Pro quality capture card/usb box?

[g_hendricks]

Hi everybody, I've been using a V-Stream Xpert USB2.0 DVD Maker to capture video from a normal VCR, and found the captures very pixellated. I then bought a H&B TX-100 USB box and tried that. While the captures were no longer pixellated, they seemed to about only half the resolution of the picture I could see on my TV at the same time as watching the recording on my PC.

I've tried all the recording format (MPEG2, MPEG4, DIVX) at high quality, and it makes no difference. Is this just what I have to expect the quality to be like, or are there more expensive cards (or preferably a USB box as my PC is in a different room to my monitor and mouse/keyboard) that will give me perfect quality archiving? I want it to look exactly the same as the picture I can see on my TV from the original tape, and I'm sure this must be possible. The two solutions I've tried so far were extremely cheap, (£25 and £40 respectively), so I don't mind paying £200 or more if I have to, to get it done right.

I have about 800 video tapes that I want to archive, things I taped off TV since 1986 or so, and I want to get them done right the first time, at the best possible quality.

I apologise in advance if this question has already been asked and answered here, I did search but couldn't come up with any answers.
Many thanks for your help in advance.

[jameshgross]

Check out http://www.hauppauge.com/

[hrlslcbr]

As jameshgross said, the happauge cards are good for what you want. I can recommend the ATI TV wonder elite (or any card with the theatre 550 pro chip... they're all the same). I've been using one for some time, and I've only got great results.

[Barnabas]

Although I own a Hauppauge PVR-250, I use a Canopus ADVC-55 for my video tape conversions. Video tapes are such poor quality to start with, but will need to tweak them as much as possible. You need a good TBC too or watch out for dropped frames.

[FulciLives]

I say go with a DV captue device such as the DataVideo DAC-100 or the Canopus ADVC-100/110

As far as MPEG-2 capture goes the best I've seen was from the ADS Instant DVD 2.0

The DV devices above are external and work via FIREWIRE whereas the ADS product is a USB 2.0 external device.

The nice thing about the ADS is you can capture 15,000kbps CBR with "I" frames only. That is the highest quality MPEG-2 capture you can get with consumer grade gear. However a DV capture may look even better than that but some feel the NTSC 4:1:1 color sampling of the DV format is a big NO NO.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[davideck]

If all you want to do is archive without editing, it's hard to beat a Hauppauge 250, especially for 800 tapes. Real Time encoder! Excellent quality. No dropped frames. No hassles.

I did find that a TBC was absolutely essential for preventing Video/Audio skew. I like my DataVideo TBC-3000 because it has nice Proc Amp controls built in. Money well spent.

I consider my PC setup to be the ideal DVD Recorder for me.

[junkmalle]

I then bought a H&B TX-100 USB box and tried that. While the captures were no longer pixellated, they seemed to about only half the resolution of the picture I could see on my TV at the same time as watching the recording on my PC.

I don't know anything about that capture device but don't be too quick to write it off. Televisions use sharpening filters because they always receive fuzzy low bandwidth video signals. Computer monitors normally recieve very sharp high bandwidth signals from the video card so they don't perform any sharpening. So when you watch a low bandwidth TV signal on a computer monitor it will not be as sharp as the same signal on a TV. At least make a few test burns of your captured video onto DVD and watch them on TV.

[The_Doman]

I have about 800 video tapes that I want to archive, things I taped off TV since 1986 or so, and I want to get them done right the first time, at the best possible quality.....

I want it to look exactly the same as the picture I can see on my TV from the original tape, and I'm sure this must be possible....

800 tapes is really a lot!
You have to ask yourself how much time you want to invest ofcourse!
The best possible way would be with some DV capture device like Canopus, DataVideo ADVC in combination with a TBC or a DV camcorder with analog in.
But you need lot's of time to edit, filter and creating MPG of it.
But it can give pretty good results!
For example this is from VHS though my DV camcorder and converted to MPEG.
http://rapidshare.de/files/4718179/MTV_Naughty_Boy.mpg.html
http://rapidshare.de/files/4718576/Diesel_Creature_VHS.VOB.html
(Use the free download link!)

Maybe you should also consider a DVD/HD recorder with a good TBC function!
This can save you lot's of time and give pretty good results.

A hardware MEG2 capture card with a TBC will indeed give comparable or even better results.
The Hauppauge 250 for example seems to work well, but difficult to get these days.
Don't get the hauppauge PVR150, that one will only give you troubles!

[MpegEncoder]

800 tapes is really a lot!

Yes, sounds like it's time to go to a professional service.