capturing options

[twitch]

Hi

Well I am getting into video capturing at the moment, I will be hoping to do a lot of music vids as well as tv shows, also "archive" heaps of old tapes ectt... At the end of it though I will probably want to encode as a vcd file. I plan to get a dedicated comp for this. MY questions is the captrue method. I have looked at a few options, but unsure where to go. Am I better with a; a tv card or ; A product like the dazzle dv bridge or another solution someone can sugest . I want to go for quality but not through money away. I belive that by using the Dazzle(for example) that I "wont" lose any frames as the dazzle does the procesing and the comp just sees it as a digital signal. Another thought I had, Is it possible to get a portable small mini dv camera, with a fire wire port, use a converter I have seen on the web that alows you to give a rca signal to a camera, stick a tape in it on pause records and use the video camera and a dazzle dv bridge, for example. So the camera ould be a moniter as sorts. I plan to get a vid camera at soome stage so It might be worth me saving the extra.

any and all coments would be great.

thanks

[Tommy]

I guess its all what you want to do. The tv card option has worked for many people here and is by far the most popular. Its easy and the equipment can be had at a good price.

Now about the Dv bridge, why would you need a dv bridge and a mini dv camcorder? Its normally one or the other. Many mini dv camcorders will allow you to input a analog signal and record it to tape or use the camcorder as a passthough. Either way the signal can be exported to your computer via a firewire connection. Also if you had the dv bridge you wouldn't need the camcorder. If your going to get a camera anyway get the camera and forget the dv bridge.

About losing frames. if your getting a new computer or your current computer has enough speed (processor, hard drive speed) you shouldn't lose any frame with a video capture card.