Analog Video Capture to Mac Webcam

September 29, 2007 6:21 AM

I have a VHS-C camcorder and an eMac with USB 1.1 ports (firewire ports are broken) and I am curious if the Dazzle Video Creator Platinum will allow me to use the VHS-C camcorder as a webcam on this Mac.

I used to use the same VHS-C camcorder with a Windows machine many years ago with a video capture card. I would leave the tape out and put the VHS-C camcorder in the record mode; used Webcam32 and it worked perfectly, giving me much better images of outdoor views than any Firewire or USB "webcam" I have ever found.

I don't know if the Dazzle will:

1) work with Mac.
2) allow me to stream the image from the VHS-C as I did before using EvoCam.

Does anyone have experience with this product? With a Mac?

Thanks.

posted by terrapin to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

I use Dazzle at work all the time to capture video off our older camcorders. As long as your camcorder has a video out, it should work fine.

I've never used it on a Mac.
posted by sanka at 7:41 AM on September 29, 2007

I don't know if the Dazzle will:
1) work with Mac.
2) allow me to stream the image from the VHS-C as I did before using EvoCam.

Well, considering Pinnacle's compatibility specs don't list Mac OS at all, I kind of doubt it.
If, however, you plan to try and run it using Parallels or something, that's a whole other crap-shoot.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:50 AM on September 29, 2007

Response by poster: Well, considering Pinnacle's compatibility specs don't list Mac OS at all, I kind of doubt it.

Thorzdad: I own a bunch of hardware that has never been listed as working with Macs, but does; so I am asking in case someone else has tested this on a Mac. I have an PowerPC eMac that only has USB 1.1, so Bootcamp, Parallels etc aren't an option. Thanks.

sanka: Thanks for the comments. Any chance someone you know has a Mac you could test the item on?

Thanks!
posted by terrapin at 10:22 AM on September 29, 2007

Response by poster: Also, I should mention that I am open to other products that could accomplish the same thing and are known to work with Macs, if they are reasonably priced... in my budget. Less than US$100.
posted by terrapin at 10:32 AM on September 29, 2007

Response by poster: In case anyone finds this thread, I decided to buy this product (XLR8 InterView) which is made for macs.
posted by terrapin at 12:12 PM on November 2, 2007