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Author Topic: Video inputs for a computer Adam Fraser Master Film Handler Posts: 499 From: Houghton Lake, MI, USA Registered: Dec 2001 posted 01-31-2003 02:19 PM                        Is there some device that can take RCA or S-Video video inputs and transfer them to my computer into an MPEG or AVI file? My Hi-8 camcorder has a USB out and the quality is only So-So (probably 1/2 the resolution that is on the tape and a little bit jumpy).  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-31-2003 03:09 PM                        Maybe something like this: Creative Labs MovieMaker Looks like it runs around $175-$200 depending on the seller.  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 01-31-2003 03:11 PM                     The Dazzle bridge will do what you want (into DV Codec). You might try Pinnacle cards as well. Pinnacle creates AVI files for you to be able to edit, and usually supplies MPEG coding (1 and 2) as well.  |  IP: Logged Greg Mueller Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1687 From: Port Gamble, WA Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-31-2003 03:17 PM                        Check out the ATI "All In Wonder" card  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-31-2003 03:52 PM                     A second vote for the Dazzle bridge.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-31-2003 04:19 PM                        I've never used any of the devices mentioned in this thread, so I'm not speaking from personal experience. But a little poking around in Google turns up some pretty harsh user reviews of the Dazzle product. Example: Dazzle Reviews The Creative Video MovieMaker doesn't do much better: MovieMaker Reviews. Sounds like neither of those products supports XP either. ?!  |  IP: Logged Greg Mueller Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1687 From: Port Gamble, WA Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-31-2003 04:27 PM                        Too bad that USB output isn't firewire. I got a adaptec firewire card and Roxio software for movie creating/editing for $45. Iwas going to get the ATI card till I saw the adaptec card. The ATI card has about every type of in/out you can think of and I think it has aduio in/out too, but I can't remember  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 01-31-2003 04:37 PM                     OK, to be completely honest here, the Dazzle bridge we use is hooked up to an IMAC, and works well with this machine (for capturing images to edit in IMovie). I haven't tried it on a PC. I use a Pinnacle card to capture S-video for editing on a workstation. Pinnacle is available in a number of cards and packages. http://www.pinnaclesys.com If you know ANYBODY with a mini-DV camcorder, you can use the in/out RCA connectors to transfer your signal into it (record to DV tape), and then buy a cheap firewire card for your computer to input the DV footage into your computer. The driver for your firewire card should automatically tag this footage as AVI DV, and many of these cards now have simple MPEG-encoding software enlosed. My recommendation, though, is to edit in native DV (intraframe codec) and only then make an MPEG (inter and intraframe codec) for the final product. It will be cleaner (although whether one notices the diference is debatable).  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-31-2003 05:40 PM                     I've used the Dazzle bridge on both Mac G4 (firewire) and PC (capture card). I've yet to find any video software for the PC that I like. Doing video on a PC sucks.  |  IP: Logged Greg Mueller Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1687 From: Port Gamble, WA Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-31-2003 06:16 PM                        You like those pussy apple computers? Just kidding If I had my way I'd get a Mac for graphics stuff and the PC for everything else. I've always wanted to experiment with a G4. I'm just so entrenched into PC equipment and software it makes it hard to switch  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 01-31-2003 08:02 PM                     I use Premiere on a PC at work, but am convinced the problem lies more with the drivers for the video card than with Premiere. Yes there ARE problems, yes there are workarounds (which one shouldn't HAVE to do). AVI is basically a dying format (OK, it's actually dead). But some of us still use PC's for this stuff, well, just BECAUSE! It's THERE! It was BOUGHT for us by our bosses! Who wouldnt buy us the MEDIA 100's or AVIDS! Blame Miramax!  |  IP: Logged Adam Fraser Master Film Handler Posts: 499 From: Houghton Lake, MI, USA Registered: Dec 2001 posted 01-31-2003 08:50 PM                        Thanks guys, will check out those links. This is mainly for me to make VCD's of stuff that wont get transfered to tape and maybe do a little bit of editing.  |  IP: Logged Matthew Peters Expert Film Handler Posts: 179 From: Glen Waverley, Melbourne, Australia Registered: Nov 2002 posted 02-01-2003 07:16 AM                     Matrox are also very good http://www.matrox.com/  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 02-01-2003 09:01 AM                        My new GeForce 4 Ti 4200 graphics adapter also has a S-video input and came with Medion Power VCR which has all sorts of options for video recording. I haven`t tried it out though since I got the card mainly to fire at mutant aliens.  |  IP: Logged Michael Gonzalez Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 790 From: Grand Island , NE USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 02-01-2003 11:20 PM                     For the money, ATI TV Turner card is a good buy. You can watch TV on your desktop, record video in multiple formats including VCD, MPEG and MPEG2 and burn them on CD or DVD. It accepts coaxial inputs, RCA inputs and S-video inputs. All for around $50.00. I have one and it works really good, however the only drawback is the lack of a video editor (but those tend to be in the $200.00 the $300.00 range). Plus I ordered one on a Saturday night around three in the morning and it was delivered to my house that following Tuesday. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?sku=A46-4010  |  IP: Logged

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