Restoring an old VHS video??

Hello,
I am currently using a Mac Pro Dual-Core 2.66 Intel Xeon computer. I have Final Cut Express 4 installed and I was wondering if anyone knows of a way to use FCE to restore a video?
Here's the situation:
I have a VHS tape of my wedding. Soon, it will be my 25th wedding anniversary and I thought that it would be nice to transfer the wedding video from VHS to DVD. I captured the video into FCE4 by way of Firewire. However, the original VHS was in pretty poor condition. The colors bleed from object to object and the overall picture is not very sharp or well defined.
I'm a beginner to FCE. Are there any tools in FCE4 that would allow me to create a better quality print of my wedding video in that there would be less color bleed and a sharper more defined picture?

Alchroma wrote:
You may find it worth the exercise to get your footage professionally transfered to DV tape.
Al
I think this is a good idea. I'm new to FCE, so I don't know nearly as much about it as you guys do. But I'm assuming its capabilities are limited when it comes to fixing bad video. Of course, any bad source video can only be fixed so much, but I have found that the professional video services out there can do some amazing things.
I had some REALLY OLD super-8 movie reels converted to DV tape. Although far from perfect, the results were amazing; much better than the actual movie film. I don't know what the professional video service people did, but it was worth every cent. Speaking of cents, it wasn't even all that expensive: $.25/foot. And I know there are places that are cheaper than that.
The fact that Al suggested conversion to DV tape (as opposed to straight to DVD) raises two questions:
1) Would the quality of the converted video be better on DV tape than on DVD?
2) Is FCE capable of capturing video straight from a DVD? (A homemade DVD, not a commercial DVD like "The Dark Knight", for example.)

Similar Messages

How do I remove yellow banding in old VHS video

I captured some old video. Over time I'm getting yellow banding. Any ideas on how to remove it.

Unfortunately, that ship has sailed. I don’t have the VHS tapes anymore.

Importing material from old VHS cassettes

Hi all,
I have a large collection of old VHS video cassettes that I used to shoot film 10-20 years ago. I would like to be able to bring extracts into FCE4. Could someone tell me what I would need in the way of hardware and software to be able to do this??
Thanks!

Hi Waterton, This may not be the most cost effective way of solving your dilemma but I had a very similar problem with some old VHS-C footage and a whole batch of VHS cassettes. IN the end I bit the bullet and purchased the Canopus ADVC-110. It has enough variation in input and output to suit most formats and is a dream to use. Have a look on the link below.
http://www.canopus.com/products/ADVC110/index.php
Hope this helps
Burak

Converting VHS videos to DVDs

How do I use my Mac to convert old VHS video tapes to DVDs? Do I need to buy a converter of some kind? What is the process? I'd appreciate any light shone on this topic since I'm trying to preserve some family and travel videos by converting them and hopefully editing them in the process!
Thanks!

Hi
Yes You need something that converts from analog to digiatl.
• A/D-box like Canopus ADVC-55, 110 or 300
• miniDV Camera with video trough function
• miniDV Camera without - You need to copy one hour at a time to tape
(Don't use LP-function 90-min on a 60min tape - audio Will go out of Sync)
Many miniDV Cameras Don't have analog-in - in EU omitted due to tax regulations
extra cost to turn it on.
I do
• Have a Canopus ADVC-300
This because old VHS tapes often get's drop outs and the ADVC-300 makes it's own timecode
this makes it possibly to import in long sequences without the need of baby-sit.
You also need a SCART-plug WITH AN IN AND OUT Switch plus a RCA-Cable with three
connectors in each end. This to connect A/D-box with VHS-VCR and a 4-pin to 6-pin
FW-Cable for Canopus ADVC-300 to Mac (Others may use 6-pin to 6-pin or even
FW-800 to 6-pin)
There is no way possibly I know about if You got a Mac without a FW-port 800 or 400.
eg New Mac-Books. Sorry.
Yours Bengt W

