{"slug": "vhs-decode", "name": "vhs-decode", "category": "media", "category_name": "Media and creative", "description": "", "recommenders": 3, "commenters": 5, "warners": 1, "score": 1.839, "rising": -0.98, "first": "2025-11-11", "latest": "2026-03-31", "why": "there are people doing amazing things by modifying VHS players and tapping into the raw output from the tape heads", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 3, "neutral": 1, "compare": 0, "warn": 1}, "spark": [2, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "there are people doing amazing things by modifying VHS players and tapping into the raw output from the tape heads", "kind": "", "icon": false, "domain": null, "github_repo": "github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode", "official_url": "https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["vhs-decode", "vhsdecode", "VHS-Decode"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 761555520, "item_id": 47597220, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47597220", "by": "eisa01", "date": "2026-03-31", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "you can get even better quality out of old analog tapes with the vhsdecode project", "excerpt": "I am going to finish such a project soon myself, including some old Video8 tapes! Sounds like you're on macOS, Any reason you didn't use iMovie for the capture itself? The Video8 tapes have already been digitalized via a Digital8 camcorder, but apparently you can get even better quality out of old analog tapes with the vhsdecode project. Let's see if I ever get around to that, but at least it bypass Firewire entirely", "context": "", "use_case": "VHS tape digitization", "switched_from": "", "story": "Bring Back MiniDV with This Raspberry Pi FireWire Hat"}, {"id": 734303344, "item_id": 45893959, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45893959", "by": "bigiain", "date": "2025-11-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "there are people doing amazing things by modifying VHS players and tapping into the raw output from the tape heads", "excerpt": "Somewhat related, there are people doing amazing things by modifying VHS players and tapping into the raw output from the tape heads (bypassing all of the player's other electronics), and then using modern signal processing techniques to extract unbelievable great footage from old tapes. Check out this extraction/decoding of a 1987 VHS recording of The Cure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks1wE_NXWv8 Play if full sc", "context": "", "use_case": "decode raw VHS signal", "switched_from": "", "story": "Unix v4 Tape Found"}, {"id": 734175792, "item_id": 45885987, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45885987", "by": "pjc50", "date": "2025-11-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "There is the ultimate solution https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode", "excerpt": "This also worked for me. Crucially, the cheap composite capture devices are rubbish and have terrible drivers as well, while the cheap HDMI capture + OBS Just Works. There is the ultimate solution https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode , but that requires modifying your VCR.", "context": "", "use_case": "VHS signal decoding", "switched_from": "", "story": "Automating our home video imports"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 761555984, "item_id": 47597249, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47597249", "by": "icyfox", "date": "2026-03-31", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "Wish vhsdecode was easier to use in practice!", "excerpt": "Mostly wanted to fully automate the pipeline (auto-rewind tape, scan tape head position, etc) and iMovie is just using the same AVFoundation APIs under the scene that you can call manually. Took some notes here if helpful: https://pierce.dev/notes/automating-our-home-video-imports Wish vhsdecode was easier to use in practice! Such a cool idea but a bit too inconvenient to hack your own hardware like this...", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Bring Back MiniDV with This Raspberry Pi FireWire Hat"}]}], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["vhs tape digitization", "decode raw vhs signal", "vhs signal decoding"], "compared": [], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47558101", "title": "Bring Back MiniDV with This Raspberry Pi FireWire Hat", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45826660", "title": "Automating our home video imports", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45840321", "title": "Unix v4 Tape Found", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"recommend": 2, "neutral": 1}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {"recommend": 1, "warn": 1}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 761555984, "item_id": 47597249, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47597249", "by": "icyfox", "date": "2026-03-31", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "Wish vhsdecode was easier to use in practice!", "excerpt": "Mostly wanted to fully automate the pipeline (auto-rewind tape, scan tape head position, etc) and iMovie is just using the same AVFoundation APIs under the scene that you can call manually. Took some notes here if helpful: https://pierce.dev/notes/automating-our-home-video-imports Wish vhsdecode was easier to use in practice! Such a cool idea but a bit too inconvenient to hack your own hardware like this...", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Bring Back MiniDV with This Raspberry Pi FireWire Hat"}, {"id": 761555520, "item_id": 47597220, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47597220", "by": "eisa01", "date": "2026-03-31", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "you can get even better quality out of old analog tapes with the vhsdecode project", "excerpt": "I am going to finish such a project soon myself, including some old Video8 tapes! Sounds like you're on macOS, Any reason you didn't use iMovie for the capture itself? The Video8 tapes have already been digitalized via a Digital8 camcorder, but apparently you can get even better quality out of old analog tapes with the vhsdecode project. Let's see if I ever get around to that, but at least it bypass Firewire entirely", "context": "", "use_case": "VHS tape digitization", "switched_from": "", "story": "Bring Back MiniDV with This Raspberry Pi FireWire Hat"}, {"id": 734303344, "item_id": 45893959, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45893959", "by": "bigiain", "date": "2025-11-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "there are people doing amazing things by modifying VHS players and tapping into the raw output from the tape heads", "excerpt": "Somewhat related, there are people doing amazing things by modifying VHS players and tapping into the raw output from the tape heads (bypassing all of the player's other electronics), and then using modern signal processing techniques to extract unbelievable great footage from old tapes. Check out this extraction/decoding of a 1987 VHS recording of The Cure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks1wE_NXWv8 Play if full sc", "context": "", "use_case": "decode raw VHS signal", "switched_from": "", "story": "Unix v4 Tape Found"}, {"id": 734257873, "item_id": 45891117, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45891117", "by": "badlibrarian", "date": "2025-11-11", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "probably beyond the reach (or patience) of even most hackers", "excerpt": "VHS-Decode did get a mention in these comments previously but probably beyond the reach (or patience) of even most hackers. But good information on decks and theory: https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode/wiki/ In the (original) spirit of this site, where people get curious and go off and solve impossible problems, I can point to this guy who gets it. He rants better than I do. https://www.reddit.com/user/TheRealHarr", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Automating our home video imports"}, {"id": 734175792, "item_id": 45885987, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45885987", "by": "pjc50", "date": "2025-11-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "There is the ultimate solution https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode", "excerpt": "This also worked for me. Crucially, the cheap composite capture devices are rubbish and have terrible drivers as well, while the cheap HDMI capture + OBS Just Works. There is the ultimate solution https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode , but that requires modifying your VCR.", "context": "", "use_case": "VHS signal decoding", "switched_from": "", "story": "Automating our home video imports"}]}