PVR-250 or Canopus ADVC-50/55

[bwgames]

Hi,

I'm trying to decide between these two - My main use will be capturing S-Video off my PVR box at the moment, and converting to DivX/DVD (as well as VHS to DVD).
I may want to capture TV later, but I can use a video recorder to do the tuner -> phono/s-vid conversion though, if I bought the Canopus.

So, I'm leaning towards the Canopus, as its a hardware based solution, and there's no negative reports about it, however its also £40 more than the PVR-250.

Is it worth it for my intended use, or would the PVR-250 be fine?

[The_Doman]

The good thing about the PVR-series is they are able to capture directly in MPEG2, DVD format. The canopus will capture only in DV-format.
Using the PVR-250 will save you lot's of time because you don't need to encode it again to MPEG2. The picture quality is very good.

The newer PVR-150(MCE) should theoretical be even better (and cheaper!). It has excellent VIDEO quality (I have 2 PVR 150's), but is has a serious problem of the too loud AUDIO level.
Hauppauge is STILL trying to fix that!

[bwgames]

Well, someone is selling the PVR-150 for £80, and I can get the -250 off Amazon (UK) for £80.
Out of the two, would the 250 be best then?

The thing I'm not sure about - how does the -250 work? I can't see it using VirtualDub (my main video capture program), so it must have some special software?

Thanks.

[FulciLives]

If you do go with the Hauppauge WinTV PVR-250 then I suggest you either go with the WinTV PVR-350 instead OR buy the WinTV PVR-250 and a Sigma Design's Xcard.

Why?

The Hauppauge WinTV PVR-250 and the WinTV PVR-350 both capture in MPEG format (you can do MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 DVD spec etc.) but the WinTV PVR-350 also has a dedicated MPEG decoder chip built-in so you can output to your TV and this type of output will give you much superier quality vs. using the TV out function of your computer's video card. This MPEG decoder output is NOT on the WinTV PVR-250.

So using the WinTV PVR-350 will save you time in that you will not have to burn your catpure/recording to a DVD disc just to watch it on a TV because after all ... we all capture or record stuff we watch once then delete.

If you go with the WinTV PVR-250 then you can get the Sigma Design's Xcard which has the same type of superior MPEG decoding output BUT has even more features than the WinTV PVR-350 (in terms of what type of MPEG files you can output ... for instance the Xcard can output a ripped DVD in IFO, BUP, VOB file "mode" whereas the WinTV PVR-350 cannot).

Of course the other option is to burn "watch-it-once-then-delete" captures/recording to a DVD-RW or DVD+RW then delete it and re-use after watching it.

For more info on the Hauppauge WinTV PVR cards check out this most excellent website:

http://www.shspvr.com/

Please note that I am not trying to say you should get the Hauppauge WinTV PVR over the Canopus product ... this info is just to help you should you decide to get the Hauppauge WinTV PVR.

One last thing I should point out ... the Canopus ADVC-50/55 only does DV AVI capture BUT the Canopus ADVC-100/110 can also output DV AVI (to your TV for instance) so yes that unit is MORE expensive but again that would be a very handy feature (the output to TV capability) for those "watch-it-once-then-delete" captures/recordings ... especially since you wouldn't have to convert/encode that DV AVI to MPEG format first (for burning to a DVD disc).

Of course you could just use the TV OUT function of your computer's video card but IMHO that type of output should be avoided if you want real quality (otherwise you have to really TWEAK it and even then the quality may not be as good as the other options I outlined above).

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[bwgames]

Thanks for that VERY informative reply, Fulci.

If you do go with the Hauppauge WinTV PVR-250 then I suggest you either go with the WinTV PVR-350 instead OR buy the WinTV PVR-250 and a Sigma Design's Xcard.

Why?

The Hauppauge WinTV PVR-250 and the WinTV PVR-350 both capture in MPEG format (you can do MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 DVD spec etc.) but the WinTV PVR-350 also has a dedicated MPEG decoder chip built-in so you can output to your TV and this type of output will give you much superier quality vs. using the TV out function of your computer's video card. This MPEG decoder output is NOT on the WinTV PVR-250.

That is a good point, I was originally planning on using something like MythTV, with its frontend running on my modded Xbox, to view the recordings over the network, but, to be honest, all the cabling needed for input from the PVR box (in other room) AND to output back to the 'media room' is already in place, so I could just build a media machine for in here, and eventually build it in a Shuttle box or similar to actually keep in media room.
Not to mention it would be better quality not using MythTV, and more reliable.

So using the WinTV PVR-350 will save you time in that you will not have to burn your catpure/recording to a DVD disc just to watch it on a TV because after all ... we all capture or record stuff we watch once then delete.

Thats a good point, and becomes more of an issue if I was to build a media Shuttle PC.

If you go with the WinTV PVR-250 then you can get the Sigma Design's Xcard which has the same type of superior MPEG decoding output BUT has even more features than the WinTV PVR-350 (in terms of what type of MPEG files you can output ... for instance the Xcard can output a ripped DVD in IFO, BUP, VOB file "mode" whereas the WinTV PVR-350 cannot).

Just had a quick look and they seem to be about £60, which coupled with the £80 for the PVR-250, brings it to more than the cost of the -350 (£110).
Just to clarify, am I correct in thinking that what the -350/Xcard does is NOT like TV-out, it actually outputs it as a proper video signal, such as if you were playing it off a standalone DVD player, in that it doesn't display it on the monitor and output that, it does it indepedently of anything shown on the computer video card?
What can the -350 output? Just MPEG2? Been googling, and it appears that the XCard has some problems with DivX output?

