Capture Analog Videotapes Using Windows Movie Maker 2 |
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This workshop explains how to connect an analog video camera to your computer, capture video in Windows Movie Maker, and then play back the video on your computer.
What You'll NeedTo complete this workshop, you will need the following software and hardware.
Software:
Hardware:Analog video capture device Analog video camera (for example, Hi8 or VHS-C) RCA cable with three RCA connectors on each end RCA to mini-jack adapter S-Video cable Sound card with Line In jack
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Step 1: Installing an Analog Capture DeviceThe first step in capturing video from an analog video camera to a computer is to connect your analog video camera to your computer.
You need to have an analog video capture device installed on your computer to capture video from an analog video camera or from a VCR. When an analog capture device is connected to an analog camera and is installed on a computer, it converts an analog video signal into a digital format that the computer can recognize. That video can then be captured as a video file in Windows Movie Maker.
Analog capture devices today are made in a variety of forms, such as a capture card that is installed on your computer, or as a USB dongle that you can connect to a USB port on your computer. The following sections briefly outline installing these two different types of capture devices.
The following figure shows an installed analog capture card.
The following figure shows an installed USB dongle.
 Note When installing an analog capture card or USB capture device, always consult the manual that came with your device for installation instructions. Many devices come with specific instructions as well as additional software drivers you might need to install for the device to work properly.
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Step 2: Connecting an Analog Video Camera to Your ComputerAfter installing the analog capture device, you need to connect it to your analog video camera. The following sections provide instructions about how to connect your analog video camera to your capture device using one of the following two types of connections—a composite video connection or an S-video connection.
Using a Composite Video ConnectionThe most basic type of connection you can use to connect your analog video camera to the analog capture device is a composite video connection. This is one of the more popular connection methods because many analog video cameras and capture devices have composite video jacks.
To connect an analog video camera using a composite video connectionRemove the jack cover on your camera and locate the composite video jack (yellow), as well as the right-channel (red) and left-channel (white) RCA jacks as shown in the following figure. Take an RCA video cable that has three RCA connectors (yellow, red, and white), and plug it into the corresponding jacks on the video camera as shown in the following figure. - To connect your specific capture device using a composite video connection, do one of the following:
If you have an analog capture card installed on your computer, connect the composite video connector (which is yellow) to the composite video jack on your capture card as shown in the following figure. If you have a USB dongle installed on your computer, connect the composite video connector (which is yellow) to the composite video jack (also yellow) on the USB capture dongle as shown in the following figure.
Plug the left-channel (white) and right-channel (red) RCA connectors into a "Y" stereo adapter with a pair of RCA-style, left-channel and right-channel connectors (male), and a single line-in, 1/8-inch (3.5 millimeter) mini connector. Plug the mini connector into the audio line in on your computer as shown in the following figure.
Note Some analog capture devices contain right and left RCA jacks for the audio portion of the video. For some of these analog capture devices, plug one set of the red-and-white RCA connectors into the corresponding RCA jacks on your video camera, and plug the RCA connectors on the other end of the cable into the corresponding RCA jacks on the analog capture device. Then, plug a cable that has a mini jack connector on each end from the audio line out on the analog capture device to the audio line in on your computer. This audio cable may have come packaged with your analog capture device. For more information, see the manual that came with your analog capture device.
Using an S-Video ConnectionAnother option is to use an S-video connection to connect your video camera to the analog capture device. If you have both a composite video jack and an S-video jack on your capture device and video camera, you can choose the type of connection you want to use. If you have an S-video cable, we recommend using an S-video connection, because it results in a higher-quality captured-video file when it is captured at the same video setting in Microsoft Windows Movie Maker 2.
To connect an analog video camera using an S-video connectionRemove the jack cover on your camera and locate the S-video jack, as well as the right-channel (red) and left-channel (white) RCA jacks, as shown in the following figure. Take an S-video cable and plug it into the S-video jack on the video camera, and then take an RCA cable that has at least two RCA connectors (red and white), and plug them into the corresponding jacks on the video camera. (The RCA cable will carry the audio signal.) This S-video connection is shown in the following figure. - To connect your specific capture device using an S-video connection, do one of the following:
If you have an analog capture card installed on your computer, connect the S-video connector to the S-video jack on your capture card, as shown in the following figure. If you have a USB dongle installed on your computer, connect the S-video connector to the S-video jack on the USB dongle, as shown in the following figure.
Plug the left-channel (white) and right-channel (red) RCA connectors into a "Y" stereo adapter with a pair of RCA-style, left-channel and right-channel connectors (male), and a single line-in, 1/8-inch (3.5 millimeter) mini connector. Plug the mini connector into the audio line in on your computer, as shown in the following figure.
Note Some analog capture devices contain right and left RCA jacks for the audio portion of the video. For some of these analog capture devices, plug one set of the red-and-white RCA connectors into the corresponding RCA jacks on your video camera, and plug the RCA connectors on the other end of the cable into the corresponding RCA jacks on the analog capture device. You would then need to plug a cable that has a mini-jack connector on each end from the audio line out on the analog capture device to the audio line in on your computer. This audio cable may have come packaged with your analog capture device. For more information, see the manual that came with your analog capture device.
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Step 3: Capturing Analog Video in Windows Movie Maker 2After you have installed your analog capture device and connected it to your computer, you are now ready to capture video using Windows Movie Maker 2.
To capture video from tape in an analog cameraMake sure your analog camera is connected properly to your computer, and then set the camera mode to play recorded video (often labeled as VTR or VCR on an analog camera). On the File menu, click Capture Video. –or- In the Movie Tasks pane, under Capture Video, click Capture from video device. - On the Video Capture Device page, do the following:
In Available devices, click the analog capture device you want to use to capture video, and then, in the Video input source list, click the input line you want to use. The following figure shows a composite connection, with the appropriate video capture device and input source selected in the Video Capture Wizard. The following figure shows an S-video connection with the appropriate video capture device and input source selected in the Video Capture Wizard. 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 Input level to the level you want.
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. On the Video Setting page, select the video setting you want to use for capturing video and audio. To separate the video into smaller clips, select the Create clips when wizard finishes check box. 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). Using the controls on your analog camera or VCR, locate the video and audio you want to capture from your tape. To begin capturing, click Start Capture, and then press the Play button on your analog camera or VCR. - To stop capturing, 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.
Repeat steps 9 and 10 for each part of the video tape you want to capture. When you have finished capturing, click Finish to close the Video Capture Wizard. The captured content is now imported into a new collection with the same name as the specified video file.
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Step 4: Playing the Captured VideoAfter you have captured the video on your computer, you can choose to either edit the video in Windows Movie Maker or play back the unedited video in a media player on your computer, such as Windows Media Player.
To play the captured video file on your computerOpen My Documents. Open My Videos. Locate and double-click the captured video to play it on your computer.
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