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  1. SHORT VERSION

    I want to take analog video into my computer, edit it, and then make some nice DVDs out of it (or to then convert it to 320x240 FLV files for use on my website).

    To do that I want a card/device to capture analog video & audio (via RCA connectors and S-Video) that can be recognized by any capture software running in Windows 2000. Initially I wanted a USB device, but the more I read about it, it seems that I will get better quality with a PCI card. In this case, I need one with a "Dashboard" front panel, preferably with 2 USB ports (to connect to the last available USB input on my motherboard - which supports two ports per input) and a headphone jack (since the headphone and microphone jacks on my case don't work - though I don't use the mic jack anyway).

    The only card with a front panel I've found is the Turtle Beach Video Advantage PCI ($149.95). It looks good, and I like what I read on their site about recording into AVI & DV for frame-accurate editing (with MPEG also being available but not suggested for capturing). However, a few places that sell it have customer reviews that leave me with mixed opinons:

    -- Amazon (REVIEWS: one 5-STAR, two 4-STAR, four 1-STAR)
    -- [s:8a2f943450]CompUSA[/s:8a2f943450] (GOOD REVIEWS)
    -- Tiger Direct (BAD REVIEWS)

    Has anyone used this card? Are there any problems with it?

    Are there other PCI capture cards with front panels like this one?

    Any other suggestions for something similar?

    By the way, I don't want a TV Tuner card (won't the tv tuner part be useless come 2/19/2009 anyway?). Also, I don't have a DV camcorder (still have a big 'ole VHS model), but read on the Turtle Beach website that DV is a good format to capture in for frame-accurate editing - which is why I mentioned it above.

    --------------------------------------
    LONG VERSION

    Ok, this is going to be a long and involving message. I could have just posted a simply one paragraph message with my request, but I figured that to get the best help, you would need to know EXACTLY what my situation is.

    My VCR is the JVC HR-S9900U (cost a couple hundred dollars in 2001 - much less than the S7200U which cost be about $800 in 1996). It has a flying erase head (a must for me because I like perfect edits and hate that rainbow line crap when recording over stuff), SVHS recording and playing capabilities, insert editing and audio dub (amongst other features). I also have a HUGE videotape library as I have been recoding and buying tapes since 1989. (These details may be important since part of what I eventually want to do is transfer these tapes to DVD using this VCR.)

    I use that VCR to do all of my recording because I don't know yet what I can buy to replace it. I have not found any standalone DVD recorders with built-in hard drives and editing capabilities - so I can record to the hard drive, edit out commercials (or copy them to a new file if there are good commercials in the batch), and either burn the resulting video to a DVD (or just transfer it to my computer and do editing and burning there). [To that extent, I guess I'm looking for a computer in a box :-)] I have no interest in using my computer as a Personal Video Recorder because I literally and physically want something to replace the VCR.

    But I'm not writing this message about a standalone recorder, because I'll cross that bridge at a later date. Right now my major concern involves taking analog video into my computer, editing it, and then making some nice DVDs out of it (or to then convert it to 320x240 FLV files for use on my website).

    My old computer had an ATI All-In-Wonder AGP video card in it, which had analog capture. My old computer DIDN'T have a DVD burner. So I used that card just to occasionally make videos for my website. For what it needed to do, it worked just fine. Then I upgraded to Windows 2000 and had to download new drivers and the new ATI Multimedia Center. The new version of Multimedia Center lacked the simple video editor that the old version had, which I used frequently to trim my captures. I eventually found a new simple editor online, but by that point it didn't matter because I wasn't capturing much video anymore.

    This year I bought an entirely new computer, self built with major help from a friend. The store I bought all the parts from didn't have any ATI video cards (they claim that ATI stopped making the All-In-Wonder cards). The PCI-E card I bought doesn't have capture abilities, which is fine because I'd actually like to have video capture SEPARATE from the video card. After all, if I had a separate card to begin with, instead of having it as part of the ATI AGP video card, I could have easily put it in the new computer (the new motherboard doesn't have an AGP slot so I can't even use the old ATI card just for capturing).

    So I needed to buy a new video capture device, and unfortunately I bought the wrong one. I bought the "Dazzle Video Creator Platinum" USB video capture device. (I should interrupt to let you know that I am still using Windows 2000 as my main operating system. A friend gave me a copy of XP, which I use for testing, but because I don't legally own it, I don't use it as my main OS - plus it left a bad taste in my mouth, figuratively speaking.)

