VHS to DVD

J

Jofes6

Active member
This is more of an iDVD/DVD Studio question.

How would I go about burning a DVD using the 1 Step DVD method for a VHS.

Here's an example. I have a VHS tape in the VCR. I connect the VCR to output to my Video deck. I connect the Video deck to my computer via firewire. I attempt to use 1 step DVD but it does not seem to want to do what I am trying to tell it what to do. Is this method even possible? If not, is there another way to do this using the resources I already have?

Thanks
B
 
What 1 Step DVD method? I didn't know FCP had a 1 Step DVD method.

There are stand alone VHS > DVD recorders that do this pretty well. Otherwise you'll need to do a pass through your FW to FCP, but I don't think there's any way I know that you can capture onto a DVD straight from FCP. You'll have to capture the VHS as a Quicktime movie and then encode it to MPEG2 from Compressor.
 
You have to digitize the VHS output. There are coverters that do that. I use DV Monitor Pro. I run the VHS to the DVX (in VCR mode) and out through firewire to my computer using the DV Monitor Pro program to capture it. I then take the QT file into FCP in a 4:3, 30fps format. That is then compressed to MPEG-2 and AC3 which can then be used for a DVD.
 
iDVD has a One Step DVD method. You connect you video deck (with miniDV tape inside) to your computer via firewire. You open iDVD and the splash screen will give you the option to Create a One Step DVD. You select that option and iDVD rewinds your miniDV and captures then burns.

I was wondering if I could further this by connecting a VCR to my computer via video deck?


Blaine - Thanks for the reply. I have tried this and it workds but I essentially want to skip the step of capturing to FCP then outputting to DVD. One Step DVD in iDVD does all this with one click of the mouse.

This is a service that my video production company offers and it has worked for smaller transfers of only a few tapes. I have just received a box of over 40 VHS tapes to be transferred to DVD. Thank God they do not want specialized menus or printed DVDs and Cases. Anyway, transferring that many VHS to DVD will take entirely too long for the $30/DVD

Thanks guys
 
If you do this regularly, I would definitely invest the two or three hundred dollars to get a VHS to DVD recorder. Sony has one for about that, while Panasonic's a little bit more. Sony model is RDR-VX555. I have an older panasonic DMR-E60 that I've hooked up to a JVC SRVS30 (miniDV/VHS deck) and I can go directly to DVD from either tape format. Has saved me incredible amount of time for those straight transfers. Best thing is you can use your computer for other things like editing while this stand alone recorder does its thing. And you can get anyone to load the tape/disc and push a button.

With 40 tapes, it would pay for itself after the first 10 or so.
 
Thank you Bob. This might actually be worth it, like you said, it will pay for itself and over again on future projects. I will check into this.

Thanks
 
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