Is Canopus ADVC-100 the way to go?

[rays888]

A few questions about video capture. I want to transfer a large number of old VHS home movies to DVD. My current set-up is an Athlon 1.2 Gig Thunderbird w 512Meg of DDR ram, Win98SE and an ATI AIW 32DDR. Haven't been too happy with the AIW captures. Also can't stand the ULEAD Video Studeo 5.0 S/W that came with it. ATI's own Digital VCR s/w with its latest updates seems to work much better for me. Although, still having issues with terrible dropped frames at high resolutions, it seems reasonably acceptable at 480 x 480 (SVD) and 352 x 480 (Medium DVD)settings.

I've been looking at the Canopus ADVC-100 thinking it would do a better job than the AIW, but have several questions. You all say the ADVC-100 outputs very large DV files.
1. Will this be a problem with my WIN98SE OS? I hear there is a 2 Gig limit on file size, but have never run into a problem including a 2 1/2 hour capture off of commercial TV using the AIW Digital VCR s/w that exceeded the 4.7 Gig limit of a DVD-R and had to be edited down to size.
2. Also, I received some S/W - Sonic MyDVD - with my Cendyne (Pioneer) DVD-R burner that seems to do a decent job with video clips captured using the AIW VCR s/w. Works for me but - any comments about this s/w? Will it work directly with th Canopus output?
3. I also have some Pinnacle Express s/w that also claims to capture movies from a DV Camcorder (but doesn't recognize my AIW). Anyone have experience with this S/W? Is it worth trying with the Canopus?
4. I read somewhere that capturing DV uses a lot of computer resources. Other articles I've read contadict this. Is my 1.2 Gig machine fast enough to easilly pull in the DV output from the Canopus? I'm assuming I can then edit and convert to MPEG2 w/o worrying about dropped frames. and
5. Is 98SE an issue for other reasons?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Owen]

You could always buy or borrow a DV camera and use it.
Most good camers have an analogue input and can capture to tape or direct to the PC's hard disk over the Firewire link.
This is what the Canopus is doing.
You may be able to find a cheap DV Cam that can do this for not much more than the cost of the Canopus
Because the compretion is done by hardware there is no stress on the PC. You just need a big fast hard disk.

Regards,

Owen

[kaitsuburi]

Hi

About 1) -- There are a few programs that have a workaround for the AVI size limit. One I can recommend is ScenalyzerLive found here (http://www.scenalyzer.com/main.html).

About 4) -- No worries :) , capturing is done through firewire, which is definitely not very resource intensive. I have done multiple captures to an old laptop without any problems at all. You will have no dropped frames unless you run an encode in virtualdub with priority class=highest at the same time.

About 5) -- Perhaps getting an NT-based OS like Win2k or WinXP would give you more stability overall?? You can always double-boot you know...

cheers,

-kaitsuburi

[Swan]

@rays888

I've had my Canopus ADVC-100 since January and in my view, yes, it is the way to go if you want to capture hassle-free, edit hassle-free and have no sync issues whatsoever. And get great video and audio quality on your captures.
But do check out Pinnacles new gadget; "Pinnacle MovieBox DV", it is much cheaper and on paper, does the same job and even has locked audio, which has been the ADVC-line's main selling point up to now. I have a friend who's ordered a Pinnacle Moviebox DV and once it arrives I can share how it compares to the ADVC-100.
http://www.pinnaclesys.com/ProductPage.asp?Product_ID=1173&Langue_ID=7

You all say the ADVC-100 outputs very large DV files.
1. Will this be a problem with my WIN98SE OS? I hear there is a 2 Gig limit on file size, but have never run into a problem including a 2
The file limit is only when using FAT, so if you switch to Windows 2000 or XP and NTFS it won't affect you. And as kaitsuburi wrote, although there are programs that can chunk your captures to 2 GB portions, this may be a good time to upgrade your OS anyway, as Windows 98 isn't a very good operating system. ;-)


2. Also, I received some S/W - Sonic MyDVD - with my Cendyne (Pioneer) DVD-R burner that seems to do a decent job with video clips captured using the AIW VCR s/w. Works for me but - any comments about this s/w? Will it work directly with th Canopus output?

Sonic MyDVD is a program for creating (authoring DVD's).
I think it demands Mpeg-2 input, it doesn't include an Mpeg-2 encoder. If it does, it is most likely to accept the avi-files from the Canopus and encode them as they're standard avi-files with DV compression. If it only accepts Mpeg-2 then you will need to buy an Mpeg-2 encoding software like TMPGEnc.


3. I also have some Pinnacle Express s/w that also claims to capture movies from a DV Camcorder (but doesn't recognize my AIW). Anyone have experience with this S/W? Is it worth trying with the Canopus?