    The Dazzle software on disc 1 installs perfectly in Windows 2000, but discs 2 and 3 require Windows XP, so that's a bit of problem. The hardware drivers are part of the software on disc 1, but they are bundled WITH the software (Pinnacle Instant DVD Recorder), so even if I choose not to install the Recorder program, I still have to go through its install routine and enter the serial number in order to install the drivers. I found the drivers themselves on the disc, but there's no installer with them. There are only three files in the directory for my model (.cab, .cat, and .inf). I tried right-clicking on the inf file and select Install to install them that way, but it doesn't work. I also tried Windows Add/Remove Hardware (aka New Hardware Wizard) component, and it found the inf file, and appeared to install it, but to no avail.

    The two programs that come with Dazzle are Pinnacle's Instant DVD Recorder and Studio Quick Start. The third disc is a Studio "Bonus DVD". From looking at the screen shots on the box, Studio appears to be the more useful of the two. It's a full-featured video editor whereas Recorder is strictly to capture video, to hard drive and direct to DVD (there's a plain vanilla menu template option).

    Instant DVD Recorder sucks as it can only capture to DVD-Video format, both in file format (.vob) and directory structure. I can't capture to other formats, 4:3 ratio (it only captures in 720x480), choose codecs, quality (other than Good, Better, and Best), or even choose a filename or directory to record to. The killer is that the Dazzle is not recognized by any other capture software. Nero Vision & VisualDub both list it, but neither can capture from it.

    The fact that I want to use it in Windows 2000, and only the first disc (Instant DVD Recorder) will install in that operating system, isn't the big problem anymore. You see, even if XP were my regular OS, I'd still have a HUGE problem: THE DAZZLE HARDWARE ONLY WORKS WITH THE INCLUDED PINNACLE SOFTWARE!!! So, in Windows 2000 that leaves me completely screwed. In XP, I'm a little better off, but I'm forced to use Pinnacle's piece of crap software either way. Either the totally-insufficient and not-suitable-for-my-requirements Instant DVD Recorder, or the over-blown and over-100-features-locked-and-even- with-a-keygen-still-needs-to-be- manually-unlocked-a-few-at-a-time Studio Quick Start. So either way I'm screwed as I can't use my own program. Dazzle seems to have been a $90 waste of money.

    Thus, I started to look online for and make notes about other video capture devices.

    I want a stand-alone device (one that isn't tied to a specific video or audio card) to capture analog video & audio (via RCA connectors) that can be recognized by any capture software running in Windows 2000 - and that includes audio-only capture in any audio capture/editing program (so I don't have to fiddle with Line In on my video card and my adapter for that connection). [The last part of that is in reference to the old ATI card I had. It had a patch-through to the audio card, but in order to do audio only capture, I had to have the ATI software running in the background, even if I wasn't going to use it to do the audio capture.]

    Initially I wanted a USB device, but the more I read about it, it seems that I will get better quality with a PCI card.

    -- "The bandwidth of USB 2.0 just isn't fast enough to transfer uncompressed video at full 720x480 resolution without occassionally dropping frames."
    -- "I have found that a good processor will make the best capture you can get, that and an internal card."
    (source: http://forum.digital-digest.com/archive/index.php/t-62061.html)

    In this case, I need one with a "Dashboard" front panel, preferably with 2 USB ports (to connect to the last available USB input on my motherboard - which supports two ports per input) and a headphone jack (since the headphone and microphone jacks on my case don't work - though I don't use the mic jack anyway).

    Below are what I found, along with my rough notes. First is a USB device.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    DVD Xpress DX2 (USBAV-709-EF) (Price: $89.99)
    * Capture video directly to popular video formats: DVD (MPEG-2), SVCD, VCD (MPEG-1), MPEG-4 and DivX
    * Exclusive "Audio-Lock" technology for perfect lip synch
    * Software:
    - Capture Wizard: With Capture Wizard, you can preview your video at up to 720 x 480 full screen, chose your bit rate and use advanced settings to capture video.
    - ArcSoft ShowBiz: Whether you are experienced with DVD movie making or just looking for the perfect complement for your brand new digital camera, this easy to use program has everything you need to capture your home movies and create your own DVDs to share with friends or send to customers.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Obviously this is meant for straight-to-DVD capture, as there are no AVI or DV capture formats listed. Plus this is USB, which I read isn't so good (as noted above). So I don't think this is going to be good.

    I also found some capture devices by a company called Voyetra Turtle Beach. They look good, and I like what I read on their site about recording into AVI & DV for frame-accurate editing (with MPEG also being available but not suggested for capturing). However, a few places that sell it have customer reviews that leave me with mixed options (see links below).

