pdx
6th April 2003, 16:52
hiya all,
i'm seriously thinking about buying an external video input unit for my computer, and preferrably one that is USB-connected (2.0 or 1.1 or 1.0, doesn't matter). which one do you recommend?
what is an absolute must for me:
- no audio sync problems -- the audio input should reside on the capture box (or have a tight sync anyhow);
- should work most reliably on win xp (or at least win98se);
- good picture quality;
- resolutions above 352x288 for 25fps PAL captures should be possible.
what would be good:
- accessible by other applications not just by the ones it's shipping with (like presenting a vfw or wdm capture device);
- full DVD resolution realtime mpeg2 capture by hardware;
- included TV-tuner, perhaps.
does anyone have experience with such cards? i found ads instant dvd (i'm holding my breath for the usb2.0 version which should ship soon), but i found mixed reviews for it and i don't know if it offers a WDM source. or is there such a thing as a firewire-connected standalone analog-to-DV converter box?
(btw, the whole point is that i won't be able to insert a PCI card into my new computer -- the available slots are already occupied by different hardware --, and i've heard that in USB-land some good products are starting to appear.)
thanks in advance,
-pdx
i'm seriously thinking about buying an external video input unit for my computer, and preferrably one that is USB-connected (2.0 or 1.1 or 1.0, doesn't matter). which one do you recommend?
what is an absolute must for me:
- no audio sync problems -- the audio input should reside on the capture box (or have a tight sync anyhow);
- should work most reliably on win xp (or at least win98se);
- good picture quality;
- resolutions above 352x288 for 25fps PAL captures should be possible.
what would be good:
- accessible by other applications not just by the ones it's shipping with (like presenting a vfw or wdm capture device);
- full DVD resolution realtime mpeg2 capture by hardware;
- included TV-tuner, perhaps.
does anyone have experience with such cards? i found ads instant dvd (i'm holding my breath for the usb2.0 version which should ship soon), but i found mixed reviews for it and i don't know if it offers a WDM source. or is there such a thing as a firewire-connected standalone analog-to-DV converter box?
(btw, the whole point is that i won't be able to insert a PCI card into my new computer -- the available slots are already occupied by different hardware --, and i've heard that in USB-land some good products are starting to appear.)
thanks in advance,
-pdx