I've seen people do this but I don't know how. What materials would I need? In case it wasn't clear, I want to do this for my wii
Well, I'm assuming, like all consoles, it has component cables, so a good choice would be to use Roxio Easy VHS to DVD.
You'll need to either emulate it (dunno how well emulation works with Wiis, if at all), or buy a capture card. The one Amaury mentioned works for him, I've had good experiences with Dazzles as well.
Well, there are a lot of different ones to choose from. If you're comfortable opening up your computer, you could get one that uses the PCI/PCI-E port(s) on your motherboard. Image: (Blackmagic Intensity Pro; around $200, iirc) But one like this should serve you well (plugs into USB port): (Roxio Easy VHS to DVD; $40) (Dazzle DVC; two models, one for $40, another for $70) (Roxio Game Capture; $100) (Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle; $200) As you can see, there's a number of models to choose from. Depends on what connection you use (HDMI, Composite, Component, S-Video) and how much you're willing to spend. You should get an idea of how they work from the images; you plug the cable in and, using recording software, record! You should get splitters though, so you can display on your TV while recording; most programs give you a preview window but it will be very laggy and difficult to play with. Probably harder on the Wii.
Splitters come in two forms, boxs and cables. Basically you could plug your output cables (originally going to your TV) into it and then it would splt it into two and give you two seperate outputs, one to put into the TV and one to put into the recording device. Precise design will vary from one video type to the next but the consept is the same. Spoiler: cable Spoiler: box One thing to check before investing in that though. Does your TV support output? If it does you can send the video from your TV to the recording device rather than bother with splitting the video.
Emulation for Wii is possible and I am your guy for emulation but I can't talk about emulation on the forums >< But for it to work you need a hefty PC, and even with that, it may lag a little.
You can talk about emulation, you just can't talk about pirating. Generally if you aren't good at discerning the two, it is best to stay away from the topic all together. If you have questions over if a topic point crosses the line you could PM staff or just play it safe and not mention it.
Mixt is right, if your TV supports output then you'll just need a spare set of cables. But those are rather inexpensive if you buy them online. But I haven't seen very many TV's that do. Some capture cards have built in outputs as well; I'd settle on which one you're comfortable with getting, and then look at what additional stuff you need. If it proves to be too much, or is too complicated, then you can always try a different card.