Best Video Capture Device?

[upscope]

Is there any difference in video quality between the various capture devices?

 

I am going to be converting a collection of VHS tapes to digital. I have a JVC Super VHS VCR that I will be using with an S-video output. Currently I have two capture devices, a Dazzle Fusion and a Zio Corp. CameraMate, both of which accept S-video input and provide USB output. They both do capture the video although I would like to get a little better quality if I could. I've also experienced loss of audio synch (I guess that's probably not related to the capture device).

 

I've also looked at some other devices: ADS Tech Video Xpress, DVD Xpress DX2, and a firewire Canopus ADVC-110.

 

Maybe I'm just chasing my tail and the video I've been capturing with the Dazzle Fusion is the best I can expect.

 

Would really appreciate any input you might be willing to share.

 

Dave

[Melachrino]

I did finally end up getting a Canopus ADVC-300 and just love it. Wish I had done that right from the git-go. I would have save a lot of money and frustration.

 

What an early responder said about "...anything costing less than $180 - $200 isn't worth having." is so true.

 

You mentioned successfully transferring your collection of 8 mm movies to DV and DVD. How did you go about doing that? That's also another project I have.

 

upscope: You definitely did the right thing with the Canopus 300, and I had the same reaction as you after I got mine: Why didn't I get it sooner and avoid all the pain and suffering... It is not perfect but it is way ahead of anything else in the range.

 

My method for capturing my 8mm film movies was to project them on a good screen or clean white wall and shoot with a JVC DV camcorder on a tripod. You must line up the camcorder just below the direct line of sight of the projector to the screen to minimize keystoning or other geometric distortions. Since that is a fixed setup, one can take time and care to manually frame and focus both the projector and the camcorder to the best possible degree. Preferably, if your camcorder has a monitor output, use it on a good TV to achieve said focus. It is well worth it because film is much cleaner and sharper than VHS and it transfers extremely well to DV and later to DVD.

 

Next, it seems best to set the DV camcorder to manual exposure to avoid wandering on scene changes.

 

The next step was tricky, absolutely necessary but once obtained it gives very good results.

 

8mm projectors run at somewhere 12 to 16 frames per second, whereas DV camcorders (in the US) run at 60 fields per second (or 30 frames per second depending how you want to count).

 

You have to adjust the projector film speed up, if you can, and you have to adjust the camcorder shutter speed down until you don't see brightness flickering in the camcorder picture while the movie is running. Otherwise you are going to see pronounced large area flicker, black bars drifting around, etc. Do not panic, adjust. My film projector had variable speed, which helped a lot. The camcorder can adjust the shutter speed either directly to 1/30 or maybe even slower but not much by Mode setting (Sunset, Low Light but not Dark !!!!!)

 

Once you have focus, exposure and speeds set, just run, capture to DV and enjoy a magnificent view of 8mm film later in your TV. Beats setting up the projector, the screen, threading, etc,etc we did before.

 

Obviously, once in DV you can edit the movies to your heart's content, add music, dialog, sound effects, titles, burn to DVD and thus archive and distribute your historic movies. Great hobby.

 

Success and enjoy ! (I did).

[james_hardin]

I like an external because I can turn it off and on as needed and it is portable. Mine is DataVideo DAC-100.

 

It is a nice box that comes with no software and no instructions, it just works!

 

I have not scrutinized the market in a year or more but an old rule of thumb was that if it costs less than $180 - $200 it wasn't worth having!

 

As Daithi pointed out, Firewire is a must and cheap ones don't have it.

[P66]

I just started to use the ADVC-110 but I am totally impressed with how easy and well it worked. Within 20 minutes of opening the box I was able to record off the air (using the VCR tuner) and record VCR tape onto my hard drive. A few phono plug cables was all that was necessary to add. Of course you must have a six pin Firewire port on your computer or you will need the optional power supply. I didn't want the problems that I read about of dropped frames and audio sync and so far there has been no trace of any problem. You don't have to deal with putting audio through your computer sound card which seems to create a large portion of the problems. Now I just need to master the Video editing techniques in EMC. From the horror stories of poor capture and software problems with various capture cards I almost gave up on doing VCR to DVD transfer until I read about and purchased the ADVC-110. I hadn't found it before but would give the DataVideo DAC-100 a look-see. Seems to be the same type of interface.

[FLHaus]

Is there any difference in video quality between the various capture devices?

 

I am going to be converting a collection of VHS tapes to digital. I have a JVC Super VHS VCR that I will be using with an S-video output. Currently I have two capture devices, a Dazzle Fusion and a Zio Corp. CameraMate, both of which accept S-video input and provide USB output. They both do capture the video although I would like to get a little better quality if I could. I've also experienced loss of audio synch (I guess that's probably not related to the capture device).

