Capturing Analog Video Is Still Needed & Necessary

It may come as a surprise, but analog video sources are still owned by many households along with a plethora of video tapes being stored in boxes which have never been touched in years. I myself fall into this category, and as my curiosity got to me, I inquired around with my friends to see if they had any VHS tapes lying around. In fact, they did, and I was rather surprised I was not the only one. Several of my friends had a box with a few dozen VHS tapes in them. Content ranged from family events to television broadcasts. One of my friends had a videotape where he appeared on a local news station. This particular friend was very interested in finding a way to make the recording more permanent and to prevent any further loss of video quality.

I suspect my own personal experience of having friends who have a minor collection of VHS tapes and other analog content, are not unique. Our society is still in the process of The Digital Conversion, whereby all of our analog content is still in storage, and some of it is being converted to a digital medium. Eventually we may progress to the point where our analog content is eventually thrown out altogether, leaving only our digital copies of it. But this takes time, and it also takes a certain amount of confidence into the device and software which handle the conversion process.

VHS To DVD 2.0 vs. 3.0

Below is a table which compares the features of VHS to DVD 2.0 and 3.0:

VHS to DVD			2.0	3.0
Capture	DVD		X	X
	VCD		X	X
	SVCD		X	X
	Long DVD		X	X
	Split Capturing		X	X
	WMV			X
	SPS / iPod			X
	MP3			X
Edit	Transition Effect		X	X
	# Of Transition Effects		86	86
	Cut & Paste		X	X
	Preview on Editing		X	X
	Add Picture			X
	WMV			X
Burn	Authoring		X	X
	DVD		X	X
	Dual-Layer DVD			X
	SVCD		X	X
	VCD		X	X
	Data (Video)		X	X
	Mini-DVD		X	X
	Save as File		X	X
	Make UDI		X	X
	Simulate Burning		X	X
	Direct Burning		X	X
	Audio CD			X

New Features You Need

The new features of VHS to DVD 3.0 make a much more versatile package than before. With added sound capture capabilities, dual-layer DVD support, PSP, iPod, and WMV additions. VHS to DVD 3.0 appears to be a relatively affordable choice for on-demand A/V capture.

Now, let's take a look at what's in the box...