Which of these TV-cards capture analog to AVI, using Huffyuv or M-JPEG,...

[dOdGE dIZ]

...if any, of course?

I'm talking about the TerraTec Cinergy HT PCI (Conexant CX23880) or Pinnacle PCTV Dual Hybrid Pro PCIe (Philips SAA7162). User information about either cards is lacking.

Also, if the TerraTec card "wins", can I run two of them simultaneously? What issues can I run into? What software to use?

The board will be iP35 based, with a fast 2core CPU (3.2GHz+) and HDD (SATA2,500GB).

Thank you.

[edDV]

Any uncompressed capture/tuner card.
Huffyuv and M-JPEG usually use realtime software codecs.

The old Miro/Pinnacle Zoran chip based cards with hardware MJPEG codecs are obsolete for lack of current XP/Vista drivers. You would need to run Win98se, NT4 or NT5.

[jagabo]

You will not be able to capture from two raw YUV capture cards at the same time. Give up on that thought.

[dOdGE dIZ]

Any uncompressed capture/tuner card.

And these are?...

The old Miro/Pinnacle Zoran chip based cards with hardware MJPEG codecs are obsolete for lack of current XP/Vista drivers. You would need to run Win98se, NT4 or NT5.

I'm still using the DC10plus with WinXPpro. Damn fine card for S-video capture, even if with some minor A/V synch issues at times (easily correctable). And I'm not thinking of going Vista for now. The problem is I can't make timed recordings/captures. That's not what that card was made for.

You will not be able to capture from two raw YUV capture cards at the same time. Give up on that thought.

OK then, M-JPEG for dual tuner, YUV for single tuner. Right? Anyway, I'm not looking to capture (near) lossless all the time, but am interested in having it available if needed.

I just mentioned those cards because they're available here in Europe. But I'm open to suggestions.

Thank you.

PS: I have no use for DVB-T for, at least, another 4-5 years but I won't find analog-only TV-cards for sale now.

[edDV]

Your thinking is 4-10 years back. Lunchtime here. I'd like to bring you up to date for modern hardware encoding capture cards. I'll be back this evening.

Others may help.

[dOdGE dIZ]

You mean "hardware MPEG encoding capture cards"? If so I pass.

I want the ability to capture as AVI because, either for archiving or work purposes, I need the flexibility it provides while editing. And, since I encode all my stuff with Xvid I see no point in adding yet another layer of compression, using an outdated, cumbersome and fairly inefficient format.

Furthermore, with todays CPUs raw processing power, bus bandwidth and speed, and amazingly sophisticated software-based codecs, I may not be able to handle two uncompressed video streams simultaneously, but lightly, M-JPEG compressed ones? That's kids play.

Anyway, I don't wish to start (yet another) debate on the merits of X vs Y vs Z encoding solutions.

Just want to know whether these cards -or others- do whatt I want/need.

Thank you.

[edDV]

You mean "hardware MPEG encoding capture cards"? If so I pass.

I want the ability to capture as AVI because, either for archiving or work purposes, I need the flexibility it provides while editing. And, since I encode all my stuff with Xvid I see no point in adding yet another layer of compression, using an outdated, cumbersome and fairly inefficient format.

Furthermore, with todays CPUs raw processing power, bus bandwidth and speed, and amazingly sophisticated software-based codecs, I may not be able to handle two uncompressed video streams simultaneously, but lightly, M-JPEG compressed ones? That's kids play.

Anyway, I don't wish to start (yet another) debate on the merits of X vs Y vs Z encoding solutions.

Just want to know whether these cards -or others- do whatt I want/need.

Thank you.

Choices are PAL to uncompressed with software codec (many choices), DV format hardware compression off an external tuner (I do this), DVB direct recording, and MPeg2/MPeg4 variations.

[vhelp]

last time on: Feb 18, 2008 Mon pm

Because the topic is mainly wrapped around the (popular) Pinnacle analog capture cards, I'll
try and stay within that area.

I've been a long time fan of the Pinnacle DC10plus (hardware MJPEG) capture card for many
years, though I did use other cards along side it inside a WIN98 gold Intel and then AMD XP
computer systems. But, if it weren't for its limited 640x480 pixel resolution, I'd prob still be
using it today. Well, maybe.. there's lots of other changes in the video capturing scene.

For VHS work, I would have used the DC10plus, but the 640x480 pixel seems too limited for
my transfer -to- dvd needs. And so, I use the card (see below) otherwise, the another card
suitable for the job -- not all vhs tapes are alike and they do have their own convoluted set
of rules to realize and beat through the avenue of knowlege and skill, etc., and of course,
equipment.

Today, I'm using a Pinnacle Studio AV/DV analog capture card inside an upgraded computer
system running Windows XP Home edition. The card (IMHO) provides flawlessly for all my
analog (though noisy) cabletv. Some say it will be shut off around Feb/2009 here in the
states, but I think that number is mostly approx, according to content provider around the
NTSC and prob globe as well (withink there respective planned cutt-off dates)

If I were archving or doing restoration with Laserdisc, then I would throw in my other better
card-for-the-job, the Winfast TV-2000 XP Expert. It (again, IMHO) outperforms all my other
cards in this scheme of things -- using the laserdisc composite connection of course.

Personally, I like the many capture cards available (yester-year and currently today) ranging
from Pinnacle; ATI; Hauppauge; Winfast; and many others. All these capture cards perform
very well. The main "catch" in getting them to cooporating effeciently in a particular system
is with respect to proper (capture card) driver support and (windows operating system)
driver support and installations. That includes cpu internals.. ie: IRQ and DMA and a few other
system areas. Otherwise, all these cards would perform exactly as they are stated.

