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Video capture experience

PostPosted: Sat May 31, 2003 9:02 am
by homenetman
Thought folks might like some feedback on recent video capture experience. I'm trying to get old 8mm analog tapes onto the computer for editing and burning to my new Sony DVD burner.

So far, I've tried three different ways with the following results:

Analog camcorder input to an ATI TV Wonder VE. As some may know this can not capture via Movie Maker 2 (and perhaps other software) but does capture through it's own software. Once burned onto a DVD and played back through a brand new Sony player the video looked awful. It wasn't just slightly pixelated but had large vertical "stripes" that were very distracting.

Analog camcorder input to the VIVO input of a Nvidia GeForce4 Ti4200 card. This WAS able to capture via Movie Maker (and probably other software). Final video on the DVD was best described as "blotchy"...almost the look you get with some camcorders in low light conditions...but definitely BETTER than the separate ATI TV/capture card.

Analog camcorder through a Canon digital camcorder with analog to DV "pass through." Unfortunately this too could not be captured via Movie Maker 2 (it insists on capturing from a tape and you have no tape in the digitial camcorder using this process). MyDVD did capture though. Once burned on DVD, this provided the best overall video. Nearly identical to the original analog tape.

Still...I don't like having to borrow the Canon camcorder everytime I want to edit my old analog tapes so I may look for another capture card that I"ve heard is better than ATI...perhaps Leadtek or MSI.

Hope this is helpful to some....

PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2003 10:05 am
by Action Jackson
It depends on what resolution you are trying to capture to, and of course the original resolution you began with.

PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2003 10:29 am
by homenetman
I used the same analog source in each instance (the same original 8mm videotape recorded) and used 640x480 at 30FPS in each capture scenario.

Are you suggesting the quality differences were NOT related to the system used to capture the video?

PostPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 1:37 am
by Action Jackson
Yes the system itself does have something to do with the capture.

i.e. Dual procs in SMP, lots of RAM, fast harddrive(s), etc...

PostPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 12:42 pm
by UALOneKPlus
Thanks for the info. I just bought a Canon ZR70MC so can't wait to convert some old analog VHS tapes to DVD...