Best free video capture software?

dreamersfantasy

Hi, we have just bought a vcr capture card to convert some of our old videos to files so we can continue to keep them (old school plays etc). What is the best free software for this? Also is there a best format for recording them in? 
Thanks for any advice.

km1500

I would use .MP4 format

Vitor

Does the card not come with s/w or can be downloaded from the manufactures web-site?

If you want most flexibility and control of the capture, I'd suggest OBS Studio otherwise VLC is probably the simplest to get started with.

dreamersfantasy

Thanks for this. I have downloaded both software to test out but I have now run into another problem. My VCR does not seem to have yellow, red white outputs only inputs. Pictures below (please excuse sizing). Do I need a different adaptor?





Many thanks

km1500

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scart-Outside-White-Yellow-Phono/dp/B07PQMV324/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.hb8KfVg7c6wLi-yj1Jj9NgGO9UX-hy6ZR2_zCU5VIv2aYcTk32kTaVVfecME0iIHSY-sQZ3vmQtpzhUql596ViYzmBTJzZ3YoAQSUCqjeHECvgLbxu9UYtCPE-A8PjkkkCNEeJ82aHen_bQhU4cCtrteUpND_bPQMqvoaZIo8fnN3FSTmW8VmuvbraGynWRlEghJnHQ2aIjbCoBfRJ2HbQ.gps5rnLrl_b38WyNVxSG3KdnSeH-YzTsdJkcBdr7s7Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=scart+to+rgb+cable&qid=1728753286&sr=8-3

bob_a_builder

You can get a scart plug with those outputs as phono plugs built in to the connector

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mr-Gadgets-Solutions-Switchable-Composite/dp/B0BNHQKWZM/ref=sr_1_5refix=scart+plug+with+phono,aps,131&sr=1.5

DullGreyGuy

dreamersfantasy said:

Thanks for this. I have downloaded both software to test out but I have now run into another problem. My VCR does not seem to have yellow, red white outputs only inputs. Pictures below (please excuse sizing). Do I need a different adaptor?


Many thanks

The "yellow" is composite video and the red/white is left and right audio... lits the second worse ever quality of video. Very surprised the ones at the front aren't output but ok.

The slightly oddly shaped bottom right ports at the bottom right of the back are SCART sockets... this was a socket type ahead of its time but fallen out of fashion as a concept in recent times. It's not a singular format/signal but can support a range of options depending on the hardware at each end (maybe explains the idea falling out of fashion). You can get a cheap SCART to Composit cable and it would work... make sure it's not SCART to Component which is a very different thing. 

Does your video capture card have other options? SCART can also do S.Video and Component which are slightly better options but it also depends on if the VCR support these or not... some did S.Video, dont recall any that do Component. 

Jon_01

Maybe post the make and model of the card you've got, then we can best suggest what leads you need...

Aslan69

When I was converting my old VHS tapes, I ran into similar issues with connections. My VCR only had SCART, so I had to grab a SCART-to-RCA adapter that lets you switch between input/output modes. Once that was sorted, I found that most capture cards are fine with composite (yellow/red/white), even if the quality isn’t perfect. The big thing for me was making sure the adapter supported output from the VCR end.