Capture Program For Dazzle Digital Video Creator

[Garibaldi]

I have this thing called a Digital Video Creator 150. Its an external device that basically converts composite rca plugs into usb that runs into the computer. I was wondering anyone knows of another capture program that works with the DVC besides Moviestar 5. I know alot of capture programs recognize it as a capture device, but I have yet to find one that actually will capture without giving me an error.

[pooorboy]

Pinnacle bought Dazzle and converted their studio 8&9 to use the dazzle. You should qualify for an upgrade most likely. If they are still offering it. That is the ONLY software choice you have besides what came with it. And moviestar 5 is terrible. Be carefull with Studio and other codecs that you might have installed. You can run into problems. But if your system is clean then it does a good job at capturing. Upgrade to version 9 if you can.

[Garibaldi]

They offer an upgrade but they don't give any discount on the cost, $90. What I do now is capture an mpeg2 with the dvd profile. This makes the mpeg file. I then split it into m2v and mp2 files wit bbdmux. I then import those files into cuttermaran and cut out the parts I don't want. Cuttermaran then makes a new mpeg without rerendering. I then use TMPGENC to rerender the video with the specs I want. This way I get around using Moviestar 5, which your right is crap! I found that when I render video with it and then burned it to a cd the video was all shaky, great encoder! So Studio 9 is the only other compatible capture program? Thanks.

[GKar]

I don't know if it will work for you but I used a 3rd party capture app for my Dazzle DVC II here:

http://www.spawns.dk/svcd/TWNH_1958.zip

[Garibaldi]

Gkar: I tried your link and the .exe file I downloaded won't open. It says it had to close, you know, illegal operation. I have windows xp home. Should I try setting the compatiblity to a different win os?

[GKar]

The stuff on spawn's site may not work with anything but a Dazzle DVC II. I wasn't sure but figured you could give it a try. That proggy doen't have an installer, just unzip to a directory. It required Moviestar, drivers, DVDExpress and MDAC installed, just like regular install. I used it on Win98/ME/XP successfully. The illegal operation is probably to do with a missing required installation of one that I listed. You can get an updated Win XP driver from spawn's site.

http://www.spawns.dk/svcd

May The One Be With You

[Garibaldi]

The stuff on spawn's site may not work with anything but a Dazzle DVC II.

I can't even open the .exe file, so its not a compatiblity issue because I haven't gotten to a screen to specifiy the capture device.

[qlizard]

If you don't want to bother with trying to "upgrade" to the pinnacle drivers and studio 9 (I didn't), then you have a couple of options. And moviestar isn't one of them. it sucks big time.

For free, a good option is to use the small built in program called "dvxcel" which should be in your dazzle directory or on the start menu. it is nothing but a capture utility, but it contains the controls for brightness, hue, etc. You can capture using it (use the "no preview" option or you'll drop frames) and it will create a fully compliant mpeg file. If you want to edit it, I have had good luck with ulead VS7 or 8. If you are careful to not change your settings, it will only re-render the areas where you add a transition, etc.

A much more expensive option, but makes sense if you already have the software, is to use mainconcept mpeg pro, a plug-in in premiere pro. it allows you to capture with your DVC and also to edit the mpeg file w/o rerendering it (except where you add transitions, etc.)

[Garibaldi]

For free, a good option is to use the small built in program called "dvxcel" which should be in your dazzle directory or on the start menu.If you are careful to not change your settings, it will only re-render the areas where you add a transition, etc.

Would the captured mpeg in dvxcel have to rerender in TMPGENC with the low resolution dvd template and changing the bitrate? My process now is capture with moviestar, then demultiplex with demux, then import the m2v and mp2 files into cuttermaran, create a range of cuts and create a new mpeg without rerendering, and then import into TMPGENC and render. I'm not adding any titles or transitions or anything, but it still takes time to render. Would this be different with an mpeg from dvxcel? Thanks

[qlizard]

It would be the same type of output file, but dvxcel gives you more options and flexibility with bitrate and the output is overall better quality than with moviestar. But I guess I'm missing something. Why are going back through TMPGenc? You're talking about the encoder, not tmpgenc dvdauthor right? You already have a compliant mpeg. Going through tmpgenc will rerender and I'm not sure what value this step adds.

[Garibaldi]

Why are going back through TMPGenc? You're talking about the encoder, not tmpgenc dvdauthor right? You already have a compliant mpeg. Going through tmpgenc will rerender and I'm not sure what value this step adds.

