USB VHS Converter
Do you need convert VHS onto your computer or DVD? Well you can now get a USB VHS Converter, so that makes me ask the question – “Do you even remember VHS?” – Personally I remember sneakily taping a certain leg crossing/uncrossing scene and trying late at night to repeatedly rewind and play it without my parents hearing.
If your answer to the question was NO, then this is grown up talk, go do your homework! If your answer was YES, then you’ll know that my parents (and probably the next door neighbour) heard the horrendous stop, start and rewind whir that all video machines made. The switched on couple that my parents are, knew exactly what I was doing – I feel a little sick! Well that’s enough of me sharing, down to business!
This Gizmo is like Super-Ronseal. It does exactly what it says on the Tin!…and a lot more! To start with it convert VHS Videos into digital files through your PC’s USB port.
The software it comes with can capture this at a resolution of 720 x 576 – it’s not Hi-Def but what do you expect of magnetic tape!? A 90 min long play film will use about 2.5 to 3GB of disc space, while a typical 90 min film recorded at 320 x 240 then converted to iPod ready, will only take up between 700 to 800MB.
The software allows the files to be converted into most formats and even lets you take stills from the recordings. It has a set of AV sockets on the front allowing you to convert your old 9mm camcorder film using the same process and allows trimming of the captured film to take out all the “inconvenient” bits.
It works as a regular VHS player with built in Auto tracking and multiple play back speeds (not that you would need this once you have converted everything to DVD), it takes PAL only video tapes (unfortunately NTSC won’t work) and to polish it all off, doesn’t look half bad neither!
It’s an all round good piece of kit to convert VHS video and I don’t think I have ever seen a viable “business in a box” idea as good as this! – Simply purchase this little box of magic, put an advert in your local paper advertising the conversion of VHS/8mm videos to DVD “at reasonable prices”, then I reckon this little beauty should just about pay for itself in a couple of weeks (remember peeps, all business laws and taxes should be obeyed, we don’t promote Jack Sparrows on this tech news blog).
IN SHORT: The USB VHS Converter is a versatile piece of genius allowing you to convert VHS and 8mm tapes through a USB port into a multitude of digital formats at varying resolutions and a VHS to TV player.
Related Pages:
- Daniusoft Media Converter Ultimate Review
- USB Tape Express – Audio Cassette Tape To MP3 Converter
- MKV2VOB Review (MKV HD Video File Converter)
- DbPowerAmp Review – Lossless Music Converter
- Flip Ultra HD – Mini Video Camera
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Comments: 18
9:43 am 22nd July, 2008
Or, you could record your VHS tapes to DVD using your DVD recorder…
David Bradleys last blog post..Atmospheric, Spectroscopic, Arsenic
Comments: 3
2:32 am 24th July, 2008
wow thats pretty cool, this is the first time i’ve heard of this, really neat
thanks
juzten
juztens last blog post..DirectX For Vista
Comments: 15
10:05 pm 27th July, 2008
Yes you could David… yes you could.. you could also record them through a TV card with the right software… or set up a DV camera in front of your TV and tape them straight to digital.. but the USB VHS converter is a little more versatile I think? (and it gives me a great excuse to get a new gadget)
Mikes last blog post..USB Key Logger
Comments: 18
10:49 am 28th July, 2008
Fair enough. As a kid, I remember recording the sound from a broadcast of a Genesis gig on BBC2, using a mono cassette recorder. I wish I still had that tape, the sound quality was just soooo crap. I’d save and convert to mp3 just for the hell of it, if I still had it
Comments: 317
1:18 pm 12th August, 2008
I’ve never bothered with getting a DVD recorder, I’ve managed without one so far – this product could save you going down that route.
The business side of me is really intrigued by the idea of offering a local service to people – I could see that being quite profitable if you have some spare time to do it!
Comments: 15
12:31 am 14th August, 2008
ohhh Dave.. a tape to usb converter… now thats interesting… whatch this space
(buy one Si you know you want to)
Mikes last blog post..Voice Recording Watch
Comments: 1
12:42 pm 15th November, 2009
In the advert above it says….
it takes PAL/NTSC video tapes and to polish it all off, doesn’t look half bad neither!
Yet in the reviews question section …
Can both PAL and NTSC videos be converted?
Andrew, Edinburgh – May ‘09
Firebox says: Its’ PAL only unfortunately!
I’m confused, which is it….? Does it ,or does it not accept both NTSC and PAL???
Comments: 3
1:54 pm 15th November, 2009
Hi Linda, thanks for highlighting this point, I can only assume that since this article was written, the model of the USB VHS Converter that Firebox stocks has been changed and no longer supports NTSC.
Sorry for any confusion and I’ve updated this article to reflect the fact that NTSC is now not supported in this product.
Hope that helps.
Comments: 8
8:28 pm 16th November, 2009
The cheeky little so and so’s. They have changed the spec. I went back and checked the original spec that I was sent at they clearly state “taking both PAL and NTSC tapes”.
Nice catch Linda