How to Set Up a VCR Camera on a Computer
- 1). Purchase a video capture card. This device will allow you to connect a VCR camera or tape deck with normal audio/video cables to your computer. Pinnacle's Dazzle Video Creator Plus is just one of many products that will suit your needs. This device has video inputs as well as S-Video compatibility.
- 2). Connect the video capture card to your computer. This will be done by plugging in the card to a USB or firewire port on your computer.
- 3). Install the video capture card. Once the device is connected, insert the installation disk that came with the product. The installation menu should pop up automatically, but, if not, go to My Computer and click on your CD drive to begin the process. Follow the instructions on screen to complete the installation.
- 4). Install video editing software. Some video capture cards come packaged with software that you will be able to install with the installation disk that came with the card. If not, sources such as Desktop Video Guide and CNET's download site (see References) have lists of free and pay programs that you can use. Just click on the download link and open the installation file in your downloads folder. Follow the onscreen instructions.
- 5). Connect your VCR camera to your computer. Plug in the video cables coming from your camera to the inputs on the video converter as you would if you were connecting the VCR camera to your television. Turn on the camera once the cables are connected.
- 6). Start your video editing program. Once the program is open, you will be able to capture video through the program and save it to your hard drive. With most programs, you will click "File, Capture" or "File, Import" to get to the screen to import your video. Click record on the editing program and play on the VCR camera. Your video should play on screen. When the process is finished, click stop on the camera and click the record button again to finish. Finally, you will be prompted to name your created file, which you can then watch from any computer.