capture card that won't make me go broke!

[apassmore]

I've returned Dazzle back to the store... guess I should have done research before buying, so that's why I'm here!

I want something that can capture my VHS into my computer and burn out as a VCD. What's the most user friendly and affordable with good quality?

Many thanks
amy

[fmctm1sw]

I've returned Dazzle back to the store... guess I should have done research before buying, so that's why I'm here!

I want something that can capture my VHS into my computer and burn out as a VCD. What's the most user friendly and affordable with good quality?

Many thanks
amy

I got a WINTV FM radio card I use for caps. Never used it to watch TV. I use the sourceforge drivers with win2k OS. Makes great caps with Virtualvcr (sync using stream offset). Paid $60 ebay and got no remote but I don't care. My house is littered with "Little Bear" and "Scooby Doo" VCD's. I havn't done many VHS caps lately but I remember dropping more frames probably due to the condition of the source material. I love the card.

[phhoth]

I use Visiontek Xtasy Everything. You can get it for about $70.00. Check this site for capture card comments. This device has very good ratings by its users. I also use "AVI IO" and the Huffey codec to do the initial capture from VHS, Then Tmpgenc to SVCD (noisefiter, best quality). It will take some time to render , but it will be a VERY GOOD SVCD

good luck

Go to Tools on this site and get a link to AVI IO.

[cosmo1]

I bought an AIW radeon from newegg.com for $133.00 I love it but am having a small issue with external capture. Also note that the ATI card and the KT133 chip sets by VIA may have some issues.

[easydvd]

I have an ATI TV Wonder that I bought at Wal-Mart for about $40 bucks. I get great results with it and if you read the reviews, a lot of top rated cards use the same chipset this one does

[hardwork12]

I got my Avertv Stereo and have been using it now for two weeks. It does very nice captures. The TV has a decent tuner and is DBX stereo.

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10316072&loc=101 $44.64 + Tax delivered free shipping.


Software used:

http://www.vcdhelp.com/tools here at this forum

WDM Capture Drivers (This gives you full capture resolution in win2K..Is one issue I will describe later)

Virtualdub or VirtualVCR both capture programs work great.

TMPGEnc for encoding to MPEG1 (free) MPEG2 (30 days demo)

MPEG2 Codec so you can view MPEG2 on your PC with Real player

Compression I use the Huffyuv but PIC video works great also.

Nero (comes free with many CDRW players) and VCDeasy (free) work great for burning.

Issue:

WDM capture (also these are listed to work in winME) take a look at the wedbsite.. The issue is that the software supplied by the manufacturer for using the TV PVR no longer works with the modified WDM drivers I recommended for capture but they are great for capture. There are other TV PVR programs not supplied by this vendors that do work but they are not free. Can't remember the names but I tried two and they both worked.

[thefox149]

Ive got a Gforce4 A170 DDR great card supports most codecs (picvideo and huffyuy which is what people round these parts use) you get gret nvidia support with it though a little niggle installing. but if you seriously wanna get into capping vid I would set your machine up to be a dedicated video editing beast so re format windows and start from there.......depends on what your trying to accomplish though......

[crahak]

thefox, you think someone will buy a GeForce4 vivo 'cause he wants to capture? I think not. The often overlooked cards, cheap, and about just as good as any other card, unless you spend a lotta $$$ is a generic bt8x8 card and the right drivers. Most of the time, your limitation will end up being either your source, or the bitrates (format, ...) you're encoding at... I've seen more people pissed at their all in wonders than at these cheap cards.

[thefox149]

As I said depends on what your trying to accomplish. Iam only new to vid capping and I needed a decent all round card for gaming etc as I had an old crap one....lot of people with attitude round here......get off your high horse get that stick out of your arse and come down to earth people like you take the fun out of everything

[DigitallyFascinated]

Hes right - it does depend on what you are trying to accomplish...> yeah, what he said - heh heh heh heh, um, heh heh heh heh

[easydvd]

generic bt8x8 card and the right drivers. Most of the time, your limitation will end up being either your source

Never a more true word has been spoken.........the source material is the biggest limitation

[thefox149]

as with everything it goes down to personal choice and opinion. What suits you won't mean it suits someone else. My card wasn't that expensive $200
Australian, so maybe just under $100 US I don't consider that too be expensive. When I said depends on what your trying to accomplish I meant depends on how serious you wanna take it. If apassmore wants to be a vid editing guru then set the machine up so, if not well do what I did get a decent priced all round card so I can still play my games and cap my families vhs and the occasional tv show....and Quote "depends on what your trying to accomplish" I make no cliams to be an expert appassomre wanted an opinion I gave one. One should never jump down someone's throat that how wars start........and I will ready my troops I alreadythink this has gone too far I didn't want to write my first reply but he made me just read my quote ......I am leaving this subject now ...and hopefully forever I will never again give an unbiased opinion if someone is asking for it in a FORUM ohh and if you can't tell Iam being sarcastic as a muthf#$ker

[crahak]

I checked, no signs of any horse or sticks. Stop fantasizing. See, I already have a decent video card, (besides, I don't play games anyways) and also the day you get rid of that GeForce (at that price, it sounds like a MX one - which isn't really that good anyways...) you'll also get rid of your capture card. The bt8x8's are real good buys. Search the forums and see for yourself. I see no need to throw my better video card out for a low end GeForce MX to get inputs, for twice the price of a bt8x8, and most likely get a equal if not lesser quality... Eh.