Please help with analogue capture with a WinTV GO! TV card

[the loc-man]

Ok I have just upgraded my analogue Sony TR425E video 8 to a digital Sharp viewcam Z VL-Z1H.

I want to capture my analogue footage first from my Sony, I have a WinTV GO! PCI TV card. I have read the specs on the card and it says that it only allows capture at 320X240 resolution, is this correct?

In the Sony manual it says:t otal Pixels 320,000 pixels,Effective Sensor Resolution 290,000 pixels. what soes this mean?

What I want to do is capture the analogue footage at its best resolution/format and then edit it. I am new to this as all i have done is record to tapes and not got any on my PC. I use WinXP Home SP2, Sempron 2600+ 512Mb RAM.

My sister has a DVD recorder, a Panasonic E50, which can record to DVD-R, and accept analogue inputs, is this a better route? at what res will this capture, it does a top format of 1hr video a DVD-R.

I am really confused about what size the resolution is on the Sony, how will I know/find out. Also is my WinTV card limited to this 320X240 max capture format?

please help me, as with my Sharp digi-camcorder things are a lot easier, as ?I have a firewire and it goes striaght in.

hope someone can help, please make it simple
cheers
LOC.

[SatStorm]

Search and install the btwincap drivers for your card.
Use virtualvcr to capture with huffyuv codec

Your card is capable to capture up to 768 x 576/480
NTSC is 720 x 480 and PAL is 720 x 576, so eventually you gonna have to encode whatever source you have at those specific framesizes, in case you interest to transfer your stuff to DVDs

And you gonna need some reading about it... Read a couple of guides (you gonna find them on the left of your screen)

[the loc-man]

wow what a fast reply, thanks for that SatStorm!!

Do I need to get rid of all my hauppage drivers and install the huffy one then? or vice versa?

by the way I am from the Uk so PAL it is, and yes I eventually want to put them on DVD for saving, I have a PC DVD recorder.

SO how come Hauppage (WinTV manufacturer) dont allow 720X576 capture?

re the guides to read that I need, what do you mean for the capturing process with virtualVCR?

sorry I dont understand what you mean by

"so eventually you gonna have to encode whatever source you have at those specific framesizes, in case you interest to transfer your stuff to DVDs"

sorry total newbie

thanks again
LOC

[SatStorm]

Read here for your card
https://www.videohelp.com/capturecards.php?CaptureCardRead=9&Search=Search&nextcomments=0#5685

Read here for capturing (in general): https://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/89899.php

Because you use winxp, you need to do some tweeking to make virtualdub work. SO, for your first steps I suggest you to use virtualvcr (which is more compatible with w2k/wxp)

[the loc-man]

thanks for your help, I will use virtualvcr, can you explain a bit about my questions re resolution and my analogue camcorder please

My new Sharp digi-cam I know will record in full DVD resolution 720X576, I think I am right in saying?

cheers again

[the loc-man]

sorry another question from above, would the wwhole process not be easier if I done it with my sisters DVD recorder, ie I could then start editing from there

What res will this be at, will it be better or worse than the WinTV way?

cheers

[the loc-man]

anyone else help please, would be very grateful

[SatStorm]

For fast and good results, use your sister's DVD Recorder

The PC root takes time and needs much reading, and you don't seem to have the time for it!

[the loc-man]

sorry I do have time its just I want the best results thats all, I only want to do the converting process once thats all.

WHat I am trying to discover is which is the best conversion process with what is available to me - WinTV card or sister's DVD recorder.

thanks so far I am listening to you and have download and looked into everything you have said so far

cheers for your help
LOC

[SatStorm]

I'm 6 years in this hobby and yet to find the best convertion process myself...

[the loc-man]

ok but if you can explain a bit and help a total newbie, ie Will I get better resolution by WinTV or DVD recorder?

at what will the res on the DVD recorder be?