Old home movies and videotapes don’t last forever, which means your precious memories could be lost forever. That’s why it’s so important to digitize your memories before that happens. One of the best and most popular DIY devices on the market is the ClearClick digital converter.
While the most professional and high-quality option is to use a done-for-you service like Capture with experience converting millions of memories, we want to help you make the best choice for your memories. That’s why we put together this in-depth ClearClick Video to Digital Converter review.
Keep reading to learn about the ClearClick line of digital conversion products, the quality and unpackaging experience, how to use these digital converts, and all the pros and cons of these video to digital devices.
Jump to:
- What is the ClearClick Video to Digital Converter?
- Unboxing and First Impressions
- Setup and Installation
- How to Use ClearClick Video to Digital Converter
- Performance and Quality
- Software and Editing Options
- Pros and Cons
- Customer Reviews and Feedback
- Comparison with Other Video to Digital Converters
- Pricing and Availability
- Conclusion
What is the ClearClick Video to Digital Converter?
Image Source:
https://www.amazon.com/ClearClick-Converter-2-0-Second-Generation/dp/B07V9JNRZY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
The ClearClick video to digital converter is a way to turn your home movies into digital videos. By connecting the RCA cables to a camcorder or VCR, you can playback the home movies while converting them into quality digital files.
ClearClick is a USA-based company with several products from the most affordable options to more expensive and quality versions. In addition to video capture devices, they also make products designed to turn recorded videos from gaming systems into HD video.
One of the best things about all the ClearClick digital converters is the fact that they are standalone devices with built-in screens. That means you don’t need a computer and can watch your memories as they are turned into digital copies. However, if you prefer using one, ClearClick video to digital conversion devices work with both Windows and Mac.
Plus, while it is most commonly used as a standard VHS digitizer, it works for almost any video type including VHS-C, S-VHS, Betamax, Hi8, Digital8, Video8, DVCAM, and other old video tapes.
While you will need a camcorder or VCR that takes your types of videotapes, you can usually find a VCR for sale for a pretty good price, or a VHS video, Betamax, or Hi8 camcorder online on eBay.
For this review, we’ll be focusing on their ClearClick Video to Digital Converter 2.0 (second generation) mini, but we’ll also reference some of their other options like the ClearClick HD, ClearClick 3.0 (third generation), and more during this review to ensure you pick the one that works best for you and your precious memories.
Unboxing and First Impressions
When we received our brand new ClearClick device from Amazon, we were so excited to open it up. The packaging was high-quality and ensured that the screen wasn’t scratched or damaged during transport.
Inside the box was the ClearClick device itself as well as an RCA cable, power adapter, and USB cable for connecting to a computer if you’d rather use it that way. That’s everything you need to get started except for the videotapes and a way to play them. There was also a user manual with clear and concise instructions, which is better than a lot of companies seem to provide.
Our initial thoughts were that this packaging has a high-quality design, but some aspects of it did seem a little plain and it doesn’t come with an SD card for standalone use. So, you’ll have to get your own SD card if that’s how you plan on using it.
Now, let’s move to the setup and initial installation!
Setup and Installation
Image Source:
https://www.amazon.com/ClearClick-Converter-2-0-Second-Generation/dp/B07V9JNRZY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
Setting up the ClearClick software was surprisingly easy, whether you used it with a computer or as a standalone device. We simply connected the RCA cables to the ClearClick device, and our VCR and it was pretty much ready to convert old movie formats.
Then, to use it with a computer, we just had to connect the USB cable from the device to our computer. All you have to do is install the software and it’s ready to go.
Plus, we discovered that you could connect a second HDMI cable to both the ClearClick video capture card and the analog VCR or 90s camcorder to get a better signal and higher quality results.
So, now that we clearly had the picture and audio translating from our VCR to the device, and all the way to the computer, we could move forward to using it to record videos off of our favorite VHS tapes.
How to Use ClearClick Video to Digital Converter
Now, we had to use the device to fully see the pros and cons of our ClearClick Video to Digital Converter review. There are only a few steps to start digitizing home movies, but there are also tips and tricks for each step. These steps will work for both the ClearClick Video to Digital Converter 3.0 as well as the 2.0.
1. Plug In and Turn On
As described above, the first step is to plug in your device with the USB port to a wall and the audio-video cables into your playback device or video source. As we mentioned before, this could be camcorder tapes, DVD players, VCR systems, Then, press and hold the power button.
2. Insert USB Flash Drive or SD Card
If you are using a computer, you’ll need to plug your device into the computer. Otherwise, to save your newly digitized home movies, you’ll need to use a USB thumb drive or SD memory card.
3. Start Conversion
To start video and audio capture, you’ll need to press the menu button, scroll down, and select Audio + Video (or only audio or video if you prefer recording one or the other separately.)
Next, press play on the video source (your VCR or camcorder) and the video should appear on the digital converter screen. Then, press the Record button and it will instead begin to convert your analog video into digital format.
