Video Capturing & Basic DSL

[Tom Saurus]

I am about to get basic DSL Internet Service. I am used to dialup and can surf on the internet while my capture card captures video and audio, for the most part I don't drop any frames inspite of both of these task going on at the same time.

While discussing DSL with the gentleman at the company I am getting it from, he told me that I would have a Ethernet Cable coming in to my computer and it would always be on. I thought that I could disconnect that cable at times, and it wouldn't do any harm. I just don't want to be on the internet all the time, I can't see why it has to be running at all times. He said something about settings and IP Addresses getting lost. He also said that the Internet running in the background, would be so insigniffigent that it would not cause a problem with capturing video. He said I could even be burning a DVD and that would not be affected.

Usually when it comes to burning DVD's I shut off as many programs as possible, including my anti-virus and Microsoft Anti Spyware. I have come to believe it is best not to tax the system unnessarily. I wouldn't be checking email, or surfing the web while burning a DVD. But I wonder with this "Always On Status" how does that effect capturing, or DVD burning. I have been thinking that I should maybe buy a computer just for surfing the net and checking emails, ect.

What I believed was that I could just disconnect the ethernet cable while not wanting net access, and that no harm would be done. Maybe I should just stick to Dial Up, the ability to have 5x faster than what my modem and freeing up the phone line is attractive though.

I appologize if this is the wrong Forum to put this question in. Sometimes it is difficult to decide where you should post your topic. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me on this subject.

[Soopafresh]

No, it won't make any difference if you're attached to the internet while capturing. You ought to plunk down $30 for a Router, which will sit in between your PC and the DSL modem. This will keep you from having to load a software firewall on your PC, which can increase CPU utilization by a few percentage points. A router can also keep your connection alive even when you turn your PC off.

Here's a diagram.

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/networking/all_about_routers.shtml

Here's an example product. It might be a few dollars more in Canada, but not much. Look for around for sales this weekend.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10059943&catid=21111

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833124151

Don't be daunted by this change in internet access. As with any technology, expect a short "Period of Pain" (my term for it) while you're working out the kinks and setting things up. Totally normal and expected.

[Tom Saurus]

Soopafresh: Thank you for the information you have provided. There is a Firewall built into the DSL Modem. The only firewall I have on the computer is the one that is part of The Windows Security Center. I never thought of turning it off while capturing or burning a DVD, but so far things have worked out alright. For some reason my computer doesn't like Zone Alarm, but thanks to Microsoft Anti Spyware and its real time protection tools I feel relatively safe. I wouldn't mind buying a router, for they don't cost much, but with there already being a firewall built into the modem, wouldn't they all conflict. Maybe I should shut down the Firewall built into the Windows Security Center, when I am making a DVD or capturing. I shut down Microsoft Anti Spyware while capturing, but I have a feeling the Real Time Protection is running all the time. I know parts of McAfee seem to be running even after I shut it down, even after I disable Virus Scan.

These technologies seem a little scary, but perhaps the benifits outweigh the drawbacks if there are any. Thanks once again for the advice you have provided. It was very kind of you to take the time to respond to my questions.

[INFRATOM]

Most of the time it is how you feel about it, having constant connection to internet requires so many security programs running and they run auto update etc .. you can always pull the plug though but services will be running. Without Nero computer would be flying but can you do without it!! how about anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware, popup killer .. etc

[Tom Saurus]

INFRATOM: When I first got my computer I was leaning toward getting NERO, but after reading about some problems that seem to be part of it, I didn't bother buying. Instead I got Tmpgenc DVD Author 1.6 to compile my DVD's with. I learned as time went on to go the extra step and create an ISO image and burn that with DVD Decrypter. DVD Decrypter has a burn proof option and a verify option. Thank you for your input. I am very grateful for what I have learned on this website. It was kind of you to take the time to add your input as well. Perhaps sometime you should look around this website and you might be able to track down a program that will work better for you than NERO. This website and these forumns are such a nice resource for those of us who want to create our own DVD's and learn about all the steps to achieving that goal.

Getting the DSL is about ten dollars or so more a month. I have been saving up to get a "butt transplant". See I learned that the "original version" has a crack in it, and I simply need to get it replaced. So it may take a few months more to get it, but it will probably be worth it. I might just have to get a bank loan, perhaps waiting is not a good idea.

That was my attempt at some humour. I hope I didn't break any rules.

[SingSing]

What I believed was that I could just disconnect the ethernet cable while not wanting net access, and that no harm would be done. Maybe I should just stick to Dial Up, the ability to have 5x faster than what my modem and freeing up the phone line is attractive though.

1. You can just disable the network card in hardware setup, without touching the cable. Enable when you want internet again.

2. I switched from dial up to DSL, the moment DSL is availabled. DSL is so so sweet for $5 more than Dial-up. NEVER look back.

3. With DSL, phone and internet is availabled all the time !

[redwudz]

With your listed computer specs, I think you are worrying too much. If you indeed have only one hard drive, adding a second one would be the biggest improvement during video capture. If you are capturing to your boot drive, then anything that runs in the computer during a capture can be writing/reading from the boot drive, including the OS, and this could compromise the capture. A separate drive won't have that problem.Then you wouldn't likely need to shut anything off, especially your DSL connection.

You want to check Task Manager to see how much CPU you are using during capture. If the number is high, then you may need to disable some programs. If it's low, you shouldn't need to.