    Turtle Beach Video Advantage Products
    * Product comparison
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Turtle Beach Video Advantage PCI (front panel inputs & PCI card) (PRICE: $149.95)
    * Software:
    - AD FullCap Video Capture Program
    - PowerDirector DE Video Production Program
    - PowerProducer Express CD/DVD Burning Program
    - AudioSurgeon Audio Editing Program

    * Hardware:
    - Mic In
    - Line In (RCA L&R Audio)
    - Composite Video Input
    - S-Video Input
    - 4-pin 1394 connector
    - USB connector (1, not 2) - Connects to another USB port or the USB connector on your motherboard.
    - (The only things missing is a second USB port and the headphone out)

    * What's included

    REVIEWS (AND PLACES THAT SELL IT)
    -- Amazon (REVIEWS: one 5-STAR, two 4-STAR, four 1-STAR)
    -- [s:8a2f943450]CompUSA[/s:8a2f943450] (GOOD REVIEWS)
    -- Tiger Direct (BAD REVIEWS)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    * Note: The "Turtle Beach Video Advantage ADX" (PRICE: $99.95) is the same as PCI, but without the drive bay front control panel - thus $50 cheaper.

    I sent Turtle Beach an e-mail asking them some questions about their products. For the record, these are the questions I asked and their replies.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    > Why does USB device require XP and the PCI devices
    > doesn't?

    The hardware is completely different for the USB and is not fully supported in Win2000 or Vista. It can be made to work in Vista, but with limitations. It cannot be made to work in Win2000.

    The PCI hardware is compatible with Win2000, XP and Vista.

    The Cyberlink software is not Vista compatible, in both cases.

    > Is the hardware (both of them) recognizable by other
    > capture software?

    In the case of the VA-USB, not really.

    In the case of the PCI:
    3rd Party Software: AdobePremiere - Ulead - Pinnacle - Nero - Roxio - MovieMaker, etc.
    http://support.turtlebeach.com/site/kb_ftp/521517496.asp

    > Does the software need to be running in order for the
    > audio inputs to be active?

    In the case of the VA-USB, yes. In the case of the VA-PCI, since it uses the computer's soundcard, no. You can always use the soundcard to record audio.

    (answered by Rowan, Turtle Beach Technical Support)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    So, in conclusion (yes, I'm finally done typing), I would really appreciate any help anybody here can give me in finding a video capture device that works in Windows 2000 - preferably one with a front panel that includes the RCA video and audio inputs, S-Video input, two USB inputs, headphone output, and anything else that might be useful (firewire/1394, perhaps).

    (I apologize for how long this message is and hope that its length didn't break any of the forum rules.)
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  2. Member bendixG15's Avatar
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    You have a lot of reading and decision making ahead of you.

    For reading, suggest you start here ...
    https://forum.videohelp.com/topic336600.html
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  3. Member
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    Hmmm

    Constructive criticism: Write more concise postings. I stopped reading about 1/3 through. No time to read a book here.

    Have you considered the ADC Pyro A/VLink?
    Firewire->DV HARDWARE capture board. Windows would simply see it as a standard DV source and you can use any software capable of DV capturing.
    Has component, composite, and s-video inputs.
    http://www.adstech.com/products/API-558-EFS/intro/API-558_intro.asp?pid=API-558-EFS

    High Quality Analog to DV Video Converter
    Capture any analog video source to high quality DV video format
    Compatible with FireWire/1394 enabled PCs and Macs

    The ultimate tool for capturing and converting video into professional quality DV format and just as valuable for exporting edited DV content to analog video tape recorders.

    Captures from any analog source and converts it to DV.A/V Link can also transfer DV format back to Analog format.



    Features:
    Component In/Out
    External FireWire//1394 device
    Converts analog ((RCA,S-Video or Component Video)to DV video format
    Export DV Video to analog video tape recorders ((RCA,S-Video or
    Component)
    Convert between devices ((from DV to Analog or Analog to DV)without
    using a computer
    Capture from DV camcorder with full device control
    Edit with powerful editing sof tware --compatible with editors supporting
    DV format
    [url=https://forum.videohelp.com/images/guides/p1777725/[/url]]
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  4. Mod Neophyte Super Moderator redwudz's Avatar
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    You are not going to get many members that will read through all that. But in general XP and W2000 are fairly similar. XP just has more built-in drivers.

