Best sub $100 capture card

[nfl2k2]

I'm doing some computer updating soon and right now I use my Radeon 64mb ddr VIVO for video capturing. I'm going to be selling that card and buying a Radeon 8500, which doesn't have VIVO. I need a pci card that way when I update my PC again I can keep the same card and not have to worry about getting another one. There is no need to get a expensive card because I only capture a few times per month. please recommend me a good card for less than 100$$

[Barnabas]

Get a PV-231 or PV-233 card. I have an ATI All In Wonder, an ADS Instant DVD and a PV-231. The PV-231 beats the other 2 for quality, ease of use and editing, even though it's only Mpeg-1, it makes great looking caps.

[aznguy]

Read my post!!! it will help maybe:

http://forum.vcdhelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=95496

[nfl2k2]

I'll probably end up getting this card http://www.shopati.com/product.asp?sku=1755007

[Barnabas]

Poor choice if you want to capture with little trouble. NO hardware encoding compression with ANY ATI, where as the PV cards use a winbond compression chip. All cards are NOT equal. Hell, with my ATI card, I can't get past X x 240 in an AVI, and all real time mpeg compression is done via software and looks VERY poor.
.

I'll probably end up getting this card http://www.shopati.com/product.asp?sku=1755007

[Macros746]

If I were you I would hold off for a while...the drove of capture-able Radeon cards is coming. I just read a stellar review for the Unitech Optimus 8500 eXP...which, in addition to being a monster gaming card and being under $200, has a VIVO/capture function. I haven't been able to find one online yet but it will be soon........


Macros746

[nfl2k2]

What is a good website to buy the PV cards from?

[Barnabas]

Are you in the US or where in the world?

What is a good website to buy the PV cards from?

[fravel]

You can get PV231 or PV233 card at:

www.store.yahoo.com/akidacomputer/index.html

Look for capture cards.
Good Luck!
fravel

[MOVIEGEEK]

ATI cards are fine,it's the software that stinks.Get Cyberlink PowerVCR,
up to 720x480 capture@9000kbps(mpeg-1 & 2)

[Barnabas]

I totally disagree that ATI cards are "great". They may "look" great to people that have not used something better, but they produce a softer video, that looks rather poor next to a better card. Check out:
http://steve.kittelsen.com/pv231/ for more info. Stay away from the ATI cards for capturing.

You can sometimes pick up these cards on eBay.

[Macros746]

That is ridiculous. If you capture using an AIW card to Huffy or MJEG there is absolutely nothing 'soft' about the picture. And, if you capture directly to MPEG2 tweaked to the high end it looks gorgeous. I will agree that the capping directly to MPEG has unfavorable results..but I don't see that that is necessary....


Macros

[Digitizer]

I must voice in defense of ATI cards also
They may have compatibility issues, but so do many other cards. My first card was one of Pinnacle's DC10 line. It was a nightmare. USB connection, required messing with BIOS, and the MPEG quality was simply horrible. ATI works great on my system. I was desperate to get a card that at least worked for me and TV Wonder did it. Besides, do I hear that WinTV uses the same capture driver? What is the point of trying something else then? If it is software that you are interested in, then I do not remember the last time I bought a piece of hardware that came with good software. The recent example is Pioneer DVD writer. MyDVD that it came with should be used by CIA to question terrorists by making them use the friggin' program. Getting a card that works for you is hard enough, don't look at the software. Most people in here use VDub and Tsunami anyway. Nothing else that you need really.

[Barnabas]

You might want to ask Steve Kittelsen, who is not only a moderator here, but also has more experience with capturing than most users here. I own or have owned the following cards:

ATI All In Wonder
Creative Labs Digital VCR
PV-231
ADS Instant DVD

From my personal expereince with the cards listed above, I can ONLY recommend the PV-231 as a great, and inexpensive capture card that does HARDWARE MPEG-1 encoding. It can only capture in Mpeg-1, and can't do AVI, but the captures the card makes look better than anything my ATI card makes, even at a higher size. The ATI cards have NO hardware encoding at all, it's all done via software.

Hope you find something you like.

[bryanjohnfields]

I agree with the PV-231 being the best Card for less than $100. I have owned several cards and for ease of use and quality nothing beats the PV-231.

It makes great VCD's, I recorded a lot of shows like ER, CSI, etc. and they looked very good.

If you’re really concerned about quality, you can Capture at a higher bit rate and re-encode to make a XVCD or XSVCD. If I wanted to archive something I would capture at 6000bps and re-encode at VBR to fill at 700mb CD. These XVCD's looked as good at the Original Satellite Feed. Also, doing it this way doesn’t take up nearly as much space as capturing a uncompressed AVI and encoding.



BTW, I have my PV-231 on eBay right now. I have switched to doing everything in SVCD or MPEG2 and no longer use it.

[rsuave5]

my 2 cents is this: i have a ati tv wonder ve and i paid 49.00 for it, i capture 6-8 hours from my vcr a month and the odd tv show using avi_io i like it and i think it captures good i view tv fine. now i must say the software blows dont try to capture wuth it use some thing else to capture, youll pull your hair out getting the settings right then youll be fine is it worth the money? to me well worth it!

[jonhildrum]

I'm using ATI AIW Radeon. It provides good capture with MMC 7.7.
The price on these cards are quite reasonable these days. Radeon AIW for around $75 and the radeon 7500 for around $125

I capture at DVD quality and burn at 1/2 DVD since the quality as viewed on TV is quite close to what I see with full DVD resolution. Not surprising since the source material (cable or VHS ) limits the final quality.

No problems at any resolution or capture format I have tried but i have a reasonably fast processor (AMD 2100).