July 21, 2008
11:59 pm
Have you got VHS movies? And you want to preserve those special memories in a digital format on your home server? Here you go. You will need some hardware before you do anything:
- A Windows Home Server computer
- A video capture device, such as a Personal Video Recorder or a TV tuner. If you do need to buy something, this is a good time get a TV tuner. One that will handle both analog and digital signals would be preferable for future use. In the U.S., I do not believe that you can even buy an analog-only tuner any more.
- A VCR or VHS player. If yours is gone, you could always go down to your local Wal-Mart (U.S.), or equivalent budget store, and buy one. For some reason, they are real cheap these days…
- RCA cables and adapters to complete the bridge between your VCR and your capture device. The adapters are usually included with the device.
- A DVD burner (optional)
You will also need some software:
- Video capture software. This is usually included with your capture device. I wasn’t impressed with the software that came with my tuner, so I used the Media Import component of Roxio Easy Media Creator.
- Video editing software. Again, there will usually be something included with the capture device. In my case, I found Windows Movie Maker to work quite well for my needs. It is also free, as it is included as part of the Windows installation.
- Viewing software. Windows Movie Maker, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center (MCE 2005, Vista Home Premium or Ultimate) are programs that are included with Windows.
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