Capture Device

[NMeade]

Hello

I'm sorry this probably the 3rd/4th thread I've made about this issue. I had intentions of buying the HD PVR sometime next month but seems like I may not be able to get it at all due to several reasons. Anyway, I still want to at least get a capture device again, I got a new HDTV in December, but my problem is that it only has 1 set of component and only composite in, so I don't really know what type of capture device to get. Something that is like the HD PVR would be nice though (where you can just put component from my system (Wii) into the HD PVR and have the extra component cables go to the 1 component slot on the TV). I've looked around a bit but I haven't found much. My computer doesn't have a PCI-Xpress slot so getting an Intensity Pro or something isn't an option, any help?

My budget is around $60->$100 or so now to throw that out there. Thanks in advance for any help

[usually_quiet]

Hello

I'm sorry this probably the 3rd/4th thread I've made about this issue. I had intentions of buying the HD PVR sometime next month but seems like I may not be able to get it at all due to several reasons. Anyway, I still want to at least get a capture device again, I got a new HDTV in December, but my problem is that it only has 1 set of component and only composite in, so I don't really know what type of capture device to get. Something that is like the HD PVR would be nice though (where you can just put component from my system (Wii) into the HD PVR and have the extra component cables go to the 1 component slot on the TV). I've looked around a bit but I haven't found much. My computer doesn't have a PCI-Xpress slot so getting an Intensity Pro or something isn't an option, any help?

My budget is around $60->$100 or so now to throw that out there. Thanks in advance for any help

You need to lower your expectations. The only options given your budget and the limitations of your system are SD capture devices.

The only HD capture device at ~$100 is the AVerMedia AVerTV HD DVR, but that is not an option for you. A dual core CPU is recommended since it uses software to encode, and it has PCI-e x1 interface. Plus there is no video and audio pass-through like the HD PVR provides.

[edDV]

Also, you will find the h.264 files generated by the HD-PVR difficult to play with your Celeron CPU and display card. What is your display card?

You can obtain HD-PVR h.264 sample files to test on your system.

[jagabo]

Some HD PVR sample clips:

http://www.geektonic.com/2008/06/hauppauge-hd-pvr-unboxing-first-look.html
http://blog.arogan.com/2008/06/hauppauge-hd-pvr-model-1212.html

[NMeade]

Well, I was planning on upgrading my computer to at least a duo core processor before I made any purchase, but lets assume I don't have any budget then. Is there any device cheaper than the HD PVR that have video & audio pass through? If not I'll probably just wait out more months until I'm in a better situation to get it (my processor will at least be duo core by then).

And another question... in the interim from now until that may happen, I still have a functioning composite usb capture device around that I'd at least want to use, are there any adapters/anything I can buy to make it work? (there is only 1 composite in and 1 component slot on my television).

[edDV]

Your Celeron processor isn't up to encoding while capturing except at large bit rates. Best match would be a used Hauppauge PVR or similar that encodes the capture to MPeg2 in hardware. The Canopus ADVC would also work but is more expensive.

Cheapest solution but most tech savvy is a cheap PCI tuner card S-Video capture to Huffyuv intermediate codec.

These tuners are widely available used.

[usually_quiet]

Well, I was planning on upgrading my computer to at least a duo core processor before I made any purchase, but lets assume I don't have any budget then. Is there any device cheaper than the HD PVR that have video & audio pass through? If not I'll probably just wait out more months until I'm in a better situation to get it (my processor will at least be duo core by then).

And another question... in the interim from now until that may happen, I still have a functioning composite usb capture device around that I'd at least want to use, are there any adapters/anything I can buy to make it work? (there is only 1 composite in and 1 component slot on my television).

If you want try using only what you already have, and a free-standing VCR is available to you, you could try using that as a splitter for the standard wii composite cable. Video quality on the TV will not be wonderful, but capture quality may improve a little. Simple splitter cables and adapters (as shown in the many YouTube videos demonstrating capture set up), cut the video signal strength in half, and can reduce video quality. A VCR won't cause as great loss in signal strength. Composite video and stereo audio from the game console would go to the VCR. Coax from the VCR would go to the TV, which would be tuned to channel 3 or 4 depending on what the VCR uses. The composite video and stereo line out from the VCR would go to the capture device.

If I recall correctly from one of your other posts, you have a e-Machine SFF desktop and need a USB capture device. Not many of those hardware encode. ATI's TV Wonder 650 USB and Hauppauge's WinTV HVR-1950 are the best ones I know of that do. While both have some drawbacks as capture devices, they are sometimes available (possibly used) at less than $100. Both are SD only and there is no pass-through on either.

In addition you'll need to buy an S-Video cable for the wii to use S-Video for capture. If you were capturing video games before, then you probably already have splitters for the audio connections on the wii S-Video cable, and extension cables to connect between the splitters and the audio on your TV and capture card. The composite video connection on the S-video cable would be connected to the TV.

There is nothing for HD capture using a USB interface that is much cheaper than the Hauppauge HD-PVR. AverMedia makes something similar, the AverTV USB HD-DVR, but it is close to the same price.

[SHS]

Some HD PVR sample clips:

http://www.geektonic.com/2008/06/hauppauge-hd-pvr-unboxing-first-look.html
http://blog.arogan.com/2008/06/hauppauge-hd-pvr-model-1212.html

You forgot I also have some clip to at www.shspvr.com under Reviews
A cheaper new option is the Hauppauge Colussus HD-PVR
How ever you may want hit ebay for a used HD-PVR