RCA audio/video input capture on PC

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

On and off for years, I've wished that all PC's came with RCA inputs and outputs on the back. Ok, I guess I've mostly wished for inputs, because I wanted to be able to view VCR's, game systems and other items on the PC.

Recently, I came across this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-RCA-AV-...-Capture-/350239167709?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

It's evidently an adapter that plugs into USB, and allows you to input RCA video, audio and S-video.

We finally purchased an HDTV a couple of months back, and "retired" the Dish Network set top box tuner we were using. (DTV Pal) I have to say that I'm VERY disappointed that our new TV doesn't have a great program guide like that thing had. The DTV Pal is sitting on the shelf - but I'm wondering - could I hook this up to my PC and then view the program guide on the PC easily using this USB rca dongle?

Then I found myself wondering if the dongle might also allow me to set up a timer of some sort to capture a show like Jeopardy for my wife? We currently don't have anything set up to record any TV.

I'm tempted to buy this thing - but I'm also wondering if it might just be a nonfunctional brick, or have software that is so poor that it might be virtually useless.

Do any of you have experience using this, or a similar USB RCA PC input device?

Thanks!

 

[richaron]

I had a Geforce 2 Ti with RCA video in and out. I was kinda annoyed because I got it only a short time before Geforce 4 came out. But it was a premium card with comparble performance and a bit special.

It's still my favorite card 'til this day. Not because I used the RCA in, or the 3d daughter card and glasses it came with. But because I could play around with stuff and realize what was important. Like how RCA recordings were already old and crappy a decade ago.

I would just use the interweb to view a guide on a computer...

Edit to the point: viewing live input of guide from the box would be pretty easy with a dongle, it would just look bad. I would guess timer recording a certain channel with an analog dongle would be much less easy. And also look bad.

 

[piasabird]

Maybe a TV Card or HDTV Card can do some of these things. Radio Shack has a simple plug that goes from R + L Stero to a Stero mini-jack. I used mine to import sound from a VCR to my computer Line-In on a cheap sound card. This is really old technology. It is not rocket science.

There are some other kind of input devices, and adapters but you cant go from like VGA to HDMI without some kind of specialized converter boxes. You can do the reverse easily from HDMI to VGA/SOUND.

When DVD's first came out you could purchase Recordable DVD drives that also had a VCR built in to convert your Video tape to DVD's. Many of these also had Optical sound output jacks.

You might also look at some DVR's. Maybe you can hook a vcr to a dvr as an auxiliary input with component video for a full HD effect.

http://www.amazon.com/TOSHIBA-DVD-R...5939&sr=1-3&keywords=dvr+vcr+combo+with+tuner

This sony model has HDMI out.
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-RDR-VX55...=1385846172&sr=1-4&keywords=blu+ray+vcr+combo

 

[pkscout]

I think that thing will mostly be a brick. It's designed to take stuff from a VCR or DVD player and encode it. There's no way for it to control a set top box.

If you just want to record the network channels, you should do some research into QAM (or ATSC) tuners. They would work with Windows Media Center (or a number of other DVRs) to give you a program guide, recordings, and live tv.

This one would allow to record HDTV from an antenna.

This one would allow to record from the cable network. Without a cable card it would just do the network channels. With a cable card (additional fee from your cable company), you could get and record your entire channel lineup.

FYI, both of these are network attached rather than USB attached.

 

[scoob8000]

If your just doing OTA digital broadcasts, then one of the easiest things would be to build small HTPC.

I'm a huge fan of the HDHomeRun products from SiliconDust. It connects to your antenna and just sits on the network. It can tune two channels at once, and you can stream to any PC on the network.

You can use it out of the box with Win7 and Media Center. Setup it pretty simple too.

 

[lucasmellencamp]

On and off for years, I've wished that all PC's came with RCA inputs and outputs on the back. Ok, I guess I've mostly wished for inputs, because I wanted to be able to view VCR's, game systems and other items on the PC.

Recently, I came across this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-RCA-AV-...-Capture-/350239167709?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

It's evidently an adapter that plugs into USB, and allows you to input RCA video, audio and S-video.

We finally purchased an HDTV a couple of months back, and "retired" the Dish Network set top box tuner we were using. (DTV Pal) I have to say that I'm VERY disappointed that our new TV doesn't have a great program guide like that thing had. The DTV Pal is sitting on the shelf - but I'm wondering - could I hook this up to my PC and then view the program guide on the PC easily using this USB rca dongle?

Then I found myself wondering if the dongle might also allow me to set up a timer of some sort to capture a show like Jeopardy for my wife? We currently don't have anything set up to record any TV.

I'm tempted to buy this thing - but I'm also wondering if it might just be a nonfunctional brick, or have software that is so poor that it might be virtually useless.

Do any of you have experience using this, or a similar USB RCA PC input device?

Thanks!

THE BESY WAY IS HERE
http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/easy-vhs-to-dvd/standard/features.html