I currently have a Dish Network DVR. I'd like to be able to capture video from this unit via the S-Video out and convert it to a format that my X50 (520Mhz) can use as well as potentially archive these files to a DVD-compatible MPEG format.
My home system is as Follows:
Dell Dimension 3000
3Ghz Pentium 4/HT
1GB RAM
160GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
Mad Dog Conqueror FX5200PCI Video Card w/nVidia chip / 128MB Video RAM
I'd like something that would work either via USB 2.0 or PCI card that can capture S-Video and analog audio. I haven't played much with video capture before, wondering what direction to turn on this...
I'd like something that would work either via USB 2.0 or PCI card that can capture S-Video and analog audio. I haven't played much with video capture before, wondering what direction to turn on this...
Whew…I wish your question required a simple answer, but choosing a capture device is a bit like choosing a computer operating system, there are many options and preferences. Some capture in AVI others capture in MPEG, still others capture in DIVX (the format used by betaplayer). Some run less than $50, others over $500.
For example, I currently have two video capture cards, both PCI. One is a Pinnacle DC10+, which has excellent capture quality (it does tend to drop frames when capturing from poor quality VCR tapes), but only captures in uncompressed AVI (a 2 hour movie ends up about 18 gigs in size). Anything I capture with this card has to be converted to DIVX to be used on my Axim, or to MPEG-VCD or MPEG II-DVD to be used with my DVD player. Although I get excellent quality, it takes almost as long to convert the files as it does to capture them.
My other capture card is a vstream (I don’t know the model number right off hand). It captures in MPEG-VCD, MPEG II-DVD, and DIVX in real-time, so no conversion is necessary. The picture quality is lower than that of the DC10+ (it doesn’t drop as many frames when capturing from a poor quality source), this would not be much of a problem if you were only going to play back the video on the Axim.
I tend to like the PCI cards better than USB because of the slower speeds of USB. If you only have USB 1.1, don’t even bother with a USB capture device, USB 1.1 is way too slow. USB 2 is probably fast enough.
It’s best to do some research on different capture devices and read user comments on the capture devices you are interested in. Try http://www.videohelp.com/capturecards for detailed information on video capture devices.
There are very cheap (under $100) usb capture cards that you can feed any video and audio source and it will digitize it and store on your computer hard drive. They capture in avi then you have to convert the avi to whatever you want. Great for recording stuff off the tv or vcr or dvd player or camera or even your stereo for audio. They usually capture at 320x240 30fps but you might be able to find a usb2.0 one that will do 640x480. They take s-video or just the rca input like on your tv or vcr. Belkin makes them and a few other companys have them also.
I currently have a Dish Network DVR. I'd like to be able to capture video from this unit via the S-Video out and convert it to a format that my X50 (520Mhz) can use as well as potentially archive these files to a DVD-compatible MPEG format.
My home system is as Follows:
Dell Dimension 3000
3Ghz Pentium 4/HT
1GB RAM
160GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
Mad Dog Conqueror FX5200PCI Video Card w/nVidia chip / 128MB Video RAM
I'd like something that would work either via USB 2.0 or PCI card that can capture S-Video and analog audio. I haven't played much with video capture before, wondering what direction to turn on this...
Whatever capture card you end up getting, make sure that you don't capture in MPEG2 (DVD format) because there is currently no PPC player which can play MPEG2 files because of licensing restrictions. Rather, you should capture in MPEG1 or DIVX or WMV if supported, then use a player like Betaplayer or WMP.
You can get a relatively inexpensive PCI video capture card just about anywhere. My recommended ones are Hauppage and ATI. I've used both and am quite happy with both.
When you capture, you can capture into any format you want. You'll have to reconvert the video to a format for use on the PPC. Do not capture the video at a resolution for the PPC if you want to turn it into a DVD. Instead, try to capture it at 640x480.
This will ensure that the DVD turns out correctly. After you have done this, run the video through VirtualDub and change the resolution to PPC specs. I'll have more on this when I get my Axim (which should be any time now) and do my first few encodes. I plan on writing a guide on how to do this, as I know a few people that want to get TV shows, movies, etc. on their portable devices.
Well, I bought a Plextor ConvertX PX-AV100U to use. It runs on USB 2.0 and is pretty straightforward.
Initially I had a ton of trouble with recording, as the sound would get distorted. I thought it was my USB sound card, but switching back to the built-in card also had the same problem.
Leave it to looking online for support! Turns out the PX-AV100U can have distorted sound with HyperThreading or dual processor machines. Fortunately, I was able to disable HyperThreading in my system BIOS and now everything records fine, no processing issues at all.
The included Intervideo WinDVD software is qutie versatile, it will encode MPEG1, MPEG2, Divx, and Windows Media (Though only one setting in WMV). The WMV setting works fine on my Axim X50, though it's only 320x240. I could use the Microsoft Windows Media Encoder to make a higher quality mix, but frankly, the WinDVD settings are fine for what I want to do (watch occasional TV shows that I recorded on my DishPVR on my Axim)
So, for about $70 or so ($50 after the rebate!), I have a great way to capture video now that plays great on my X50 Mid!
I got the AverMedia UltraTV Media Center PCI 300 card last year. It can capture MPEG I, II or record Direct to DVD at various resolutions. I used a splitter and ran my cable line directly to the card for live tv capture. It also has S Video and Analog ports for TV and VCR capture. It's pretty good - when I encode video to 320*240, it comes out very well on my X50mid. Also, going with a PCI slot instead of USB gives you excellent speed, although USB 2.0 will probably be fine if you go that way.
Just a quick warning, the drivers were a little difficult to install on WinXP. I think Avermedia has fixed the problem since I got my card with their 500 series PCI card. (Once I finished installation, it's worked very very well).
Your system is more than adequate to handle it if you go with Avemedia.
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