Importing Old Home Movies

May 14, 2012 12:23 PM

I need a cheap and easy way to get RCA-interface or S-Video interface video onto my desktop. I've seen a few devices that are sub-10.00 (which would happily be my price range, if possible) but reviews are wide ranging between "this is great!" and "this is a piece of crap!"

I've found various listings for the EasyCAP device, which is essentially a converter plus some software. But, as you can see by the reviews, there are a lot of stories going around on if this thing even works at all.

My video sources are various VHS tapes and Video8 tapes (from an old non-functioning camcorder). For the record, my target importing desktop runs Windows 7 64.

Are there any functioning devices out there that would be suitable for my environment at a similar price point? I'd even be willing to look up to 20.00 for such a device, but pricing it out any more than that, and I could just as easily pay a camera shop to take care of it for me.

posted by thanotopsis to Technology (1 answer total)

With the EasyCAP, and I have one here somewhere, there are actually "counterfeits", but there's no good way to tell an original. One China shop designed and made it, then 3+ other China shops copied it. The original was OK but the copies are lousy and drop frames. They all come with lousy Chinglish software, but the thing will work with real video editing programs. I don't even know if mine is a copy version.

To be certain of something decent right away, including decent software, Honestech VHS to DVD 5.0 Deluxe, which appears to handle S-Video too.

There is a competitor from Roxio around this same price, but the Honestech seems to be better from a more devoted company.

(I have not tried the Honestech or Roxio, I did this task a different way)

Or take a chance with an EasyCAP, even a copy version could be all you need, and it's cheap enough to toss out if it's not.
posted by caclwmr4 at 12:46 PM on May 14, 2012