What is the version of PD?
Will it capture analog at all?
What is your hardware cameras/vcr, tbc and your capture card? HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT

Dare I ask what your level of tech savvy is? Or anyone close by who can be involved in your project? HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT

Quote What is the version of PD?
Will it capture analog at all?
What is your hardware cameras/vcr, tbc and your capture card?

PowerDirector Version: 15.0.4409.0
It doesn't appear to have any ability to capture anything. Just keeps saying it has to be upgraded.
I use a camcorder and an old vcr. Avermedia dvdezmaker 7 converts to digital. I have a brand new dell xps with upgraded video card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060

Quote Dare I ask what your level of tech savvy is? Or anyone close by who can be involved in your project?

I am pretty tech savy. have been working with computers since the first all in one mac came out. mostly just using the software. I have never worked with editing film - although I do a good amount of photo retouching (having been a pro product photographer for 17 years or so). I think my main problem right now is trying to deal with cyberlink software that is packaged with my computer and is somewhat worthless for how limited it is. so, I am trying to figure out how to get it working so it can be at least a little useful.

Power Director supplied as a package with new PC's is always a stripped-out "taster" version. The limited version you have can not be upgraded. To get the functionality you need you will have to buy a new full version and it would be best to go for the latest version which I believe is 18. Regards,
Mike

Home-build system:
Intel Core i5 Quad Core 3.3GHz, 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333MHz,
Asus Nvidia GT440 1GB, 2 x Western Digital WD10EARS 1TB, 1 x Seagate ST1000DM010 1TB,
Windows 7 Prof 64-bit, PD 9 Ultra 64, PD 13 Ultimate 64

If you buy the latest PD, full version, that will probably be your best choice, it's a great program.
The only limitation regarding analog video capture is the fact it cannot capture "lossless" avi codecs.
I think I can hear forum members doing eye-rolls! Here we go again.
When you capture VHS it is compressed to either Mpeg2 interlaced or MP4 progressive, both are OK if there is no need to adjust colors, framing, etc. If you need to just cut, then those are acceptable. Once you need to do anything else, you will now have a second run of compression, and as VHS is kind of icky, a double or triple compression just destroys it, bit by bit.
If you have a taste for quality, and don't mind some self-torture from the learning curve it is better to capture lossless using VirtualDub (free), and employ codec choice of HuffYUV, or Lagareth, or Magic, or UTVideo. I use HuffYUV.
The lossless 4:2:2 compression allows you to bring a visually lossless file into PD, and if you can do all your corrections in one swell foop in PD then you will only have that one round of compression. Of course you can do those corrections in VirtualDub also and remain lossless, THEN bring that corrected file into PD for final edits and delivery.
You start with a decent VCR, preferably with INTERNAL time base correction, those are increasingly rare. Ebay is a crapshoot.
At the very least a VCR with S-video in/out. This gives a superior signal, no crosstalk interference from RCA cables.
You also need a quality dongle, the typical EZcap is junk, try a VC-500, or a Hauppage. Used dongles can be found, my favorite is the Hauppage 850.
A full frame EXTERNAL time base corrector is probably impossible to find for under $1,000, so I doubt you will be getting one.
The ff TBC can be "replaced" sort of, with a Panasonic ES-10 or ES-15 DVD recorder used only as pass-through for it's sort of TBC effect, especially good for flagging/tearing at the top which tapes often display. The trade off is the fact the ES-10 and 15 can soften the image a little. The ES-15 is less aggressive in that.
So, how ya feeling? Head spinning yet? HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT