# VHS Drive for CPU



## piercwc

Hey I'm looking into making a computer and I was wanting to put a VHS Drive in my new CPU Build. I was hoping to be able to play VHS tapes on my computer. Do I need to go XP or Vista to make this happen? Additionally, any hope for a possible VHS Burner made for PCs being developed in the near future?!?!?(fingers crossed) 

links to any hardware/software to make this happen would be extremely helpful.


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## jimkonow

nah, your best bet is to do a regular build and put in a TV tuning PCI card that has RCA inputs. (Yellow, Red, White). More often than not, PCI tv tuners come with software which you can record the input with.


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## diduknowthat

Umm, VHS drive as in an old VHS player? All you need is a video card with VIVO or something like this,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116021

Then you hook up the VHS's composite out cables into the card and it'll play or record through the computer. 

As for the VHS Burner...doesn't all VHS players also record?


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## oscaryu1

diduknowthat said:


> Umm, VHS drive as in an old VHS player? All you need is a video card with VIVO or something like this,
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116021
> 
> Then you hook up the VHS's composite out cables into the card and it'll play or record through the computer.
> 
> As for the VHS Burner...doesn't all VHS players also record?





> The video selector doesn't work, compatible with no video editing except Windows Movie Maker, you can only get video through Windows Movie Maker, there is just nothing good about it, the whole design just not right.



Great choice! 



> nah, your best bet is to do a regular build and put in a TV tuning PCI card that has RCA inputs. (Yellow, Red, White). More often than not, PCI tv tuners come with software which you can record the input with.



No, your best bet is a TV Tuner with Coxial inputs. I know of no VHS player that is RCA... (maybe there is, but coxial is much more popular in the olden world)


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## diduknowthat

oscaryu1 said:


> Great choice!



Yeah, i was too lazy to find a perfect one, that was just an example of a card.




> No, your best bet is a TV Tuner with Coxial inputs. I know of no VHS player that is RCA... (maybe there is, but coxial is much more popular in the olden world)



Wait what? You've never seen a VHS player with RCA jacks? The red, white and yellow jacks? I've personally never seen a VHS player with coaxial plug, even my 14 year old VHS player uses RCA (albeit mono).


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## oscaryu1

> Wait what? You've never seen a VHS player with RCA jacks? The red, white and yellow jacks? I've personally never seen a VHS player with coaxial plug, even my 14 year old VHS player uses RCA (albeit mono).



Let's look at my ol' VHS downstairs... "Tape eater" (wonder where I get that name from? )

Eh... Yeah you're right. Wow, RCA is THAT old? 

Coxial or RCA would be fine then


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## dougland

why do you want a VHS player on your computer?  VHS= outdated


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## piercwc

dougland said:


> why do you want a VHS player on your computer?  VHS= outdated



Back in the late 80s and early 90s I spent a small fortune on VHS tapes. A little to much money to mention honestly. I have a bitch'n VHS collection so the way I see it, if I'm going to make my dream computer, I at least want to be able to insert one of my thousand VHS tapes into the front of my CPU below my CDROM and Floppy Drive so that I can watch it on my 20" HP LCD. Possibly even record some data onto some tapes too.

I haven't really jumped onto the whole disc craze yet, I'm going to wait and see what shakes up out of it and then make some decisions.


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## dougland

well dvd's are goood to start with...


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## Vestitor

I don't think that they will ever make a VHS drive that hooks up to your computer. VHS are just to bulky  . The best you can do is just hook up the VCR to something like this 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116620


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## diduknowthat

piercwc said:


> Back in the late 80s and early 90s I spent a small fortune on VHS tapes. A little to much money to mention honestly. I have a bitch'n VHS collection so the way I see it, if I'm going to make my dream computer, I at least want to be able to insert one of my thousand VHS tapes into the front of my CPU below my CDROM and Floppy Drive so that I can watch it on my 20" HP LCD. Possibly even record some data onto some tapes too.
> 
> I haven't really jumped onto the whole disc craze yet, I'm going to wait and see what shakes up out of it and then make some decisions.



There is no VHS drive. The only way is to do it through a video capture card. And as far as I know, you cannot write data onto VHS tape. 

So...jump onto the DVD bandwagon (or the Blu-ray if you don't want to be outdated within a few years .


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## dougland

An option is to get the VCR hooked up and then buy a DVD burner im sure there's an easy way to burn the VHS tapes into DVD discs.  You could then have a smaller collection and not be so retro.  Im sure someone here knows how to do it.


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## diduknowthat

dougland said:


> An option is to get the VCR hooked up and then buy a DVD burner im sure there's an easy way to burn the VHS tapes into DVD discs.  You could then have a smaller collection and not be so retro.  Im sure someone here knows how to do it.



