ADS USB Instant DVD

[stebren]

I'm researching this product that TigerDirect sells for $199. Anyone ever use this? It claims that it can record video at full screen MPEG2 (704 x 480 @ 30fps) D-1 broadcast resolution or other resolutions. It also says that it can record in MPEG1 format to produce VCD or SVCD disks. Are these mutually exclusive?

Bottom line, can I use this to capture real time from my VHS and produce high quality SVCD? Is the quality of the SVCD it produces similar to VHS? Will I be able to not tell the difference? Is this a good way to archive my VHS tapes?

Any guidance is appreciated!


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: stebren on 2002-01-13 09:50:50 ]</font>

[rcbax]

sounds good, but at least up until now, many people have had problems with USB leaving choppy or jerky pictures, due to slower bandwidth of USB vs. a PCI card.

If someone has success with this I'd sure like to know.

[Greg12]

Well acutally USB can send 7.5 megs per second.

[kinneera]

Ummmm, no:

USB 1.0 = 12Mbps = 1.5MB/s
USB 2.0 = 412Mbps (as close as I can recall) = 51.5MB/s

USB 2.0 is hardly in use, so I presume we're talking about 1.0. Sufficient for DVD bitrates in theory, but who really knows with the overhead associated with USB.

[gtwhite707]

I just bought the USB Instant DVD and found the following to be the case:

1. This device has numerous capture settings, ranging from VCD, to SVCD, to DVD formats, with DVD having settings of 3Mb, 4Mb, and 5Mb rates.

2. Audio is passed thru the device and captured by the PC (???)

3. My system uses the v1 USB interface (12Mb) and I haven't had any hiccups with dropped frames, even at the highest speed capture. So far, so good.

NOTE: Be sure nothing else is using the USB ports on your system. I had a small video camera connected, and my system stuttered a bit. Disconnecting the camera took care of that.

The only other problem I had was during the software installation. Downloading "DCOM" from the Microsoft site and installing that took care of my s/w problem.

I hope this helps!...

Terry near Baltimore, MD USA

[loudanddeep]

Terry,

What motherboard chipset, processor, and OS do you use?

Also, can you still sample from the audio in on your sound card? (not video, but just like from what ever audio you want on the line in)

TIA

dp

[mschark]

I'd like to know more about this card. Any users that own it...please post your experiences. If anyone knows of a good review geared toward VCD/SVCD creation, please post a URL.

Thanks!

[TheInformer]

mschark,

Here's a URL for you if you want to read up on other user's experiences regarding the device:

http://www.wwug.com/forums/ads-tech/index.htm

[gtwhite707]

loudanddeep,

My system consists of an Intel PIII/1Ghz cpu, WIN98SE, and I'm using the Asus CUSL2 mobo with the Intel 815e chipset.

The audio is run into the InstantDVD box, then run from that box to the Line In of the PC's audio system. If I connected a mixer and ran the InstantDVD audio into it, along with other connections, yes, multiple line-in connections could work. Once I move into my new house, I'll set up this system further and push it to its limits. I can't wait!

[loudanddeep]

YOU HAVE TO CONNECT THE LINE OUT OF THE ADS TO YOUR SOUND CARD?????

What the heck is that about?

(yes, I know the sound card actually does the processing..)

does it still work if you put the line in directly to the sound card, and not mess with the box?
(save me some cables).

dp

[dood]

After a month of using this box, I have changed my opinion somewhat...and have returned the unit to buy.com.

It is a decent capture device if you want FAST. If you want DVD QUALITY, it will probably not meet your expectations.

Some problems do result from using the sound card for audio capture. Synch, volume, quality of audio...all variables that are introduced by using this method.

The video quality CAN be GREAT. But it does not process BRIGHT scenes (snow, sun on light objects) very well, resulting in severe "washout". Also, the more old VHS sources I got into, the more ARTIFACTING I got, probably from tape dropouts. My firewire DV capture of the same sources is clean, however.

ADS is on the right track, and this box may be great for VCD stuff. But for DVD quality, it just doesn't do it for me. I'm back to overnight encoding of my DV captures...more time, but the quality is perfect.

Dood

[Dano]

I am wondering if you can capture 480X480 in real-time. If not, then how can you get a compliant SVCD? BTW- SVCD should be MPEG2 not MPEG1. All the ads for the device say MPEG1?

[loudanddeep]

I ordered one of these and will post a review when I am done.

I will primarily be capturing vhs to vcd, and burning to nero.

dp