This is my first time to write to any forum and I wasn't sure where to post. This is mostly information for other users I think at this point.
I have a VHS tape deck and am connected via component (3 video- 2 audio) video cables through a Pyro AV Link API-558-EFS. (The unit is actually an API-557 but with stuff in the box makes it 558). I checked out Canopus but they were more money and no component connections. If you use the s-video connection you have to also use a separate cable (red and white) for your audio connections.
The Pyro AV switch settings (on the back of the unit) I use are 1-down, 2-up. 3-down, 4-down NTSC for XP and Vista.The red light must be on for Analog capture. (It starts out as blue for digital but no capture until push button to red). You need a firewire IE1394 port (I added 2 port EXpress card) on your computer to connect Pyro
I have a 1.73 GHz laptop Core2 Duo, Centrino Duo. It seems to do the job so if others are using a slower processor they may have issues. It works mine to get things done but doesn't drop frames.
I have 2 AVS4YOU programs on my computor, Sony PMB (nice simple program came with my camcorder), Premiere Elements 7 (complex program), and Windows MM. I have a ton of VHs and vob home movies to separate so I was looking for simple which is why I want AVS to work.
I am experimenting with AVS Video Converter version 2.4.0.21 (the latest?). I converted one VHS to Mpeg (directly from this program, didn't save and reconvert through Video Recorder) and am still playing with that file. Plays good in Windows Media Player. I then captured VHS using the "Native" output video format. I saved that file. I then closed the program. I opened back up and captured using the "Recommended" output video format. I saved that file.
I tried opening up both files in several of the players in my computer but no worky. I began checking and both files turn out to be .dv files instead of .avi files (which Premiere Elements saves them as). I gather that .dv files are for streaming to intenet, etc. and .avi are for video. Also if I want to used the files as video I must reconvert them again in AVS Video Recorder. It takes considerable computer resources to convert back and forth from video formats. Premiere Elements 7 can use the .dv files but as I said I am looking for simple.
So I suggest to AVS that they provide another option in the "Setting Capture Parameters" area of the program to include a "dv-avi" output video format, along with Native and Recommended. For now. users of this program will have to reconvert again (as I have read in several posts), or convert directly to Mpeg if their computers will stand the load.
I hope I have posted this in the correct area or you can make suggetions as to what I need to do next time.