I've been archiving some my home videos.

The video from DV's was simple plug the camera in... option pops up on the screen and voila I am archiving mini dv's

Next ... VHS tapes. Plug the VCR into the front svideo in / rca audio... nothing.

the pc obviously does not recognize the vcr.
How do archive VHS to PC?
Is there some steps I need to follow?

You need to use some video capture software.Most likely it came with your PC (if it had a video card with video in) or with your video capture card , or video capture USB device. Check your CDs and documentation.I'm not familiar with MCE, it may come with some capture software already, just don't expect to "detect" your VCR from it's analog svideo signal :).

Edit:

OK, here are the steps, you can use Movie Maker, part of the OS:

Capture Video from Tape in an Analog Camera or VCR
Analog video capture is useful when you have older video content, such as VHS tape, and want to convert it to digital. Or you may have an older camcorder that only provides analog outputs, such as composite or S-Video. Performing analog capture requires a hardware device that can take video input from a composite or S-Video signal and convert it to digital data.

To capture video in Windows Movie Maker from an analog video camera or VCR

1.
Connect your analog camera or VCR to your computer's capture device, and then set the camera mode to play recorded video (often labeled VTR or VCR on an analog camera).

2.
Open Windows Movie Maker

3.
On the File menu, click Capture Video.

4.
On the Video Capture Device page do the following:

• In Available devices, click the analog device you want to use to capture video. In the Video input source list, click the input line you want to use.

• If you want to adjust and configure the video capture device settings, click Configure.

• In the Audio device list, click the audio capture device you want to use, and then, in Audio input source, click the input line you want to use.

• To adjust the volume of your captured audio, move the Input level slider to the level you want to use.


5.
In the Enter a file name for your captured video box, enter a file name for your captured video file. Then, in the Choose a place to save your captured video box, select the location where you want your video to be saved or click Browse to select a location.

6.
On the Video Setting page, select the video setting you want to use for capturing video and audio.

7.
To separate the video into smaller clips, select the Create clips when wizard finishes check box.

8.
To prevent audio from playing over your speakers while capturing video, select the Mute speakers check box.

9.
To automatically stop capturing after a time period has elapsed, select the Capture time limit check box, and then type or select the length of time you want to capture. Time is displayed in the form of hours:minutes (h:mm).

10.
Using the controls on your analog camera or VCR, locate the video and audio you want to capture from your tape. In Movie Maker, click Start Capture, and then press the Play button on your analog camera or VCR.

11.
To begin capturing, click Start Capture, and then press the Play button on your analog camera or VCR.

12.
Do one of the following:

• When the tape reaches the point at which you want to stop capturing, click Stop Capture, and then press the Stop button on your analog camera or VCR.

• If you have selected the Capture time limit check box, wait for the specified amount of time for video to be captured, and then press the Stop button on your analog camera or VCR.


13.
Repeat steps 10 through 12 for each part of the video tape you want to capture.

14.
When you have finished capturing, click Finish to close the Video Capture Wizard.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/getstarted/downloadvideo.mspx

Thanks for info

however, I'm stuck on point #3 --

available devices - its only lists my hauppauge wintv pvr.
no problem with a digital camera plugged in - it recognizes this and lists it has available devices but not my vcr

I am using svideo and analog ouput from the vcr to the front of my pc into svideo input 2 and audio 2.

I tried changing the windows movie maker video input source to svideo it still only lists the hauppauge device.

Am i suppose to use the configure button?

Have you had any luck with a VCR?

eureka - i think i figured it out - i have a preview picture so that should do it - thanks for the help edit.

premature eureka!!!!!!!!!!!

I can the video working but I get no audio!!
this should be so straightforward but its not!

do I need to wire my audio through my STB?

any suggestions

Audio out from VCR into your computer's sound card is how I am hooked up

Hi James,

Assuming you have a mini-dv camera and it uses firewire, just plug your VCR into the mini-dv camcorder and then into the firewire port of your computer and you should be good to go!

Joe

Are you able to record off the STB to MCE2005?
I was trying to archive a friend's wedding tape this week and for some reason my capture program doesn't want to recognize my composite front inputs when I connect my VCR, when it has done so in the past. A support article I found on Sony website suggested using the Media Center and recording like a satellite program.
Instead of messing up the STB settings, I replaced the STB with the VCR, called up manual recording timer for a half hour longer than the tape length and when the timer started, I started the tape rolling. Once the tape was in the PC, I could then import the contents into the capture/editing program and burn to DVD.
I don't know why my PC has now decided not to recognize the signal through the front jacks, but, at least I have a work around which worked quite well.

Hi James,

Assuming you have a mini-dv camera and it uses firewire, just plug your VCR into the mini-dv camcorder and then into the firewire port of your computer and you should be good to go!

Joe

This is exactly what I ended up doing ... and it worked!

I've got Window's VISTA (Home Premium) with Windows Media Centre, and a TV Tuner Card. I don't have a mini-dv camera.

My question is does VISTA have Movie Maker...and is this the preferred way of capturing analog footage as "Adit" did above? Or should i use the technique of replacing my STB with the analog camcorder as "jbracing24" did above? Thanks.