Question about capture devices and Vivo

[chasmosis1]

I am somewhat new to video capturing, so please don't flame me. I started out using a Hauppauge WinTv PCI board that I have had in my computer for a few years. I used WinVcr to attempt to convert from my 8mm to DVD, but it was choppy. I recently upgraded my computer so that I have firewire available and am using an ADS PYRO A/V Link. Now, this seems to be working quite well using VideoStudio 7, but I also have a DBS satellite connected to this computer which I now have to watch in the small screen of VideoStudio (I use the monitor as a television when I am in there). Keep in mind, that I am not asking to record from the satellite, as the quality going through the S-video is terrible. I just want to be able to transfer my daughter growing up from 8mm to DVD in the best quality I can and still be able to watch satellite full screen when I want to. I am seeing new video cards that have Vivo which I understand to be a video input and capable of doing capturing? Does anyone have enough experience with these new cards to tell me if I am better off to get one of them or stay with the ADS PYRO A/V Link and reinstall my WinTV PCI card?

[chasmosis1]

Bump

[Karina]

The main problem I'm guessing you're having is that you're viewing the 8mm feed and then switching to the Satellite feed. Most modern video hardware uses a process called video overlay which enables a video signal almost to completely bypass proccessing by the video card and cpu, it is basically mixed in with the final signal to your monitor and projected onto a blanked window (if you take a screenshot while capturing a video stream, you'll ussually find the window displaying the preview is just a blank feild of either sky blue or a silver grey tone). Problem being that with the exception of some exotic cards, you can only display one overlayed signal at a time, anything additional must be processed by the cpu and video hardware. Now it's quite likely that you're setting up the 8mm capture and the preview screen is using overlay (it will probably still do this even when minimized) and then when you switch to the full screen satellite feed it see's that overlay is being used and must process all video going to the screen via your cpu and video accelerator which will be extremely taxing and stealing the valuable processor power needed for the ongoing video capture.

A VIVO card wont address the problem, probably best way to do the capture from the 8mm is through the WinTV using a fast codec (ie. picvideo mjpeg or huffyuv) and then convert to mpeg2 afterwards to try and cut frame drops. Use a capture program which will allow you to turn the preview feild off and use the timer on your camera as a guide to when the video finishes so you can stop the capture. With the preview off overlay should be available to the satellite video source and hopefully there will be enough cpu power for it not to cause problems with the capture.

[chasmosis1]

Thank you Karina, that was very well explained and I do understand what you are saying. I have now used the WinTv with different drivers that I found from a link on here and have got some really good captures with the preview screen off.