4. Other ClearClick Converter Features
As one of the best video to digital converter options available, this ClearClick product review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning some of the other features you can use during conversion.
- Pause/Resume Functionality: Home movies can be long, but if you need a break you can press the “OK” button during recording to pause. Then, press it again to resume where you left off.
- Add or Remove Time and Date Stamps: To remove the time and date overlay, press Menu and scroll down to Time Watermark. Then toggle to add or remove them during your video tape to digital process.
- Auto-Stop Functionality: You can set the videotape or VHS to digital converter to automatically stop after a set amount of time by going to Menu > Auto Stop Recording.
- Aspect Ratio Settings: The ClearClick device automatically records an aspect ratio of 3:2 and video resolution of 720x480, but if it appears stretched you can switch it to 4:3 with 640x480 pixels.
Performance and Quality
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https://www.bestproducts.com/lifestyle/pets/a39598493/clearclick-video-converter-review/
Not all video converters are made equal, so how was ClearClick video quality? Well, after a seamless video converter performance we have to give ClearClick a mostly positive review. While it won’t compare to a professional videotape or VHS conversion service like Capture, so far, it’s probably the highest quality that we’ve seen.
The video and audio quality were quite good, though we know some people have difficulty getting them to sync. However, in our experience, the entire process was easy, and delivered very good quality digital videos. So, if you’re wondering, “Where can I convert VHS to digital myself?” this is a good option.
Compared with the original videotapes that we transferred into digital files; the quality was about the same. The only difference was when we bumped the connection by accident, which left a static jolt in the digital copies. That being said, it was mostly our fault!
Software and Editing Options
While there aren’t really any editing or enhancing tools on the ClearCilck device itself, they do offer free editing software on their website. Once you upload the video files to your computer, you can use this software to improve the audio and video quality.
It’s pretty basic, and if you plan on enhancing images or performing in-depth video restoration other than very minor changes, we recommend getting a better tool. However, if you just want to finalize your video files and ensure stable video and clear audio, their free software options might be good enough.
Pros and Cons
As a summary of our experience, here are ClearClick pros and cons based on our personal ClearClick user feedback.
Pros
- Good quality audio and video for old VHS tapes
- Works with almost any video format (as long as you have the VCR or camcorder)
- Built-in preview screen
- 1-Year Warranty included plus great tech support
- Easy to use
Cons
- No video editing software built-in
- Seems like it might not be very durable
- Some users have trouble syncing audio and video
Customer Reviews and Feedback
Overall, ClearClick Video to Digital Converter 2.0 (and all other versions), has great reviews. They have a 4.4 star rating on Amazon with 68% 5 star reviews. Most people praise all the same things we did, including the quality of results, how easy it is to use, and the built-in screen.
However, as with anything, there are also complaints. Many point out difficulty syncing audio and video, with some saying it didn’t work at all. Others think the screen is too small but don’t want to pay extra for the larger video converter devices made by ClearClick.
Others were expecting professional quality and were disappointed that they didn’t get the results they could from a service like Capture. That being said, we use thousands of dollars of state-of-the-art equipment, so you can’t expect to get the quality we do from home.
Comparison with Other Video to Digital Converters
Our video converter buying guide wouldn’t be complete without a ClearClick comparison with their competitors.
When it comes to DIY converters, ClearClick is in our top 2 choices with DigitNow being the other. You can’t go wrong with either of these, and they both have higher quality and easier to create results compared with other models.
However, when you compare it with Capture, as we mentioned above, ClearClick digital converters don’t seem so good. However, that’s to be expected because we’ve been digitizing videotapes for over 20 years, so we know how to do it right.
We’ve also spent millions of dollars in our state-of-the-art facility to not only improve video recording and audio quality, but to ensure security and monitoring for your priceless memories every step of the way,
Pricing and Availability
ClearClick devices are readily available on Amazon, meaning they are easy to find, easy to buy, and shipped quickly. When it comes to price, we believe they are competitive as well. While they are more expensive than other options, you get what you paid for.
Since there are many different devices, here is the ClearClick pricing breakdown:
- ClearClick Video to Digital Converter 2.0 - $159.95
- ClearClick Video to Digital Converter 2.0 Mini - $139.95
- ClearClick Video to Digital Converter 3.0 - $219.95
- ClearClick HD Video Capture Box Ultimate - $199.95
Conclusion
Hopefully this ClearClick Video to Digital Converter review has helped you determine if this device is the right choice for your priceless memories. It’s a great DIY device that’s easy to use and produces pretty good quality. However, remember that you’ll have to convert video in real time, meaning it can take a long time to convert all your home movies.
If you want a way to transfer all your home movies and get both the originals and digital copies back in less than 30 days, choose Capture. We offer professional quality, guaranteed satisfaction, and competitive pricing to preserve your memories for future generations to cherish and enjoy.
Click here to learn more about our video conversion services.
