How To Capture Video From An Analog Source

If you have a collection of video stored in an older analog format like VHS that you'd like to convert or transform into a digital format, there are a number of solutions that are both easy and inexpensive. Here's a list of the most common approaches to this problem.

1. USB Capture Device

This is probably the least expensive option with the simplest setup. You only need to plug it into an available USB port and plug the output of your analog device into it. Such devices range from about $40 to $90 by manufacturers like Diamond Multimedia, Pinnacle, ADS Tech, and KWorld. Such products can be found easily on Newegg. These may come with their own software to assist with the capture process. However, you could also use the freely available program VirtualDub to perform the capture.

2. PCI Capture Card

A PCI capture card is another good solution for capturing video from an analog source. If you have an available PCI slot and know how to open your PC to install new hardware, this may be a better option than going with the USB option since these cards are typically equipped with encoding hardware on-board, so there is not much reliance on your CPU for processing the video. This means that you're more likely to capture a video that is problem free when using a capture card. Manufacturers like Hauppauge and Sabrent. As of this writing, Newegg has a Sabrent card going for $16.99, and it has a TV tuner and supports encoding to MPEG-2 and MPEG-4.

3. DV Bridge

This may be the most expensive of all options listed here, but provides functionality not available with the other options. Specifically, this options provides a method to convert analog video to digital video, and back the other way if needed. Such functionality is handy for those who prefer to edit video with high-end tools like Adobe Premier or Apple's Final Cut Pro, both of which are capable of capturing digital video in real time. Manufacturers such as Dazzle Multimedia have made these devices available for around $300.

Q: What if I don't want to go through all of these steps? Is there an easier way to get my videos transformed into the right format to play on my iPod, like an inexpensive service?

A: Absolutely! PixelHAT offers this service for a small fee. Visit our website for more details!