ATI 9000 AIW vs. PVR-250; Please weigh in...

[davideck]

I have been capturing lots of SVHS tapes to DVD using a great old JVC 6800U VCR, a FOR-A timebase corrector, and a Hauppauge PVR-250 card. I am wondering if the ATI AIW 9000 card would do better. Would anyone who has used both of these cards please respond with which one you think has better video quality? Thanks

[FulciLives]

I have been capturing lots of SVHS tapes to DVD using a great old JVC 6800U VCR, a FOR-A timebase corrector, and a Hauppauge PVR-250 card. I am wondering if the ATI AIW 9000 card would do better. Would anyone who has used both of these cards please respond with which one you think has better video quality? Thanks

I don't have an ATI AIW nor the Hauppauge WinTV PVR-250 but from what I've read the PVR-250 sounds like a REALLY nice device and I doubt the ATI could do better though it might be able to match the quality.

Some have said that the PVR-250 sometimes makes uncompliant MPEG-2 files which can be difficult to edit and or author but my understanding is that this was a problem with old drivers.

Anyway I don't see how changing to ATI would make things better unless you are experiencing errors in your PVR-250 captures? In fact I'd be curious to hear about that from you since I often times think I might like to get the PVR-250 myself though I'm happy with my current capture solution (AverTV Stereo PCI TV tuner type capture card).

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[lordsmurf]

Some have said that the PVR-250 sometimes makes uncompliant MPEG-2 files which can be difficult to edit and or author but my understanding is that this was a problem with old drivers.

This still happens.

[davideck]

I must say that after transferring over 50 SVHS tapes, I have mixed feelings about the results. When I take off my engineering hat and focus on the content, the picture looks great. The TBC has straightened things out and cleaned up the chroma, and the images are quite impressive and typically better than the original tape. Then when I put my engineering hat back on and focus on the MPEG artifacts, I notice all kinds of distortions and imperfections around anything that moves. I have these same reactions to 1 hour bitrates (8000/9100) as well as 2 hour bitrates (4500/8000), and have decided that I must have bumped up against the limitations of either the PVR-250, or hardware encoding in general. I would consider repeating these transfers if a noticeable improvement was possible. So that is my benchmark. SVHS looks very good and has lots of detail. I wonder if the multiple pass software encoders and associated filtering would yield a significant improvement.

From the process point of view, the PVR-250 has performed great. The TBC eliminated all of the audio/video skew issues that I had been having, and the JVC 6800U provides great pictures. Ulead's DVD Movie Factory 2 always accepts the PVR-250 files at any bitrate I have tried, making authoring quick and easy. And my Pioneer 105 NEVER burns a coaster.

The only problem I still have with the PVR-250 involves the card jumping into a mode where ghosting is prevalent in the picture. I have tried two cards, they both do it, so it is not a defect. It happens maybe 1 in 20 captures, more frequently without a TBC. That would be my only hesitation in recommending the card.

Lordsmurf - you have so many good things to say about the ATI cards that I am wondering if you have any experience with the PVR-250.

[lordsmurf]

Yeah, I've had some experience on that card. I just didn't like the capture software, a bit awkward I thought, and sometimes the MPEG files are not compliant on those Hauppauge cards ... some sort of glitch that can happen. But the quality was always excellent if card is used properly.

The PVR 250 card is still fine. If I ever added another non-ATI card, it be that one for sure. I'd recommend that card for AMD/VIA chips with onboard sound too.

Though it's not online yet, I give Hauppauge PVR-250 cards as a recommended device on my buying advice page for lordsmurf.com. It ranks up there with Canopus ADVC-100, another great device.

I just like to point out all the quirks on anything. Here's some for ATI: ATI is hell on drivers and installation, as well as Macrovision issues. But those are easy to get around. And the AMD/VIA issues isn't too nice either. And ATI tech support sucks. Plus it pukes with onboard audio cards (needs PCI audio card, not embedded ones).

I wouldn't ditch the card, but look at better VCRs and TBC. The 9800 would be a nice VCR upgrade, maybe look at newer TBCs. Card changing won't really do much.

I missed the part in the post where he said he already had the PVR card.

In this case, no, don't move to anything else. The ATI AIW 9800 may have an edge, but I've never done a neck-n-neck test on those two cards.

[SHS]

<Some have said that the PVR-250 sometimes makes uncompliant MPEG-2 files which can be difficult to edit and or author but my understanding is that this was a problem with old drivers>
This depend on DVD Authoring Software and yes in same case it depend drivers ver but 99% of time it all boild down to MPEG format you use for example streamtype DVD it pain to edit and dosen't like work with some of DVD Authoring Software out there then there streamtype Program this one work well with MPEG editor and lot DVD Authoring Software but in most case it the input source that the problem if have bad spot in the source.
Here a few Prime example
http://www.shspvr.com/images_other/techtv_geneshaft.html
http://www.shspvr.com/images_other/techtv_anime.html

What I like to see as for improvement in next Conexant CX234xx Hardware Encoder/Decoder chip
Digital 3D Y/C Separation
Digital 3D Digital Noise Reduction
Digital 3D Frame Synchronizer
Digital Line Time Base Corrector (TBC)
Digital Auto Gain Control (AGC)
Digital Tuner
Chroma Processing
REALtime Video Crop with Resize mode
Hardware DCDi (Directional Correlation Deinterlacing) or maybe Hardware Motion Adaptive Deinterlacing
12 Tap or better
Full Audio codec support LPCM, MPEG, AC3 (DD2.0) and MP3
AVI (Live Perview), MPEG Video (all stream type)
Hardware Decoder to support DVD decoding for something like the 350
Better of Hardware decoder useage like add VGA passthur for FullScreen and WindowsSreen Mode for Hardware Decoder and maybe VIP

I know I'm just Dreaming.