The reason I go back through TMPGENC, it is the encoder, is soley so that I can lower the bitrate. An example is that by lowering the bitrate in TMPGENC to 1800 CBR, I can fit 6 43 minute episodes on 1 disk. But if I can control the bitrate right fron the capture, using dvxcel, I don't see any reason why I would have to run it through TMPGENC, so long as the file size is reduced with the bitrate. Does dvxcel allow you to control the bitrate and capture time? Also, does it split the capture file? Thanks Again.

[foghorn02]

I use Pinnacle 8.1 to capture, then import into Ulead DVDMF 3.0 to author and burn. No need to re-render because the pinnacle driver lets you set the bitrates and DVDMF does a smart render. The pinnacle software is pure junk and crashes or stalls when rendering or burning with no explanations.

Using usb 2.0 with a nec chipset yields no synchronizing problems I had originally with a via chipset card.

The output DVD is identical to the output from the Directivo. It does not get any better than this.

[qlizard]

Yes, you can control bitrate completely. I don't think you can control capture time. But there is a utility which has been written for it to control the capture time. I will try to find the link to the site. Also the file is split at 2 GB intervals if I remember right. But again, there are utilities to adjust this, also on the same site. One thing I thought of is that when dvxcel captures, it puts another strange file in the capture directory with an extension like .mzl or something. this is basically a file telling moviestar how to put the split file back together (if you were to use moviestar to process the files). I just ignored those files when I was using my DVC 150. theoretically you should be able to use dvxcel at whatever bitrate you want and avoid rerendering with tmpgenc. but that is a really low bitrate. are you capturing at full d1? at that bitrate the quality is going to be pretty low.

[Garibaldi]

Sorry, what is full d1? I just did a calculation of the files I had rendered with TMPGENC with 1800 bitrate. I figured out that the file size for an mpeg captured with dvxcel for 1 minute should be 15 mb. My capture was 23 mb. I then tried it again at 1800000 (I think this is 1800 with the bits included) for 3 minutes. It should have been around 30 mb but instead it was 73. I also noticed that the video quality was not very good. I reset the bitrate to 4200000 and the quality was fine. But the video was 40 mbs for a 1 minute clip. So a 43 minute clip would be 1720 mb. So this way you could get 2 43 minute clips on a dvd. I wonder if the encoder in TMPGENC somehow compresses the mpeg in a way that doesn't reduce the quality nearly as much as this?

[qlizard]

full D1 is 720x480 resolution (NTSC). Some people use half D1, 352x480 to be able to lower the bitrate and get approximately the same quality as full D1 at a high bitrate.
Actually now that you mention it, I remember some of the die hard DVC 150 users doing about what you do. They would capture using DVXCEL using a full D1 at high bitrate and then use tmpgenc to reprocess it at a lower bitrate. They would swear by the results, but the settings were really tricky. Others didn't have the patience to figure it out or wait for the reprocessing and would just use half D1. I was in the second camp at the time.

[Garibaldi]

So are you saying that I could set the capture with dvxcel to half d1 with the default bitrate of 4200000 and pretty much achieve what I want in quality and file size? I wish there was a way to capture with the quality of rendering with TMPGENC. Is there anything link that on that link you were talking about? I think I may have an alternate solution. Capture your video at the default quality, 4200000. Then edit it all you want and eventually author your dvd so you get your vob and ifo files. Then use DVD shrink and set the streams ratio to about 50% and remake your dvd files. I tried this with a 30 sec capture with dvxcel that was 15 mb (twice as big as with TMPGENC and 1800). I then made the ifo and vob and did the above process and reduced the file to 8 mb, about what it should be. If you come up with anything else please let me know, especially if you find that link. Thanks for all your help.

[qlizard]

I just tested the link and it is dead. It was hosted on Paul Becker's site, although I don't think he created it. I ran across a thread from another site which mentions it. This person, rsquirrel, is a DVC guru, the creator and proponent of the tmpgenc rerendering process which I described. Maybe he still frequents that board.

http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26988

[Garibaldi]

qlizard, do you have the specs I would need for capturing in 352x480. Should I lower the bitrate and capture in this format. What is the best settings to use? If you find another link to that app please let me know. Thanks.

[qlizard]

You just select that as your resolution in dvxcel. It is one of the options.
What is your source? If VHS or broadcast TV, you shouldn't have any or much adverse effect by using 352x480. Just use the bitrate you have calculated to get the episodes per disk you want. You may have to play around a bit. But those those low bitrates, the quality will be much better than using full resolution.

[Capmaster]

I have this thing called a Digital Video Creator 150. Its an external device that basically converts composite rca plugs into usb that runs into the computer. I was wondering anyone knows of another capture program that works with the DVC besides Moviestar 5. I know alot of capture programs recognize it as a capture device, but I have yet to find one that actually will capture without giving me an error.

