What format is best to capture Analog video

lone_shard wrote on 2/17/2003, 6:31 PM

I want to use Vegas with a combination of formats (DV, avi, etc.) Qualitywise, am I better of to capture analog video as MPEG-2 or DV. Specifically I'm looking at Dazzle convertors. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Comments

MyST wrote on 2/17/2003, 6:43 PM

Do a search for Dazzle in the Vegas-Video topics. You might want to reconsider.

M

lone_shard wrote on 2/17/2003, 6:46 PM

I'm not sure what you mean. I searched Dazzle and found very little. Are you saying I should consider a different product all together? If so, any recommendations? And same question, What format is best for converting analog input? If I capture as MPEG-2, will it be re-compressed by Vegas and result in loss of quality?

MDVid wrote on 2/17/2003, 7:07 PM

Capture as DV. Use Vegas to convert to any format you like. I prefer the Canapus ADVC 100 for Analog to digital capture. Has never failed me. It is the only computer product I have ever bought that worked right out of the box, just like it is supposed to.

JTH

MyST wrote on 2/17/2003, 7:41 PM

Users here tend to stay away from Dazzle because of uneven quality issues. The ADVC 100(with a firewire card) seems to be liked more for analogue to digital capture.

M

HeeHee wrote on 2/18/2003, 12:27 AM

Ditto on the Canopus ADVC-100. Best purchase I ever made besides VV3.

The ADVC-100 is one of three prosumer models that canopus offers. Go to here and check out these products. Looks like they added a professional broadcast AD converter, ADVC-500 to the mix, but I don't think you will need that bad boy! look at the easy selection guide to select the right one for you.

-Lee

lone_shard wrote on 2/18/2003, 1:45 PM

Thanks to all. This has started me investigating Canopus options. The ADVC-100 looks like a good product. Does anyone have input on the ADVC-1394. This seems to add DV capture as well. I don't currently have a firewire card. If I got a ADVC-100 and just a stock Firewire card would that let me capture DV video or does the Firewire card need that as a special feature?

jetdv wrote on 2/18/2003, 1:52 PM

The ADVC-100 and ANY OHCI compliant firewire card will let you capture DV video.

Jamz wrote on 2/18/2003, 2:08 PM

I started out with dazzle. If you are planning on using VHS tape to input through the converter box stay away from dazzle. Unless the tape is in perfect condition you will have problems. I also agree with everyone about the ADVC-100. You can't go wrong with it. Firewire cards are so inexpensive these days this would be the way to go problem-free.

mcgeedo wrote on 2/18/2003, 2:09 PM

My two cents: I am buying a new camcorder (digital), with A/V input/output. Capture from analog right to DV tape, then Firewire into your favorite software. I am currently using an ADS USB Instant DVD device. It captures analog into MPEG files. The hardware is quite good, quality-wise, but the capture software is as flakey as Grandma's homemade pie crust.

Regardless of how you capture analog, if you capture as MPEGs, render the media to avi before you clip it into your project. You will avoid the dreaded "black frames" if you do this, plus preview is so much prettier.

lone_shard wrote on 2/18/2003, 6:19 PM

I'm still trying to get a clear picture of all these video formats.
The last post says, "If you capture as MPEG, render to avi...". I still ask, is it better to capture analog directly as DV, as compared to MPEG rendered to avi, if my final product is going to be MPEG for DVD? Thanks

JJKizak wrote on 2/18/2003, 6:46 PM

Check the Cow forum (Vegas)for DSE's answer on the difference between ADVC-100
and the 1394-50 card.

JJK

Former user wrote on 2/18/2003, 6:49 PM

It's the ole "Garbage In/ Garbage Out" scenario...

Your capture material should always maintain the highest quality possible (DV). After you are done with all your editing etc...then render/compress down to MPEG2 or whatever.

This is same analogy as this classic: Should I rip a music CD to MP3 and then burn those tracks to a CD for the car? Why would anyone inject a 7-1 lossy compression scheme into the picture to totally alter the original CD tracks and then take those same crappy tracks and burn them back to CD? In this case - I rip straight to 44.1 16 bit WAV and burn those straight to the CD...

Bottom line - Never subject your original source material to anything but the best...in the case DV

PS - I bought the ADVC-100 today....it's killer, baby!

Cuzin B