When using DSL or Cable internet, you really should have a hardware firewall. If your DSL modem has that, fine. A router uses NAT (Network Address Translation). This isolates you from the internet, making it very difficult for outsiders to gain access of your system and do damage. This and adequate antivirus/antitrojan/antispyware programs installed, should make it very safe leaving the connection on all the time. Besides, one of the advantages of DSL/Cable internet is having it hooked up all the time. This allows your OS to be updated automatically, along with your antivirus, etc. programs whenever the computer is running. (You can schedule these updates during non-capture times)

If you are used to dialup, you will love DSL/Cable. A 56K modem doesn't even come close in speed or convenience to a DSL/Cable setup.

[Tom Saurus]

SingSing: Thanks for your advice. It was kind of you to respond to my questions and add your input.

redwudz: I just updated my computer specs. I now have three hard drives. One I use for Windows XP Pro and various programs and storage of video files. I have one for capturing to and I have one for storage and that drive also receives the Video TS and Audio TS folders and the ISO image that I burn to DVD. I upgraded my ram to 1.0 GB as well. They say in reality that five times faster is probably wrong it will be 3 times faster. I average at 48kbs a second with dialup so I guess this will mean 120kbs with Basic DSL. If I came up with an additional $10.00 a month on top of that I could get 3mbs. I think I should get one more hard drive for more storage. It seems to run out so quickly.

I will have to do some thinking about a router and see what they say at the local ISP where I am getting this service from. I would like to be as protected as possible. Thank you very much for your advice. It was kind of you to take the time to respond to my questions.

[Tom Saurus]

I pickup my DSL Modem on Friday. For some reason it doesn't seem to let me access the Internet. But I noticed that I can disable LAN when I want to with a couple of clicks within Windows XP. This way I can shut off all the anti virus, spyware detectors, while capturing video and audio with the video and sound cards. I can also burn a DVD without it running. I don't know for sure, but I know I can enable LAN again, and hopefully it will continue to work. My DSL light is flashing, so I guess someone at the Phone Company has to click some botton's on their end to activate it. Despite all this it says it is sending and receiving packets. Actually the send number is twice as high as the receive number. Thanks for all the advice and I am sure that the guy at my Local ISP will find out what is wrong.

[SingSing]

DSL is more difficult to setup. Which make of modem did you get ?

The first test is ping. Go to start -> run -> type in "ping verizon.net". If this does not show you result, your are not getting thru the DSL modem to the web.

[Tom Saurus]

SingSing: My Modem is a GNet ADSL Modem. I bought it from my local ISP, plus subscribed to two months basic service. Here in Canada, Bell Canada owns all the telephone lines, so the guy at my ISP, programmed the modem and gave me some filters for the telephones. I was basically supposed to plug it in, and hook up the phone line into the phone jack and into a slot on the modem. Then I was to plug an ethernet cable into the modem and the other end into the computer. The network part seems to be working with the ethernet cable for those light stay lit when I enable the LAN. But the DSL light keeps flashing.

It is a very confusing thing, and hopefully I haven't screwed it up too bad, if I did something wrong while hooking it up.

I am not sure that ping test would work for me, because I live in Canada and don't do any business with that company.

Thank you for the advice. Ideally I will be able to surf the net while capturing. Shut the LAN Network, Anti Virus, Anti Spyware all off when authorizing, encoding and burning a DVD. The main purpose of my computer is to make DVD's.

[SingSing]

It is a very confusing thing, and hopefully I haven't screwed it up too bad, if I did something wrong while hooking it up.
I am not sure that ping test would work for me, because I live in Canada and don't do any business with that company.

1. DSL is not the easiest thing to setup.
2. It is unlikely you can break anything.
3. Ping works everywhere, because it is WWW, and not bounded by countries.

[Tom Saurus]

According to my ISP, Bell Canada has to install an actual card in a box somewhere in my area that the DSL Internet comes from. I have read that people within 18,000 feet of that Box can get DSL, and those beyond it can't. About 2 houses down from where I live is the cut off spot.

[SingSing]

All wired network need a box to de-multiplex and conncentrate the traffic.

[Tom Saurus]

SingSing: The DSL is up and running. It is hard to believe how fast it is. I am used to downloading at a speed that ranges usually at 5.5kbs at a maximum and now it is downloading most times at over a 100kbs. Something that took me last night five hours to download with dial up, I downloaded today in about 9 minutes with DSL. I seem to be able to enable and disable the network whenever I want and the DSL still works when I enable it again.

It is funny though, what makes one drop frames. Even though I have a second hard drive which I record to, sometimes opening up a program even if it is one that doesn't run much resources tends to make one drop frames at times. I had Windows Task Manager running the other night and I noticed that when I open a program that there is a big spike for a moment or two and then it goes down to a steady level that is quite low.

Thank you for all the advice that you have given me. It was very kind of you to do to provide this information to me.

[SingSing]

Hey, No problem, enjoy the web. You may want to look into a $99 DVD recorder to do video capture.

[PIntag]

I think you are a bit too concerned about the effect that having an "always on" internet connection will have on your system's performance.

Firstly, the internet connection isn't really doing anything if you are not browsing the web, running any P2P programs (like Limewire or Kazaa or eMule), or downloading (using your browser or FTP or such). As such, you don't really need to keep disabling/enabling your network connection in XP.

Beware that some programs (e.g. Virus checkers, XP auto-update, etc.) do "phone home" automatically and will use the internet connection in the background to download files. In general, these tasks uses so little processing power that I think it's not worth worrying about. That said, I would disable the virus checker's active scanning while capturing video, as that could be the cause of dropped frames.