This is a very timely post. I just got an email from ADS Tech last week that said they had a fix for the AV/Link and for me to send mine back for an ROM update NO CHARGE. So hopefully it will be back and working soon.

You said you’re using SVHS which might actually work. I bought mine on recommendation from Douglas Spotted Eagle (Spot) who did a review and said he thought the colors were a little truer on the AV/Link. He had no trouble capturing but he wasn’t using a VHS deck like I am. The AV/Link captured flawlessly from a DVD player for me so it was the VHS deck that it was having problems with. I think they traced the problem to the chip they were using an had to get the chip manufacturer to fix it for them.

I would buy the AV/Link from somewhere like Circuit City which offers a 14 day, no questions asked, return policy. If it doesn’t work for SVHS, just return it. If it does, you just saved $50-$100. (and don’t forget to remind the wife how much money you saved) I’m married too so hear ya’. ;-)

~jr

i don't know if this problem has been fixed or not, but the Canopus has had a heat problem for some time. After a certain period of use, it just starts doing black and white and then shuts down. I have written the company about this three times, but they never respond. Personally, I will never buy another Canopus product.

Mmh, I also use the ADVC-100. Just captured 20 BetaSP tapes one after the other - no heat problem there. Worked like a charm. Resolution is great. Color and luminance peaks do slightly differ (it's less then 3 percent less the original) but this is due to the hardware tolerances which might happen with any similar converter.

Marco

I have also used the Canopus ADVC-100 a lot and have had no issues at all.

I'd strongly recommend you check out the ADS forum at the Cow site. It seems a lot of the problems with the A/V link relate to PAL users. as far as I'm aware ADS still have no solution to the problem(s) and were simply suggesting you send the unit back for a refund. Please don't take my word for it, check it out yourself.
That out of the way, I've since bought a ADVC-300 and it is rock solid. The very small extra brightness issues with the 100 were corrected in the 300 it would seem. Also the 300 adds a TBC and Digital Noise Reduction, both are either useful or lifesavers depending on the quality of your analogue source. Also with the 300 you can tweak the procamp settings during capture which can be a big timesaver.
The ADVC-300 is quite a bit more expensive than the 100 so you'll need to weigh it up for yourself. Of course you can get clsoe to the same functionality out of a D8 camera, you could look around for one where that has a dead transport, might get one for a few dollars.

Both the early ADS and Canopus units have had problems. Both companies have resolved their problems. The ADS has a few more options, and is a little less luminant, or rather, doesn't add as much luma to the sample as the Canopus. The Canopus seems to be more forgiving than the ADS in terms of what Firewire cards it will be grumpy with.
Both are good, but regarding the Canopus, once you get into the higher grade models, they are flawless. I think ADS has better customer support. So, I think that the idea of buying one from a Walmart or Best Buy is a good suggestion, you can return with no fears within a couple weeks or so.