    Most USB devices should work. And maybe someone will read through the whole post and give you some better advice.
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  5. Member
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    You are not going to get many members that will read through all that. But in general XP and W2000 are fairly similar. XP just has more built-in drivers.
    That is something I want to know. I am running Windows 2000 also and ATI/AMD has dropped all support for Windows 2000. I would like to buy a new HD tuner card to replace my AIW 7500 but ATI says all the new cards will only work on XP or Vista.

    I was under the assumption that anything that will work on XP will work on Windows 2000 but I don't want to buy a new card if it won't work on Windows 2000.

    I have found two or three other cards that will work on Windows 2000 but am afraid to make the plunge just yet. Still contemplating on whether to buy the Philips 3575 recorder instead.

    Here are a couple of PCI cards that I found for Windows 2000...

    M.I.T. MyHD MDP-130 - http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/hdtv-cards.html#myhd

    DVICO FusionHDTV5 Gold RT - http://www.digitalconnection.com/products/video/fusion5rt.asp
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  6. Mod Neophyte Super Moderator redwudz's Avatar
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    I'm using a MDP-130 with my HTPC computer at present and I had a Dvico Fusion card a couple of years ago. Both good cards. The MDP is maybe a little easier to set up, but the Fusion seems to have the software/drivers upgraded more often. I haven't tried either with W2000, just with XP, but I'm using the MDP with Vista in XP SP2 compatibility mode right now with no problems.

    Usually the W2000 and XP drivers are interchangeable with most devices.
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  7. Member dadrab's Avatar
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    Check my computer profile. I use 2000 Pro with a Hauppauge PVR350 which includes TV tuner and scheduler. All the software works and I edit with VideoRedo.

    Trim the post some, dude. I'm a voracious reader, but... 8)
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  8. Member SHS's Avatar
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    acid_burn
    You only opotion are older hardware but Hauppauge PVR 150, USB2 and HVR 1600 still work under Windows 2000 "Rigth drivers is need for the 1600".

    DarrellS
    If still want Windows 2000 and HD tuner look at HVR 1600 and look on SHSPVR forum for the Windows 2000 drivers.

    redwudz
    Usually the W2000 and XP drivers are interchangeable with most devices
    Ture but then not ture I thing the probem is the newer dev tool no long have support for Win2000 so must of there dev are to lazy in fix it and 2nd problem is the install most dev don't check the Win2k install box.
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  9. Member edDV's Avatar
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    Simple response is "Go DV". You can get Win2000 drivers for certain IEEE-1394 PCI cards and this opens the window to all the "firewire" devices out there including camcorders with "analog pass through".
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  10. Thank you for your replies. I'm sorry for having such a long message, but I wanted to make sure that my situation was fully explained in regards to what I have, what I've tried, and what I want to accomplish. Perhaps I should have broken it down, and saved some of the more detailed sections for a later date. You can't fault me for not providing enough info :-)

    I probably should have also stated that I don't want a TV Tuner card, which is what everybody is suggesting. Also, I don't have a DV camcorder (still have a big 'ole VHS model), but read on the Turtle Beach website that DV is a good format to capture in for frame-accurate editing - which is why I mentioned it. What I'm trying to accomplish right now is to take analog video into my computer, edit it, and then make some nice DVDs out of it (or to then convert it to 320x240 FLV files for use on my website).

    To do that I want a card/device to capture analog video & audio (via RCA connectors and S-Video) that can be recognized by any capture software running in Windows 2000. Initially I wanted a USB device, but the more I read about it, it seems that I will get better quality with a PCI card. In this case, I need one with a "Dashboard" front panel, preferably with 2 USB ports (to connect to the last available USB input on my motherboard - which supports two ports per input) and a headphone jack (since the headphone and microphone jacks on my case don't work - though I don't use the mic jack anyway).

    The only card with a front panel I've found is the Turtle Beach Video Advantage PCI ($149.95). It looks good, and I like what I read on their site about recording into AVI & DV for frame-accurate editing (with MPEG also being available but not suggested for capturing). However, a few places that sell it have customer reviews that leave me with mixed opinons:

    -- Amazon (REVIEWS: one 5-STAR, two 4-STAR, four 1-STAR)
    -- [s:3158b38d3b]CompUSA[/s:3158b38d3b] (GOOD REVIEWS)
    -- Tiger Direct (BAD REVIEWS)

    Has anyone used this card? Are there any problems with it?

    Are there other PCI capture cards with front panels like this one?

    Any other suggestions for something similar?
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  11. Banned
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    Originally Posted by acid_burn
    Ok, this is going to be a long and involving message. I could have just posted a simply one paragraph message with my request, but I figured that to get the best help, you would need to know EXACTLY what my situation is.

