I have a old PC that has Windows ME on it, and I would like to connect it to my Samsung SIR-T165 HDTV receiver, and Mitsubishi HS-HD1100U D-VHS deck. I would like to use the PC to record live programs from the SIR-T165 to disk, to read programs from my D-VHS tapes and record them to disk and then back to another tape, play TS files on the PC to my TV using the Samsung, and maybe back up some of my tapes in TS form to DVDs. I plan on using the program CapDVHS to move the files between the other boxes and the PC, and I may also try using the program HDTVtoMPEG2 to do some editing before sending the file back to tape.

I have installed a firewire card in the PC and have it working. The card and PC “see” the receiver and D-VHS deck, but the problem I have is that Windows ME doesn’t seem to have the right drivers to talk to the HD receiver or D-VHS deck using firewire. I have tried several different drivers for the D-VHS deck and none of them seems to work.

Anybody have any ideas, or know where I can get drivers so Windows ME can talk to the SIR-T165 or HS-HD1100U?

this has been discussed over and over I guess. I am having the same trouble. I bought the 1100 cheap on clearence. Figured I could use the firewire right? wrong. The deck does NOT have mpeg encoding as it travles via the FW cable. In essence it does not stream the media. You and I would need a piece of hardware that accepts the signal and encodes it along the way to the pc in order to capture the picture. whether this would work in reverse is something you would have to discover, as I am only trying to send to the PC.

I started a thread yesterday asking about a firewire capture card, but have not received answers as to whether or not it would accept the signal in the first place. All I want to do is capture the signal so I can dump hundreds of tapes and LD's. I don't want to use the composit, unless I have to. I have never got a straight answer as to whether or not an s connection would be worth buying a new VCR for. I dpn't know for sure if vhs threw svhs would truely be better than vhs threw a composite connection.

anyone know if it is or not? Is it a big difference. I assume the firewire would be ideal, better connection for the audio and the video. But is all this worth the fuss? should I just use the composite?

Back on topic...Is there a product that will do what we are trying to accomplish? Someone on this board has got to know.

Haha, Windows ME.

macrs7,

The 1100 works very well with firewire, you just have to have something that can "talk" to it. The Samsung SIR-T165 receives the HD tv signal and converts it to a data stream that the 1100 and other D-VHS decks can record. For play back the SIR-T165 tells the 1100 to play the tape in it, and if the tape has a "TS" (MPEG2) data stream on it, the SIR-T165 will convert the data stream back to audio and HD video for my HD monitor. Firewire does not send video and audio back and forth, just data.

In D-VHS mode all the 1100 can do is record a data stream and play it back. When used as a D-VHS deck it doesn't do anything with real audio or video, it's just a computer tape drive. That's what I want to use the PC for, to store the same data files that the Samsung can convert and play on my TV, and to copy the data files back onto D-VHS tapes so I can write them to another tape if I want to make a back up copy or to only copy part of the program.

The JVC D-VHS decks can play back a "TS" data stream on tape and convert it to audio and component video, because it has a MPEG2 decoder in it, but the 1100 does not.

For the PC to be able to get and send data to these firewire devices it has to know how to communicate with them, and it looks like Windows ME doesn't know how to do that. With the right drivers I am sure it could, but it looks like those drivers don't exist.

well, for the record, i spent hours trying to get the 1100 working with the drivers in the forum section, and never got it to work right with MCE. Also, if anyone is reading this that is involved with those drivers...Running Nero while those drivers are installed instantly crashed my pc...everytime. Not sure why but it may be a bug...just an FYI you might want to look at.

Guess my best bet is to buy and SVHS deck.

anyone want to buy this 1100u? I may put it on ebay.

wait, are you saying that if I had a flat panel with a firewire connection,(mine doesn't) I wouldn't be able to play regular VHS tapes through it, only HD? Thats silly, why would they only give you a composite connection then? what if your watching svhs tapes, you would downgrade the quality.
So am I going to get a good enough quality out of the composite plug, or should I buy a deck with an svhs plug to run to my capture card?
1100u with composite =good enough
or svideo plug = better

s-video would generally be better.

if I had a flat panel with a firewire connection,(mine doesn't) I wouldn't be able to play regular VHS tapes through it, only HD?
correct, the unit is for recording and playing back HD contents. It has an analog portion but I'm sure 99% of 1100/2000u owners could care less about it.

What exactly did you expect to do in MCE with the D-VHS deck?
It seems like you are confused about its purpose. It's a digital data recorder. For HD content. From a cable box, ATSC STB w/firewire, or from a TV w/firewire.

well, in my other post, I stated that i assumed, being a high end fancy vcr, that it would have an s connection. When I bought it on clearance, all sales final kinda thing, i planned on using the s connection to the capture card to finally get rid of a few dozen boxes in my basement. But when I realized what three letters the word assume starts with, i felt dumb for not looking and became uselessly determined to make the firewire connection work. "dammed if I'm gonna use that stupid yellow plug" was my attitude. But I realize more and more that I am doing dumber and dumber things trying to force it to work. square peg round hole.
So, does anyone want to buy this thing...LOL
Can someone answer this question...is an s connection really gonna give me that much more quality, or should I just use the composite and be done with it?
I don't plan on using the deck afterwords. If I want to record HD, i'll wait till HD disc recorders are cheaper.
so...
composite good enough, or should I buy an svhs deck?
opinions? techinical advise? anyone.
Thanks

Why don't you just get a S_VHS deck for free/lowcost from a 2nd hand shop or borrow from a friend and throw it away after you're done.

S-Video has separate chroma/luminance channels, avoids color crosstalk etc, compared to composite. If your tapes are really old it might not matter, but it might who knows. Somehow I doubt you'll have any trouble finding a used/free/cheap SVHS deck for one-time use.