Need New Capture System

pmc181 wrote on 8/12/2003, 12:34 PM
Need New Capture System

I"m looking for an external capture system. Either USB-2 or firewire. I want to have the most options available to me to capture differents ways, like cam, tv, vcr, etc. I've read about the Dazzle DVD Creation Station 200 and was sold at first because I liked all the input and output jacks for audio and video, and the ability to read all the different memory card types. But two things bothered me from a review I've read.

One, it converts the incoming to a mpeg2 immeadiatly on the fly. That's giving up too much control to be able to do things with the the raw file isn't it ?

And two, I read one review where it said that other programs did not reconize the unit as a capture system ?

I need any and all comments good or bad, on the Dazzle DVD Creation Station 200 and any other systems that offer as much flexibility as that one or more.

Thanks, Paul

Comments

Summersond wrote on 8/12/2003, 1:07 PM
Check out the new ADS Pyro A/V Link firewire unit. It has firewire passthru, svhs in and out, RCA in and out, and component in. Here is the link:
http://www.adstech.com/products/API_550/intro/api550intro.asp?pid=API-550
donp wrote on 8/12/2003, 1:36 PM
Stay with firewire only don't use USB for capture, even USB-2, also check out Canopus and Pyro cards. The best thing to do is to check the user forums. If there is not much discussion about the particular card then I guess it isn't having having many problems.
vitalforce2 wrote on 9/5/2003, 1:01 PM
Our friend Douglas Spotted Eagle has provided an informal comparison study of the Canopus and Pyro units at the following website, with sample screen captures:

http://production.digitalmedianet.com/2003/03_mar/reviews/ads_avreview.htm

Some might look at the shots and say the Canopus has a brighter signal, others might say it's too bright and exaggerates the color scheme. I ended up buying the Pyro A/V link unit today. Seems like a good idea to be able to even process component video--my DVD player is a component system.
Jsnkc wrote on 9/5/2003, 1:05 PM
Avoid Dazzle at all costs! They are known to have very problematic devices and software, much like Pinnacle. Canopus and ADS/Pyro are all very solid products.
ImdurC wrote on 3/4/2004, 7:04 PM
Hmm... no real replies for this one. I'm trying to find out about this hardware as well. How about discussing the Dazzle, rather than trying to look at other systems. What are these problems that have been mentioned? Specific to this product??

Adam.
TheDingo wrote on 3/4/2004, 8:09 PM
I bought a Canopus ADVC 300 unit 2 weeks ago, and I've been totally blown away by it.
The big feature for me is having control over the analog video signal BEFORE it is captured.
Here' a list of the main capture controls you can adjust before capturing:

IMAGE SETTINGS

Brightness
Contrast
Saturation
Hue
Sharpness

AUDIO SETTINGS

Volume
Automatic Gain Control
Locked or Un-Locked Audio

VIDEO PROCESSING

Y/C Separation
Noise Reduction
Black Expansion
White Peak Adjust

...Yeah, it's expensive, but it can save a lot of time by making adjustments before
capturing, so the finished captured video quality is excellent.

NOTE: The DV capture is a straight digital process, so no adjustments can be made.

http://www.canopus.us/US/products/ADVC300/pt_advc300.asp


pb wrote on 3/4/2004, 10:45 PM
Do not even think of Dazzle (aka Pinnacle of the no support). The PCI DVC II is great when it works but I am so fed with its intermittent problem seeing a connected video device that I'm replacing it with a Canopus Real TIme MPEG1/2 capture board, looks to be the same thing as came with the Canopus RES 100 / Strom2.
kentwolf wrote on 3/4/2004, 11:39 PM
>>...Avoid Dazzle at all costs! They are known to have very problematic devices and software, much like Pinnacle.

Pinnacle recently bought out Dazzle. They (Dazzle) have been assimilated.
ImdurC wrote on 3/5/2004, 10:15 AM
Right. Pb, could you expand on what that problem is? Is it the autoswitching of devices that are plugged in? If it is, I don't mind that.

And Dingo, since I only have aroundI £85 to spend, the Dazzle I've found sounds ideal. So if there are any problems under XP with the software involved, I'd like to know more.
But since I'd be happy to use the contained software for capturing, I'd just move it all through to Vegas for editing. I use a DC10+ and this has been the way I work for the last 2-3 years. No problems. And I was thinking that perhaps the Dazzle would be a nice upgrade in picture quality. Perhaps. And that's another thing I'd like to know about.

Thanks,
Adam.
TheDingo wrote on 3/5/2004, 1:56 PM
I would be careful with USB capture devices, some can be very finicky.
A friend went through hell getting his ADS Instant DVD to work.

...I'm guessing you don't own a MiniDV camcorder, because using a
camcorder as a pass-through capture device would produce
better quality video than a low cost capture card. ( All you would need
for the camcorder is an OHCI compliant Firewire card, which can
be bought here in Canada for as little as $70 Canadian )
ImdurC wrote on 3/5/2004, 6:52 PM
I do have Firewire. But no DV camera. It's analog. Anyway, I'm giving up on this cause I see there's nothing to learn. I'll just stick with my DC10+ method. I just thought it would be better.