Can I watch VHS through my iMac G5?

[ctryonpetith]

I've been reading a lot about people that want to capture analog VHS through their Mac, but I'm thinking about using my iMac G5 as the actual monitor for a dvd/vcr combo...can I do this without a converter if I find a player that has firewire? Will that automatically converter analog to digital? Or will I have to go with some kind of converter for the S-cable? Also, any recommendations on good dvd/vcr combos?

Plus, is it bad to watch a bunch of full-length movies with the dvd player in your computer? I always feel like it makes a lot of noise and then the dvds are hot when they eject -- that's part of the reason I'd like to connect a combo (plus I have vhs I'd like to watch too, as well as digitize some old footage). Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[MrCommunistGen]

I don't think so

As far as I know you have to use either a FireWire or USB 2.0 external converter to use a VHS or DVD player (or a combo). As for finding FireWire on a DVD/VHS combo player I find this highly unlikely since Firewire is a pure digital connection and VHS is analog. The player would have to have a built in analog to digital converter which would be (relatively) expensive, and would only benefit a very small niche of people like yourself. Though it is THEORETICALLY possible, the economic feasibility is about nil, so I wouldn't hold my breath. Plus, I don't think that external ADC's are terribly expensive on their own, and of course if you got one, you could use it with ANY kind of camcorder, DVD player, satelite receiver, etc.

Also, at least based on my personal experience, DVD/VHS combos tend to be inferior to their individual counterparts. I (having somewhat high standards for electronics) can't recommend a specific DVD/VHS combo. What I will say though is that these days any DVD player should do the job for a casual viewer, though I would still encourage you to get one from a company you've heard of before and not a generic. Other than that, the one with the features and price that best suit you should do fine.

Lastly, I wouldn't worry about your dvds getting warm, but if the noise bothers you...

Hope I've helped (and not spent too much time rambling or preaching )

-mcg

 

[zen.state]

you would need a usb based tv tuner to do it on your imac. they have audio/video in/out

 

[slooksterPSV]

Sony has one of those Analog to Digital converters (put VHS on HDD). So yes you can. Go to sony and see if you can find one, or go to tigerdirect.com and see what they have.

 

[MrCommunistGen]

you would need a usb based tv tuner to do it on your imac.

It wouldn't necessarily have to be a TV tuner, although many ADC solutions have a TV tuner as well. I've seen them in catalogues, but haven't looked recently (and I'm fresh out of catalogues).

-mcg

 

[pusman83]

I'm planning on buying a 20'' iMac G5 which might be my lone DVD player for a semester. Does the disc spin loudly the entire time???

Also, how's the screen quality compared to a regular TV when playing DVDs?

 

[ctryonpetith]

Re: MCG, Thanks for the useful info. I too have heard that about the dvd/vcr combos...we still need a vcr however to view and capture off of, so what I think I might go with is that, then hook up to my firewire or usb converter (there is one sold specifically for macs that is like $19) and keep watching dvds with the computer itself.

Re: pusman, The screen quality is great on my 17"! I love it. But yes, the disc does make more sound when it is inserted and spinning than your computer does if you don't have a dvd or cd playing (it's the fan). I think what I might do as well is purchase a set of external speakers for just that reason. It's nothing that is too annoying, it's just a little harder to hear quiet spots in movies, or you have to have the volume turned up almost all the way.

 

[Sharewaredemon]

I'm planning on buying a 20'' iMac G5 which might be my lone DVD player for a semester. Does the disc spin loudly the entire time???

Also, how's the screen quality compared to a regular TV when playing DVDs?

I watch movies on my eMac at university and the quality is fine, although I notice that when I watch it on a TV it's better.

is the quality of playback on a DVD on a computer related to GPU?

 

[mklos]

ElGato makes a device called EyeConnect that will do this. It goes through FireWire. You can plug anything from a VCR, DVD Player, or even a Playstation/XBox into it and have it display on your Mac.

It even has a TV Tuner built in and you can use it kinda like a TIVO as you can record TV shows. This will require at least a G5 processor to do that.

They do make another device called EyeTVWonderUSB, which goes through USB 2.0 and has pretty much the same functionality, but without some of the features. According to the reviews for it, you'll need at least a dual processor G5 inorder to see DVD quality playback as it doesn't have the codecs built in like the more expensive version does.

This is Mac only hardware as well.

Here is a link to their website:

http://www.elgato.com