Analog, Digital, High Definition, and Capture Card

[Razortceps]

Ok this is a stupid question, but if I recorded in Digital over Analog it would look better and then when I went to go play the recording on someone elses Tv it would also look better, yes or no? Would same also apply to when look at Digital and High Definiton? Now lets say I had the DVD player connected to a TV with Digital cable using compenent cables and a Tv that was High Definiton with a High Definition signal and it was connecxt with composite cables which would look better? Finally if I were to use a Capture Card and connect it to my TV and then send the broadcast to my computer and record onto a DVD computer recorder instead of my DVD recorder connected to my TV, which would look better. I have an Analog cable by the way. Also for the record how does a Capture Card measure up to the other guys. Or is it all the same becaus the Capture Card would be getting the same siginal your TV DVD recorder would be getting? Ok thanks a lot, I know its a lot of questions, but I want to become more knowledge about all this stuff like you guys.

[Frobozz]

Those are very good questions.
1. The recording quality of digital versus analog depends on the quality setting you are using with either and the type of analog recording (SVHS or VHS). Digital has the potential to be better. However, your picture can't be better than the original sources.

2. The picture won't look any different using component inputs if the source video is not HD, is not progressive-scan video DVD, or is not "enhanced for 16:9" anamorphic DVD played on a widescreen TV. None of these apply to your situation.

3. You will not get better picture quality by capturing to a computer and then exporting back to a DVD recorder. You will get the benefit of doing editing on your computer.

4. Capture cards are great when you want to use your computer's software and DVD burner for making DVDs from your TV programs. Most digital camcorders also do what a capture card does. You don't need this if you have a standalone DVD recorder.

[Nelson37]

1.agree

2. I'm not certain, but if the original question was comparing DVD output thru component to a down-sampled HD signal fed thru composite, the answer is that it depends on the (probably better) quality of the DVD, which is fully maintained thru the component cables, to the (probably lesser) quality of the down-sampled HD feed, down-sampling inherently being forced by the use of composite cable.

3. This would simply depend on the quality of the capture card versus the quality of the DVD recorder. Capture card has MANY more options than simply 2, 4, or 6 hour record.

4. See #3

To summarize, the answer is "it depends".