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I'm impressed with this little device. I worked in broadcast television back when tape was still king, which left me very familiar with the peculiarities of videotape, both broadcast quality and VHS.
Most of my VHS home movies are now over 25 years old, which is well past their prime. I've taken care of them, but I didn't know how much deterioration they've suffered (if any). I figured I had one shot at converting them, so I wanted to make it count: I wanted the highest quality conversion at the best price.
The Vidbox was over twice the cost of the nearest device I considered, but I bought it with cautious optimism and I have to say I'm happy with the purchase.
The Vidbox hardware is dead simple: the tiny box has an S-video input, composite video input, stereo audio RCA inputs, and a USB output. The S-video standard produces a slightly higher quality image than composite. My VCR doesn't support S-video output, so I was unable to test it at this level of quality.
My tapes turned out to be in remarkably good condition and the Vidbox pretty much maintained this quality. The sharpness, color, saturation and audio levels of the encoded movies were good, especially considering I was limited to the composite video signal. Scenes with a lot of fast movement, such as quick camera pans or zooms, exhibit considerable blurring, but this is more an issue with the MPEG-2 codec than the device itself.
I previously paid a professional video conversion service to convert two VHS tapes to DVD, and the difference in quality between those conversions and the movies produced by Vidbox is honestly negligible.
The included video conversion software is also good and it's positively dummy-proof. I didn't bother using the installation disc and instead downloaded the software from the Vidbox website to ensure I had the most recent version. Install the application, authorize it with the key printed on the CD sleeve, then follow the simple 3-step process to start recording. Grandmothers could do this, seriously.
That said, the software has room for improvement. The application window is not resizable, and the region which displays the video is tiny, roughly half the resolution of the source signal (I estimate 320 x 240 pixels). This is undesirable not only because it's inconveniently small, but it also produces a subtle psychological effect: my live VHS signal looked razor sharp in this tiny window, but noticeably less sharp when I played back the converted movies full-screen. It's just an illusion -- there's not actually any perceivable change in quality -- but it's jarring. Doubling the size of this region, or allowing the app to be maximized, would fix the problem.
The software also doesn't support any degree of fine tuning. I'd like to be able to at least set the bit rate in order to improve quality, or choose a preferred codec. These options could easily be tucked away in an "Advanced Settings" menu.
The application does support conversion to MP4, but it comes at a cost: Videos are always first encoded as MPEG-2, so converting to MP4 means a second round of encoding, which is a one-generation loss of quality (two generations from the original tape).
I haven't used the burn-to-DVD functionality so I can't speak to its performance. DVDs are always encoded as MPEG-2, so there should be no additional generational loss there.
PROS
Good quality conversion; my new videos are basically as good as the source material.
Incredibly easy to use, and the composite and USB cables are included.
CONS
Software is great for basic conversion, but lacks advanced settings for power users.
TIP
Be sure to adjust the tracking on your VCR for the best possible picture. Some later model VCRs do this automatically. This can help get rid of static that hovers near the top or bottom of the screen.
Ultimately, I'm happy with the Vidbox. It does what it promises and I'm satisfied with the quality of my movies.
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From the manufacturer
Features
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Analog VideoCapture old VHS, Beta, 8mm, or camcorder tapes and convert to DVD and other digital formats. Compatible with any video player that has RCA (composite) and/or S-Video outputs. |
PC CompatibleSupports Windows 10 and 8. The step-by-step pictorial instructions guide you through the process making it easy for anyone to use. |
Portable DevicesConvert and watch your captured video on your portable device including: iPhone, iPad, Android phone and tablets. |
Social NetworksShare your videos with friends and family on the social network sites. Your precious memories can be shared with anyone, anywhere. |
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| Click Here | Click Here | Click Here | |
| Product | VIDBOX Video Conversion Suite | VIDBOX Video Conversion for PC | VIDBOX Video Conversion for Mac |
| Windows compatible (10, 8) | Yes | Yes | |
| Mac compatible (Mac OS X 10.9 and later) | Yes | Yes | |
| USB video capture device included | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USB & RCA cables included | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Computer Software included | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Video Resolution | 720x480, 640x480 | 720x480 | 640x480 |
| Output Formats | DVD, MPEG-2, MP4 (PC); MP4 (Mac) | DVD, MPEG-2, MP4 | MP4 |
| Video Standard supported | NTSC, PAL, SECAM | NTSC, PAL, SECAM | NTSC, PAL, SECAM |
| Languages supported | English, French, Portuguese, Spanish | English, French, Portuguese, Spanish | English, French, Portuguese, Spanish |
Customer Questions & Answers
Customer reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2017
Platform For Display: PC solutionVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2017
Platform For Display: PC solutionVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2016
The user menu is very intuitive and easy to use. We can set the time duration and aspect ratio for the recording. The video is recorded in MPG format. It also shows the recording progress in percentage and time remaining. The program allows us to convert the output to MP4 video format or burn on a DVD. I recorded a 55 minutes video from my old VCR tape and it worked beautifully without any problems. The output size for the capture video was about 3.5 GB. The converted video in MP4 format with good quality and 720 x 480 resolution setting takes about 580 MB.
The usage of the this VIDBOX converter is not limited only to VCR / DVR conversion as it can practically record any devices including game console and set top boxes with RCA or S-Video outputs. I have attached several pictures of the user menu to share its features and functions.
Highly recommended for preserving our precious videos.
Platform For Display: PC solutionVine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )Verified Purchase
Great for preserving our precious moments
By Gadgetman on October 9, 2016
I have used various USB video capture and conversion devices with my PC in the past. The VIDBOX video conversion for PC works right out of the box with very easy setup. All we need is to run the installation DVD and connect the RCA video cable from the VIDBOX converter to the output of our VCR player, DVD player, or camcorder, The box also supports S-Video output from you device.By Gadgetman on October 9, 2016
The user menu is very intuitive and easy to use. We can set the time duration and aspect ratio for the recording. The video is recorded in MPG format. It also shows the recording progress in percentage and time remaining. The program allows us to convert the output to MP4 video format or burn on a DVD. I recorded a 55 minutes video from my old VCR tape and it worked beautifully without any problems. The output size for the capture video was about 3.5 GB. The converted video in MP4 format with good quality and 720 x 480 resolution setting takes about 580 MB.
The usage of the this VIDBOX converter is not limited only to VCR / DVR conversion as it can practically record any devices including game console and set top boxes with RCA or S-Video outputs. I have attached several pictures of the user menu to share its features and functions.
Highly recommended for preserving our precious videos.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2017
Platform For Display: PC solutionVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
K H Bacon
How to understand the instructions
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 4, 2019Platform For Display: PC solutionVerified Purchase
Mr Jeffrey C Brewster
Check befor buying
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2019Platform For Display: PC solutionVerified Purchase
AMMAR AL HASAN
Waste of money
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2020Platform For Display: PC solutionVerified Purchase
Hasan Mohammed
I liked
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2019Platform For Display: PC solutionVerified Purchase
Jeeve Bains
Doesn't work properly.
Reviewed in Canada on December 16, 2018Platform For Display: PC solutionVerified Purchase
