Proper Settings to Capture DVC to Hauppauge HD PVR

[Tom Saurus]

My older computer appears to have conked out, as it won't launch into Windows. I had a Hauppauge capture card in it. It was a Windows XP computer. Well anyway I have a Hauppauge HD PVR hooked to my HP i5 computer. I was able to hook up the s-video and composite cables to the front of the HD PVR and record footage into the computer. However I was just using the default settings in the format settings of the TME software. The mini video camera is a Panasonic PV-GS320 camera that take the mini-video cassette tapes. I was thinking that I should capture every mini-tape I have before something goes wrong with the camera and thus I can no longer access the footage.

I was hoping someone could inform me of the best bit rate to capture the 720 x 480 footage at. Thanks in advance for that information. It is currently around 4 mbs. I am thinking of having the Computer Guy that works on my computers install a firewire card. I am also thinking I should get a Blu Ray burner to have an additional back up option by storing video and other files on Verbatim 25 GB data discs.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[Tom Saurus]

According to the manual for the Panasonic PV-GS320 Manual I can capture the footage via a USB cable if I install Quick Movie Magic or Movie DVD Studio which are on a software CD that was included. The software was meant for a Windows XP computer and this computer is a Windows 7 computer; but it might still work. I would think a firewire card would be superior to USB 2.0 but at least I have another option.

[usually_quiet]

You should consider transferring your DV video to your PC rather than capturing it and Firewire would probably be faster than USB. For transferring video from a mini-DV camera, you neeed a Firewire 400 (IEEE 1394a) card for your desktop and WinDV, Enosoft DV Processor, or an editor that can import video via FireWire. A card with a TI chipset will have the best compatibility, although less expensive cards with VIA chipsets do work for some people. Check to see what open expansion slot(s) your PC has available and whether it is PCI or PCI-e before ordering.

This card with a PCI interface has a TI chipset.
http://www.amazon.ca/SIIG-Port-NN-400012-S8-Firewire-Adapter/dp/B000HDKVDQ

This card with a PCI-E interface has a TI Chipset. Note that only one of the three ports is FireWire 400, but chances are you only need one.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124107

[Tom Saurus]

usually_quiet: Thank you very much for your advice. I am going to follow it. I will contact the computer guy and I am sure he can install the firewire card. I am fairly certain it is PCI-E slots that are in this computer. I would like to transfer my Hauppauge 150 mpeg2 capture card into this computer but it need the old PCI slot. I really like this HP Pavillion p6709c computer. I often think I should of bought two of them instead of one as they just don't make desktops this nice anymore. It is always good to have a spare computer.

[usually_quiet]

I decided to look at the HP Pavillion p6709c's motherboard here. I have some bad news for you. All the expansion slots are PCI-e. There are no PCI slots to install your Hauppauge WinTV PVR-150. There are PCI-e to PCI adapters available, but I they are designed to be used with low-profile/half-height cards. Your WinTV PVR-150 is a full height card. Your PC guy may or may not be able to get it installed. Given the cost of the PCI-e to PCI adapter and labor, perhaps you should look for a substitute capture device just in case.

[Tom Saurus]

usually_quiet: Maybe I can get the computer guy to find me an older computer that can be refurbished or maybe he can fix the other one. Thank you for your additional advice.

[Tom Saurus]

usually_quiet: I went to the Future Shop Canada website and it looks like I have options for a Hauppauge WinTV mpeg2 card that is PCI-e or a stand alone box that can record in mpeg2 and send it via USB to the computer. Here are a couple links:

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/hauppauge-hauppauge-1213-wintv-hvr2250-pci-e-tu...0292b67f9cen02

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/hauppauge-hauppauge-wintv-hvr-1950-tv-tuner-121...7caed48091en02

Perhaps I can get a decent new HP Pavillion computer as a spare. If I can get the software to work on Windows 8.1 and if I can master Windows 8.1; well if I can't maybe I can downgrade to Windows 7. Then I can have the computer guy harvest the old hard drives in the computer that is broke down, put them in enclosures or maybe just put the parts in another box. I like the i5 chips as the computer runs so quiet and unless you are doing encoding it is always cool. Those old Pentium computers are energy hogs that run hot. It is nice to have options. Now if only my wallet could keep up with my wish lists.

On my current computer I want to have the Firewire Card put in, upgrade to a Blu Ray Burner unless a stand alone Blu Ray burner is a better option? Also I want to have the computer guy put a 2 TB hard drive in the one spare hard drive bay of the computer.

