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Looks like Santa Clara is using the VuPoint Digital Video Converter -- not familiar with this one, so I'll have to look into it.

https://www.sclibrary.org/services/other-services/vhs-conver...

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Unfortunately devices like the VuPoint - while low cost and accessible - deliver impressively terrible results. It’s a composite to usb converter which will fail to handle delinterlacing and get the colors wrong.

The best bet for people who aren’t going to build a domesday duplicator (which decodes the VHS signal in software), is to stick to technology from the era. Such as later released VHS players which had FireWire out or could even burn a dvd.

Thanks for the info on the VuPoint. In general, I actually don't mind capture cards not handling deinterlacing, since (as long as I correctly understand the format it's spitting out) I can handle it myself with e.g. ffmpeg. Color problems are a dealbreaker though.

I've looked at going down the RF capture route but haven't dipped my feet in yet. Maybe one day.

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