Downloading VHS videos to my MBP through my camcorder

Is it possible to download my old VHS videos to my MBP using my old camcorder and a usb cable. If not, what type of Hardware/Software is required and is the software I might need already loaded on my MBP. I would like to convert all of my old VHS tapes to disc using my MBP.
Please be patient with me, I have converted to the MAC OS just this week. I've been a Windows user forever and decided to make the switch to the MAC OS after multiple viruses, crashes and freeze-ups on my old windows system, I simply had enough. ?
Mac Book Pro Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Why not search through the iMovie Discussions pages for answers to this very commonly asked question?
This page is for Safari browser.

Is there a way to import videos from old VHS tapes so that they can be later accessible to processing with imovie?

Is there any way to import videos from old VHS tapes so that thry can later be processed by imovie?

I recently got a new iPhone, and after restoring all my stuff from my old iPhone via the iTunes restore thing, I had to put all my music on manually, instead of it being restored.
iTunes content is not included with your iPhone's backup - no music, movies, tv shows, podcasts, audio and print books, tones, and apps. All iTunes content must be transferred back to your iPhone when restoring. If you sync music with Sync Music selected under the Music tab for your iPhone sync preferences with iTunes, music is transferred back to your iPhone from your iTunes library when syncing - syncing is followed after the iPhone is restored. If you manually manage music and videos with this selected under the Summary tab for your iPhone sync preferences with iTunes, you must manually drag all music from your iTunes library back to your iPhone. Manually manage music means manually all the way.

Restoring old VHS

Does anybody have some good tips/techniques for restoring old VHS footage? I've got all the footage on my HD through a ADC (analog to digital converter). Just wondering if there are any good techniques to make it look more like film.
Thanks
-Caleb

very simple explanation:
http://www.sparkysworld.co.uk/tbc.htm
example of a best of breed manufacturer:
http://www.for-a.com/subhtml/pproduct/fa115.html
try to buy one second hand there are so many out there and you will save a mint
Gary

Best format/compression for archiving old VHS home videos?

To those who have digitized old VHS home videos: what format/compression did you choose for them when archiving? I have been experimenting with all the different choices when exporting from iMovie, and the tradeoff between size and image quality. Just curious to see what others have decided on.

Thanks for the responses. Is MPEG-2 the best choice for VHS footage? i.e. is it sufficient for the relatively low quality of VHS? I thought MPEG-4 was superior to MPEG-2. Or is MPEG-4 for HD videos? I have been importing from a VCR through a Canopus ADVC-55 (i have eyetv but i think the imported video was blocky...it was a long time ago). Editing in iMovie 09 and exporting to QuickTime movie H.264 on the "high" quality setting, just below "best". Anyway, now I'm wondering if i can just export to MPEG-2, have the same quality image, but a smaller file size.

HT3775 This info is not helping. I am using VC500MAC digital video conversion system to record old VHS tapes to computer. The file is .mov, but quicktime is not playing it back. Help, please.

This info is not helping. I am using VC500MAC digital video conversion system to record old VHS tapes to computer. The file is .mov, but quicktime is not playing it back. Help, please.

Sorry for this question. Can you use this device with Vlc or QuickTime? Does skype support it? Is this device supported only by its own software?
I need a device that can work with my own software. My software can work only with a QuickTime supported device.
Thanks if you will reply to me.

Old VHS music videos to digital life

Hi,
I'm capturing my old VHS music videos to FCP. The idea is to export them later so I can watch them in my iPod, PowerBook or Apple TV.
My questions are:
1. My Tv has a wide screen, and I love to watch productions in that way, but as 100% of my VHS videos are in 4:3 fomat, I want to know if it is possible to crop them giving an anamorphic look so they can fill my tv screen but keeping a good quality in the resolution?
2. When I capture my VHS music videos in FCP, I noticed the video captured is interlace. I don't know if it is beacause that's normal for a analog source or it is because my capture settings are wrong.
3. I've tried to export the video using, in QuickTime Conversion: iPod format, Apple Tv format, MPEG-4 format and iPhone format but I have not been able to find the quality that I've watched in videos bought from iTunes store. Which is the best prescription to export videos in FCP for my digital life?
4. Finaly. Do Apple Tv or iPods have a favourite format (4:3 - 16:9) to play videos for the best resolution?
Thanks.