1) You buy a video capture card
2) Run the composite out from the VCR to the composite in on the card
3) Record
4) Use programs such as Nero and encode/burn it onto a DVD


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## piercwc

Vestitor said:


> I don't think that they will ever make a VHS drive that hooks up to your computer. VHS are just to bulky  . The best you can do is just hook up the VCR to something like this
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116620



Thanks for the tips. Have you ever seen a custom build with a  VHS Deck mounted somewhere within the CPU? If not, I believe I am going to try and become the first. Personally I don't think VHS is a "dead" technology. Are there any photo/instructions on how to install a VHS deck into your CPU? links? Stories?


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## diduknowthat

piercwc said:


> Thanks for the tips. Have you ever seen a custom build with a  VHS Deck mounted somewhere within the CPU? If not, I believe I am going to try and become the first. Personally I don't think VHS is a "dead" technology. Are there any photo/instructions on how to install a VHS deck into your CPU? links? Stories?



I doubt it'll fit, as a VHS drive is MUCH larger than a computer case. I would probably find the largest case possible, some full tower. Build it with a microATX motherboard, and then see if you can fit a VHS player in it. Then saw out where the tape goes in, and drill a hole that allows you to run all the composite cables out and into your video capture card. It'll take a lot of designing, as it'll be very hard to orient the drive so you can still access it form the outside.


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## piercwc

diduknowthat said:


> I doubt it'll fit, as a VHS drive is MUCH larger than a computer case. I would probably find the largest case possible, some full tower. Build it with a microATX motherboard, and then see if you can fit a VHS player in it. Then saw out where the tape goes in, and drill a hole that allows you to run all the composite cables out and into your video capture card. It'll take a lot of designing, as it'll be very hard to orient the drive so you can still access it form the outside.



Thats some great tips diduknowthat. I can kinda see it coming together in my head now. I have a couple of early 90s VHS Players that have been outdated by my newer Lorex. 

http://www99.shopping.com/xPO-Lorex-SG7964-28058227

I was thinking I could take the majority of the parts from my older model VHS players and kinda morph it with my new case to create like a hybrid type CPU/VHS player so I can sent one image to my new 20" HP LCD (which doesn't have coax or RCA-Doit!). I'd then wire them to the previously mentioned PCI Cards but I'd have to like turn the connectors around so they'll face inside my case..Has anyone heard of this being attempted/working? Also any sort of internal PCI Tuners so my wire won't be hanging out of the back of the machine looking like hell?


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## oscaryu1

http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v21/vic21.htm

Could be some help to you.


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## piercwc

oscaryu1 said:


> http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v21/vic21.htm
> 
> Could be some help to you.



Thanks for the help oscaryu1, but I'm not exactly trying to covert my tapes like I mentioned previously. I just want to watch them on my computer. I'm not exactly ready to convert  my VHS Tapes to any sort of disc technology just yet. Like I said I'm going to wait and see how the format wars shake out then I'll make my decision based on that. 
Plus who knows? Maybe a new format will come out thats better than DVDs and the HD HVDs right after I spent hours upon hours converting my VHS Tapes. Plus, a lot of my tapes have a large amount of copyright laws attached to them limiting my ability to copy most of them.


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## dougland

Vhs Is Dead i hate to say it (not really but in your case i do) but it is.


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## piercwc

dougland said:


> Vhs Is Dead i hate to say it (not really but in your case i do) but it is.



If you could give me you email I'll shoot the pictures of my Internal VHS Build for my CPU right over to you when I get done here in a few weeks.


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## geowick07

diduknowthat said:


> 1) You buy a video capture card
> 2) Run the composite out from the VCR to the composite in on the card
> 3) Record
> 4) Use programs such as Nero and encode/burn it onto a DVD



x2

This is what i did on my last rig. I had a "bitch'n" VHS collection as well, and now i have an awesome DVD collection. Doesn't go too quick, though. The same as "duping" a VHS tape, you have to let it play in regular speed. But, it is worth it to get rid of the VHS tapes.  
Most VCR's that I have seen have both RCA and coaxial outputs on them, so check which you have for sure, and go with a TV Tuner Card that has corresponding inputs. Then, it works the same as copying a VHS tape. Just press play on the VCR, and record on the app that comes with the card.

So, I recommend this setup.


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## diduknowthat

Take a look at this case,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144206

and this picture,

http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/11-144-206-11.jpg

If you cut out the entire front hard drive case, and maybe even some of of the 5.25", you just might be able to fit the VHS player virtically in the case. The tape insert place will be in the front of the case, and you'll have to make sure the rear of the player doesn't hit anything on the motherboard.


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## dougland

Post pics on the forum of your build.


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## pc-tech

oscaryu1 said:


> No, your best bet is a TV Tuner with Coxial inputs. I know of no VHS player that is RCA... (maybe there is, but coxial is much more popular in the olden world)


vhs players have do have rca, all of mine do


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