 

I've also looked at some other devices: ADS Tech Video Xpress, DVD Xpress DX2, and a firewire Canopus ADVC-110.

 

Maybe I'm just chasing my tail and the video I've been capturing with the Dazzle Fusion is the best I can expect.

 

Would really appreciate any input you might be willing to share.

 

Dave

 

 

I'm using a VideOh! DVD AVC-2210. It's a couple years old, but it works with EMC 9 and it uses USB. It works, so I haven't had a need to spend additional money on another capture device.

[Melachrino]

Is there any difference in video quality between the various capture devices?

 

I am going to be converting a collection of VHS tapes to digital. I have a JVC Super VHS VCR that I will be using with an S-video output. Currently I have two capture devices, a Dazzle Fusion and a Zio Corp. CameraMate, both of which accept S-video input and provide USB output. They both do capture the video although I would like to get a little better quality if I could. I've also experienced loss of audio synch (I guess that's probably not related to the capture device).

 

I've also looked at some other devices: ADS Tech Video Xpress, DVD Xpress DX2, and a firewire Canopus ADVC-110.

 

Maybe I'm just chasing my tail and the video I've been capturing with the Dazzle Fusion is the best I can expect.

 

Would really appreciate any input you might be willing to share.

 

Dave

 

I followed the advice in a similar situation which said: " Get a Canopus ADVC-100 and you will never regret it". I got it, and all the previous problems with Dazzle and other cheaper devices went away. Such problems included poor audio/video sync, stutters, stammers, frame drops due to not optimum VHS tapes...you name it.

 

Because of such good performance, stability and picture quality of the ADVC-100 I have not only transferred successfully all my collection of 8mm movies to DV and DVD (yep! that far) and now I am finishing transferring my daughter's collection of VHS tapes.

 

In the process, I have used Videowave 7 and now I use Videowave 9, mostly, for editing, titling, sound effects, you name it, as the creative juices allow.

 

Success and enjoy your transfers to the hilt !

[barryware]

For what it is worth....

 

The price of set top DVD recorders has dropped in the last couple of years. I struggled with the decision of purchasing one for a long time.

 

I finally did and now I just dump my CamCorder/ VHS / Audio Cassettes / and old LP's into the set top DVD recorder. Then I take the DVD is creates and use that as the source for editing and what not.

 

It solved a lot of my capture quality problems I faced from time to time.

 

Just something to think about if you need to spend a few bucks on a new capture device. Of course it is not as much fun as using your computer but that itch is satisfied when it comes time for the editing.

[Brian from OKC]

I like an external because I can turn it off and on as needed and it is portable. Mine is DataVideo DAC-100.

 

It is a nice box that comes with no software and no instructions, it just works!

 

I have not scrutinized the market in a year or more but an old rule of thumb was that if it costs less than $180 - $200 it wasn't worth having!

 

As Daithi pointed out, Firewire is a must and cheap ones don't have it.

 

I bought a DAC-100 a while back, and it's far better than my previous capture devices. Still, when I play back a 7-minute AVI capture, the video and audio stutter and halt, and thus fall out of sync. I can go back and replay that section, and it might play perfectly smoothly. The more I play with it, the worse it gets, until I close and relaunch VideoWave, and then it's suddenly better again and gets worse again. I have my internet disconnected, and my antivirus disabled. From what little I know, this smells like a RAM problem. I have 768MB and my computer's max is 1000. If I had more RAM, do you think it would fix this? Could I get away with one more stick of RAM ($40), or will I need to shop for a bigger machine ($1,000)?

[upscope]

I followed the advice in a similar situation which said: " Get a Canopus ADVC-100 and you will never regret it". I got it, and all the previous problems with Dazzle and other cheaper devices went away. Such problems included poor audio/video sync, stutters, stammers, frame drops due to not optimum VHS tapes...you name it.

 

Because of such good performance, stability and picture quality of the ADVC-100 I have not only transferred successfully all my collection of 8mm movies to DV and DVD (yep! that far) and now I am finishing transferring my daughter's collection of VHS tapes.

 

In the process, I have used Videowave 7 and now I use Videowave 9, mostly, for editing, titling, sound effects, you name it, as the creative juices allow.

 

Success and enjoy your transfers to the hilt !

 

I did finally end up getting a Canopus ADVC-300 and just love it. Wish I had done that right from the git-go. I would have save a lot of money and frustration.

 

What an early responder said about "...anything costing less than $180 - $200 isn't worth having." is so true.

 

You mentioned successfully transferring your collection of 8 mm movies to DV and DVD. How did you go about doing that? That's also another project I have.

[gi7omy]

Generally - go with the firewire connection - they work better (USB connections in EMC9 very rarely do and require that the video be captured with Movie Maker or similar and then imported)