Is a full-screen video capture preview w/ audio even _possible_?

[PumpkinKing]

I have a Dell Movie Studio Plus, and I'd really like to be able to hook it up to my VCR and watch movies, full-screen, with audio. No actual capturing, just one long "preview" if you will.

But you can't do that with the included Roxio VideoWave Movie Creator. Or Windows Movie Maker. Or VirtualDub. Or VRtainment CapturePad. Or, or... Zwei-Stein!

I know that the Movie Studio Plus hardware is capable – the specifications mention “Playback Resolution TV: Full Screen (NTSC and PAL), Monitor: up to Full Screen” It's a software issue.

My friend used to have a Matrox Marvel G400-TV, and I distinctly remember being able to watch VHS tapes on her monitor without having to record anything to her hard drive first. So I know this isn't a doomed quest, I just don't know where the holy grail is.

Did I just compare digital video to a holy Christian relic? Obviously, this is taking a toll on my mind. But come on! Why do all these programs limit me to postage stamp-sized previews with no audio? O_o

[GeneralLeoFF]

Just Google or Yahoo for the following players. all of them are capable of doing what you want.

CyberLink PowerVCR II
InterVideo WinDVR
InterVideo WinDVD Recorder

and if your capture hardware is compatable...

DScaler

[PumpkinKing]

I hope it's compatible! I'll probably try out the trial versions to be sure...

Hey, you look a little familliar. Didn't you die valliantly while battling Kefka? Heh! Man I love the old Final Fantasy games. Kind of lost my taste for FF after FF8, but 1-7 rock. All right, I'd better get going before I start waxing poetic about my days at RPGamer.com.

P.S. If anyone else has any suggestions -- you know, like, FREEWARE suggestions -- I'd muchly appreciate it.

[GeneralLeoFF]

DScaler is free and thats about the best you can get. DScaler is better then the other 3 programs but it's pickey on what hardware it supports. If your capture card is based on a bt8x8 chipset then use DScaler. The best way to know if your card is compatable is to just install DCsaler and if it works it's well... compatable heh

[PumpkinKing]

Doh. No luck with Dscaler. I guess I'll try the others. Thanks for the info, though.

[GeneralLeoFF]

WinDVD Recorder is the second best program though it is the most expensive ($129 last I checked). It costs so much becose it combines DVD playback with TV playback/capture. It's a very good program.

Both WinDVR and PowerVCR II cost around $60 I think and there both pretty much on par with each other. Even so though they both kinda suck in the user interface department.