I currently have the canopus advc100 and as great as it is, it takes hours to make convert (not sure of the right term) from avi to mpeg 2. I've heard that through hardware this conversion is faster-not sure how fast. What I currently do is the following:

1. Capture and edit in Pinnacle Studio 9 with Canopus ADVC100
2. Render a new AVI after edits are done
3. Import AVI to Ulead MediaStudio Pro 7 and select AC3 audio and create and mpeg file.

This whole process can take 5 hours for an hour tape. What is the lowest cost hardware that can do this without compromising quality. Thanks for your help in advanced

chako