I'm new to this game, don't flame me for this basic question

[monkey boy]

Hi all
I'm after somebodies advice on the best capture card for my needs. I've been baffled with the volume of info on this site and others and from advice from nuggets in shops who don't seem to know a damn thing!

this is what I would like to do...

transfer my VHS PAL video cassettes to DVD and...
transfer Sony Hi8 tapes to DVD and...
also use the capture card for audio input to transfer analogue cassettes to CDR using Cool Edit Pro.

I've been told all sorts and things are varying prices, up to the top price for stuff like a Pinnacle DV500DVD, which I've found for £450 in the UK, but these are the only 3 things I want to do with the card:
so any suggestions
Thanks and please don't flame me for this!
many thanks
MB

[Gazorgan]

Well, personally you should look at one of those £40 cards. They do everything in software, hence are quite flexible, and most use a BTxxxx chipset. Get the Stereo version if you are capturing RF, the mono is fine for VCR/Camcorder cpatures (just use line in instead).

You want to have a CPU over 1 Ghz, with 1.5 Ghz being better. You also want to be running NTFS filesystem, so that means W2K/XP. Now you said DVD resolution, you will have poor luck with full dvd resolution. You will have much cleaner picture if you capture at DVD, but filter/render down to 1/2DVD or SVCD or CVD resolutions (all are DVD complient, just lower resolution), especially with VHS. Tape captures always require some filter (in VDUB or AVISynth) prior to encoding to MPEG2.

[mkelley]

If you can go firewire (will require firewire in your computer, although FW cards are really cheap, around $40 or so) I'd definitely consider the Dazzle Hollywood Bridge.

AFAIK they still have the flaw that requires you to put a jumper wire across the FW and power port, but after you do this they work perfectly. I've captured dozens of hours of footage without a single dropped frame, all at terrific quality.

It has S-video as well as composite inputs, so you should be good to go. A little pricey (around $250) but you get what you pay for.