    My VCR is the JVC HR-S9900U (cost a couple hundred dollars in 2001 - much less than the S7200U which cost be about $800 in 1996). It has a flying erase head (a must for me because I like perfect edits and hate that rainbow line crap when recording over stuff), SVHS recording and playing capabilities, insert editing and audio dub (amongst other features). I also have a HUGE videotape library as I have been recoding and buying tapes since 1989. (These details may be important since part of what I eventually want to do is transfer these tapes to DVD using this VCR.)

    I use that VCR to do all of my recording because I don't know yet what I can buy to replace it. I have not found any standalone DVD recorders with built-in hard drives and editing capabilities - so I can record to the hard drive, edit out commercials (or copy them to a new file if there are good commercials in the batch), and either burn the resulting video to a DVD (or just transfer it to my computer and do editing and burning there). [To that extent, I guess I'm looking for a computer in a box ] I have no interest in using my computer as a Personal Video Recorder because I literally and physically want something to replace the VCR.

    But I'm not writing this message about a standalone recorder, because I'll cross that bridge at a later date. Right now my major concern involves taking analog video into my computer, editing it, and then making some nice DVDs out of it (or to then convert it to 320x240 FLV files for use on my website).

    My old computer had an ATI All-In-Wonder AGP video card in it, which had analog capture. My old computer DIDN'T have a DVD burner. So I used that card just to occasionally make videos for my website. For what it needed to do, it worked just fine. Then I upgraded to Windows 2000 and had to download new drivers and the new ATI Multimedia Center. The new version of Multimedia Center lacked the simple video editor that the old version had, which I used frequently to trim my captures. I eventually found a new simple editor online, but by that point it didn't matter because I wasn't capturing much video anymore.

    This year I bought an entirely new computer, self built with major help from a friend. The store I bought all the parts from didn't have any ATI video cards (they claim that ATI stopped making the All-In-Wonder cards). The PCI-E card I bought doesn't have capture abilities, which is fine because I'd actually like to have video capture SEPARATE from the video card. After all, if I had a separate card to begin with, instead of having it as part of the ATI AGP video card, I could have easily put it in the new computer (the new motherboard doesn't have an AGP slot so I can't even use the old ATI card just for capturing).

    So I needed to buy a new video capture device, and unfortunately I bought the wrong one. I bought the "Dazzle Video Creator Platinum" USB video capture device. (I should interrupt to let you know that I am still using Windows 2000 as my main operating system. A friend gave me a copy of XP, which I use for testing, but because I don't legally own it, I don't use it as my main OS - plus it left a bad taste in my mouth, figuratively speaking.)

    The Dazzle software on disc 1 installs perfectly in Windows 2000, but discs 2 and 3 require Windows XP, so that's a bit of problem. The hardware drivers are part of the software on disc 1, but they are bundled WITH the software (Pinnacle Instant DVD Recorder), so even if I choose not to install the Recorder program, I still have to go through its install routine and enter the serial number in order to install the drivers. I found the drivers themselves on the disc, but there's no installer with them. There are only three files in the directory for my model (.cab, .cat, and .inf). I tried right-clicking on the inf file and select Install to install them that way, but it doesn't work. I also tried Windows Add/Remove Hardware (aka New Hardware Wizard) component, and it found the inf file, and appeared to install it, but to no avail.

    The two programs that come with Dazzle are Pinnacle's Instant DVD Recorder and Studio Quick Start. The third disc is a Studio "Bonus DVD". From looking at the screen shots on the box, Studio appears to be the more useful of the two. It's a full-featured video editor whereas Recorder is strictly to capture video, to hard drive and direct to DVD (there's a plain vanilla menu template option).

    Instant DVD Recorder sucks as it can only capture to DVD-Video format, both in file format (.vob) and directory structure. I can't capture to other formats, 4:3 ratio (it only captures in 720x480), choose codecs, quality (other than Good, Better, and Best), or even choose a filename or directory to record to. The killer is that the Dazzle is not recognized by any other capture software. Nero Vision & VisualDub both list it, but neither can capture from it.

    The fact that I want to use it in Windows 2000, and only the first disc (Instant DVD Recorder) will install in that operating system, isn't the big problem anymore. You see, even if XP were my regular OS, I'd still have a HUGE problem: THE DAZZLE HARDWARE ONLY WORKS WITH THE INCLUDED PINNACLE SOFTWARE!!! So, in Windows 2000 that leaves me completely screwed. In XP, I'm a little better off, but I'm forced to use Pinnacle's piece of crap software either way. Either the totally-insufficient and not-suitable-for-my-requirements Instant DVD Recorder, or the over-blown and over-100-features-locked-and-even- with-a-keygen-still-needs-to-be- manually-unlocked-a-few-at-a-time Studio Quick Start. So either way I'm screwed as I can't use my own program. Dazzle seems to have been a $90 waste of money.

