virtualdub+picvideo codec or advc-100?

[bmiller]

I have been capturing avi with virtualdub and the picvideo mjpeg codec and making mpeg2 with tmpegenc with good results.Does the Canopus advc-100 give you that much better quality avi than vdub? $250 is a fair bit of scratch if there is no improvement in quality.
Cheers
Brad

[almostaborted]

i'm not sure if i understand your question

you are trying to compare two different things, software and hardware

[bmiller]

Yes.I am asking if anyone has used or compared the quality of these two different methods of producing avi.I am interested in quality,and not necessarily the method.If the final video is that much better with the canopus,then that is what i want.
Thanks.

[onetrueday]

hardware capturing always looks better. Plus, you can do anything you want on your computer while something like the advc is capturing since the encoding is done onboard the device.

however, there are some issues with the advc100 and winxp SP1. buyer beware.

[Kool_Aid]

There is a fix for the SP1 problem posted on the Canopus site, in the download section.

It's been available from there, from about a week after the SP1 update.

[bmiller]

In response to the comment that hardware encoding is always better than software,i beg to differ.I purchased the ADS instant dvd 2.0 hardware mpeg encoder,and found the quality to be far inferior to capturing with vdub+picvideo and creating mpegs with tmpge.The ADS is now a paper weight and very expensive one at that.
That is why i wanted first hand experience before i cough up more cash only to find out there was no improvement in quality.We learn by mistakes,but who can afford to many expensive mistakes?
Brad

[Kool_Aid]

I believe he meant that the ADVC hardware captures in DV/AVI format, (with an Audio lock feature), that puts it miles ahead of any software based AVI capture.

To get good MPEG2 real time capture/encode you need to spend big bucks......like the Canopus Amber at $1200

No $200 Dazzle look-alike is going to capture/encode MPEG2 with any quality.

[FulciLives]

I think that you will get better quality using a PCI type TV tuner capture card that allows you to capture AVI with your choice of codec (such as HuffyUV or PICVideo MJPEG).

Assuming your computer is fast enough and you have a decent sound card you should not have A/V sync problems which admittingly is the one weak point with such capture cards.

However you will definately get an overall better image using HuffyUV AVI or even PICVideo MJPEG (20 or 19 quality setting) AVI then you will with the CANOPUS ADVC-100

My reasoning for that is simple ... the DV format uses a 4:1:1 color sampling which is not as good as what you can get using the method I suggest where you can use YUY2 at 4:2:2

Many have problems using the DV codec in terms of the color RED becomming oversaturated as well as the "stair-step" problem where certain lines that are at an angle have rough edges to them instead of looking smooth like it should.

However if you have to do any kind of EXTENSTIVE editing then yeah you can't really beat the DV codec but if this is mostly captures that just need minor trimming (such as the start and end points including cutting out TV commercials) then you can do that TYPE of editing very easily with VirtualDub when using HuffyUV or PICVideo MJPEG.

I almost went with the DataVideo DAC-100 device (which is really the same thing as the Canopus ADVC-100 but a bit cheaper) until I started reading up about the DV format and the problems with it.

However ... having said all that ... there does appear to be a possible work-around to the limitations of the DV format. I just recently discovered THIS webstie:

http://www.geocities.com/fredthompson6/

Anyways ... good luck!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
Go to the website I linked too and check out the IMAGE that compares a screen grab from two different captures ... one from the Canopus ADVC-100 (DV codec) and the other was a FlyVideo 3000 which is a PCI 10-bit analog TV tuner type capture card. The difference is rather amazing.

[bmiller]

Good point.I guess my question should be is capturing avi with the canopus that much better than capturing avi with vdub+picvideo.Avi from either source will be rendered with Tmpge plus or possibly the the new mainconcept encoder.
Brad

[bmiller]

Fulcilives,Thanks for the information.I have no audio sync problems,and yes i did notice the red problem with the ads 2.0,albeit an mpeg capture and not an avi as you mentioned.I was quite disappointed at the video quality with the ads,considering it's price,compared to the cost of picvideo,and Tmpeg.Such is life.
I think i'll stick with what i'm using now.
Thanks again
Brad