VHS recording

[moonraker]

Hi,

I am trying to record a Mpeg video on a vhs.
My geforce 3 has a S-VHS output, i have a cable to link it to the recorder, but i just dont know anything ! i would like to record it on the tape, but how do i have to proceed ? I searched on google and i didnt find anything.
I have every tools for encoding, from virtualdub(mod)/nandub to RADtools, but i never recorded anything on VHS
Someone knows good tutorials for total n00bs like me ?

[joalin]

Hello,

im not sure if I understood your problem, but didn't it work at all? The s-video connection will just transmit the video, not audio. You must also connect a cable between the audio out (3.5 mm) to the audio in on the VHS (usually 2 RCA plugs). You could at first try to do the same on the tv set to see if everything works. The next step is to find the right channel on the VCR/VHS. On the video card you can usually adjust what output channel to use, but just play the video and start tuning on the video around channel 36 I think...after a while you should have a picture. If black and white, just switch to composite signal if RGB...any questions?

[ultimatebilly]

I think the newbie-forum would be a better place for that...
All you have to do, is to link the VCR to the output of your Geforce-card. This won't give you sound, of course, you also have to connect your sondcard to the VCR.
If your VCR doesn't has audio-input, you have to get a scart-adapter, where you plug your s-video- and audio-cables into.
I suggest installing the detonator driver from Nvidia. I don't know what you can do with the drivers of a Geforce 3, because I have a Geforce 2...
If you set your graphic card to TV-out (just right-click on the desktop, select properties->settings->"don't know exactly think advanced or something, you will figure it out" and you have black bars on the side of the TV, then the drivers are as shitty as the ones for the Geforce 2.
In this case you will need TV-Tool...
It allows you to set nearly any resolution you want to set - I always use 768x576, but you have to install modified drivers for that, so first try with 800x600, and set to fullscreen, so that there are no black bars anymore...
If the picture is black&white, try switching to another channel on your VCR...
Now you need Zoomplayer for playback, because the stretching of the image to fullscreen results in overscan, that means that parts of the picture are not visible, as you can see from your desktop.
Change the configuration of Zoomplayer if necessary, I use the mouse-wheel to zoom and the directional keys to adjust the position of the picture.
If anything looks perfect, try to record it by pressing the record button of your VCR.
Record the movie for one minute, rewind and play it back, if it looks ok you are all set...

PS.: Uups... Didn't see someone had postet an answer already...
Well, the more the better :)

[FlimsyFeet]

If you are using the S-video out, don't you need an S-VHS VCR? As far as I know, regular VCRs don't accept an S-video input, you must convert the signal to composite.

There is a newbie tutorial about connecting to a TV here that may help:
http://www.movieking.co.uk/visitors/television.html
it's actually about connecting to a TV, but should be applicable to connecting to a VCR.

[ppera2]

Originally posted by joalin
Hello,
.... The next step is to find the right channel on the VCR/VHS. On the video card you can usually adjust what output channel to use, but just play the video and start tuning on the video around channel 36 I think...after a while you should have a picture. If black and white, just switch to composite signal if RGB...any questions?

What you talk about ????... There is no any channel setting when connect to VCR via composite or S-VHS cable. You need only to set VCR that input will be not tuner but A/V input. It's usually shown as AV on display. Or channel 0. On some Orion VCR's it activates when plug in to chinch (RCA) video input.

[joalin]

ok, you're right I mixed that up with my video card for input, of course it's the a/v signal to go for...sorry

[ultimatebilly]

If you are using the S-video out, don't you need an S-VHS VCR? As far as I know, regular VCRs don't accept an S-video input, you must convert the signal to composite.
I was assuming he has one, because he said he had a cable to link the S-VHS-output to the recorder...
If you don't have one, moonraker, try using a scart-adapter.
Even if your VCR is not able to properly decode the signal (read: it will be black&white) you can use TV-Tool to send a composite-signal through the S-VHS-cable (just set TV-Tool to composite).

[SeeMoreDigital]

You can buy an adaptor that will convert from S-VHS to composite phono.

They cost £6.60 in the UK from www.lektropacks.co.uk order ref code P-SCON

There's loads of useful stuff on this site!

[moonraker]

Whow, i wasnt expecting so much help ! :D
Thank you so much. :cool:
1/3 time you are just lucky getting one answer on other forums :(
I will try to what you all say, i will tell you later if it worked
Thank you again

[moonraker]

Ive tryed to connect the SCART on my computer, there was a red cable, a black cable and a white cable.
The black was for video, and i put the red for audio, the only problem is that i cant see anything on my TV when i use tvtool, i can play movies with my VCR and view them with my TV that i connected on RF out, but i just cant view my desktop or anything else

[ultimatebilly]

The colors of the video-cable have no special meaning as far as I know...
Composite looks like this:
http://tvtool.info/jpgs/cableguide/cinch_out.jpg

S-VHS like this:
http://tvtool.info/jpgs/cableguide/svhs_out.jpg

And scart looks like this:
http://tvtool.info/jpgs/cableguide/scart.jpg

Do you really have connected the S-VHS-output of your card to the S-VHS input of your VCR?
Your VCR has S-VHS input? Sure?
How is your VCR connected to the TV? Via a scart-cable or via the antenna-input?
In any case, you should be able to receive the signal from the graphics card when you put the VCR to the A/V-Channel.
Now select the channel on your TV you use to watch stuff with your VCR (if you have connected both via scart, just use one of the A/V-channels)...
Now you have to enable the S-VHS-output from your card.
With TV-Tool, you just have to click on the big green "Power-Button", and you should have a picture in either black&white or color.
If you can't get it to work, try connecting your PC to the TV directly for testing.

PS.: I just saw that you have connected the TV via RF - it should work anyways when you set the TV to the channel you normally use...

[SeeMoreDigital]

If your video card only has an S-VHS output and your VCR is not an S-VHS model. You will need an adaptor like the one I mentioned before.

The best way to connect your video card to your VCR is via your VCR's front inputs. By connecting in this way you will be able to see an image on your PC screen and your TV at the same time.

Before you start. Can you confirm that you know how to setup your video card to output to a TV/VCR. As not all video cards make this very easy to do?

We are all here to help!

[moonraker]

That post helped me alot
Everything worked fine exept i had to use an older VCR.
I dont know why mine didnt work :confused:
Anyway i could record it on tape.
I done the wiring and used TV tool to switch to my TV