MPEG-Card

[DaHime]

Hi,
i'm looking for a good card that does mpeg1+2 hardware encoding in at least realtime and capturing from vhs and svhs directly to mpeg. i don't need a tv-tuner on that card.
what cards do you suggest?

thx,
dahime

[Milkman Dan]

vitec makes a 500 dollar MPEG1/2 hybrid hardware encoder.
That it, is makes full use of your CPU in addition to its onboard chip to do the work. For full D1 capture, 900MHz+ need only apply. But you also get ac3 out of the deal, as well as $300 in bundled software, most of which is pretty good, having used it myself.

For $280, Navis makes a full MPEG1/2 hardware card. The encoding is all on the board, but it comes with a tuner for outgoing signals as well. But the product makes me antsy, and I wouldn't recommend buying it unless you could find some reviews saying it doesn't suck.

[mave1st]

Hi,
your can find a good card unter www.vidac.de - unfortunately only in german...

The C't (german computer magazin - the best !) tested it and said it's good.

Price : about 580 DM (ca. 300 USD).

I never bought it as I now record via pc tv sat (dvb) which is fairly o.k.

mave