[vcf-midatlantic] semi OT: video digitizing & archive

[Herb Johnson]

> On Tue, Apr 6, 2021 at 12:40 PM Jeffrey Jonas wrote:
> 
>> I need advice how to best digitize video,
>> mostly standard def TV/NTSC of VCF events.

Jeff didn't say exactly what his video sources were, but by definition 
"NTSC" means some analog-broadcast quality, composite video or NTSC 
channel 3/4 source. Say an old tape VCR or an old analog videotape 
camera etc. etc.

Jeff didn't say what to digitize TO. He mentioned old-school proprietary 
TV to-hard-drive capturing systems. Jeff - suck any video from them, 
digitize it on playback, and throw. them. out.

Someone close to me, does a lot of ATSC and cable-to-NTSC recording. The 
technology they use for capture, is Win 7 Win 8 class dual/quad CPU 
tower PC systems. OK? They use USB dongles for video capture; USB 
ATSC/NTSC tuners; or less convenient PCI card ATSC/NTSC tuners. 
Hauppauge produced a bunch of these, also Pinnacle. Buy them on eBay; 
they are obsolete, they are cheap.

VLC is a pretty good media player software package. Less good for 
capture. You *do* plan to play these on a computer right? Save files on 
a computer and some mass-storage device, right? Right?

A plausible path is:
Composite video/audio;
Hauppage USB-Live-2 dongle (to USB port);
Win 7, 8, 10 box less than 10 years old;
OBS video capture https://obsproject.com/;
VLC video playback https://www.videolan.org/vlc/.

If your source is tape-video with only NTSC channel 3/4 out,
then get a USB tuner dongle. Again; ebay, cheap, obsolete.
Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-950 does NTSC and ATSC.
Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-850 does NTSC.

Of course, ATSC and an antenna lets you watch and record over-the-air 
content. 720 and 1080 resolution too.

If you are a Linux-fan, fine. Same hardware, same software suggestions. 
Please use a computer box less than ten years old with muscle.
https://www.linuxtv.org/

regards, Herb Johnson

-- 
Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA
http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net