New Video Editing PC Build

[Operandi]

I'm going to be building up a new fairly high-end A64 based system relatively soon for my boss. I was planning on picking up an external box for capturing analog sound and video. Are these a good alternative to internal capture cards? I was looking at this USB 2.0 Pinnacle.

 

[icejunkie]

Aren't Intels better at this kind of stuff? Don't get me wrong, I ain't no fanboy or anything, if anything I'd go with AMD > Intel, but that's just what I've heard...

 

[Dragonbate]

Yea I beleive intel has the edge on a/v encoding due to hyperthreading. Also if you are building a real a/v machine look into industrial encoding cards. They encode in hardware but cost lots $.

 

[Operandi]

Maybe, I haven't purchased anything yet so I'd consider a P4 if it makes sense, I haven't built an Intel machine in forever.

 

[icejunkie]

Might wanna check it out 🙂

 

[tiap]

Originally posted by: Dragonbate
Yea I beleive intel has the edge on a/v encoding due to hyperthreading. Also if you are building a real a/v machine look into industrial encoding cards. They encode in hardware but cost lots $.

Stay away from any usb vid products. Your asking for trouble. If you are going to go with low end like pinnacle, then there are multiple choices in capture cards including AIW.
Even though these cheap hardware capture devices (Pinnacle) capture analog in a proper format, inexperienced buyers don't realize that if you alter the video at all, it will require complete decoding again. So, unless you are going to spend many thousands for hardware and software for a truly high end setup, just stick with a AIW or separate capture card and do the software encoding.
Check Here to learn about video. Plan to read a lot.

 

[ribbon13]

Toledo upgrade path > Intel's %5 encoding advantage

 

[kini62]

Spend the money on a Matrox RT, or Canopus DV or some other similar PCI card, if your boss is serious about importing/editing analog video, then it won't matter what chip you're using.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: tiap

Originally posted by: Dragonbate
Yea I beleive intel has the edge on a/v encoding due to hyperthreading. Also if you are building a real a/v machine look into industrial encoding cards. They encode in hardware but cost lots $.

Stay away from any usb vid products. Your asking for trouble. If you are going to go with low end like pinnacle, then there are multiple choices in capture cards including AIW.
Even though these cheap hardware capture devices (Pinnacle) capture analog in a proper format, inexperienced buyers don't realize that if you alter the video at all, it will require complete decoding again. So, unless you are going to spend many thousands for hardware and software for a truly high end setup, just stick with a AIW or separate capture card and do the software encoding.
Check Here to learn about video. Plan to read a lot.

Well most of the capturing will de done digital via 1394 so the analog capture is secondary. Are external boxes really that bad?

 

[ribbon13]

Yes...

What's your budget? I would get an opteron with PCI-X and a Sonnet FW800 PCI-X IEEE1394 adapter for serious FireWire captures.

 

[Operandi]

I should re-phrase. It will be a fairly high-end machine that will be used for primarily for DV editing. It won't by most definitions be a "high-end vidoe editing machine". His budget is roughly $1,000, so that doesn?t leave a lot of room for video capture specific hardware.

 

[tiap]

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: tiap

Originally posted by: Dragonbate
Yea I beleive intel has the edge on a/v encoding due to hyperthreading. Also if you are building a real a/v machine look into industrial encoding cards. They encode in hardware but cost lots $.

Stay away from any usb vid products. Your asking for trouble. If you are going to go with low end like pinnacle, then there are multiple choices in capture cards including AIW.
Even though these cheap hardware capture devices (Pinnacle) capture analog in a proper format, inexperienced buyers don't realize that if you alter the video at all, it will require complete decoding again. So, unless you are going to spend many thousands for hardware and software for a truly high end setup, just stick with a AIW or separate capture card and do the software encoding.
Check Here to learn about video. Plan to read a lot.

Well most of the capturing will de done digital via 1394 so the analog capture is secondary. Are external boxes really that bad?