    Thus, I started to look online for and make notes about other video capture devices.

    I want a stand-alone device (one that isn't tied to a specific video or audio card) to capture analog video & audio (via RCA connectors) that can be recognized by any capture software running in Windows 2000 - and that includes audio-only capture in any audio capture/editing program (so I don't have to fiddle with Line In on my video card and my adapter for that connection). [The last part of that is in reference to the old ATI card I had. It had a patch-through to the audio card, but in order to do audio only capture, I had to have the ATI software running in the background, even if I wasn't going to use it to do the audio capture.]

    Initially I wanted a USB device, but the more I read about it, it seems that I will get better quality with a PCI card.

    -- "The bandwidth of USB 2.0 just isn't fast enough to transfer uncompressed video at full 720x480 resolution without occassionally dropping frames."
    -- "I have found that a good processor will make the best capture you can get, that and an internal card."
    (source: http://forum.digital-digest.com/archive/index.php/t-62061.html)

    In this case, I need one with a "Dashboard" front panel, preferably with 2 USB ports (to connect to the last available USB input on my motherboard - which supports two ports per input) and a headphone jack (since the headphone and microphone jacks on my case don't work - though I don't use the mic jack anyway).

    Below are what I found, along with my rough notes. First is a USB device.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    DVD Xpress DX2 (USBAV-709-EF) (Price: $89.99)
    * Capture video directly to popular video formats: DVD (MPEG-2), SVCD, VCD (MPEG-1), MPEG-4 and DivX
    * Exclusive "Audio-Lock" technology for perfect lip synch
    * Software:
    - Capture Wizard: With Capture Wizard, you can preview your video at up to 720 x 480 full screen, chose your bit rate and use advanced settings to capture video.
    - ArcSoft ShowBiz: Whether you are experienced with DVD movie making or just looking for the perfect complement for your brand new digital camera, this easy to use program has everything you need to capture your home movies and create your own DVDs to share with friends or send to customers.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Obviously this is meant for straight-to-DVD capture, as there are no AVI or DV capture formats listed. Plus this is USB, which I read isn't so good (as noted above). So I don't think this is going to be good.

    I also found some capture devices by a company called Voyetra Turtle Beach. They look good, and I like what I read on their site about recording into AVI & DV for frame-accurate editing (with MPEG also being available but not suggested for capturing). However, a few places that sell it have customer reviews that leave me with mixed options (see links below).

    Turtle Beach Video Advantage Products
    * Product comparison
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Turtle Beach Video Advantage PCI (front panel inputs & PCI card) (PRICE: $149.95)
    * Software:
    - AD FullCap Video Capture Program
    - PowerDirector DE Video Production Program
    - PowerProducer Express CD/DVD Burning Program
    - AudioSurgeon Audio Editing Program

    * Hardware:
    - Mic In
    - Line In (RCA L&R Audio)
    - Composite Video Input
    - S-Video Input
    - 4-pin 1394 connector
    - USB connector (1, not 2) - Connects to another USB port or the USB connector on your motherboard.
    - (The only things missing is a second USB port and the headphone out)

    * What's included

    REVIEWS (AND PLACES THAT SELL IT)
    -- Amazon (REVIEWS: one 5-STAR, two 4-STAR, four 1-STAR)
    -- CompUSA (GOOD REVIEWS)
    -- Tiger Direct (BAD REVIEWS)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    * Note: The "Turtle Beach Video Advantage ADX" (PRICE: $99.95) is the same as PCI, but without the drive bay front control panel - thus $50 cheaper.

    I sent Turtle Beach an e-mail asking them some questions about their products. For the record, these are the questions I asked and their replies.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    > Why does USB device require XP and the PCI devices
    > doesn't?

    The hardware is completely different for the USB and is not fully supported in Win2000 or Vista. It can be made to work in Vista, but with limitations. It cannot be made to work in Win2000.

    The PCI hardware is compatible with Win2000, XP and Vista.

    The Cyberlink software is not Vista compatible, in both cases.

    > Is the hardware (both of them) recognizable by other
    > capture software?

    In the case of the VA-USB, not really.

