Hi folks,

Could you suggest what would be the easiest way to capture video streams from VCR / camcorder into MCE 2004 using AV input of PCI TV tuner card. I’m confused, but I think it can be done much more simple way that the way i'm doing it right now. I My way is involving using STB and AV as input and just schedule a manual recording for any cannel and before recording swap STB with VCR. But it really a hassle.

Thank you in advance

Personally I would just use a dedicated analogue video capture solution. Plenty of them around fairly cheaply. Just bought my Dad one for his birthday to convert old VHS tapes into digital to edit and store again on DVD.

asm495:

Personally I would just use a dedicated analogue video capture solution. Plenty of them around fairly cheaply. Just bought my Dad one for his birthday to convert old VHS tapes into digital to edit and store again on DVD.

Thanks for the suggestion. I really would like to utilize what I have. My kid's system is soooooo old and delicate so I afraid to change anything. it's working for them and i do not have to service it (for the last three years i tried many times to upgrade it with SP2 and SP3, but i had to fall back to the  original image copy i made in 2004). Most of the problems I had with it were out of sync audio/video and system was not waking up for a recording. Right now I HAVE EVERYTHING WORKING and do not want to install any software or hardware. Maybe just a utility.  My system closed for any updates and this is all I want from it -- record TV programs and convert to recordings some old VHS Russian kid's cartoons.

Thanks

Do you have a video camera with DV (firewire) output?  If so, you can use Windows Movie Maker to capture video from your VCR through the DV camera.  Hook the camera to the computer and the VCR to the analog inputs of your camera.  You can then save in the file format you want, without installing any additional hardware or drivers.  Movie Maker is free, and most of the bits are probably already on your computer, so installing it should have little impact on the setup.

You might check to see if your tuner card has some application already loaded on your system. Sometimes when install the card, it automatically loads some A/V software as well. The 3rd party app might have a simpler process to allow you to just plug in the VCR's RCA connectors, pick the input, and hit record. Of course, that won't be recorded as a TV program (DVR-MS), it would just be in whatever video format you choose.

Take the STB step out of it.  The Media Center has no way of knowing if the STB has changed to the proper channel or is playing the proper show.  Just hook the VCR to your analog inputs on your tuner card (use S-Video), go to Live TV on the Media Center computer, put the first tape in the VCR, press play on the VCR, and then hit the record button on your remote.  When the show is finished, press stop on your remote, put the next tape in, and repeat.  The tricky part will be editing the metadata in your DVR-MS files to reflect the title, time, date, and other info that you want for the shows, but I am sure it can be done, probably with native tools.

kingwr:

Take the STB step out of it.  The Media Center has no way of knowing if the STB has changed to the proper channel or is playing the proper show.  Just hook the VCR to your analog inputs on your tuner card (use S-Video), go to Live TV on the Media Center computer, put the first tape in the VCR, press play on the VCR, and then hit the record button on your remote.  When the show is finished, press stop on your remote, put the next tape in, and repeat.  The tricky part will be editing the metadata in your DVR-MS files to reflect the title, time, date, and other info that you want for the shows, but I am sure it can be done, probably with native tools.

 First of all thanks guys for the inputs. . My camcorder is 1999 Sony miniDv did not have pass-through option. I said "did not" as my wife just called and said "honey, i think i just broke our camcorder" lolololol

 i did pretty much what kingwr suggested, but with one exception i have to schedule manual recording. because if i just hit recod button and in guide the show will ends up soone than my tape in VCR - last part of the tape will not be recorded.

Thanks again everyone. I sort of got the idea from your answers, that the way i was doing it is the way to do it.