I want to know if it is possible to crop them giving an anamorphic look so they can fill my tv screen but keeping a good quality in the resolution?
No, not really. VHS was a supremely low quality recording format ie by todays standards its already a load of mush. Bring that in and scale it up so that it would fill a wide screen (whilst cropping off the top and bottom) and you'll be left with even mushier "widescreen" mush.
I noticed the video captured is interlace.
Your VHS recordings are indeed interlaced.
I have not been able to find the quality that I've watched in videos bought from iTunes store
Nor will you. GIGO = Garbage In, Garbage Out
Do Apple Tv or iPods have a favourite format
Yes ... I couldn't tell you offhand what they are, but the recommended formats will all be prescribed by choosing the Apple TV / iPod export formats in Export Quicktime Conversion, or from the presets available in Compressor

I recorded xmas morning with wifes new iphone 5. I then restored her old iphone 4 onto iphone 5. Are the videos of xmas morning now gone? Can I get them back? How?

I recorded xmas morning with wifes new iphone 5. I then restored her old iphone 4 onto iphone 5. Are the videos of xmas morning now gone? Can I get them back? How?
Shawn

i'd say they are gone
unless you transfered them to the computer before restoring it

Capturing old VHS tapes via Dazzle DV Bridge issue

Hey Guys!
I am capturing some old VHS footage (>20 years) in hopes to restore it digitally as much as possible but on one tape I've run into an issue. When using the playback on the DV bridge to my TV, the audio and video are great. However, in FCP after I have captured, I am noticing several audio and video "jumps" and distortions. I checked other segments of the capture and they seem to be fine, so I am assuming it may be the tape but since my playback on the TV was excellent, I'm not sure what to consider. Any ideas?

The tape has light physical damage. You need a converter that has a built in Time Based Corrector, such as [this one|http://desktop.grassvalley.com/products/ADVC300/index.php]. Expensive if you only need it for one tape, but you should be able to hire a unit.

I have been trying to import VHS video into iMovie via a Hollywood Dazzle bridge. Did not have trouble until I upgraded to mavericks. I have a mac book pro, 10.9.1, iMovie 10.0.2. Says it is recording, but when I go to check, it says the file is empty.

I have been trying import VHS video into iMovie via a Hollywood Dazzle bridge. I have been successful doing this in the past, but now it is not working. I have a mac book pro, 10.9.1, (mavericks), iMovie 10.0.2. Everything in iMovie looks like it is working. It reads "recording" in the upper left hand corner of the pane while the video is playing. When I stop the process to check on my clip it says that the file is empty. The only thing that has changed since I did it successfully is that I upgraded to mavericks from whatever I had previously. My system is about one year old. Any suggestions?

Hey, Clinton,
     Thanks for your help! I was able to go to iMovie 9.0.9 and import video. I was still curious as to why it didn't work in version 10.0.2, so I contacted Apple tech support. They were't sure at first as to why it wouldn't work, so they had me delete iMovie 10.0.2 and then re-install it just to see if something had gone wrong when it upgraded. That didn't change anything. In the end, they determined that 10.0.2 doesn't support the Hollywood Dazzle DV bridge. But I have a workaround path from them that I will share so that it's possible to import to 9.0.9, then move it to 10.0.2.
     1. Open iMovie 9 (finder/applications/iMovie 9.0.9
     2. Import from Dazzle Bridge to iMovie 9, note which event you are importing the clips into
     3. Close iMovie 9
     4. Open iMovie 10 (probably in the dock)
     5. File/Import Media...navigate to home(this was my name, on the left side of iMovie, under Favorites)/Movies/iMovie events. Find the event folder that contains your Dazzle clips (tip-try sorting by date modified to look at recent events.)
     6. Select the clips and import. Click the blue "Import Selected" button on the bottom right.
You may get a message that some files cannot be imported. Click continue import. It's a little glitchy. It imports your clip, and also makes a copy of it, too. On the copy, the audio is normal, but the video is choppy. In any case, you would delete the copy, anyway.
Hope this additional information helps somebody else. Thanks again, Clinton for helping me!