If an application can communicate with a Firewire device, then it can communicate with the ADVC-100. So, if Pinnacle Express is designed to work with a DV camera, it will work with the ADVC too.

4. I read somewhere that capturing DV uses a lot of computer resources. Other articles I've read contadict this. Is my 1.2 Gig

It's the other way around. Capturing DV through the Firewire port requries nearly no computer resources. But reasonably fast HDs, of course.

5. Is 98SE an issue for other reasons?

Not an issue, but it is a very poor operating system, more like a toy OS than a real one, in my view. You'll get a much more stable - and secure - computer when you switch to Windows 2000 (or XP Professional).

/Maria

[rays888]

Thank you all for your detailed replies.
Special thanks to Swan for the point-by-point answers to my questions.
I know I will have to eventually give in and upgrade my OS at some point. (Any idea how many years it took to get 98SE to behave?)

Just curious Maria why you mentioned XP Professional. I've been on the fence waiting for XP to mature and didn't like some of the stories about Microsoft taking inventory of my hardware configuration and who knows what else. A colleague of mine claimed that the XP Professional version does not require the same re-activation with Microsoft every time you change the configuration of your hardware. Was this the basis of your recommendation or are there other reasons to get the Professional version over the Standard version? I've stayed away from Win2000 because of early driver issues and my addiction to the evolution of gaming engines. (Off subject - Can you play The Pandora Directive on XP?)

Meanwhile, I'll check out http://www.dvdrhelp.com/ to see if there are any reports on the Pinnacle Moviebox DV. Let me know how your friend makes out. It will most likely take quite a while to reach the overwhelming positive endorsements for the Canopus ADVC-100 However you are correct, the street prices for the Pinnacle box seem to be about $100 US less than the Canopus ADVC-100. Right now, I'm inclined to go with what works.
Ray

[Swan]

Just curious Maria why you mentioned XP Professional. I've been on the fence waiting for XP to mature and didn't like some of the stories about Microsoft taking inventory of my hardware configuration
I feel the exact same way! Plus, I hate the "Product Activation".
I don't want to support it by paying for it and although there are ways around it, I don't feel like using that either.
In my case, being on Windows 2000, I don't really feel the need to upgrade to XP either. It's not like when I switched from Windows 98 to Windows 2000 and I saw a great deal of new useful features, more control over the computer, increased stability and security..
With XP, it's like getting Windows 2000 with a fancy make-up and the new features aren't exciting or necessary to me, they're not exciting enough to make me pay for something that I have to "activate" as soon as I change some hardware (and I do change hardware sometimes). Product Activation is pure crap in my view.
I won't endorse it by buying XP.

The reason I recommended the Pro version and not Home Edition was not because of differences in Activation. I wish it was like your friend says, but no, both products have to be activated. It's only the corporate license versions of XP Pro that doesn't have to be activated, I think. I mean, imagine the tech staff on a large law firm, bank or something installing XP on hundreds of computers, would they accept "activating" every single machine? :-)
No, I recommmended against Home edition because it is stripped, it does not include all the network features and security features that Pro has. And those features are essential for serious computing, if you ask me.

As for gaming, I don't know how well that can be done on Windows 2000. I don't game at all. But you're probably right, Windows 2000 isn't the OS of choice for gaming. But it works great for everything else, at least for me. :-)
So perhaps you'll be looking at having two computers, one for gaming, the other for video editing, surfing, etc, or a PC with both OS's installed (double booted)?

Meanwhile, I'll check out http://www.dvdrhelp.com/ to see if there are any reports on the Pinnacle Moviebox DV. Let me know how your friend makes out.
I'll report as soon as I hear anything.
There's one "mini review" by a Forum user there and he's having problems with the Moviebox. The problem sounds odd, though, since it's a firewire device.
Maybe his box is faulty.
http://66.28.31.2/forum/viewtopic.php?p=537457#537457

[valnar]

Does anyone know if either of these products bypass Macrovision on a commercial VHS tape?

Thanks,
RObert

[Swan]

Originally posted by valnar
Does anyone know if either of these products bypass Macrovision on a commercial VHS tape?

Don't know about the Pinnacle Moviebox DV, it's too new. But yes, the Macrovision detection can be turned off on the Canopus ADVC-100.
I've tested capturing a Macrovision protected DVD and can verify that it works. :-)
Here is the simple method to disable Macrovision detection in the ADVC-100:

1. Press and HOLD the Input Select switch.
2. When colour-bars appear at analogue output, KEEP THE BUTTON PRESSED.
3. Wait until the colour-bars DISAPPEAR before releasing the button.

Macrovision is now disabled until the unit is switched off.
You do not have to be playing a Macrovision-protected signal into the box while doing this.

