pixedv / ads instant dvd usb..

[mhar4]

NTSC only? That's odd. It still has the PAL setting option in the capture settings window. What happens when you select that? Did you also set the resolution to a PAL aspect ratio?

Hmmm... odd indeed. I don't get any PAL/NTSC selection button in this version, unlike 1.1. I assumed it was default NTSC-only. I am using the G3 version. Maybe I should try the G4 one.

[bigjuggler]

At risk of being accused of going off-topic...

Have any PixeDV users been able to schedule a recording using applescript? I don't own Instant DVD, but since OWC has it so cheap now, and since I've just read that I can turn off the Macrovision and archive all my old VHS tapes, I am greatly tempted.

What I really want to do is to record television to mpeg 2 in the middle of the night when I am not at my computer. Can I do this or is the PixeDV app so oddly written with it's button menues and all that I can't script it?

I have lately been drooling over the Panasonic E80H standalone DVD recorder with hard drive....but I don't really have $600 to blow on this little project...so the ADS Instant DVD is looking likely.

[bilestyle]

Pixedv does appear to have applescript support, but the dictionary is rather limited and doesnt appear to have the capture command or stop capture command as one of the scriptable options... so unfortunately i dont think you will have much luck scripting the software... sorry.

[Frobozz]

mhar4, you are right and I am wrong. I've gone back to double-check my claim that PAL setting is available and the option is not there. Bizarre. I apologize for my erroneous post.

Regarding the scheduling of MPEG2 recordings from TV. That's what EYEtv 200 is for or a standalone DVD recorder. The ADS unit isn't a good choice for that. I'm pretty sure I have this one right.

[mhar4]

mhar4, you are right and I am wrong. I've gone back to double-check my claim that PAL setting is available and the option is not there. Bizarre. I apologize for my erroneous post.

thanks for checking, Frobozz.

Regarding the scheduling of MPEG2 recordings from TV. That's what EYEtv 200 is for or a standalone DVD recorder. The ADS unit isn't a good choice for that. I'm pretty sure I have this one right.

The lack of a timer is the ADS's biggest limitation. And given that it couldn't be that hard to implement, a bit of an omission, I think.

[AntnyMD]

To make a Mac a TiVo-like device was never the intent of the ADS box. As such, it not being a PVR (or PVR-enabler) is not a shortcoming. Thats like being upset with Mac OS X because you can't run Microsoft Access on it.

[mhar4]

I kind of wish it just had a timed auto-stop feature, so it could do longer captures overnight or when I am away from the computer.

I've recently used it to capture some PAL VCDs into NTSC DVDs. I was very pleased with the result, much better than anything I've managed to do via software conversion.

I certainly agree that the quality is very good, even at low bitrates.

[bilestyle]

i must say eventhough i complained about this thread breaking off into a random tangent it did prove to provide useful info about another nagging issue w/ the ADS instant DVD, teh macrovision protection issue, while i still havent tried the 2.2 version that is for some odd reason in the version 1/help folder as already disclosed (and i guess that did in the end answer my question about a version past 1.0) so this was just a thanks to everyone who has contributed to the thread... also i haven't done much VCD capture with the ADS but the only one i've done thus far captured with aspect ratio 1:1 which is TOTALLY not vcd compliant... i left 320x240 as the size by accident rather than 352x240, i guess my question is if u cap at 352x240 does it do the proper 4:3 aspect? i dont wanna cap this video all over again to only find out that its 1:1 again.... another question i tried re-encoding the original that i ripped to mpeg-1 to make it 4:3 and vcd compliant and got allllll types of sync issues.. if anyone could relate similiar experiences or give me any insight on these bizarre problems please let me know!

[AntnyMD]

You should always capture MPEG-1 at 352x240 for NTSC (or 352x288 for PAL). The VCD/DVD player will squeeze it back to a proper 4:3 aspect. Although I've seen it a lot on the net over the years, 320x240 is NOT spec for VCD.

If you are trying to stick to VCD, you might find the captures are no better than the originals when using this box to capture to MPEG-1. I just find the MPEG-1 quality from this box, even at high bit rates, to be very disappointing.

For the VCDs I'm transferring to DVD via this box, I've been capturing these PAL VCDs to NTSC MPEG-2 352x480 at a constant bitrate of 2.5Mbps. I've adjusted some of the other settings in the other tabs. Its producing a very decent in-sync copy. I hesitate to say (as to not raise expectations too high) but I am convinced the capture has improved quality over the VCD source (just slightly).

[bilestyle]

yeh i didnt realize the default had been 320x240 since i had never capped to vcd before.. these are old school vhs tapes so the original quality leaves something to be desired anyways, i generally ALWAYS cap to mpeg-2 but for this videos purpose VCD will do just fine..not to mention i gotta cap to my laptop which has limited space (since i get those damn grey bars with the desktop computer on anything i cap from a VCR) And the problem with it being tagged as 1:1 disabled any possability of me being able to pack to bin/cue files but im sure capping 352x240 should probably fix the problem