I've got a 7 year old 30gb video ipod and the headphone port no longer works! Please help :)

I've got a 7 year old 30gb video ipod and the headphone port no longer works.
I went to the Apple shop and they said it is now vintage and they can't fix my baby they offered me 10% to trade her in for a new model...
what else can I try to save her? I've tried cleaning and wiggling and restoring. Everything looks and feels ok.

I've just found 'iPod Dock Connector Headphone Jack' on ebay it as an adapter that will connect my earphones via the wide ipod port better than 10% of something new

How do you suggest I best import and edit many portions of old VHS?

I read the recent postings on digitizing the multiple DVD's and found that to be quite interesting and enlightening. I have searched through the archives but didn't run into a posting with exactly my question and I apologize because I know there are bound to be others with the same question. This is what I have and want to do: Vista with an external Seagate attached via USB 2. I have Adobe Premier Elements 3 but I am willing to purchase another form of software and another form of external drive. I do have a Firewire port.
I have a box of old VHS tapes of my kid's dance recitals, ball games, etc... the tapes are very long but often only have small portions of interest on them and now that my kids are older they are only interested in the 5 minutes of themselves. I would like to import the video and burn to dvd the pertinent portions of the VHS.
I need to know both the suggested hardware to use to hook to the computer... and what software do you suggest that I use to edit the footage.Or, maybe you have some other suggestions.
I have used Premier quite a bit. I have never used enormous files like an endless dance recital so I hope that you tell me there is a way I could perhaps find a device that would allow me to view and only digitize the portions I want... or, perhaps it would be better to take these tapes somewhere and have them made into a DVD and then would there be a way to only import a portion of them that way? These are NOT world class videos...(in fact, 20 years later I realize how badly I was wasting my money!! HA!)
Have I been clear in what I need and the kind of advice I am asking for?
Thank you for any advice you might offer me.

Here's what I did, more as an accident, rather than a thought out process to spend big bucks, or get the best possible quality on conversion.
I had a bunch of old analog tapes, just like you, and always thought it would be very kool to get them in a format I can use and loaded onto my PC.
When I purchased my DV Handycam, one of the options I looked for was "Analog Passthru" capabilities. This basically allows you to hook up an analog device like a VCR and copy video to your Handycam.
Desktop "DVD Writers" typically have analog hook-ups and basically can do the same thing.
With this capability, I then slowly went thru the process of moving all my old tapes onto my PC.
Did it work, yes it did.
Was it easy, yes it was (as far as cable hook-up).
Was it tedious and somewhat time consuming, yes, yes, and yes.
But over time I did get all my old tapes onto my PC and in a format that was primed for editing. (You can also do some bulk editing of source during the conversion).
As far as quality, considering the video source and conversion method, I was quite pleased with the end result, and anyone who views the clips (on PC or TV), has a hard time seeing the differences between the end product and the source.
Would a dedicated HW device like Canopus have given better quality, most likely yes, but for my purposes, the one time use to just move my tapes was not cost effective. The purchase of a Cam with passthru, or a DVD Writer, worked just fine and could be used for other things.
(One caveat, with Canopus or a HW bridge setup, the process is much quicker as it allows going from analog directly to DV-AVI. And DV-AVI is the format goal for easy editing with PE7).
One thing for sure, my family and friends get a hugh kick out of seeing themselves (as they've grown older over the years).
And no one ever complains about the quality of the videos...

Restoring an old VHS video??

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for