Best USB Analog Capture - Under $400?

[pjtgrizzly]

I am looking for the best hands down external USB capture device on the market that has locked audio. It has to be analog with composite/S-Video connections for specific reasons.

We currently have a Datavideo DAC-200 but the trouble I run into there is that if you go Analog in and then convert to firewire - I'm bringing this video into Windows Media Encoder and either you have to leave deinterlace off and you get the jaggies or if you enable Deinterlace in WME - it doesn't work. It basically kills the encoding. I'm also aware of the Canopus alternative to this bidirectional analog/digital converter but I anticipate that this will result in the same thing. These products I'm sure are great to bring interlaced video into a video editing program and then deinterlace if needed there but I need to deinterlace on the fly with web streaming via WM Encoder and it doesn't seem to like the way the video dimensions are coming in via analog to digital translation in combination with deinterlacing.

If anyone has any recommendation for any usb analog capture that has superb picture and locked audio - I am open to suggestions.

Normally we use Viewcast Osprey 210 cards w/ Simulstream but trying to check out alternatives to this - minus the Simulstream - but retaining the analog capture quality without worrying about audio issues either.

Thanks!

[Bjs]

Well there trying to kill analog input off under most things in vista ... but for usb > http://www.avermedia.com/avertv/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?Id=188&device=4

Never have issues with audio becoming unsynchronized from video

Works well with most video capture software, including wme

[JohnnyMalaria]

Locked audio is strictly related to DVCAM (a variant of DV) and is not pertinent for non-FireWire capture. And for most DV work, is unnecessary. It exists to aid deck-to-deck editing and the like.

WME will deinterlace on the fly and can take DV via FireWire. IIRC, the deinterlacing option is buried somewhere in the compression settings.

If I get a chance, I'll try to dig out the settings.

You should be good to go with what you have already.

[Zen of Encoding]

I like Hauppauge's HD PVR:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116030

[edDV]

Locked audio is strictly related to DVCAM (a variant of DV) and is not pertinent for non-FireWire capture. And for most DV work, is unnecessary. It exists to aid deck-to-deck editing and the like.

WME will deinterlace on the fly and can take DV via FireWire. IIRC, the deinterlacing option is buried somewhere in the compression settings.

If I get a chance, I'll try to dig out the settings.

You should be good to go with what you have already.

I've done WME software encoding with deinterlace from Firewire as well no problem. Maybe the issue is related to OP's desire for USB. Most USB video devices encode MPeg in hardware so would require recode in WME. I'm unaware of any USB capture devices that encode wmv in hardware. Just import via Firewire with an ADVC, camcorder, etc.

I can't test this at this location.