Ok.. back to the point..

If I understood you correctly, you want to do some timed captures but can't with the dc10 ??

Actually, I think you can, using Virtualdub. I think one of the versions have that feature
built in, though you have to do some searching around, to be sure, unless someone here has
already done this. The only thing you have to do is make sure your dc10plus driver is capable
of being seen by virtualdub. So, you might have to bump down a few virtualdub versions to
get to one of its VFW driver support cause I think the latests one's are mostly serving the
newer DirectShow video driver support.

Also, the long (and sort of forgotten) avi_io also has timer features or something like that.
You can look into those as well. Again, the dc10plus will work in these capture apps, cause
I used to use them with my dc10plus in the past.. oh, the memories

So, if you get that all sorted out, then you won't have to go looking for another capture card.

-vhelp 4549

[dOdGE dIZ]

Choices are PAL to uncompressed with software codec...

Can any of these cards/chipsets handle that?

...(many choices),...

Which ones, PLEEEASE!!!!

...DV format hardware compression...

I also have a Matrox RT-2500, which captures DV, but find it softens picture more than the DC10plus. At least from TV. Not that I'd use it as a TV-card anyway...

...an external tuner (I do this),...

I do that too, using a JVC S-VHS VCR, but that's a) impractical, due to the lack of timed recording function, and b) impossible, if I want to record two concurrent programs.

...DVB direct recording...

Yes, but for now I'm talking analog cable-TV capture only. No DVB-T for a few years still. DVB-S is handled separately and DVB-C is a non issue.

[dOdGE dIZ]

I've been a long time fan of the Pinnacle DC10plus (hardware MJPEG) capture card for many years, though I did use other cards along side it inside a WIN98 gold Intel and then AMD XP computer systems.

Weird, this is like reading my own diary. If I had one...

I can understand why people were(are) reluctant to give up on this "little video-capture-card that could". And it really could(and can)! Up to a point of course.

Try as I might I can't find a solution to the lack of timed recording function (as in Scheduled "StartRec Hour/StopRec Hour" Recording, not Capture xxxSec.). Not in Vdub, VirtualVCR, AMcap, Ulead VidCap, Premiere, etc., etc.. And that's very annoying. Having to tape whatever with the VCR (fine one but no contest to the full 768x576 resolution, not to mention chroma limitation/deviation) and then capture it, is time consuming, wasteful in resources, introduces unacceptable degradation in quality... Well, the list goes on.

So you see, I'm not looking to retire the DC10plus (just yet), but to add functionalities it was never meant to have: Fire'n'Forget Recording List, Time-shift, etc., but without sacrificing the quality and flexibility I've grown accustomed with the Pinnacle card.

Thank you (both).

[freebird73717]

Try as I might I can't find a solution to the lack of timed recording function (as in Scheduled "StartRec Hour/StopRec Hour" Recording, not Capture xxxSec.). Not in VirtualVCR....

Click here for a scheduler for Virtual VCR

[jagabo]

If you have capture software that supports command line arguements you can use Windows' Task Scheduler to start it whenever necessary.

[edDV]

I'm not getting the question. Any uncompressed tuner/capture card can be used with software codecs. You want a card that outputs YCbCr at 720x576 for best mapping to DVD. 640x480 output would need software upscale scaling to 720x576 so would be inferior for that reason.

If the question is which specific tuner/ADC hardware is best for PAL these days, I'm out of date on that.

[Chaoji3791]

"I'm still using the DC10plus with WinXPpro..."

How on earth did you manage that? I've tried everything and can't get my old DC10+ to work on XP Pro.

While I'm here, does anyone know of a 2008 version of the DC10+? I want good old-fashioned interframe M-JPEG capture, not MPEG capture.

[dOdGE dIZ]

...Any uncompressed tuner/capture card can be used with software codecs. You want a card that outputs YCbCr at 720x576 for best mapping to DVD [resolution]...

You mean then that if I use PicVideo or Morgan Multimedia MJPEG Codec or Huffyuv (or whatever) both those TV-cards will recognize the software codec and capture through it?

You see, because both my cards capture/encode via hardware (Zoran chip on the DC10plus, Matrox DV/MPEG2 on the RT) and allow no other codec to do so, I was left wondering whether these will (and wasn't feeling like wasting €90+ finding out). Is that what you meant by "4-10 years ago thinking"? If so I must apologize for not being clearer.

I've tried everything and can't get my old DC10+ to work on XP Pro

Web-search for "DC10plusHardwareInstall.exe". You should find several links to "Studio AV and Studio DC10plus Hardware Installer v 2.1.3.43" from July/2006. It is official and supports WinXP. But it asks for the original CD during install. If this don't work drop me a line.

Take care.

[jagabo]

[quote="dOdGE dIZ"]

You mean then that if I use PicVideo or Morgan Multimedia MJPEG Codec or Huffyuv (or whatever) both those TV-cards will recognize the software codec and capture through it?

With cards that capture uncompressed YUY2 (or a similar YUV format) the software can use propietary, VFW, or DirectShow encoders to compress before saving. But exactly what options you have available depends on the capture software and what encoders you have installed.

For example, if VirtualDub can capture YUY2 from the card it can use whatever VFW encoders you have installed. HuffYUV, PicVideo MJPEG, etc.