Of course the other option is to burn "watch-it-once-then-delete" captures/recording to a DVD-RW or DVD+RW then delete it and re-use after watching it.

Thats what I was planning on doing (or watching it on the computer) originally...

For more info on the Hauppauge WinTV PVR cards check out this most excellent website:

http://www.shspvr.com/

Thanks, looks like a good site

Please note that I am not trying to say you should get the Hauppauge WinTV PVR over the Canopus product ... this info is just to help you should you decide to get the Hauppauge WinTV PVR.

One last thing I should point out ... the Canopus ADVC-50/55 only does DV AVI capture BUT the Canopus ADVC-100/110 can also output DV AVI (to your TV for instance) so yes that unit is MORE expensive but again that would be a very handy feature (the output to TV capability) for those "watch-it-once-then-delete" captures/recordings ... especially since you wouldn't have to convert/encode that DV AVI to MPEG format first (for burning to a DVD disc).

True, but the 100/110 is a great deal more expensive than the 350, and its a cost I can't really justify (£170)

Of course you could just use the TV OUT function of your computer's video card but IMHO that type of output should be avoided if you want real quality (otherwise you have to really TWEAK it and even then the quality may not be as good as the other options I outlined above).

That looks awful with my card / tv

[FulciLives]

It seems you pretty much understood all that I said and it seems that your only questions concern the quality and abilility of the output that the WinTV PVR-350 and Xcard are capable of.

So allow me to go into this further.

Both the WinTV PVR-350 and the Xcard (by Sigma Designs) have a dedicated MPEG decoder chip. Essentially you are going to get the same level of quality as if you had burned your MPEG capture to a DVD and played it back on your TV using a stand alone DVD player. This is obviously much better quality than what a computer's video card is capable of doing (when using the TV OUT function) but you are also limited in that you can only output MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video. The Xcard can also do DivX but it really is more of a MPEG-1/MPEG-2 card. I have heard that it has a lot of "issues" with outputting DivX files unless you make it very simple, i.e., do not use any of the "advanced" features of DivX such as Q-PEL or GMC etc.

I had the Hollywood Plus MPEG decoder card (the model previous to the Xcard but worked more-or-less the same sans DivX support) and the Xcard (like the Hollywood Plus card before it) can output just about any kind of MPEG-1/MPEG-2 video be it VCD or SVCD or DVD etc.

The MPEG output of the WinTV PVR-350 is limited (this is my understanding ... I don't have it ... I could be wrong) to playing only MPEG files that end in the typical .mpg or .mpeg file extenstion.

It cannot play a VCD or SVCD or a DVD (even if ripped to the HDD) because those formats are not in a pure filename.mpg or filename.mpeg format.

Also the WinTV PVR-350 cannot handle AC-3 and/or DTS audio (again this is my understanding).

So ... the WinTV PVR-350 will definately output the captures that are made with it and should play back any MPEG-1/MPEG-2 files that have MP2 audio and end with a *.mpg or *.mpeg extention but that's about it whereas, as you can see, the Xcard has many more options, including AC-3 and DTS support.

I believe some info on all this is available on that website I linked to in my other post. Also the person that created/runs that website does post here on videohelp.com from time to time so maybe he/she will even see this thread and offer some advice.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[bwgames]

Thanks again, very helpful.

So, from what I gather, the -350 can only output its own captures, or stuff that I have converted from Divx/SVCD/DVD (from vob, .dat, .avi etc) to pure MPEG2?

Wheras the Xcard can output DVD/SVCD/VCD, in essence, anything thats in MPEG1/2, i.e. VOB, dat, (and to a certain extent, Divx, MPEG4)

If that is correct, my next thinking is that:
If I was, in the future, to build a Media PC, it would:
a) be best to use a -250 and an Xcard, allowing me to use the Xcard for playback of DVD/SVCD *as* well as MPEG2 captures, which the -350 cannot do?
b) to store movies in MPEG2 on the Media PC, as opposed to Divx, which would not be playable, and to convert any Divx movies to MPEG2 if I wanted to play them on the TV via the PC?

I don't know if you can help me with this question, but with the -350, will it only decode OR encode? wheras with the 250 + xcard, I could use the 250 for encoding, and the Xcard for simultaneous decoding, so I could say, record S-Video in, at the same time as watching a DVD?

Thanks....

[jdizzy40]

Go to www.snapstream.com Look at their Beyond TV and Win PVR 250 Bundle. It works in Great Britian(Electronic Program Guide) as well. Complete interactive guide. You can set up recording shows from anywhere as long as your computer is home. It has the ability to encode (at a time you decide) to DIVx as well as many other formats, handhelds, WMV you name it. I convert my nice MPEGs to DVD using TMPGEnc MPEG Editor and then Author using TMPGEnc DVD Author. You can't go wrong with this setup, if you are thinking of building a new media PC.

[FulciLives]

I don't know if you can help me with this question, but with the -350, will it only decode OR encode? wheras with the 250 + xcard, I could use the 250 for encoding, and the Xcard for simultaneous decoding, so I could say, record S-Video in, at the same time as watching a DVD?

I am not sure about this.

My guess is the WinTV PVR-350 can only do one thing at one time ... in other words not encode and decode at the same time.

With the WinTV PVR-250 and Xcard you should, in theory, be able to use both at once like you said.

But this is merely my educated guess.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman