devices to interface vhs tape and digital tape devices with premeire pro

Heya Softball_Junkie:

I'm going to throw one more option out, but it has pros and cons.

You could purchase a DVD/VCR Combo (DVD player VCR player/recorder) and use that to record your VHS tapes to DVD-R.  On the off chance it also has FireWire, you may be able to patch that to FireWire or Thunderbolt Port on your computer and capture straight through.  I've had a Panasonic that could do that about ten years ago.  More than likely, it won't have FireWire and you'll have to record to DVD-R instead.  Some DVD recorders write to a "Sonata" format (I think all of the Sony branded models do so) which makes it impossible to import the results directly into Premiere Pro, but Mac DVD Ripper Pro can convert that to MP4 for you.  You might want to convert DVD-Video data on a DVD-R to a video format anyway.  Unfortunately, the best application for it, DVDxDV Pro is discontinued and if you manage to get a copy only runs on macOS High Sierra 10.13 or older.

The pros are that you can usually just press one button on the DVD/VCR combo and come back in an hour or two (the DVD-R side needs to be set the appropriate mode for record duration) and you can then extract the DVD on a comptuter with a DVD drive.  While slow, it does not need to be monitored.  The cons are that you're stuck with MPEG2 as an interim format and then MP4 for import into PR.

Softball_Junky:

I forgot to address digital tape.

Premiere Pro's video capture supports DV and HDV - so the digital tape that use FireWire/IEEE-1394/i.Link.  You didn't mention which digital tape format, but you'll need a camcorder or deck that supports whatever digital tape you have like Digital8, MicroMV, MiniDV, DVCAM and HDV (finding a camcorder/deck in good working order may be the biggest challenge).  DVCPro should also be supported directly via Premiere Pro, but I haven't captured that one in PR myself (only in Final Cut Pro classic).  Of course, your computer needs to have FireWire port.  FireWire PCI cards may still be available (last time I purchased and installed one for an HP tower was back in 2018).  If you have Thunderbolt, that can be adapted to FireWire, but Thunderbolt 2/1 to 3 is a $50 adapter and Thunderbolt 2/1 to FireWire800 is $35 (each is sold by Apple).  Sometimes it's easier to pick up a used Mac or Windows machine with built-in FireWire or iLInk for DV capture than it is to connect a new machine.  A 2012 13-inch MacBook Pro with FireWire will set you back $300 to $600 "reconditioned" on Amazon (yeah, it's crazy that old Macs hold value) and will run macOS Catalina, allowing you to use the current version of Premiere Pro for the capture.  

For the digital tape formats that use SDI like DigiBETA and D1, you'll need a device or card that supports SDI.  That would also be captured through 3rd party software that goes with capture card/device.

Another thing that may be worth mentioning:  even though MiniDV was widely available, tapes reordered in one make/model camcorder may not play back as expected in a different make/model camcorder or deck.  So, if you happen to know that your DV tapes were recorded with, let's say, a Canon GL2, then try to capture from a Canon GL2.  

From this day forward could we please not recomend the Intensity Shuttle for VHS capture. The Intensity Shuttle requires a TBC to capture wornout VHS tapes. The ADVC 110 does not. As of now both produts are discontinued. The video below shows why I use both products. That being said I think Windows 10 and OS X are dropping support fore Firewire OHCI.

I also use a Grass Valley ADVC 110.  You might be able to find a used one on eBay or Amazon. 

While devices like the StarTech Composite & S-Video to USB 2.0 Video Capture Adapter Cable* at $40 (Windows only) will capture your analog video source via S-Video or RCA video, it results in an MP4 file which, as you've pointed out, is not a good source for editing as it won't hold up to compression generation loss.

You want a device that includes software that can capture to a format that's good for editing.

While the Blackmagic Design Intensity Shuttle for USB 3.0** comes in at $200, it can capture to Apple ProRes422 via the included Blackmagic Media Express applications. If you capture to, let's say, Apple ProRes422 LT, you have a format that was made for editing. Match that with ProRes422 LT for your Sequence Video Previews and export to that as well and you're taking advantage of Smart Rendering*** in Premiere Pro as well (everything is a lot faster in PR when you use a CODEC that's supported by Smart Rendering).

If you're capturing from VHS, BETAMAX, Regular8, or Hi8 and just want to archive the footage to watch later, go with the $40 StarTech (the Elgato USB Analog Video Capture Device**** at $90 is also a very good choice - great capture software and works on both Windows and Mac). You'll have a 1st generation MP4 that you can watch later; however, it's not a good file for editing.

If you're capturing from VHS, BETAMAX, Regular8, or Hi8 and want to edit the footage, go with the Blackmagic Design Intensity Shuttle. You'll have the option to choose a format that's very good for editing (like Apple ProRes). You can export it to H264 or H265 before or after editing.

Blackmagic makes a variety "Intensity" products for capture and playback. It might be worth a conversation with their sales department if you're not sure which one will meet your needs. They also have Thunderbolt based devices as well as devices with connectors for higher-end video (BETACAM, 3/4-inch, DigiBETA, D1, D2, etc.).

All that said, if you happen to already own a DV-NTSC device with analog video input and a FireWire or Thunderbolt port on your computer, Premiere Pro probably supports it already via File > Capture. The DV device has to support analog passthrough and you won't have DV deck control.  If you have Thunderbolt, you'll need at least one, but maybe two, adapters that are only available from Apple to patch the MiniDV connector on your device to the Thunderbolt port on your computer.

*StarTech Composite & S-Video to USB 2.0 Video Capture Adapter Cable $39.11 (Currently available)
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1563850-REG/startech_svid2usb232_s_video_composite_to.html

**Blackmagic Design Intensity Shuttle for USB 3.0 $200 (Discontinued)
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/686585-REG/Blackmagic_Design_BINTSSHU_Intensity_Shuttle.html

***Adobe Premiere Pro User Guide - Smart Rendering
https://helpx.adobe.com/africa/premiere-pro/user-guide.html/africa/premiere-pro/using/smart-rendering.ug.html

****Elgato USB Analog Video Capture Device $89.99 (Currently available)
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/625264-REG/Elgato_Systems_10020840_Video_Capture_USB_Analog.html

I used a Grass Valley ADVC 110 when I needed to connect to a VHS player to convert tapes from a really old camera

That device is no longer sold, but you might find one on eBay