Analog Capture Devices

[me]

I currently have the Dazzle DVC80, a lower-end unit. I'm not too happy with the quality of the captured video, and the video and audio are often out of sync. I would guess that that's probably true with most of the units well under $100. (I think the DVC-80 usually sells for about $69.) So, I'm thinking of getting something better.

As my computer is a laptop, it needs to be an external device, USB (I have 2.0) or Firewire. (I have 4 USB 2.0 ports, only one Firewire port, which I likely would have my large (180GB) external Firewire HD on while capturing, so probably USB 2 would be best for the capture device.) (I've read something about daisy-chaining Firewire, but not sure how well that works.)

I've been looking mostly at products in the $100-$200 range, a step up from the product I currently have. (For instance, the Dazzle product in that range would be DVC-150.) I don't really need an analog output on the unit, as my laptop already has a video out port. I just need the analog inputs, video and audio, and the USB connection to the computer. I don't really need a tuner in the unit, as I can connect it to my VCR. (Or, is there an advantage, in recording from TV, for the capture unit to have its own dedicated tuner?) (Also, any advantage I'm not aware of in the unit having an analog out?)

What I do care about is getting a better quality of captured video than I have been with my current unit. Obviously, in recording old VHS analog tapes to digital video, or from a television broadcast, with not-too-great cable reception, the quality is not going to be too great anyhow. But I certainly wouldn't want the capturing process to make the final result worse than the original in quality. Also, I've read in the specs of some products that they are supposed to have "noise filters", etc., to improve captured video from an original that isn't so great. Are such filters built into the hardware, or only in the accompanying software? Do they really help?

I see several products available by different manufacturers--ADSTECH, Adaptec, Pinnacle, Dazzle (now owned by Pinnacle, but still a separate product line), Hauppauge, Averkey, etc., etc, etc. (I'm sure I've missed some.) Are they all about the same (per price range), or do some get a better signal than others? Anyone reading tried models of more than one of these brands, and could compare them? Anyone know of good comparative reviews of recent models? (There was a recent comparative review in PC Magazine of a few models, and although I normally find that a good magazine, I found that review rather disappointing, as the reviewer mostly compares the software bundles that come with the units, which software he likes better, etc., not the quality of the hardware. I don't buy hardware based on which "limited-edition" or "special edition" software comes with it.)

I have read a little here about another brand, that one doesn't see often in stores, called Canopus. I looked at their web site. Their products cost much more than products with similar features by different manufacturers, such as those mentioned above. For instance, it looks like their lowest-priced model that is an external device, is their "100" model (I forget the letters, it might have been something like "ADV100.). It costs almost $300 dollars! And it is just firewire, no USB I believe. (If I were to use that, daisychained into my firewire external hard drive, where the video was being captured to, would that be a problem?) Is the Canopus capture device really so much better than the other brands, to be worth twice as much? Is the quality of the captured video much better? Even when one is capturing old VHS tapes, and not-so-great TV reception, is the difference in the result really noticeable?

Thank you for your input.

[FulciLives]

Do yourself a favor and get the CANOPUS ADVC-100 and if you need a FIREWIRE input then you can but one in the $15 to $30 range.

Also get rid of the external HDD and buy an internal model.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[redwudz]

I think he has a laptop; But I agree with fulcilives. You might look at the ADVC-100 as an investment. It will work with your laptop with firewire and in the future with a desktop or even a MAC. USB 2.0 can work, but firewire almost always works. The ADVC will also handle really crappy VHS tapes, because that's what I use it for. Bite the bullet and spend the extra $. Especially if you have a laptop because they have less resources available to processes video. I doubt you will have much of a problem chaining a external drive and the ADVC to the firewire port.

[me]

I think he has a laptop; But I agree with fulcilives. You might look at the ADVC-100 as an investment. It will work with your laptop with firewire and in the future with a desktop or even a MAC. USB 2.0 can work, but firewire almost always works. The ADVC will also handle really crappy VHS tapes, because that's what I use it for. Bite the bullet and spend the extra $. Especially if you have a laptop because they have less resources available to processes video. I doubt you will have much of a problem chaining a external drive and the ADVC to the firewire port.

Yes, my computer is a laptop, as I stated. Therefore, I cannot add a an "internal" 180 GB HD. (In response to the other writer.) (Perhaps now he'll say: "get rid of the laptop"!)

Back to your recommendation of the Canopus--have you also tried other models, that you are comparing it to? If not, how do you know it is better?

When you write that it will handle "really crappy VHS tapes", what exactly do you mean? Does it improve their quality? How?

Thank you.

[me]

I doubt you will have much of a problem chaining a external drive and the ADVC to the firewire port.

I forgot to ask about this. So, you don't think it would cause any problem, if the video is being captured to the external HD connected to the Firewire port, and the capture device is connected (daisychained) to the HD, not to the computer? Would the captured video then go directly from the captuer device to the HD, since they would be directly connected? Or go through the HD to the computer, then back to the external HD for storage?

If the latter, could that cause a problem, with data going simultaneously both ways in the cable connecting the HD to the computer--captured video from capture device going from HD to CPU, while previously processed video is going simultaneously from the CPU to the HD?

[FOO]

DV from a Canopus should be about 30 mbits/s
the data will not go direct or simultaneously so you need
a minimum of 60 mbits/sec. Firewire is 400 max. but there will
be overhead and interleaving delays, but I would think it would work.

[lordsmurf]

I think you'll have all kinds of problems using external drive with external card, but only way to find out is too test out that situation.

[redwudz]

Me: I decided to try my ADVC with my laptop AMD 1.6G, 128M memory.
It will transfer DV to the internal HD with no frame drops, but when I plug in a 10G external HD through the firewire port in addition to the ADVC, it starts dropping a lot of frames. This may be due to my firewire card, it's an inexpensive Addonics cardbus card. I then tried the external drive on my PC that has on-board firewire. Worked OK there, the external HD is not the problem. DV transfered with no frame loss. Then I transfered a 300Mb DV file from the external HD to the laptop. USB took 9 minutes(This through the external 2.0 card. The internal laptop USB 1.0 took the same time. not sure why), Firewire took 30 seconds.

My conclusion: Firewire is faster, but at least with my setup, both devices won't work at the same time.