Borate,
The computer was off overnight. So following your advice, I can't get to the record page if Elgato is not connected: "No video capture devices were detected."
Connecting and turning on the VCR gets me video but not audio. Same "device error" message when I try to select the Elgato device in the audio slot.
The drivers are up to date. The device comes with no software, just instructions to download software. On that page, you are given the link to download the driver. So I did that just a couple of days ago.
Apologies that I didn't acknowledge or answer your second suggestion about using Elgato's MP4 in VideoPad. While they have audio and video, the files are awful--without many controls in Elgato (or info about its few options). So I was trying to experiment with whether capturing through VideoPad might help.
But I think I've had it with Elgato. While thousands (literally) claim to make nifty files from old VHS tapes, everything I try is unwatchable. The only decent picture I could ever coax out of a VHS tape (for display on a new-ish flat screen) I got by converting to DVD using my old combo unit. Those DVDs look pretty good on my flat screen, whereas the original VHS recording looks terrible on the same TV and on multiple computer monitors. So I think I'm going to try to resurrect that combo unit or replace it. (What DID those combo units do that I cannot replicate?)
More info than you need, but thanks so much for trying.
