emuler wrote:All you need is a video capture/TV tuner card. That's not too expensive.
btw ARTHORIUS, please remember to clean your VCR heads before doing the rip - makes an incredible difference to the picture quality.
Unsolicited advice (use at your own risk, and definitely NOT if you aren't good with your hands - butterfingers beware!)
The best cleaning method I have found is IsoPropyl alcohol (stuff they use to clean photocopier drums with) and ordinary white photocopier paper.
1. Open the cover of your VCR.
2. Look carefully at the VCR drum (the shiny cylinder with grooves). Notice the 2 (or more) tiny openings in the surface spaced around the cylindrical surface. Those are the heads. They are very delicate, so be careful.
3. Wash your hands!
4. Cut/tear the paper into small pieces (2" x 2" approx).
5. Pour a few drops of IsoPropyl alcohol onto the paper.
6. Gently place the piece of paper - moist side inwards - against the VCR drum at a place where the heads are not (ie. in the space between the heads), holding it in place with your finger. Note: the paper must always be between the drum and your fingers - at no time should your fingers come in direct contact with the drum. Hold the paper steady - do not allow it to move at all.
7. With your other hand, gently rotate the drum. Note: the paper is still; the drum is rotated, so the surface of the drum is wiped clean by the paper. You will feel a slight bump as the heads pass under your finger. Remove the paper when the heads have passed - we don't want to risk damaging the heads.
8. Look at the paper and see how much dirt came off the heads.
9. IsoPropyl alcohol evaporates quickly. However, if you have used a lot, wait a bit to allow it do evaporate before using the VCR.
You can clean the other heads (those not on the drum) just like regular audio cassette recorder heads - use a cue tip mostened in IsoPropyl alcohol, but make sure no fibres are left behind.
Not just any old forum this one eh ?