Capture PC Question

[Smack2k]

After reading through some of the various documents / information on the site, I saw a few times mentions of a dedicated WIndows XP machine setup just for capturing....with that in mind, I was curious if someone could tell me in a little more depth about this......Does this a Windows XP install, capture software, capture card and that;s it? Or does it mean removing certain things from base XP Install, making tweaks to the OS to help with Capturing specifically....

Thanks!

[Eric-jan]

Most of the time, the "dedication" means that it can run the old capture device, driver wise, and old capture software, that isn't updated for the newer OS.
There are only few capture devices that run on a good recent Operating System.
what also important for capture is, that you have fast enough hardware, motherboard, fast storage. (new PC)
If you are happy with the results of a combo recorder, VCR/DVD/HDD, then go for that option and convert/edit that material, that's the easiest way to go.
otherwise Google for example cases on the internet, a solid state hardware recorder can also be a an option, to be sure, google for examples, specs, and setups.

btw. better have the PC with old OS, not connected to the internet, because the old OS isn't supported for security updates, which is a big disadvantage of Micro$oft.

[Smack2k]

Lol....I have a bunch of reteo computer and none have internet access.....

The information i read said that using older AGP ready PCs arebetter for capturing VHS than newer PCs. Does that still stand true?

[usually_quiet]

Lol....I have a bunch of reteo computer and none have internet access.....

The information i read said that using older AGP ready PCs arebetter for capturing VHS than newer PCs. Does that still stand true?

When it comes to SD analog capture, some members here do indeed still have a very high regard for a few of the ATI All-In-Wonder cards with AGP interfaces.

Historical note: At about the same time that AMD bought ATI and Windows Vista was released, the PCI-e interface became dominant. Post merger, AMD decided that no new drivers or updated capture software would be released for the older AGP All-In-Wonder cards to make them compatible with newer operating systems. In addition, while some new PCI-e All-In-Wonder cards were released, they did not match the excellence of the best AGP All-In-Wonder cards for analog capture.

[Eric-jan]

I guess the AGP slot has the faster throughput to transfer (capture) data through to the storage media HDD, SSD.
It would be great to have a capture device using USB-C in that case... That's why i liked the Intensity Shuttle which has Thunderbold 2, there's also a USB 3.0 version, but the Thunderbold interface (MacBook Pro) isn't used for other functions, which helps in performance.
It comes down to that speed is an important factor, but that means that alternative device are in the semi-pro sector, and are sensitive, needing a clean video signal, which VHS can't produce most of the time.

On the other hand, because those USB (2) devices are so cheap, you can try several of them, some even capture straight into Mpeg2/4, you should not re-encode that material ofcourse, that way it is more affordable, then buying extra equipment like TBC etc... it's all about how you set your standard, and for whom you are doing "the work"