Iomagic PC-PVR, $39 MPEG2 Capture Card

[Ruffy]

The box says it did 720x(forgot the rest) and hardware mpeg2.

Is this care pure liquid crap?
Was planning on getting either a winTV PVR(to replace my current older wintv fm stereo) or a DVC2(which i been wanting for awhile but its older and i dont like the software/driver support)

Here's a link
http://www.iomagic.com/support/videocards/PCPVR/index.htm

Any suggestions? I keep getting mix feedback on the PVR

[VideoGuy]

Sorry bro, not hardware... Its basicly a tuner card, the PowerVCR software is supposed to do "real-time" MPEG1&2 compression. I cant see SW compression running very smooth or providing much quality. I cant use PowerVCR with my DC-10+ so I cant advise much on that in detail.

Just letting you know, its not the HARDware, but the SOFTware that is doing the compression, should mean not satisfactory.

Id be interested in hearing from PowerVCR users though...

[Ruffy]

thanks i didnt look into that.

Your using the Pinnical DC10? Mjpg Right?
I bought it once and it would Not take any input i gave it, So I ended up returning it and getting the winTV stereo(Before that I had a mono wintv, much older)

Still think i'll be getting the winTV PVR, just need more input, From what I get proper capture setup is a chore, You can only use winTV's software to capture to Mpeg, But it has a good crisp quality once you play with its settings

Any other input would be highly appreiciated

[Racoty]

I use a wintv card with powervcr2 ver.3 to backup my vhs tapes of tv shows.
i capture mpeg1 at 352x240 video at 2500kbps audio at 192.
the results are great they play back with no problems on my pioneer dv-333.
the video looks as good as my tapes if not better. my tapes are recorded in sp mode.
once i capture the video i edit out the commercial with powervcr it only takes a few sec. because it does not reencode the clip.
then i join all mpeg clips together using powervcr again it does not reencode so there is no quality loss.
i then burn using nero 5540 to a non standard vcd.
a 80 min. cd holds about 35-40 min.
my system is
t-bird 850
256 meg ram
30 gig ultra 66 hd
40 gig ultra 100 hd used for capturing
win2k

you need to install wintv wdm drivers to use powervcr2
i have tried many capture cards and encoders to me this is the best so far. great quality less time spent on converting to mpeg.

I hope this helps

[VideoGuy]

Racoty, thanks for your feedback on that... Its a shame I cant use PowerVCR with my DC-10, I guess its specifically geard to tuner cards. ;-(

Ruffy, mine too had the same "problem". Your solution was only a tech call away... You have to go into the software and switch from NTSC to PAL and back to NTSC. Thats only for an *initial* install... Once you do that, you never have to do it again! Ive had mine for some time, and was pretty happy with it. I think my machine was killing me in limitations. My new system (AMD T-Bird 800mhz, 200mhz bus and 256 RAM) should prove to allow better bitrates in video, etc.. etc.. etc.. Ill let you know more. Yes, MJPEG, its a compressed AVI format but its done by *hardware* using the Zoran chip! Very nice, but HuGe files.. TMPGEnc has no problems compressing to VCD. I may look into the Happauge WinTV just for capturing old episodes of 'Hogan's Heros', before they dont show them anymore!! I want very much to go 720X480 (D1) MPEG-2, dont know if that will happen or not.

[Ruffy]

Well I currently capture at 420x320, sometimes Higher, I want more then that. Backing up alot of vhs tapes and then putting them away in storage. Want the best I can get so anything under 640x480 just wont Do.
I have both ATA raid and scsi raid machines so frame drops are not issues, I just want a good mpeg2 capture card to save me time and up the quality, Hopefully get a better handle on some quality + interlacing problems(ive tried so many codecs, so many programs to fix, i get great results but the tape usually looks better), Ive done some awesome captures that look great(20min for a 90mb asf file in the end)

[Ruffy]

ive done alot of mjpeg capture with my wintv, then I converted to asf(my asfs rival'd all. You'd be surprised what you could do by upping the keyframe count and learning proper bitrate use)
tired of the filesizes and the conversion

[VideoGuy]

I agree with Ruffy, my DC-10 does MJPEG and the quality is AWESOME! And as he says, up da bitrate, and up da quality! And of course, if you use anything other than TMPGEnc to go to MPEG, your wasting your time if you want quality!

[Racoty]

Ruffy
I have read alot of posts on vcd and svcd. they say if you are capturing from vhs tapes it is best to use mpeg1 because mpeg2 will not improve quality of tape.
They say to use mpeg2 for dvd rips.
I am going to do some test captures of mpeg2 of my tapes and see if this is true.
Have you tried mpeg2 conversions of your tapes. If so how was the quality.
Thanks

Videoguy
have you heard anything about the studio7 upgrade for the dc10+ when it will be out.
i know they say you will be able to save file to mpeg1 and mpeg2 i think.
i have a dc10+ card also. i just got tired of it not working some times. i am hoping the studio7 upgrade will help this card. they also need to upgrade the drivers more than once a year.
Thanks

[Ruffy]

Yeah I plan on mpeg1 mostly, I know you can't really make a source quality better, well much better. You can always clean it up, stabilize it.

Only thing is I need at a minimum 640x480 without flaw and low interlacing(I hate having to deinterlace)

[Racoty]

I will try a test capture with powervcr2 at mpeg1 640x480
and post the results here tomorrow.

