Elgato Video Capture User manual

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Updated 8/16/2021
Contents
Getting Started: .................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Prepare the Hardware: ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Prepare the Software, Record the Video, and Save:......................................................................................................... 4
Transfer Files ......................................................................................................................................................................... 7
More Information:................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Elgato Video Capture
Instructions

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Updated 8/16/2021
Getting Started:
Elgato Video Capture enables VHS/DVD transfer, meaning that it is designed to convert your
personal VHS tapes to digital files and DVD discs. It is not designed to convert commercial VHS
tapes to DVDs. Copying video that does not belong to you is illegal.
You will need:
•A VHS tape
•Storage space
oIf you do not have enough space on your PC, you can purchase DVD discs or USB
flash drives from stores like Amazon, Target, Walmart, OfficeMax, or Best Buy.
DVD-R is a one-time recordable disc. DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW are
discs that can be rewriteable.
oAlternatively, you can upload your finished product to the Cloud (e.g., Google
Drive or Dropbox).
The software requires 93 MB of space on the hard drive. This chart outlines the space you will
need to be able to save:
•10 minutes: 178 MB
•20 minutes: 535 MB
•60 minutes: 1 GB
•90 minutes: 1.6 GB
•120 minutes: 2.1 GB
•180 minutes: 3.1 GB
What you can do with Elgato Video Capture:
•Transfer your home movies recorded on VHS to DVD or digital so that they can be
viewed on modern playback devices.
•After digitization, you can edit your videos using programs like iMovie, Windows Live
Movie Maker, and others.
•Digitized videos can be uploaded to YouTube, added to your Windows Media Player
Library, or played on your computer.

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Prepare the Hardware:
1. Locate the RCA Cable; this is the black cord with
red, yellow, and white plugs on either side.
2. Make sure that the yellow and white cables are
plugged into the corresponding ports on a VHS
player. There is no need to plug in the red cable.
3. Plug the other end of the RCA cables into the Elgato Video Capture device.
4. Plug the USB cable into your computer’s USB port.

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Prepare the Software, Record the Video, and Save:
1. Open the Elgato Video Capture software found on the desktop.
2. Follow the guided instructions on the program software. Name your movie and choose
the approximate length.
3. Click ‘Continue’. You will be prompted to Connect Video. At this point, press ‘Power’ on
the VCR to turn it on. Before inserting the VHS tape, you may have to press ‘Play’. Insert
the VHS tape, wait a few seconds for the tape to catch, and then press ‘Play’ again.
4. Choose your preferred Aspect Ratio. For older VHS tapes, you will most likely use 4:3.

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5. Connect Audio:
6. Click ‘Start Recording’.
7. The length of time to record will be the same amount of time on your VHS tape.

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8. Once complete, you can trim the footage:
9. Finish and Save Your Work. The message “Your movie was saved successfully” will
appear:
10. On your VCR, you can press ‘Rew’ if you want to rewind the tape back to the beginning.
11.Press ‘Stop/Eject’ once to stop the tape then ‘Stop/Eject’ again to eject it. Remove your
VHS tape from the player. Press ‘Power’ to turn off the VCR.

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Transfer Files
To a DVD Disc:
1. Insert a DVD disc into the computer.
2. Use the disc burning software of your choice to begin burning. You can burn your videos
using programs like iMovie, Windows Live Movie Maker, and others.
3. Once you start burning process, your video footage will begin to transfer to the disc.
4. Once the disc is completed, the DVD drive on the computer will pop open.
To a USB Drive:
1. Insert a USB drive into the computer.
2. Open My Computer and find your USB name in the left-hand menu.
3. Open the folder where you saved the original video file.
4. Find the video file and click-hold & drag it to your USB on the My Computer screen.
To a Google Drive or Dropbox:
1. Open up an Internet browser and log into your account at drive.google.com or
www.dropbox.com
2. Both Google Drive and Dropbox have an ‘upload’ option that you can use to upload your
video from your computer.
More Information:
These instructions have been curated from the Elgato Video Cature Manual and based on
original instructions with kind permission from North Shore Library. The Manual is also
provided for your reference.