Make: Online : DIY Video tape encoding station

DIY Video tape encoding station

112732-105293 P1010521
Ryan writes in -

Here's a video tape encoding station I setup using some old gear I had laying around and a Neuros MP4 Recorder. I'm recording the tapes at 320 x 240 at super fine quality and the files produced are beautiful. As a bonus they play perfectly without conversion on both Zunes and iPods.

DIY Video tape encoding station - Link.

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Comments

Oldest comments listed first.

Posted by: J on January 24, 2008 at 10:14 PM

Any reason why your not recording them at 640x480? Your loosing half the quality and I'm sure the zune and ipods will play these back.

Record at the highest and then archive them so you can trash the tapes :).

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Posted by: Danuuc on January 25, 2008 at 4:30 AM

And powered by a vaccuum no less!

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Posted by: bob on January 25, 2008 at 4:37 AM

so like, what's a video tape?

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Posted by: Dissident AKA Ryan on January 25, 2008 at 4:43 AM

I'm not encoding them at 640x480 because it seems a waste of space. The zune will play it back very well actually, but its a matter of economics of space for me.

Tapes have a lower resolution and honestly in my opinion have a lower quality than DVD's. However when you encode it at 320x240 you get a smaller file, and it looks good enough for me.

Thanks for looking anyway.

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Posted by: brad on January 25, 2008 at 7:39 AM

Back in the day we would use hi speed dubbing for cassette tapes. Have you looked at this for an option? Even if this is possible? On your set up. I like your plan but who has time to wait or to watch aunt betty wave to all the neighbors while hard coping the kids b-day.

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Posted by: Dave on January 25, 2008 at 8:15 AM

Why?

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Posted by: Ben McPherson on January 25, 2008 at 9:09 AM

High speed dubbing isn't possible with this setup, or with most other video setups. This is a smart thing to do. I'd make the file sizes slightly larger, because you're currently removing quality from an already lossy format, but if you're only viewing them on a Zune then it doesn't matter too much. However, if you want to have slightly more future-proof material, then 640x480 is the way to go.

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Posted by: H on January 25, 2008 at 10:00 AM

What speed/brand CF would you suggest?

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Posted by: JeffreyT on January 25, 2008 at 1:31 PM

I use my Aiptek A-HD (US Version) to do essentially the same thing. It has a display so you only need it and the VCR/DVD player. $119 recently at Target.

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Posted by: Dissident AKA Ryan on January 26, 2008 at 7:37 AM

High speed dubbing isn't possible on this system. I wish it were, but the Neuros is a realtime recording device.

I know what you mean about not wanting to sit through the home movies, hence the mini-setup. The screen is there just so I can check progressand usually the sound is off unless I'm in the other room.

I don't mind it recording in realtime however. I have enough things to do that just setting it up and going off to do other things is easy.

As for brand and spoeed of CF, I've found no difference in quality between different brands of CF or SD on this recorder. The only thing it would speed up is the transfer from card to my PC. And over USB 2.0 its fast enough for that to be a nonissue.

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