Best cheap capture card with S-video in.

[ViperXT]

I am going to start capturing video for transfer onto DVD. I have a WinTV Go card and it works well enough but I want one with s-video. I want to buy as cheap as possible as long as it can capture 720 x 480. Hardware encoding is not needed.

[vhelp]

viperxt,

I don't know how you were convince or sold that s-video will get you
THAT much better quality. In short, you are waisting your money on
getting a card that supports s-video, even if you COULD see a tiny
difference. Trust me, you can't see any difference, unless you know
how to convince yourself as such.

The following are cards I have used, and still own, and tested out
the S-Video to point of exhaustion:
* DC10+'s (my old favorite) = NO difference.
* Wintv PVR (USB version) = NO differrence.
* ATW (ati-tv wonder) and again, NO difference.

People will tell you about Luminance and Chroma and Color seporation
and how THAT is what bring in the better quality (in so many words)
but I have yet to actually see a marginal difference! Even if I could
actually see a 1% difference, I would SO NOT go out and get me a card
w/ S-Video support - though I have plenty of them, I didn't get a single
one of them for the S-Video nonsense.

I could see you going for one (including myself) if I could notice a
20% or more difference, but for the 1% (if that) difference, its SO NOT
worth it.
BUT, if I can fine a card w/ S-Video support, and it brings me
that 20% or shall I say, "better quality", I'll be sure to let you and
everybody else here know of it. I'm not one to be afraid to say that
I was wrong. I've done it enough times here on this FORUM already,
that I'm used to it.

You are going to get a card w/ s-video. And, later on, you'll be
back. First thing I'm going to say is "...Told you so!"

Never the less, Good Luck in this S-Video thing though 8)

Oops, my appoligies, I forgot to mention the cards (cheap'wise)
* DC10+'s (my old favorite) = $59 or less - Hware MJPEG chip only (no huffy use - sorry)
* Wintv PVR (USB version) = $199 - Hware MPEG1/2, no AVI support
* ATW (ati-tv wonder) = $49, real-time sofware MPEG1/2, and avi support.


-vhelp

[ViperXT]

I thought Svideo would help. When watching DVDs I can clearly see the difference between composite and s-video.

[vhelp]

viper,

hmmm, funny. I was just messing w/ my ATW card on this pc and just
did a capture from DVD from my apex ad-1500, using both my s-video
and RCA and after comparing them, I DIDN'T see a differene, expect
in some lettering, you can see a slight difference (maybe sharpness)
or something, but my argument was in, going out and getting a card
becaues you notice a significant difference in quality. But, I don't.
I capture from my Satalite (directv) using S-Video and RCA, and I tell
you, I notice NADA!!

Tell you what. If you have to look real close and squinch you eyes to
find a slight difference, then you deserve to treat yoursefl to an new
s-video card!! 8)

take it easy!
-vhelp

[vhelp]

viperxt,

Forgot to add to the list:
* i/o magic's PC PVR (has s-video too) $39 at CompUSA.

No, but serious. I didn't mean to sound kocky!
Go out and try your hand at these, and let us (me) know what your
experience is.

Maybe it's my setup after all. I'm currently in a thread i started about
noise in my captures from VCRs - quite interesting read though. And,
of course, i appreciate all the help I've rec'vd thus far. So, who
knows. If you really think that the s-video capture quality you've
seen is more than marginal and/or assecptable, then by all means, go
out and get one - get a few different brands, just in case. You can
always bring each back. This way, (my practice) I save a lot of time
and don't hvae to exchange for a different brand to try out all over
again, and drive all the way home again, bla, bla, bla. Ijust buy two
or three diff. brands and take em all home, and the one that works best
I usauuly end up bringing rest back to store. Unless you're talking
about $300 or more for each item. Then, you have a problem.

Good luck!

-vhelp