Complete newbie needs advice...

[matave]

Hello,

I wish to transfer some video tapes onto my PC. My current graphics card only has an S-Video connection and Video Out. My onboard sound has an audio input. Are these enough to do the job or do I need to get a dedicated video capture device or card?

Thanks,

Mat

[FulciLives]

Hello,

I wish to transfer some video tapes onto my PC. My current graphics card only has an S-Video connection and Video Out. My onboard sound has an audio input. Are these enough to do the job or do I need to get a dedicated video capture device or card?

Thanks,

Mat

Perhaps it would help if you could tell us the make and model of your graphics card and your audio card along with other aspects of your computer.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[matave]

Sure,

Graphics card is a Powercolor Radeon 9600 Pro and the onboard sound chip is a C-Media 9739A AC'97.......

CPU = P4 2.4Ghz
RAM = 512Mb Corsair PC2700 DDR
HD = 20Gb Seagate Barracuda

[FulciLives]

Sure,

Graphics card is a Powercolor Radeon 9600 Pro and the onboard sound chip is a C-Media 9739A AC'97.......

CPU = P4 2.4Ghz
RAM = 512Mb Corsair PC2700 DDR
HD = 20Gb Seagate Barracuda

I guess it is a VIVO (Video In Video Out) or ALL-IN-WONDER version of the Radeon?

In short you are positive that your Powercolor Radeon has video inputs?

If so then you should be able to capture without any problems. That ATI card is a good chipset and you definately have a fast enough computer.

However ... if you only have a single 20GB HDD then that is simply NO GOOD

You should get a second larger HDD and install it as a second drive and use it for video capture and post processing.

You don't need anything fancy. Any standard IDE HDD is fine as long as it is ATA-100 or faster and 7200rpm or faster.

Most IDE HDD fit that bill these days.

I would go with a big HDD ... at least 80GB if not 120GB ... anything more is probably more than you really will need.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
For more info on ATI capture cards etc. try this website:
http://www.lordsmurf.com

GOOD LUCK !!!

[babyboo]

I don't see any VIVO in this review
http://www.techtastic.ca/reviews2/9600pro.html

[Capmaster]

My onboard sound has an audio input.

You may get lucky, but if you're capping anything longer than a few minutes, I'd say the odds are good that you'll be battling lip-sync issues. Any time the setup relies on the PC sound card to capture audio, you are dealing with two different asynchronous clocks ...one for video and one for audio. Every MPEG file has "PTS" values, it stands for "Program Time Stamp" or something like that. They are time values generated when the video is captured. Without locked clocks, they free-run and if there's any drift you're screwed. Occasionally you will luck out and your sound card clock will be dead nuts on, but usually they're cheap clocks and you can't count on that.


My recommendation: Get a dedicated capture card or box

[Jayhawk]

The Powercolor Radeon 9600 Pro has DVi/TV (s-video) OUT only. The All-in-Wonder version is for capturing. You will need a capture card.

[andkiich]

Do some tests with the onboard audio card and video card before going out and buying a dedicated anything for audio.

My capture machine has an onboard audio card and after hundreds of hours of captures(some 2-3 hours in one shot) I have had ZERO issues with audio being out of sync.

If you have issues with audio sync and all other tweaks on your machine yeild no resolution, then consider an alternative capture setup.

[Capmaster]

My capture machine has an onboard audio card and after hundreds of hours of captures(some 2-3 hours in one shot) I have had ZERO issues with audio being out of sync.

See below:

Occasionally you will luck out and your sound card clock will be dead nuts on, but usually they're cheap clocks and you can't count on that.

[Jayhawk]

I think everyone here but babyboo and FulciLives is missing the point. The ATI site says this card does not have video input and cannot capture video. Doen't matter what the audio chip can (or can't do).

[Capmaster]

I think everyone here but babyboo and FulciLives is missing the point. The ATI site says this card does not have video input and cannot capture video. Doen't matter what the audio chip can (or can't do).

We all saw what you wrote and this whole issue is moot for matave, but andkiich says he has separate devices and no sync issues and my point is that he got lucky. This is an issue for a forum search as well by any noob looking to get into the game. I wasted literally hundreds of hours in 2002 chasing sync problems until I found out I was doomed by having separate devices for both. I'm just trying to help save another noob from the anguish.

[Jayhawk]

Sorry Capmaster, I should have paid closer attention.

[Capmaster]

Sorry Capmaster, I should have paid closer attention.

Don't apologize. Skimming threads is something that's easy to do - we don't always read all the words and it has to be repeated by someone who's paying attention, like you, wasting your effort.
NP Cheers!

[matave]

Thanks for all the replies guys........The video card I do have only has S-Video and video-out.......the VIVO version of my card came out after I bought this one which is always the case isnt it......anyway, now that that is settled I have some other questions then i should be right..

1) Would I be best getting the VIVO version of my graphics card (Powercolor 9600Pro XT) or a dedicated capture card? Or is it all much of a muchness?

2) Do VIVO cards and dedicated capture cards eliminate the problem of video/audio synchronisation

Also thanks for the the HD info....

[FulciLives]

Thanks for all the replies guys........The video card I do have only has S-Video and video-out.......the VIVO version of my card came out after I bought this one which is always the case isnt it......anyway, now that that is settled I have some other questions then i should be right..

1) Would I be best getting the VIVO version of my graphics card (Powercolor 9600Pro XT) or a dedicated capture card? Or is it all much of a muchness?

2) Do VIVO cards and dedicated capture cards eliminate the problem of video/audio synchronisation

Also thanks for the the HD info....

If you want something that is simple to use and works well (i.e., no audio sync problems) then you want the Canopus ADVC-100

MSRP is about $300 USD but you can often find it for as low as $250 USD

Most capture cards have some level of A/V sync issues. Even ATI VIVO or ALL-IN-WONDER cards.

Canopus ADVC-100 does not suffer from this at all.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[andkiich]

Not trying to start a fight, just making a counter point. There are a lot if not a mojority of people here on this site that have separate audio/video capture devices and they also have had no problems keeping their projects in sync.

Luck might have something to do with it, but I think that my knowledge and skill are probably better than the average computer user.

[FulciLives]

Not trying to start a fight, just making a counter point. There are a lot if not a mojority of people here on this site that have separate audio/video capture devices and they also have had no problems keeping their projects in sync.

Luck might have something to do with it, but I think that my knowledge and skill are probably better than the average computer user.

I think when using a seperate sound card with a video capture card that getting it to sync perfect is more luck than anything else.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman