holidays.

Yes, that should work. The ADVC comes with a manual - read it carefully regarding the settings required.

Good points Bengt, but does that mean that I owe you a beer? 😀