Best Capture card that costs around 100 dollars?

[MeekloBraca]

Im looking at the list of capture cards and found this one..

https://www.videohelp.com/capturecards.php?CaptureCardRead=14#comments

But I dont think its available anymore. I could be wrong. Does anybody know a really excellent capture card around that 100 dollar price range that is on the market?

[MeekloBraca]

Well i guess all id have to do is scroll up huh.

[lordsmurf]

ATI All In Wonder RADEON cards can be gotten used off eBay for as little as $50 in great shape. Just be sure it has the wired purple cnnector box with it (connectors for video input).

These are excellent cards for both AVI and MPEG work.

[MeekloBraca]

Hey Lord do those cards work with S-video monster video cables?

[Bodyslide]

My AIW 9200 does....

[lordsmurf]

s-video, yes, input on the purple box.

[MeekloBraca]

Now I have a divx player.

In your opinion, is it wise to take these tapes and convert them to AVI or mpeg format? Or should I go and convert them to mpeg2? If there even is a difference?

[MeekloBraca]

Hows the ATI 9600?

[lordsmurf]

DIVX is very lossy, and not a DVD-Video. It's a fad, really, nothing more. Use MPEG-2 interlaced.

ATI AIW 9600 is fine.

Be sure to read ATI capture guides at www.digitalFAQ.com

[MeekloBraca]

You mean the player is lousy or the format is? Because so far the player has exceeded my expectations.

Will I be able to capture a 2.5 hour to 3 hour program onto my computer and fit it onto 1 dvd without loss of quality? Again I dont really care to edit it and make it all spiffy, the original VHS quality will do. I can play later once i relieve my storage area of some of the junk i have in it.

[mats.hogberg]

Lossy, not lousy. DivX "destroys" the video more, and is no standard like Video DVD.
@ LordSmurf: I love your broad generalisations! Dispose off DivX with a oneliner like "It's a fad, really, nothing more"! Only one person could get away with that. Keep 'em coming!
To get back on track: I love my Hauppage PVR 250 card. It captures in a format ready to be burned to DVD, and has hardware encoding (so it doesn't matter what computer specs you have, and can use your computer as normal while capturing).

/Mats

[MeekloBraca]

Well im not plannon on converting anything to DIVX, i just have a DIVx player that can play avi, mpeg, wmv etc. The advantage to that ive found is you dont have to convert to mpeg2 and risk quality loss. Am i right/wrong?

Also I see that the Canopus ADVC-100 has an extreamly high rating. If you had the extra money to spend compared to the ATI 9600 would you buy the Canopus or will the ATI card get the job done just as good.

[mats.hogberg]

you dont have to convert to mpeg2 and risk quality loss. Am i right/wrong?

You're right. Every format conversion takes its toll from quality.

/Mats

[FulciLives]

For around $100.00 (if you shop on-line for the best price) you can get the ADS Instant DVD 2.0 which is an external USB 2.0 capture device that does hardware MPEG encoding. When used properly the quality is most excellent and it will capture any copy protected source.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[nelson133]

I purchased an AVSInstant DVD and no matter what I tried, every capture had sync issues, even with nothing else running on a reasonably fast system, Athalon2800+, 512 ram, etc. I strongly recommend. against it.
Nyah Levi

[FulciLives]

I purchased an AVSInstant DVD and no matter what I tried, every capture had sync issues, even with nothing else running on a reasonably fast system, Athalon2800+, 512 ram, etc. I strongly recommend. against it.
Nyah Levi

Are you talking about the ADS Instant DVD 1.0 or the ADS Instant DVD 2.0

There is a big difference between them.

Everything I have read about this capture device, including my own experience in using it, tells me that it works and works well and that those that experience A/V sync are using it incorrectly.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[thecoalman]

The advantage to that ive found is you dont have to convert to mpeg2 and risk quality loss. Am i right/wrong?

That would be wrong, a video encoded using DivX or WMV can be worse than MPEG and primarily are. Those formats use low bitrates and are used where highly compressed video is required such as for the web. Video in it's final format sshould be MPEG2 for DVD playback simply because that is the format that all DVD players support.

Quality loss is usually due to the bitrate used, just for example if you captured a video using DV-AVI or MPEG2 you would have a nearly identical copy, the same can not be said for a low bitrate DivX.

FYI AVI is just a generic extension for video, it can contain many types of video. What type depends on what the encoder is used.

[SHS]

thecoalman you have it part ture but more like the quality loss is usually due to the bitrate and resolution used but this also depand on other number facter

[MeekloBraca]

Im not digging this Piniclle Studio Movie Box USB

[MeekloBraca]

Well after installing Pinnacle software my burner wont even burn anything.