ION Audio VCR 2 PC USB VHS Video to Computer Converter by Ion
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Digital camera reviews of ION Audio VCR 2 PC USB VHS Video to Computer Converter
Digital camera Review: Terrible audio
Summary: 1 Stars
This was very easy to use, installed first try. I am using Windows 7 on a quad core computer with 4Gb of memory. Video-wise it was OK although it seemed to have tracking problems once in awhile where a noise bar would work it's way down the screen.
It is the audio that is terrible. When VCR's first came out they had a stationary head for the audio that read from a track on the very edge of the tape. The video was laid down by a rotating video head that was able to lay down a terrific amount of information because the rotating head made it appear that the tape was moving at a very fast speed. The actual tape was moving very slowly and so the audio was mono and had a terrific amount of wow and flutter; it would also fade in and out if the edge of the tape had the slightest imperfections. After a few years the audio was added to the rotating video head and so it was extremely good quality and also was stereo. Even the cheapest VCR's today have the audio on the rotating head for good sound quality (I just bought a refurbed VCR/DVD combo for my RV and the sound is great).
I looked everywhere but nowhere could I find where this unit was getting it's audio. My suspicion is that it is getting the sound from that old technology stationary audio head, mono and terrible sounding.
I have returned the unit and will go with a conventional VCR and an analog to digital converter to input into my computer.
Sorry to be so technical but it's the only explanation I think for the terrible sound. This item could be a great item but I think they went the cheap route on the sound and are losing sales because of it.
Digital camera Review: ION VCR 2PC
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this product based on the majority of favorable reviews, but admit that I still had some doubts. However, it has not only met, but exceeeded my expectations. So far, I have digitized over 40 two-hour VHS tapes without a hitch. It's simply a matter of plugging it into the USB port of a computer and loading the software, which is one of the simplest and most intuitive programs I've seen. I then loaded the mpeg files that were created into Adobe Premiere Elements for titling and editing before burning to a DVD. The one thing I have not tried is burning a DVD directly from the ION software, which is an option. The only issue, which some other reviews have pointed out, is that it is possible for the audio track to get out of sync with the video on some longer dubs. To correct I have occassionally had to seperate the audio and video tracks in Premiere Elements and shift the audio track a hair to realign.
For $99 this is a far cheaper route to go than taking your tapes into a video production house for transfer to DVD. And - when you're done with it and and no longer have the need you always can get some of your money back by selling your used unit on eBay or Craigslist.
Digital camera Review: i can finally watch my old home movies
Summary: 4 Stars
I had some problems installing this initially. When i open the software it said my device was not connected or being used by another application. I thought this was weird because no other program was using it. After trying some things myself (and failing), I called there tech support line.
Apparently the drivers hadn't been installed right.
I downloaded new drivers from their website and installed them using their little PDF guide.
Since then I've had no problems getting connected and the product seems to work as it should. Some of the videos don't look as nice as my blue ray disc DVDs, but i guess that's what i should expect.
I had all these old home movies and no VCR and now i can finally watch those old movies again. And, I can make multiple copies and give them out to my relatives for cheap Christmas presents!
Digital camera Review: If I can do it, anyone can!
Summary: 5 Stars
This converter and accompanying software is simple to use and works wonderfully! I just followed the simple instructions, downloaded the software and used the default settings to make my dvd's. The videos can be copied and saved to your PC and immediately burned to dvd's, or you can save the videos and burn the dvd's at a later time. I paid $98 for this unit but have seen it for as low as $70 since then, but if I wear this one out, I'd definitely buy another one! Oh, just make sure your operating system is up to date before installing the software. Digital camera Review: This converter is a joke!
Summary: 1 Stars
It's not a finished product, there's no adequate software. I can't understand some of these 5-star reviews mentioning 'an instructional manual...which they consider very helpful' and the `intuitive controls'. They must have been smoking serious stuff...
There was no problem with the installation of the software. The misery started when I opened the program and had to find out what each option meant. Don't look it up in the manual. It just tells you that there is an option, not what it can do. My advice: start the program and push the play option on the VCR2PC. Probably, you will get no sound or image. Push knobs until you get an image and sound... I suggest consulting Wikipedia in order to understand the basics of what you are doing. If you never heard of NTSC or PAL, now is the moment. It looks obvious when you finally #after much aggravation# arrive at the right configuration.
I was happy until the glitches started. Every 10 seconds the image faded away for two seconds and I got snow. I tried recording and converting at least 20 homemade movies and videos from reputable film studios #Walt Disney and others# ... each time I got snow. It's obvious that these problems were not related to 'old' material as some reviews suggested. Finally, I consulted the website of VCR2PC. There are no FAQ's about VCR2PC. I contacted the Arcsoft forum, but to no avail. It's there that I read the comments from other users. Anyone with an installed sound and video card in his computer can convert by using his old VHS recorder and a few cables. If you haven't one, buy it for a few bucks on e-bay or any other market. The quality of the recorder will probably be much better then what you get from Arcsoft.
The solution is obvious. I have to return the VCR2PC recorder within 8 days of purchase for a refund. That's exactly what I am going to do on Monday.