[Racoty]

mpeg1 at 640x480 2500kbps was very blocky using powervcr2

[VideoGuy]

Actually, MPEG2 is superior quality final capture than MPEG2, its really the resolution which you capture at that makes a difference, and finally the bitrate which you use to capture with is the biggest factor in quality.

Okay quality:
MPEG1 bitrate of 1.15mbps.

Much better quality:
MPEG2 bitrate of 2.5mbps or higher.

So, your target is VCD? Dont, please dont capture with VCD settings using MPEG1, the quality will suck for sure! Instead, capture 352/3250X240 MPEG2 with as high a bitrate as you can handle, then use TMPGEnc to convert to MPEG1 VCD complient file. I know, sounds like going around the barn to get to the front door, but you will have better sucess this way with the quality of your VCD.

HTH

[Known]

I bought this card about 5 hours ago and it seriously is a fantastic card, Don't pay any attention to the picture of the card on the outside of the box, this thing has composite in, Svideo in and RF in as well as an audio output.
The bundled software (PowerVCR2) Is superb and I can capture at 720x480 with ease on my 1G Slot A Athlon 256Mb 7200RPM Maxtors and the resulting realtime MPEG2 encode is awesome.
I bought it expecting to take it back the next day because it would be a pile of horse crap but I'm astounded at the quality of the tuner, it tunes very rapidly (Nice and sensitive with no colour bleed) and the quality of the captured video and audio.
This paired up with my SigmaDesigns Hollywood + card is unbeatable and I would recommend this card without any hesitation.
Please don't let this card pass you by just because it's cheap at $40, get it, if you decide you don't like it, take it back - but I guarantee you'll love it.

Damn, i sound like an advert for IOMagic, shoot me.....

Known

[Known]

Just an update, although the card coms with drivers for the BT848 chipset the actual IC onboard says Fusion 878 - I may try some generic 878 drivers tomorrow.

[Ruffy]

i might buy it with intent to return

My final result will not be VCD, It will be meant for play on PCs or HDTVs, and I refuse to go under 640x480, Anything else will not due. The whole point of switching to a mpeg based card is less work. I don't want to have to tmpg it. The most I want to do after the capture is run it through a filter or two

[mudie]

Some food for thought.

I came across some heavy discussion on this card at the dbsforums web site. They go on and on about features that include real time MPEG encoding that you can pre set for 600 meg chunks for quick burn to a CD etc. The link is here http://www.dbsforums.com/ubb/Forum14/HTML/000460.html
and the link to the Iomagic site is here http://www.iomagic.com/support/videocards/PCPVR/index.htm

For ONLY $39 I plan to get one ASAP for the tuner capability if nothing else.

[NightWing]

Hi

Well I got one of the two last cards at the local CompUsa.
Working on some test now comparing my DC10+ to it. Yes I know but I am looking at it for fast turnaround capture.

The first simple test was to capture from a known quality DVD both by Composit and SVideo. Using a copy of Nero 5.0 as the burnner and Tmpeg 12B { Hey I like this version! } to convert the DC10+ MJPEG to VCD omplient video.

First I have it on VCD U.S. standard for the PC-PVR. Capture one composit trhough it and through the DC10+

Both pass with no hickups. But when played back on a Sony 3000 the DC10+ & Tmpeg played back with no problems. The PVR had major jumps skips etc. IE a mess. Tried two different media that has always worked on that unit.

Next test is to run the PV_PVR through Tmpeg and run the tests again.

Will be continue...

Midnight

PS: Yes the Composit and SVideo DOES works. Funny cant get the Stereo/Alter audio active.

OOPS: The test computer:
PIII 800
128mb
1 15gb
1 30gb
TNT card.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: NightWing on 2001-09-13 20:25:30 ]</font>

[NightWing]

Addd on...

The card is realy the non pro from Pinnacle.
Also look like neither the Pro or Std decodes stereo tv.

Midnight

[NightWing]

Not sure now. Looking at the spects on this greate site , it still may be a pro. The info { pritty thin from Pinnical } looks like the only difference is a simple remote and IR.

Hum it also not a BT chip but a Conexant. May need to pull my cat on tuners and see if a stereo tuner or mono.

Still for 39 dollars not bad. Have a few clients that would go for it.

Midnight

[NightWing]

Ok I can here the chuckling out there.

I say wait a minuts! I will just pop in the FCC number at the FCC and get what it truly is. Well near the number is the word "PCTV (pro)"

Hum. Wonder how the IR stuff work on this card then. Also if I feed in a rf sig from a rf stero source that move from one speaker to the other then can prove if it is stero or fake stereo.

Midnight

[NightWing]

Ok. Now I can hear the laughter.

Took a bit of circuity checking and digging through Phillips site. The "tuner" does produce a stereo out. From a quick check it proably at line level which answer why the level is as low as it is. Hey its better than mono!

So the card in the I/O Magic is a PCTV Pro that is only missing the remote and the fm stuff. Looks like a great package for the price.

Midnight

[2qwerty]

Hey all, I am looking at this IO Magic PC PVR and had a couple of quick questions ...

I am running Windows 98, but the specs say requires Win 98SE. Has anyone tried this with plain ole 98, and did it work? Are there any workaraounds that would allow compatibility?

Also, I have a 16 MB ATI Rage video card. Is that engouh memory? Would that make a significant difference in the quality of the capture? I am hoping to convert some old VHS to VCD and would like to achieve comparable quality to my old tapes (oftern recorded in EP). Thanks for the advice.