Video Capture cards

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I am looking for some recommendations on high quality video capture cards. I have a 30 gig HD, 400 Mhz system, and I am looking to spend less than 500.00. I was wondering if anyone has experience with a card that encodes to MPEG 1 straight from the video source, at a fairly good speed? If so, would this not eliminate the need for encoding software and make the video file ready for burning? Thanks in advance.

-- Derek Sider (dereksider@home.com), December 28, 2000

Answers

I use a ATI All in wonder rage 128. Works real well as long as you verify your settings every time you start. 70 minutes of MPEG1 takes arounf 3 minutes to process on my Sony PIII 450. Visit Rich's site at http://www.members.home.net/richa/ati.htm for the real scoop. Uuummm use Nero over easy cd, I really like it.

-- mike bennett (mbennett@our-toys.com), December 28, 2000.

Hey, I just bought a Dazzle. I am excited and couldnt begin to tell you how much im excited. I went throught 3 video capture cards and could not get one that worked with my system. I am using it on a 500MHz AMD K6-2 Processer with a Asics motherboard. The first one was an ATI-All in wonder 16MB PCI(its all they had, no AGP) for 180.00, and then didnt work with display configs otherthan 600x480@16color. So then I tried the http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11027344&m=488&cat=521&scat=522 Pennical Systems DC10 Plus - Worked Great, but low quality and it only did microsofts AVI files. (there big files). I was looking for manily a MPEG caputre card, so i toulk it all back, and I got the Dazzle Card and it is everything I wanted plus the software is great. Menu DVD maker and more: Check this site out. http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11008488&m=488&cat=521&scat=522

-- Billy (billsecond@yahoo.com), December 29, 2000.

I use the new ATI RADEON Vi-Vo with 64Mb DDR Memory and 256 bit Processor. The work more better than ATI FURY PRO Vi-Vo that was limited to mpeg1 encoding. I've buy it for 399.00 and work very well even at high resolution.

-- MrList! (Mr.List@Flashnet.it), December 29, 2000.

I have Pinnacle's Studio DV, which captures video and will converts it either realvideo or avi or videocd compliant mpeg files. It costs about $65. It is an IEEE1394 card with extra usb ports. I am happy with it.

-- malnadman (malnadman@home.com), December 30, 2000.

I have a Matrox Marvel AGP card, It works great. I bought is for $120 on ebay. This video stuff takes lots of time and software have learning curves. Good luck

-- Brian Atree (xsfunk@yahoo.com), January 02, 2001.


I have a Pinnacle pctv rave card it cost me £35 and works great i can record straight to mpeg for vcd with winVCR, and the quality is just as good a recording onto a VHS.

-- Zak Keene (zzzaaakkk1@yahoo.co.uk), January 03, 2001.

No one else has mentioned it, so I might as well - why not try the Hauppauge WinTV GO? It's a nice PCI based TV Tuner card. The card can be bought new for $40 or so. When teamed with WinVCR, it allows you to capture video straight to MPEG1 from the TV Tuner or from an exxternal composite source such as Camcorder. Not the absolute best quality, but it gets the job done for a low price.

-- The Informer (jrobbins@yahoo.com), January 09, 2001.

Not an answer but a further related question for which I would really appreciate some advice. I have come across the Dazzle in my search for a device to capture still images from a CCD camera on a microscope. This camera has a composite video output that we currently view on a montitor. If we connect this to a Dazzle (or similar) is it posible to view a real time video image on the PC monitor before capturing a still? A product called Snappy seems to offer this capability but I'm having trouble locating a PAL version here in the UK. Thanks for any help or suggestions, Marcus.

-- Marcus Hunt (mhunt@telplan-uk.com), March 09, 2001.

Pls get rid of any ATI products, I am 100%sure it will trouble ur system one or another way... Sometimes with your scanner, videocamera etc.. ALL_IN_WONDER PRO 32MB is royaly screwing me for past 3 months . I lost my money ($199) and time.. Simply ATI products will not work... Try to contact them, then U will really understand how they are screwing u...

-- Aji Paul (ajipaul@yahoo.com), June 18, 2001.

I have to agree with the quality of ATI's products. There low end stuff is terrible. I bought the TV Wonder VE and it isn't worth a damn. This card does not capture to mpeg-1. I have heard very good things about the All-In-Wonder Radeon though. This can be bought very cheap at www.pricewatch.com or www.z-buy.com. My advice is don't waist your time buying something that can't capture to mpeg-1. The amount of time you will spend waiting on software to render will make you go out and buy another card.

-- Casey M (wkm001@excite.com), July 24, 2001.


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