Video capturing on PC suggestions

[SMTnyu]

I use to have a WinTV2000 and recently it hasn't been working well and has started capturing in AVI (which makes the files 200 MB, much too large for my computer) and I was wondering if anyone could suggest another device for me? I have looked online and some places talk about a capturing card and then capturing software...what is the difference? My only experience was WinTV and that only had the device with an installation CD so I don't really know anything beyond that.

I just want something that I can capture DVD and VHS and output in files other than AVI.

Thanks!

[mats.hogberg]

If a 200 MB file is too large for your computer, either get a new computer, or stop thinking about capturing.
Hardware is needed for video captures - the capture card. The software is used to control this capture card.
DVD is usually not captured, but ripped, as it's just digital info anyway, just what copmuters like to deal with. VHS is analog, and not anything a computer understands. The capture card digitizes the video.
As such, AVI can be very small (let's say DivX), or very big (DV or uncompressed) - it's just a container format.

/Mats