    In the case of the PCI:
    3rd Party Software: AdobePremiere - Ulead - Pinnacle - Nero - Roxio - MovieMaker, etc.
    http://support.turtlebeach.com/site/kb_ftp/521517496.asp

    > Does the software need to be running in order for the
    > audio inputs to be active?

    In the case of the VA-USB, yes. In the case of the VA-PCI, since it uses the computer's soundcard, no. You can always use the soundcard to record audio.

    (answered by Rowan, Turtle Beach Technical Support)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    So, in conclusion (yes, I'm finally done typing), I would really appreciate any help anybody here can give me in finding a video capture device that works in Windows 2000 - preferably one with a front panel that includes the RCA video and audio inputs, S-Video input, two USB inputs, headphone output, and anything else that might be useful (firewire/1394, perhaps).

    (I apologize for how long this message is and hope that its length didn't break any of the forum rules.)
    Never mind you have explained your problem in detail and hence you would be getting a fitting solution.Have you heard about the USB video capture device?It allows you to digitalize your analog videos and turn them into DVDs, VCDs or SVCDs easily. The high speed USB2.0 connection simplifies installation to your Desktop or Notebook PC.

    Here is the OS requirement:
    Microsoft® Windows 2000(SP4)

    To read about it in detail read http://www.altoedge.com/usbcapture/index.html
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  12. Although I've seen other USB capture devices, and even bought the crappy Dazzle USB device which doesn't work for me (see the long version of my message for details), I have not heard of that one by Altoedge.

    It looks somewhat good (wish it handled the audio by itself and didn't pass-through to the audio card), but I'm not sure if I should go the USB route. Initially I wanted to (hence why I bought the Dazzle), but the more I read about it (see quotes below), it seems that I will get better quality with a PCI card.

    -- "The bandwidth of USB 2.0 just isn't fast enough to transfer uncompressed video at full 720x480 resolution without occassionally dropping frames."
    -- "I have found that a good processor will make the best capture you can get, that and an internal card."
    (source: http://forum.digital-digest.com/archive/index.php/t-62061.html)

    If these quotes provide false information, please let me know. (I tried to do as much research as possible before I posted my message here.)
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  13. Member DB83's Avatar
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    Getting a capture card with a front-panel will be a problem. If you just want USB front connectors then these are much easier to find.

    Some older cards come with break-out boxes which 'sit' between your playback device such as the VCR and the capture card - Matrox used to make these so you could pick one up on ebay etc.

    For a straight-forward no nonsense PCI card look no ferther than Hauppauge. Yes, they come with a tv-tuner but no one forces you to connect it up. Some have RCA connectors. Some have s-vhs. And I think that one model has both.

    The one I have is quite an old model called WinTV_PCI. It's a UK model but I think that there is a US version as well.

    These PCI cards use WDM drivers so they work with all Windows versions up to and including Xp so Win2000 will not be a problem.

    Remember that these are video capture cards. All audio is recorded via your sound card. They only provide a loop through. All sound monitoring would be handled by the sound card as well.
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  14. Get Slack disturbed1's Avatar
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    Since you are looking for something to replace your VCR, the next step is easily a set top DVD Recorder. Record what you want to DVD, then edit it on the PC using one of the many listed mpeg editors in the tools section. That's the easiest and most direct answer to your one of your many non related questions.

    Your other questions which doesn't deal with replacing your VCR are purely capture related. Depends on what it is you want to do here. Any old capture device will actually do what you want, but not the usb types. The USB capture devices usually require a special driver which is not a problem for even Win98SE, but companies bundle cripple ware with their devices which will/might lock you to a version of an OS. It's safe to say that you should avoid anything with the Pinnacle name on it (includes Dazzle since they bought that company). The options here are a simple TV tuner, DV encoder, or one of the Hauppauge PVR units. Each has their own set of pro's and con's. The TV tuners will only capture through software. Most won't have locked audio which can lead to sync problems. A DV encoder (ADS Pyro) crushes the color space for NTSC leaving (too bored to fully explain) crappy reds. The PVR line captures directly to MPEG. This is a good option, but, MPEG editing has it's limitations.

    I'd recomend 4 options for you to research on to see which one best suits your needs.