I understood in your original post you said analog, but if you are doing digital you don't capture, but transfer video through firewire with absolutely no loss. There are many simple transfer programs available. External usb boxes are that bad because of usb. I would much rather use an internal card. For instance a AIW will also turn your computer into a Tivo as well as capture analog from a camera etc.
A P3 1gig will transfer video just as fast as a dual 3.6 gig machine. The speed comes into play when you encode only. With your budget, it will take approx 2 to 3 hours to encode a video for a dvd burn.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Originally posted by: tiap


Stay away from any usb vid products. Your asking for trouble. If you are going to go with low end like pinnacle, then there are multiple choices in capture cards including AIW.
Even though these cheap hardware capture devices (Pinnacle) capture analog in a proper format, inexperienced buyers don't realize that if you alter the video at all, it will require complete decoding again. So, unless you are going to spend many thousands for hardware and software for a truly high end setup, just stick with a AIW or separate capture card and do the software encoding.
Check Here to learn about video. Plan to read a lot.

What??? I beg to differ.
Do you know what the OP is asking about?

FYI, I have the ADS USB Instant DVD 2.0, and I wouldn't trade it for the PCI capture combo that came with the Dell computers at my work, or any of the Radeon 9000 AIW cards that I've seen in action so far. It's light years better than my old Geforce 2 VIVO, which nevertheless also does on-the-fly MPEG2 capture.

I have transferred many rare laserdiscs and family videos (from Digital8 sources, no less!) with it to DVD, and some of the results were absolutely spectacular, in terms of quality. I've actually made comparisons between the on-the-fly MPEG2 capture done with the ADS box (which uses the same chip found in Panasonic and Philips set-top recorders) and the avi-to-MPEG2 conversion done with Canopus ProCoder of raw .avi files of the same videos, transferred to my computer via FireWire. The result: ADS at 4.5 MBps VBR capture was actually better-looking and more detailed than the Canopus conversion at 5 Mbps, done at Highest Quality VBR 2-pass setting.

Sheesh, talking about giving people bad information... The only useful advice you gave the OP was to go to videohelp.com...

Now, Operandi, my advice is DON'T buy that Pinnacle thing... the videohelp site is full of people who say it is crap. Also, look at this thread

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=31&threadid=1522208

I have no experience with the device Wolfshanze is posting about, but he sems pretty sure it's a good solution. I only go with what I've tried first-hand, hence my recommendation for the ADS box.

 

[Operandi]

Most of the editing will be done via digital 1394 but he still wants the capability to capture analog if it's needed. If the external boxes are that bad I'll avoid them. I want to use the Zalman VF-700 on the video card and as far as I can tell none of the AIW cards are incompatible so I would need a dedicated capture card... recommendations?

 

[AnitaPeterson]

External boxes are NOT bad. It's only the Pinnacle that sucks.

*edit* see my previous post in this thread.

 

[tiap]

Something in reference to low end.
Everything is relative. Some people swear that a Lexus is better than a Mercedes, even though it costs 60 grand less.
As I mentioned before, read a lot, the forum at videohelp is full of experienced users.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: AnitaPeterson
External boxes are NOT bad. It's only the Pinnacle that sucks.

*edit* see my previous post in this thread.

Ok.. I'm open to suggestions, for a good external box(USB2.0/1394) vs an internal card. I'm not clear on what makes one good/bad.

I thought Pinnacle makes good entry level gear, what makes it bad?

 

[tiap]

You are correct. It is entry level. The usb interface can be problematic for numerous reasons.
You are really wasting your time here. Go to videohelp forums and post your questions there. There are several pros that hang out there and are willing to give you some expert advice.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: tiap
You are correct. It is entry level. The usb interface can be problematic for numerous reasons.
You are really wasting your time here. Go to videohelp forums and post your questions there. There are several pros that hang out there and are willing to give you some expert advice.

ok.

AnitaPeterson, tiap, thanks for the advice.