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Video recording takes up an immense amount of disk space, 17 gigabytes for each hour of raw video.
 technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

T e c h n o f i l e
ADS device helps convert VHS tapes to digital video so you can turn them into DVDs


May 29, 2005


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2005, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2005, The Post-Standard

   The people who design computers must think we're dumb. They've been leaving out as essential part for years, hoping we wouldn't notice.
   The part they've left out is a connector for your VCR. All you'd have to do, if you had such a thing, is plug your video cassette recorder into your PC or Mac, click a few icons and turn any VHS tape into a DVD.
   Fat chance you can do that with your computer the way it came from the store. If you want to rescue those ancient VHS tapes, you have two choices: You have to hook your VCR up to a set-top DVD recorder or you have to buy a device that sits between your computer and your video recorder, converting the video signal coming from the VCR into digital form that can be made into a DVD.
   The second choice is the only option for many of us. Serious editing of old family videos to get rid of goofy mistakes is relatively easy on a computer, but it's next to impossible when you're simply copying tapes to a DVD recorder.
   So if you want to turn those tapes into DVDs, you'll probably have to buy an analog-to-digital converter. I bought mine a couple of years ago and would otherwise be happy to recommend it, but the current model isn't as good as the older one. (It's a Dazzle Hollywood Bridge. Stay clear of the current models.)
   But ADS, a competitor, has come out with a converter better than the previous Dazzle unit.
   ADS markets it as the Pyro A/V Link and sells it for $279 from its Web site, www.adstech.com. But the list price is artificially high. Amazon.com, the leading discounter on the Web, was selling the Pyro A/V Link for $154.84 last week.
   How good is the Pyro? In my tests, the ADS Pyro created digital video (DV) recordings that were indistinguishable from my original VHS videos. DVDs I made from the Pyro conversions looked slick and professional, and the unit was easy to use and just as easy to hook up. All connections are clearly labeled.
   The Pyro is an attractive black box the size of a VHS cassette. It has audio and video inputs on the front and a set of outputs on the back. The only output jack that matters to your computer is the Firewire connection on the back, which carries the digital audio-and-video signal to the computer. The other output connectors are useful if you want to view your recording in progress on a nearby TV instead of on your computer screen. (They're also used if you want to convert in the other direction, from digital to analog.)
   Here's how the Pyro converter works:
   You connect your tape deck's audio and video outputs to the front jacks on the Pyro, then connect the Pyro converter to your computer using the Firewire cable included with the unit. (You'll have to buy a Firewire card if you don't have one already; they're cheap.) Video played on the VCR shows up on your computer screen. Recording is simple, both on Windows and Apple's Macintosh computers. You just click a button on the screen. Macs have video recording and editing software built in; for Windows users, the Pyro comes with a lite version of Windows video software.
   Before buying any video converter, check your computer's capabilities. Video recording takes up an immense amount of disk space -- 17 gigabytes for each hour of raw DV video -- and needs a fast processor and a stable computer. I recommend a fast Windows XP computer or a Apple Macintosh G4 or G5 with the OS X operating system. You should have free disk space equal to two or three times the amount of video you are recording during any session. This means converting a two-hour VHS tape could require as much as 34 to 51 gigabytes of free space after you factor in the editing requirements, which can double the size of a DV file temporarily.
   And, of course, your computer needs a DVD burner. Many new PCs and Macs come with DVD burners installed, or you can get one that replaces your CD burner for less than $100.