Magix: Rescue your Video Tapes Review

“Magix RYVT is a decent all-round system that will be well-used by anyone who has valuable or cherished video tapes”

Like many people you may have a collection of video tapes that you consider valuable, but you know as well as everyone that the age of the video tape is long gone.

These days there is much to be said for digitally transferring your taped images to disk, but how best to do it?

There will always be video tape players available and you could choose to keep your tapes for this reason, but tapes deteriorate with age and the image with them. With an easy to use digital capture system such as Magix Rescue Your Videotapes you can transfer your films with ease from tape to disk, and save them forever more. The system allows for quick and easy transfer to a wide variety of formats – from DVD to MPEG 1 and 2 as well as QuickTime, and also to edit and refine the copied images as you wish.

Let’s have a look at some of the details and the functions available with RYVT.

What Do I Get?
The RYVT package includes a USB capture stick that is designed to use three different input types – composite, stereo phono and S-video, and also a SCART adaptor for machinery that does not conform to any of the former connection types. Many older or non-conventional video machines may need the SCART lead so it is a nice touch. Also, it is worth noting that the programme also allows you to transfer from Betamax if you happen to be one of the few people who actually have such a medium! You also get the software on disc and a tutorial video, plus clear instructions on how to set it up (and installation is very easy indeed).

The software is well designed and integrates capture, editing and authoring into one, a neat touch which makes things easier still, while the cleverly designed tab system allows for easy navigation between the functions. If you are unfamiliar with the system it becomes simple after a few goes, and while we have seen better designed packages it is one that does the job well enough.

What Does it Do?
The simple act of transferring your videotaped images to disc is one function, but there are many more besides. The system runs on a default of MXV video capture, the Magix own system, and you can switch to other methods of capture for various different needs.

There are various registrations needed if you want the code that enables you to copy direct to DVD, and there is a small additional charge if you wish to enable the possibility of MPEG4 transfer. This is a niggle but only a small one, although we do feel that charging for a codex for a format upon which there are no restrictions is a disappointing touch.

The ability to set the aspect ratio and frame rate, as well as the noise sensitivity, motion compensation and more, gives RYVT a versatile feel that allows for much more than you would normally get from a video capture package. For anyone with a lot of tapes to covert the simple one touch to DVD function will also appeal, and allows you to complete within a very short time.

We particularly like the way the programme allows for you to clean up and improve the quality of your video. There are functions for balance and sharpness, saturation and contrast, as well as colour and brightness, and the effects are very good indeed as well as being relatively simple to achieve.

Should I buy It?
If you have a collection of video tapes that is dear to you then there is a lot to recommend this well designed system. Nostalgia for old formats is all very well, but tape does deteriorate with time, and the ability to restore some lost quality to your images is a bonus. Furthermore, the space saving element is also attractive – those tapes are rather brick like – and the ease of access that comes with having everything on DVD or you PC is not to be overlooked.

Magix RYVT is a decent all-round system that will be well-used by anyone who has valuable or cherished video tapes that would be better off transferred to a digital format for safe-keeping.

Get a price on Magix Rescue Your Videotapes on Amazon (£49.99)