If you have a Dazzle product, you might just want to check on something. Open regedit and see if you have a key called "SAA7114". If you do, that means the front end prescaler is the same as the one used on the DVCII.

Search for a registry key called "AudioClockGeneration", find "Reg3A" and verify that it is set to "1" and not "9". If not, you might want to change it. That's the hardware audio/video clock lock and should improve sync.

If you don't have those keys, then disregard

[Garibaldi]

What is your source? If VHS or broadcast TV, you shouldn't have any or much adverse effect by using 352x480.

Yea my source is VHS of tv shows, so I should be able to go in the ballpark of 2000000 and be okay. Thanks for all the help.

Capmaster, where would I look in the registry? In Current User, Local Machine, or Classes Root? What would that do, make other programs able to capture from the dvc? I probably should make a restore point too before screwing with the registry.

[Capmaster]

What is your source? If VHS or broadcast TV, you shouldn't have any or much adverse effect by using 352x480.

Yea my source is VHS of tv shows, so I should be able to go in the ballpark of 2000000 and be okay. Thanks for all the help.

Capmaster, where would I look in the registry? In Current User, Local Machine, or Classes Root? What would that do, make other programs able to capture from the dvc? I probably should make a restore point too before screwing with the registry.

Garibaldi,
Sorry this took 5 days

Start at the top of the registry and use the "Find" from the edit menu.

All that does is set the hardware audio/video clock lock in the front-end Philips SAA7114 prescaler. Nothing more.

BTW, don't forget to use the "F3" key after you modify it to see if you have other instances of the same key, and modify those as well

[xinjingqiao]

Hi,

I have a product called a Dazzle DVC USB. Is this the same as the 150? I used it a couple of years before and got pretty good results and then put it away when I was finished. The main problem I had with it is that the moviestar program wanted all of the DLL's to be just so, so if you installed anything on the computer that changed the settings, it wouldn't work. Will your suggestions for the 150 work for my hardware? I am also trying to convert VHS to VCD, SVCD ...probably not DVD though I may want to store the VCD's on a DVD disk to take up less room. I also have a Buzz multimedia capture device that is about 5 years old. Its main weakness when it came out is that it required exprensive hardware at the time to make good quality products. Now a 7200 rpm hard drive is less than $100 so I am trying to decide which option to pursue.

Thanks

[Garibaldi]

I have a product called a Dazzle DVC USB. Is this the same as the 150?

The DVC USB is probably an older model, similar but not the same to the dvc 150. You could use the methods mentioned above if you have the DVXCEL capture utility. Sincel you are working with VCD & SVCD, your capture size will be different that 720x480 anyway, but you should be able to use the 352x480 also.

[Garibaldi]

Thanks Capmaster for your reply. I won't have access to my computer until the end of the week, but I'll check out my registry then. thanks again.

[sacajaweeda]

I had the Dazzle DVC-100 when I first started out and it wasn't getting me very good results. I eventually went with a PCI card to capture stuff with and switched OS in the meantime. I later went back to try and use my Dazzle for something (I forget what it was) only to find that the software that came with it was pretty much limited to Windows 9x, and apparently discontinued/dropped from the support lineup when Pinnacle bought them out. So basicly I've got an ornament now. It looks cool up on my shelf, but other than that it's pretty much absolutely ******* useless.

[sacajaweeda]

It wasn't USB 2.0 so that's probably why they dropped it like a hot rock.

I thought about unloading it on eBay but I just couldn't bring myself to putting a ******* on some unsuspecting stranger like that.

[pchan]

It looks cool up on my shelf, but other than that it's pretty much absolutely ******* useless.

I agree absolutely. A basic BT878 PCI capture card is good enough for analog capture with a proper capture software and video codec.

[tomk]

Hi there,

sorry to jump in to a former question.

I wrote some little tools a while ago for my dvc 150.

Dvexcelpatcher : Patches dvxcel to write up to 7 GB
mzlmerger : merges all files mentioned in a .MZL into one file
dtool : allows scheduled captues via dvxcel.

If you like to get it, give me a mail.
Its completely free, but you may only use it on NTFS-partitions (2000, XP) and at your own risk.

Pls. remember that dvxcel needs no installation, it comes with the dvx3xx driver package. But to get it to work I had to deinstall pinnacle studio.

I did my VHS videos with dvxcel + dvdshrink + tmpged dvd author.

[Garibaldi]

Capmaster,
I finally checked my registry and I don't have any of those keys. Thanks anyway for all the help.