Best Video Capture Hardware / Editing Software?

[mqb]

Hi everyone. I know this has been asked a million times, so what's one more?

I've been interested in capturing video from my VHS-C camcorder onto my PC so that I could edit it and try to make it enjoyable to watch. I've run into a problem, however. There are so many capture cards / etc. out there that I don't know which one would be the best suited for my needs. I want to be able to capture GOOD quality video from my camcorder, and then edit it, and play it back onto a regular VHS tape. So, right off the bat, I need input, as well as output. I was looking at Creative's Video Blaster, but it does not do output, and I don't want to change my video card.

Also, what's the best video editing software out there? In term of scene changing effects, text effects, editing functionality and ease of use, etc.?

Any advice would be appreciated as far as which option I should go with.

Here is what my system is composed of:

AMD Duron 950Mhz
256 MB PC133 RAM
Diamond Viper v770 Ultra (AGP, no video out.)
30GBs of hard drive space (at least.)

[mqb]

Well, based on the enormous response I received here on this bored (sarcasm,) I did some research, went to a local computer store, and I ended up purchashing a Dazzle DVC II. Based on all the options they had available at the store, I decided to try this one out because it could do both MPEG1 and MPEG2 compression.

I hope I didn't goof with this purchase, considering I have an AMD Motherboard, and there are some issues with some main boards (i.e., it will not work at all!)

*crossing my fingers*

[thxkid]

let me know if the dazzle II works, my understanding is this card will not work with AMD duron of Athlon, so could you try it and let me know.
I am at this time using hauppuage Win PVR, with some software patches to make it work better.
The best editing software? I just love Uleads Media Pro 6.0, with the HollywoodFX Silver plug in that gives you hundreds of more Broadcast quality transition effects.
I like ulead also because it has effects in where you can slow down or speed up your video's with no loss of quality.

[ktoey]

I am advocating the use of DV or Digital 8 camcorders as a digitizing solution.
With a Firewire card you can download to a Mac or PC and from here there are all kind of softwares to edit and make DVD, SVCD, VCD etc.
DV is truly the universal format. If you have to do editing, titles and effects etc, mpeg is not a suitable format; DV is.

[mqb]

Hi everyone! Oddly enough, the Dazzle II worked fine with my setup. I had no problems really.

I am using this solution instead of DV because I don't feel like dropping $500.00 - $1,000.00 on a new DV camcorder, since I already have a fairly new VHS-C camcorder. It's working so far, and I made my first video of one of my trips to Venice last night. It's MUCH more palatable than the original! =)

Ah well.

[DVman]

I am advocating quality.

You were asking about quality and not cheapness.
First VHS-C is not considered a quality source in the first place.
Thed dazzle MPEG encoder card is probably very inferior to TMPGEnc software solution.

The best in this area (capture quality - not price) is Canopus hardware.

The DV camera solution with TMPGEnc is probably the best quality anyway.
I would rather spent $450 for new Digital8 (essentially same as DV) camcorder with
analog in (SONY TRV-120 etc...)

Trust me - going from VHS-C to DV is like going from black and white TV to color stereo TV.

As omebody said - You haven't seen nothing yet

[mqb]

I understand that a DV camcorder kicks a VHS-C camcorder's ass, but changing the camcorder is beyond the original scope of the question I posted, which was what hardware/software should I use to grab VHS-C video for editing on my PC, and storing on CD (VCD) and VHS tape?
I'm not planning on making the next Terminator movie or something, just trying to liven up my personal home videos.

Thanks.

[thxkid]

Nobody has even mentioned about editing software. The best out there is Ulead Media Pro 6.0 with the HollywoodFX plug in. I really thought Ulead was good but not until I got the HollywoodFX Silver plug in for broadcast quality transititions, it just floored me, I never knew consumers could aquire such professional looking scene transititions.
Really spruces up your home videos.
My home video's are on Sony Hi8mm I then capture them with Uncompressed AVI(I want 0% loss in picture detail) then use ulead to edit the scenes back to a uncompressed AVI then use TMPGE to encode to MPEG1 VCD, very sharp image no block artifacts and in stero.

[ashtones]

Hey thxkid what are you using to capture with and how much did the ulead Media Pro 6 set you back. I'm just curious because I am not extremely happy with Premiere.

[mqb]

OK, well, to convert my old family videos and spice them up, DVC II and the cheezy MovieStar software are working great. I will seriously consider upgrading to DV in the future.

About ULead . . . is there a DEMO available anywhere? I like to try software out before I buy it. By DEMO, I do mean DEMO. I don't like using hacked software either. =)

I tried Premier in the past, but I wasn't too impressed with it, well, because I had a slower system (a pIII 450, now I am using an AMD Duron 950, ok, so it's not that much faster, but the new motherboard, and 256MB of PC133 RAM help a little.)

Anyway, thank you everyone for all the information you have provided this far!

[nicknickdean]

One thing I tried that

a. Made things a lot faster and
b. Made Premiere less jerky and more smooth real time looking

was to turn DMA on for the drive I use for Premiere and Video files.

I use a P3 1000 500mB PC133 40Gb WD ATA100 and a Dazzle II with a Hi8 and
other Source material.
Premiere and the Panasonic Plug-in work great for me......up to now