analog to mpeg2

[Russ1]

Hi, I'm new here and have a question.

I'm looking for a analog video & audio to mpeg2 realtime hardware capture device preferably firewire, but I would consider a PCI card, USB as last resort, for the MAC G4/1.25 sp. Quality and Audio Sync is Important.
I've been looking everywhere on the web and followed a number of links here for something but most of the stuff is PC, USB, not made any longer or for recording TV (I don't care about TV) to the Hard drive.
I need something that has very good conversion quality. Something under $500 would be nice. USB is a problem because of the many USB devices, Ilocks etc., already on the bus unless I use a PCI USB 2 card. Not sure if that would cause problems with my ProTools HD Cards.
I'm using this to convert analog to mpeg2 to burn DVDs from in Toast and do not want to do a software compression from DV due to time and drive space.
I won't go PC and Do Not want to software compress from DV.
I need to edit heads and tails only and drag it into Toast to Burn a DVD.
I already have a Canopus ADVC-100. I also have Toast 5, 6 and 7 and know about Mpeg Streamclip & Eyetv2 for editing, Is there something else?

Any pointers would be appreciated.

[AntnyMD]

Given that you want all of this:

I'm looking for a analog video & audio to mpeg2 realtime hardware capture device preferably firewire, but I would consider a PCI card, USB as last resort, for the MAC G4/1.25 sp. Quality and Audio Sync is Important..

... sounds like you'd want something like this.

[Russ1]

Hmm! I may be missing something but that doesn't look like it would work.. I'm not looking for a DVD Recorder and the software looks PC only.

[Frobozz]

Your challenge is finding a Firewire device. Products from ElGato, Miglia and Plextor all record to MPEG 2 from analog sources, but I think they are all USB 2 devices.

An alternative (since you have the Canopus) is to get a Firewire MPEG2 hardware device that requires the source to be DV. I'm referring to the LaCie FastCoder which can be purchased from the LaCie site for $50 and includes the full version of CaptyDVD 2 authoring software.

[Russ1]

Almost but I just called Lacie and that device is about 1.5 x realtime and won't really work between the canopus and the computer. It was designed to stream off the hard drive and back.
So close but....
keep the Ideas comming..
Thanks

[Frobozz]

Why not get a standalone DVD recorder with hard drive? I use my old Pioneer DVR-510H to record various sources to MPEG on its hard drive, do some trimming out of parts I don't want, and can either use it to burn a simple video DVD or I burn a VR-mode DVD-RW from which I extract the MPEGs to the Mac using Toast 7. The DVD recorders with the DV link are a dream for transferring DV video because the recorder controls the camera and automatically creates chapters or title breaks based on time code breaks on the DV tape.

Maybe something new will be announced in a week at MacWorld Expo.

[Russ1]

The DVD recorder with Hard Drive is only viable if I can connect the Hard Drive to the Mac. I already have a Pioneer DVD recorder. This process has to be real time give or take a 10 minutes and I need to be able to drop in menus.

I've actually considered the Plextor PX-TV402U-NA/MAC but read that it doesn't do well with motion and it is USB.

It's amazing all the stuff and companies out there and I can't find a simple, high quality analog to mpeg2 hardware converter. With all the people (I read this over and over here and other forums) wanting to transfer analog tapes to DVD via computer with out jumping through hoops and all the crunch time there would be a market..

[AntnyMD]

What you want to do is take something simple and make it needlessly difficult. The solution I offered *doesnt require a computer at all* so your point about the software being PC-only is moot. The solution to your problem has been offered twice. Whether you choose to accept it is down to you. Best of luck.

[Russ1]

Please, I understand what you are trying to say but you need to understand how I need to do it for very good reasons that you probably don't understand.

Analog > Mpeg2 to Mac HD > Edit heads, tails (maybe middle) > Import in Toast and add Menu and burn (1 or more copies).

I'm actually trying to make this simple and do what I need to do.

I have found, after many hours searching the web, a PCI card for $2k. Just looking for somthing a bit less expensive now.

But thanks anyway.

[Frobozz]

Analog > Mpeg2 to Mac HD > Edit heads, tails (maybe middle) > Import in Toast and add Menu and burn (1 or more copies).

Find an EyeTV 200. It is Firewire, records MPEG 2 from analog directly to the Mac's hard drive, has software to trim the video and is imported to Toast via the Toast Media Browser. The Media Browser has a special EyeTV setting when the EyeTV software is installed on your Mac. I just did all this with my EyeTV 250 as fast as you are wanting, but the 250 is USB 2 rather than Firewire.

[Russ1]

Analog > Mpeg2 to Mac HD > Edit heads, tails (maybe middle) > Import in Toast and add Menu and burn (1 or more copies).

Find an EyeTV 200. It is Firewire, records MPEG 2 from analog directly to the Mac's hard drive, has software to trim the video and is imported to Toast via the Toast Media Browser. The Media Browser has a special EyeTV setting when the EyeTV software is installed on your Mac. I just did all this with my EyeTV 250 as fast as you are wanting, but the 250 is USB 2 rather than Firewire.

I was looking at that EyeTV 200 but wasn't sure if it is supported any longer via software updates by them.

How is the quality on your version with fast moving objects.

Too bad there isn't a way to tap into that hard drive in those hard drive based DVD recorders (or is there).
I remember the earler DVD Recorders had firewire out but manufactures had to remove it because of the film industry.

[Frobozz]

The Firewire out on the early Pioneer standalone recorders (such as mine) doesn't transfer data. The Pioneer converts the MPEG video to DV for Firewire export, which you already can do with your Canopus.

I don't know of anyone who has transferred video from a DVD recorder's HDD as data to their computer. It can't be done with Pioneer units but maybe it can with others.

The EyeTV 200 is fully supported by the current EyeTV software. There is a custom encoder window where you can change many MPEG encoding settings. I haven't had a chance to compare my EyeTV's hardware encoder with my Pioneer's hardware encoder, but I'm expecting they will be comparable -- which means very good.