/Maria

[reubenray]

I have been reading about the ADVC100 and was wondering what they mean about "connecting to a capture card".

Does this do captures by itself or do I still need a capture card?

Also what software will I need to make this capture from my satellite receiver via s-video?


Thanks

[Swan]

Originally posted by reubenray
[B]I have been reading about the ADVC100 and was wondering what they mean about "connecting to a capture card".

I'd like to know what "they" mean too, as it makes no sense. :D

Does this do captures by itself or do I still need a capture card?

It captures itself, the video is compressed with DV compression inside the box (hardware compression). This stream of audio and video is then written to the HD, using a software. So it's not capturing as with a capture card, it's more a "file transfer" from the Canopus box to the HD.
So no, you don't need a capture card too. All you need is a Firewire port on your computer, a.k.a. IEEE1394 and i.LINK.
Also what software will I need to make this capture from my satellite receiver via s-video?
If you just want simple "capturing" of the incoming video and audio written to avi files without editing features, there's even freeware software, like WinDV: http://windv.mourek.cz/
I have not tested it. But it looks OK to me.
Other than that there's loads of software that works with it. For example all Ulead's products, Pinnacle Studio, Vegas Video, Premiere, Cyberlink Powerdirector Pro.
/Maria

[Terenius]

What about filters? With the DV format won't you lose access to all the great avisynth and virtualdub filters?

Are there comparable ones for DV? Like decomb, temporal soften, etc...

[Swan]

Yes you can load the files you get from the ADVC into av Avisynth script!
Just load the file with the usual "avisource" line and apply all the filters you want! :)
Likewise, you can open the files in VirtualDub and edit/filter them as much as you like, providing you captured the file in Type-2 OpenDML format and have a VFW DV codec installed.

[JF Sebastian]

Excuses for posting nothing contructive here, just thought I'd like to give up big respect to Swan :D

A few months ago I asked a series of staggeringly innane questions all about the ADVC-100, and received exactly the same detailed, patient responses as typified on this thread.

I have now got my ADVC-100 and have begun (slowly) to capture and burn my fave series from digital satellite to dvd using Ulead DVD Movie Factory, which Swan talked me through using. Eps of Voyager, Enterprise, Alias and Family Guy etc all sitting safely on cheapo 4X media on my shelf - cool :cool:

This is why forums like this work. Kudos to Maria ;) - I'll certainly be keeping an eye on the MovieBox DV, waiting for your review!


JF

[Swan]

I hope it's not unappropriate to say this, but thank you, JF.
It felt good to read what you wrote, especially on a Tuesday morning, with a bucketload of dull work ahead of me. You cheered me up, thanks buddy! ;)

Glad to hear you have the ADVC-100 now and are pleased with it.
The Pinnacle Moviebox DV review will arrive as soon as my friend gets a new one.
The box he got was dead as a stone, not even with combined powers could we breathe life into it. But a review will come as soon as he gets a new box. I think I am as excited as my friend to see how it measures up to the ADVC.
I can say that it looks better (very nice design) and was much heavier. The body felt solid and was probably made with thicker metal. But looks isn't everything. :)

[Ookami]

@JF Sebastian

Of course, you can thank other people, such off topics are not bad if it's not used too often ;) .

And we all know that Swan is a really patient man :D .

@all

There are at least half a dozen threads about the ADVC, where various ADVC users write the pros and cons of the card, if you're interested in buying the card, I would suggest you to read it all!

Cheers,

Ookie.

[sturmie]

grrrrrrr!! i've been tryin to find a good (yet cheap) capturing solution and now u guys/gals have to throw that Pinnacle MovieBox out there! how dare u! i have enough choices already :) and am going nuts tryin to decide what solution to go w/ - either a DV converter box or a PCI capture card (like the Prolink XCapture).

seriously though....thanks for all the info....fyi, Tom's Hardware just posted an article May 30th about how to get ur VHS/Super 8 video to DVD (http://www6.tomshardware.com/video/20030530/index.html)...pretty good reading....really wish he would have mentioned DVD-lab (http://www.mediachance.com) in the authoring section - i think it's the best (simple) authoring app out there.


sturmie

[Ookami]

@sturmie

It would be the first THG article about video wich is pretty good reading (except if you're into comedy).

I'll take a look at it when I'm down, hell, maybe they've even know what they're writing about in that area in the meantime :rolleyes: .

[sturmie]

@Ookami

obviously this is the place to go for all ur video needs :), i was just suprised that THG had a recent article about video on the site...everything else seems to be a 6 months to a year old.

i really was hoping to find a review of the MovieBox on there b/c i couldn't seem to find one anywhere else.


sturmie