[Tom Saurus]

I have went to YouTube and watched some videos about Windows 8 and Windows 8.1; judging by what I saw I would absolutely downgrade to Windows 7 and I would consider it an upgrade. I am just guessing here but if someone invented an app that could translate every time some swore when trying to figure out Windows 8 and converted that to an electrical charge and focused that at the developers of that operating system; I think they would become lumps of charcoal. Here is a couple links:

Windows 8.1 New Features:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWtevX8yyfk

Make Windows 8 Look and Feel Like Windows 7 - Complete with a Start Menu:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLdAuaqcyUQ

So definitely buy a Windows 7 disc while there still available. If Windows 8 was the only OS, I think I would be done with computers for my lifetime.

[usually_quiet]

Your WinTV PVR 150 might have been better for analog capture in some respects, but the WinTV HVR 2250 and WinTV HVR 1950 are the only TV cards with MPEG-2 hardware encoders left. However, they don't provide uncompressed output, only a compressed MPEG-2 transport stream.

I have a WinTV HVR 2250. I would get that if you can. It has good dual digital tuners and offers dual analog capture with hardware encoding. I don't use it for analog capture very often, but I use the digital tuners nearly every day. Unless you want to learn how to use GraphStudio, analog capture will need to be done via WintV 7, but there are not many settings available.

The version of Windows 8.1 you will get won't come with Windows Media Center, so you will need to use WinTV 7 or NextPVR as your PVR software. When used for analog capture, I'm not sure that either WinTV 7 or NextPVR will provide you with a file with a stream containing closed captions like Windows Media Center does.

An internal Blu-Ray burner is a better option than an external model, if you have a choice.

Windows 8.x is not that bad, if you make the effort to customize it and get used to the differences that can't be changed. Some of Windows 8.X's features will certainly be carried over to Windows 10 and beyond. Resign yourself to that reality.

[Tom Saurus]

usually_quiet: Thank you very much for taking the time to provide me with this additional information. I certainly have some things to talk about with the computer guy. I did like Windows XP but Microsoft is not really supporting it anymore and it is time to move on. If I can afford it I may have it rebuilt later on. I will go with the upgrades to my i5 computer, assuming it can handle a Blu Ray burner, and I will get the internal one. If I can come up with the money I will get another HP Pavillion have Windows 7 put on it from the get go. Then get the card you suggested and maybe a Hauppauge Collusus as well. If I like the Blu Ray burner that would be put into my existing computer then eventually have a matching one put into the new computer. The HD Pavillion only has a 300 watt power supply in it so hopefully it can handle the Blu Ray burner and the additional hard drive.

I am thinking backing up files to the 25 gb Blu Ray Data Discs would give me an added layer of backup in addition to powered portable usb 2 TB hard drives.

[usually_quiet]

If you want a copy of Windows 7 Home or Ultimate, get it now, while you still can. End of sales has not been established for Windows 7 Professional, but the end of sales date for the Home and Ultimate versions has passed: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/lifecycle

The best BD-R media for archiving is Panasonic's. Verbatim burns beautifully, but did not hold up as well in artificial aging tests.

[Tom Saurus]

usually_quiet: Thank you for that information. I am a little uneasy about not even trying Windows 8 and having Windows 7 put on the computer instead, but I just know I couldn't put up with all that futility of an absolutely insane operating system. I better get that Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit with SP1 ordered soon. This next computer may be my last.

[usually_quiet]

usually_quiet: Thank you for that information. I am a little uneasy about not even trying Windows 8 and having Windows 7 put on the computer instead, but I just know I couldn't put up with all that futility of an absolutely insane operating system. I better get that Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit with SP1 ordered soon. This next computer may be my last.

My sister, who is not a computer geek can manage to use Windows 8.1. I helped her to install a start menu replacement, and set up Windows 8.1 to boot into the desktop, then gave her a few hints to help her get started, and walked her through creating a Microsoft account. Since a lot of things have been carried over from Windows 7, she is fine. Note that since the Windows 8.1 update 1, Windows 8.1 is much easier to use with a mouse. Apps have a close button and minimize button.

The first PC I used ran CP/M. If my sister (about a year and a half younger) and I can adapt to using Windows 8.1 at our age, it isn't that hard.

I used Windows 7 for my new build because I bought a retail license in 2012 before the Windows 8 release, when I saw it on sale at a good price . The added cost to get Windows Media Center for Windows 8.1 is high enough that I'm glad that I did, but other than that, it wouldn't have mattered much.