    Buy a set top DVD recorder. You can hook your VCR up to it and transfer your recordings to DVD, then import and edit on the PC. Here's a list of mpeg editors https://www.videohelp.com/tools/sections/video-editors-mpg-dvd

    Look for and find a BT (brook tree) based PCI capture card. These cards tend to have the widest range of supported capture apps, and work flawlessly on Windows 2000. You won't be locked to one company's software. Virtual Dub, Nero, Ulead, and just about every other applications will support these cards. There are models with and with out locked audio. This type of capture card will capture to uncompressed AVI, allowing you to do frame based editing how ever you want, these files can be huge. Capturing to lossless or even lossy format will allow you to better enhance your recording, should you need noise filtering or types of restoration. Or, providing your CPU is beefy enough which it should be considering you just built it, can capture/encode in realtime using a software codec like Xvid, RealVideo, MPEG, MJPEG......................

    The ADS Pyro/Canopus ADVC line accepts your VCR inputs and transcodes the signal to DV. DV is easy to work with, has a number of software options. BUT... the quality just is not as good as using an uncompressed capture from a BT based card. This may or may not even be noticed by you, or a good portion of other users. The reason is the color space conversion done in NTSC DV footage which crushes the colors and leaves nasty reds. If you happen to have footage a big red balloon or someone wearing a red sweater, the conversion will display nasty artifacts in these areas. If the original footage was shot in DV on a DV Cam, transfered to the PC in DV then you won't see this. But converting from something like a VCR tape, 8mm, Hi8 recording, you will. If your TV standard is PAL, you won't have these problems.

    Grab one of the $100 WinPVR capture cards. Option to record directly to DVD spec MPEG files. Easy enough to edit out footage.


    If you're looking to convert a few 1,000 tapes, and don't require restoration. save yourself the time, money, and energy, just get a decent set top DVD recorder and a good MPEG editing package and be done with it.
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  15. Banned
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    I believe Hauppauge still supporsts Windows 2000. The Hauppauge PVR-250 and 350 are excellent cards. I have the 350 and I love it. They are PCI based. The old PVR-150 is cheaper, BUT (and it's a big one) it is hit or miss. The PVR-250 and 350 just work - for everyone. If you buy the 150, it may work fine for you. Then again, you may have nightmarish problems and curse the day you got it. The 350 has TV out, so if you don't need that, you can buy the 250 and save money or you can gamble on the 150 and save even more money. The 150 uses different hardware from the 250/350, which is why it has problems on some systems.

    I absolutely hate with a passion any ATI cards for capturing and I cannot recommend them. Hauppauge uses hardware encoding, which is much better for what you want to do. ATI uses software encoding. It takes more time to do this, but I get excellent results by recording everything at high bit rates with my card (8100 Kbps) and then re-encoding it down to a lower bit rate to fit on the final DVD. I use CCE for re-encoding, but you could use the free HC if you want. There's no need to record in AVI format as some claim. If you record your source in a high enough bit rate and then re-encode down after editing, you'll get results just as good as the AVI encoders get.

    I can't recommend USB based solutions. Maybe they are better now, but I don't trust them at all. When I looked into them about 3 years ago, all of the USB solutions at the time were awful, so I went with the Hauppauge PVR-350.

    Dazzle used to make great cards. The old DVC-II is a fantastic card, well beloved by those of us who had them. I bought one years ago because it just ran circles around the ATI All-in-Wonder piece of crap card I was using. I'm not sure if Dazzle ever got their USB based devices to work OK.

    Note that most capture cards do NOT have USB inputs, so I am amazed that the Turtle Beach device supports this. I think the Hauppauge PVR-250 and 350 are BT based cards, but I'm working on memory here.
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  16. Member
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    I use the Happauge 250 (a usb recording solution for cable and VHS, with RCA inputs) it works with W2K and XP. I truly like it. It is like the old timex commercial, it takes a beating and keeps on ticking.
    I have had my 250 for 2 years now and it has NEVER failed me once. I am not a cutting edge fanatic but the MPEG 2 outputs are way more than adequate. WIth enough cpu power you can even do other tasks while it is recording.
    The PVR software is not overly user friendly but it is good enough. The recording sheduler IMHO is the weak link. It works solidly is about all you can say for it. If you want options and bell and whistles, you will be dissappointed. If you want it to work, then there you go.

    Ed
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  17. Originally Posted by jman98
    Note that most capture cards do NOT have USB inputs, so I am amazed that the Turtle Beach device supports this. I think the Hauppauge PVR-250 and 350 are BT based cards, but I'm working on memory here.
    From what I've read on the Turtle Beach site, the USB input on the front panel doesn't go to the card. You can either pass it through to a USB port located elsewhere on the system (which to me makes it pointless) or you can connect it to a USB input on the motherboard.

    Anyway, thank you everyone for your information and suggestions. You have been most helpful. Now I have a lot more reading to do, but at least I have all of your valuable opinions and experience to help in making the right choice.
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