What products can be used for the following....

[Inigo Montoya]

I have read many things about these subjects and still can't come to any conclusions. First of all this is what I want to do:

1. Run cable tv through my computer and out into another tv while being able to still use a remote to change channels.
2. Use the computer to timeshift programs like tivo and record programs at designated times.
3. Be able to capture programs into svcd format (doesn't need to be directly if I can get this quality in a few steps but would be preferred)
4. Capture from vhs and my hi8 camera either through s-video or the a/v jacks ( I also want to use Premiere to edit?).
5. Also run the audio through my Audigy sound card and then computer speakers.

I am sort of talking in shadows here and am new to this realm of computer tech so sorry if it all doesn't make complete sense. I have a msi g4ti4400-td which seems to only have tv out so I am sure I need something else. I would like to only pay 200 to 300 dollars for everything not including software but would appreciate suggestions that go over this anyway. I filled out the computer info while registering here so hopefully it lists it and if it doesn't I will add it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[drewson99]

a higher end ATI All-In-Wonder capture card will do just about all of that. I have the 7500 and do all of those things, although you may need to reencode your mpeg capture to be svcd compliant (I'd just cap to avi in that case)

[Inigo Montoya]

Thanks for reply. I already have a good graphics card (msi g4ti4400-td)and so am looking for something that could supplement it and do everything it can't more or less.

[ImaWeTodd]

Hardware wise you need a tv tuner type capture card. I have an AverMedia card. You can get one from Buy.com for about $40 including shipping. It comes with software to do PVR stuff, but I would look into using something like Showshifter if you really wanted that Tivo stuff. It's only about $50. To do the vhs, cam, and svcd stuff you can just use free software found on this site, and use the guides.

Personally, I think it would be cheaper, and much easier to buy a ReplayTV if you really wanted it's kind of functionality.

So, you could probably get what you need for <$100. A tv tuner card and some software. <$50 if you don't really need the timeshift/pause, or are willing to use the software that came with the card.

It's $70 for the Aver with stero and a remote. However, I'd guess not many people can smoothly use 1 pc to capture, playback, encode, timeshift, .... so the remote's gonna end up in a box somewhere. And if your going to get another pc, why not get a ReplayTV?

Sorry for the ramble..

[ImaWeTodd]

Oh by the way, I wouldn't wast my money on a card that does hardware encoding. The software encoders do a better job than the cheap hardware ones. And if you are going to edit or want svcd/dvd specs, it's much eaiser to capture to say mjpeg and encode to mpeg, than to cap in mpeg and change things.

[Inigo Montoya]

Thanks for Info. I have read reviews of the Avermedia and it sounds good. Is it possible with this card to cap directly into svcd or even dvd compliant format at good resolutions if you have good software? Or do you always have to spend the extra time reencoding. Also, maybe a stupid question, but how exactly do you run cable tv through it? You can't plug a cable cord directly into the card, right?

Anyway I am thinking of getting this because it is cheap and I should be able to capture at high resolutions since my computer is fairly fast.

[ImaWeTodd]

- Capture to Mpeg:

The card comes with software to do this. I don't recall the setting options, but I'm sure you can do SVCD. Other software like PowerVCR (by the makers of PowerDVD) are supposed to be better. I personally came to the conclusion that caping to MPEG at real time speeds did not give me the quality I wanted. So I don't do it. Besides, if you want to edit the capture you can have trouble. People have had real problems especially with audio sync, on editing MPEG captured files. MainConcept supposedly has a solution that is realtime with good quality. Big commercial products use this for mpeg encoding. Finally, I'm not sure you can capture AC3 sound real time. You would have to have this for a DVD.

In the end, cap to mjpeg, edit with vdub, encode and author dvd. (If you want to keep the source.) A half hour show (22 mins with no commercials) encodes 4pass vbr in about 1 hour on my PIII800. You can do these in batch overnight. By the way, if you don't want to keep the source on DVD or SVCD, you can play anything back thru your TVout. Go for DivX if file size is an issue.

- Inputs

The card accepts cable, s-video, rca (composite). For what you want to do, I would go with cable into your computer. Loop from the Aver to your sound card (cables included in the box). S-Video from your graphics card to your TV. If your TV does not have an s-video plug, you have to use rca (the yellow plug ). I'm not sure how good the TV out is from your graphics card, but on mine, s-video moves it from unsuable to actually being able to serf on my tv.

You kill my father! Prepare to Die!

[Inigo Montoya]

All right I think I can take it from here. I will soon be getting this card and will see just what she can do.

Thanks for your help and suggestions!!