Researching external video capture devices

[lleemon]

I am looking for a external video capture card to use with my laptop. I do have a desktop but it's a lot older. Purpose: convert vhs, camcorder and maybe tivo to vcd/dvd. I already have a Directv DVR so PVR is not an important feature. They all have what seems to be good specs but I can't
seem to get a good grasp on the image quality that external cards produce. Will they all do the same quality with the same cable type connection?

Does anyone have any first-hand experience/thoughts/recommendations on any of the following that I have reviewed so far?
AirLink+ USB 2.0 Video capture adapter ATVUSB01
Plextor PX-M402U USB 2.0 Digital Video Converter - DiVX
Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-USB2
AVerMedia UltraTV USB 300
ATI TV WONDER USB 2.0
KWorld PVR USB 2.0 Tv Tuner

I was originaly leaning toward the Plextor but now am kind of leaning more toward either the ATI or Hauppauge.

Thanks in advance to all the respond.

[yoda313]

I assume the ati will record in avi as the other ati capture cards do.

Here's the detail on the hauppauge unit:

http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_pvrusb2.html

wintv pvr usb2


Included in this package

WinTV-PVR-USB2 device with 125 channel cable ready TV tuner, FM radio receiver, MPEG-2 hardware audio/video encoder

Remote control transmitter

Wall mounted power supply

1 meter USB cable

FM radio antenna

WinTV-PVR-USB2 CD-ROM includes:
WinTV application for Live TV on your PC screen, plus Pause and Record

WinTV-Scheduler for scheduling your TV recording, with link to the TitanTV on-line electronic program guide

WinTV-Editor to edit your home videos or TV recordings

Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 for creating and burning DVDs, VCDs and S-VCDs

---------------------------

Turn your PC into a Digital TV recorder. Record TV shows or home videos to disk using our high quality hardware MPEG-2 compression!

-----------------------------------------------------------

It looks as if the hauppauge unit is like the pci cards in that it only records in MPEG. The results of the pci cards are great as I have the 250 model. I haven't seen an external unit in action but I would expect it to be very good.

I'm guessing you're main decision would need to be whether or not recording to avi is important to you. If you're main goal is to make dvds/vcds then the hauppage is perfect. Of course you can use virtualdubmpeg2 to make divx files and stuff if you want to.

BUT if you're interested in doing a lot of manipulation than you'd be better off getting a usb unit that can record to avi. I assume the ati will do that. Good luck (the hauppauge is a good choice in my opinion )

[lleemon]

Thanks yoda313 for the quick reply. Actually I almost don't think any of these say on their sites that they capture to .avi format. Most are MPEG1, MPEG2, and maybe MPEG4.

So when you say avi is the best to work with, does that mean if it's output to a mpeg type and you use their software to edit it won't work as well?

I think I did find a usb product that does output to .avi as well:
Turtle Beach Video Advantage USB (9Bit resolution)

The search continues.

[yoda313]

maybe MPEG4.

MPEG4 IS avi. Its one of the derivatives that divx is based on.

if it's output to a mpeg type and you use their software to edit it won't work as well?

No you can still edit out commercials and things like that. The output will look just fine. What I'm referring to is that if you want to apply a lot of special filters and do that kind of editing its nicer to use an original avi captured file. Thats all I'm getting at. I don't have any problems with the mpegs I record through my hauppauge wintv pvr 250 pci card.

[FulciLives]

I tried the ADS Instant DVD 2.0 which is an external USB 2.0 hardware MPEG capture/encoder device and the quality was very good (only tested with DVD encoding but can do SVCD and VCD as well).

The box does all the hard work for you in converting your analog signal to MPEG video (and MP2 audio) so you can use it with a computer that is not very fast (a plus in your case).

The only thing I did not like about it was that you are limited to only one scheduled recording at a time (when away) so it is NOT a good solution if you intend to capture TV with it but for pre-recorded stuff it is one hell of a unit. Very nice quality.

One suggestion ... use 384kbps MP2 audio (the highest bitrate you can use with MP2) then convert that to AC-3 for the final DVD (SVCD and VCD use 224kbps MP2 audio).

However ... There is a new version comming out called the ADS Instant DVD + MP3 and this unit is bascially the same as the ADS Instant DVD 2.0 but it can do hardware AC-3 audio which is a big plus. It can also do hardware MP3 and/or WAV from audio only sources (hence the MP3 in the title) but really the big deal here is the AC-3 encoding. This is due out early-to-mid December 2006.

If you are interested in doing scheduled recordings (for when you are away) there is the ADS Instant TV Deluxe USB which is an external USB 2.0 hardware MPEG capture/encoder device. Basically it has the same exact "guts" as the ADS Instant DVD 2.0 but features a TV tuner input as well as a IR Blaster and it made to work with BeyondTV. Again though only MP2 audio.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[lleemon]

Well, I think I have narrowed it down to two units:
Plextor PX-M402U USB 2.0 Digital Video Converter - DiVX
Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-USB2

I am ruling out the ATI since I talked to a ATI rep and they said it was software encoding. I haven't seen too many that encode direct to .avi but most sound like they can encode from the base format to .avi with a software conversion. I really like the fact that the plextor can convert direct to divx but sounds like their software is maybe par.