recommended video capture device

[agz]

Hi,

I am trying to decide what video capture device to buy. I need it for viewing and capturing S-video from a high resolution medical (3-chip) video camera to my laptop.
I also want it to be portable so it has to be:
* USB 2.0.
* produce high resolution image on my laptop
* come with DVD authoring and video edditing software (nothing too fancy, just something that will allow me to cut and join segments etc).
* reasonably priced

I have read about a number of products e.g. by ATI, Pinnacle, ADS, AVermedia etc. But they all seem to have some disadvantages (e.g. the ATI comes without software etc.) and I found it difficult to choose one.

Would appreciate any advise on this matter.

AG

[Alien Bay]

agz, welcome to the forum

I have used AVer Media's DVD EZMaker USB2.0 to import all my videos. It also supports S-video input. I see you've apparently looked at this product via your post, but it worked for me. What was the "disadvantage" you found with this product?

[agz]

Thanks for the reply,
I have absoulutely no experience with any of these devices, but the palm size DVD EZMaker USB 2.0 got a pretty bad review by PC magazine. I think there is a new version ( DVD EZMaker Pro), which to me looks good, but I haven't seen any reviews about it.
When you watch real time TV or video on the computer screen, how good is the image? This is really important to me.
AG

[Alien Bay]

When you capture, the real time on the pc is intermittently refreshed. In other words, during capture it Appears to be dropping frames on the display. Because of this, view back during capture isn't acceptable, if that's what you're looking for.

When you're doing a capture, you'll get a message that this is normal and playback will be fine...and it is. Once captured, there is no video quality problem.

[reboot]

Hauppauge PVR-USB-2.
Comes with all the software you need, and records directly into DVD compliant mpeg-2 video.
Quality is adjustable in the software.
It's a hardware device, so you get no dropped frames, providing your laptop can run full USB-2.
You can also watch at the same time as recording, full frame, full speed.

[agz]

Thanks for the suggestion, Hauppauge was high on my list but I am also considering the Plextor Convertx PX-M402U, which also has hardware-based encoding and does MPEG-4 and DivX. Reviews of this product are variable and the included software may not be great, but so are reviews of the Hauppauge. Any insights?
AG

[reboot]

I used my Plextor for a week. In all fairness, to give it a seriously good testing.
I then promptly returned it and purchased a Hauppauge.
I now own 5 Hauppauge devices (spread over 4 computers). Thinking of buying a 6th.

[agz]

reboot - thx again
what was the reason you didn't like the plextor, and how important is it to have mpeg4 and divx? can you convert mpeg2 to these formats w/o quality loss?

AG

(P.S> I've spent the last 3 years in Guelph, ON as a grad student - wrt to the "I am Canadian" logo)

[tigerman8u]

"can you convert mpeg2 to these formats w/o quality loss?"

Any time you re-encode their will be some loss. As to how noticable it is depends on the quality of the source and how you encode.

[agz]

So Tigerman, do you agree with the previous recommendation re video capture device?
AG

[reboot]

The Plextor didn't work with a lot of the software I wanted. It had progressive audio sync issues on long captures (3+ hours of epic type movies). It just didn't give the quality, even though I messed with multiple settings.
The Hauppauge allows infinite quality/bitrate/sharpness/etc. settings, works with loads of software, and records directly to mpeg2 (in any quality I want), which saves me tons of time encoding stuff.
I just edit out commercials (and with the new plugin for GB-PVR, it's almost automatic with Womble mpeg-vcr), author and burn.

There's also a plugin that uses the free mencoder, that will automatically make an avi (of any quality, and aspect ratio you choose, using XVID) as soon as the recording is finshed.

[agz]

Reboot,
I will go for the Haupauge. Thanks for the advise.
AG