DIY Video Mixer? Can this be done with WinPC?

[tedbragg]

My Videonics MX-100 mixer died recently, and I cannot afford to replace it with another. My setup uses three SD cameras with s-video outs.

I have a spare Vista PC.

Can a Windows PC handle three video capture cards? We're not talking about recording the three streams, just preview them on-screen. the recorded stream is which ever input is selected.

Eight years ago I worked for a cable co., and they had a single board in a Pentium 2 that could switch between and mix four video signals -- with 256megs of ram AND it was all done under Windows 98!

So, surely there's a way to make it happen with a modern PC.

Right?
Can this be done, and what software do I need?

[filmboss80]

If you cannot afford to replace an el-cheapo Videonics mixer, I don't think you could pay for a PC solution. (Off-hand I can think of the NewTek TriCaster, but that's several grand. Some variation of NewTek hardware and software is probably what your cable company had a few years back.) Edirol makes some solid-but-relatively-cheap production switchers. Do a search.

[olyteddy]

Eight years ago I worked for a cable co., and they had a single board in a Pentium 2 that could switch between and mix four video signals -- with 256megs of ram AND it was all done under Windows 98!

That sounds like the Video Toaster. IIRC it was originally for m68000 based Amigas and Macs, but they did port it to 8086 Intel based CPUs.