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Recommend a capture card (video editing)
- Thread starter DJ_Tet
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Little elaboration:
I've got a family video that I filmed over the fourth that I would like to cut together and burn on DVD. The camcorder is is a Hi-8 medium with no firewire output that I can find. I need a capture card that can get the video off the camera (Hi-8 isn't compatable with VHS). As I was looking through some reviews, it seemed that some capture cards can't "author DVDs." Am I wrong in thinking that as long as the card is capable of getting the video onto my HD that I can find a program to burn it on DVD? I would think that a barebones card with composite input would do everything I need. I've also got a side project with a case of VHS tapes that need to be converted, so the capture card will get good use.
What factors affect a capture card's performance? There seems to be a wide variance in card prices, are the cards equal in video quality or is more than just speed affected?
I've got a family video that I filmed over the fourth that I would like to cut together and burn on DVD. The camcorder is is a Hi-8 medium with no firewire output that I can find. I need a capture card that can get the video off the camera (Hi-8 isn't compatable with VHS). As I was looking through some reviews, it seemed that some capture cards can't "author DVDs." Am I wrong in thinking that as long as the card is capable of getting the video onto my HD that I can find a program to burn it on DVD? I would think that a barebones card with composite input would do everything I need. I've also got a side project with a case of VHS tapes that need to be converted, so the capture card will get good use.
What factors affect a capture card's performance? There seems to be a wide variance in card prices, are the cards equal in video quality or is more than just speed affected?
Having done similar work (specifically, capturing DirecTiVo and editing out commercials and burning to DVD), here's a few tips:
1. Don't worry too much about "DVD authoring." If a review says it can't author DVDs, it simply means that the included crapware can't author DVDs. All you have to be able to do is capture to a common video format (eg. AVI).
2. Be prepared to spend $$$ on a real video editing software package. I have a dongle that real-time encodes into MPEG2, so I have to use Premiere Pro along with the MPEG plug-in that allows you to edit MPEG files. As a rule, the bundled software is shit.
3. Ditto for DVD authoring.
4. Look for a capture device that will capture to a relatively simple format, i.e. AVI. You'll need scads of HD space, but the end result will look nicer. The aforementioned dongle does a decent job, but I end up having to re-compress the video when exporting the final master, which takes a long time and reduces the picture quality. It looks good enough for my needs, but YMMV.
Nathan
1. Don't worry too much about "DVD authoring." If a review says it can't author DVDs, it simply means that the included crapware can't author DVDs. All you have to be able to do is capture to a common video format (eg. AVI).
2. Be prepared to spend $$$ on a real video editing software package. I have a dongle that real-time encodes into MPEG2, so I have to use Premiere Pro along with the MPEG plug-in that allows you to edit MPEG files. As a rule, the bundled software is shit.
3. Ditto for DVD authoring.
4. Look for a capture device that will capture to a relatively simple format, i.e. AVI. You'll need scads of HD space, but the end result will look nicer. The aforementioned dongle does a decent job, but I end up having to re-compress the video when exporting the final master, which takes a long time and reduces the picture quality. It looks good enough for my needs, but YMMV.
Nathan
I have this... it works great... I connect it to the out of the VCR and into USB2.0 and it works great!!!
I have transferred some old college videos from late 80's/early 90's... and our wedding video which after 4 years is already looking like crap...
http://www.pinnaclesys.com/publicsi...udio+Family/Studio+MovieBox+USB+version+9.htm
I have transferred some old college videos from late 80's/early 90's... and our wedding video which after 4 years is already looking like crap...
http://www.pinnaclesys.com/publicsi...udio+Family/Studio+MovieBox+USB+version+9.htm
The Faceless Master
Member
if you've ever seen a tvrip tagged with [Moonsong] you've seen a product of this card
Mr. E. Yis
Banned
Canopus ADVC1394 capture card is good. I've had it for more than a year, and transferred about 30 video tapes and video camera recordings, and no problems or dropped frames.
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