I have a bunch of old VHS tapes that I want to digitize. I have never digitized VHS tapes before. I picked up a generic HDMI capture card, and a generic composite to HDMI converter. Using both of those, I was planning on hooking a VCR up to a computer running OBS. Overall, I’m rather ignorant of the process. The main questions that I currently have are as follows:

• What are the best practices for reducing the risk of damaging the tapes?
• Are there any good steps to take to maximize video quality?
• Is a TBC required (can it be done in software after digitization)?
• Should I clean the VCR after every tape?
• Should I clean every tape before digitization?
• Should I have a separate VCR for the specific purpose of cleaning tapes?

Please let me know if you have any extra advice or recommendations at all beyond what I have mentioned. Any information at all is a big help.