video capture at MPEG-2

[burat]

OK.. i know this has probably been asked many times before, but i'm quite sure many people are interested in this subject:

what is a reasonably-priced video editing solution (let's say <$500) that will allow me to capture and edit Hi-8 and DV movies to MPEG-2, then allow me to burn it into CD-R's for archiving purposes (I have the Zip CD-R 12z burner).

I've thought about the Radeon A-I-W, perhaps the ASUS 7100 deluxe, the Matrox G400/450; any other recommendation? What about software?

 

[phantasm]

I'd stay away from the ASUS (read NVIDIA) for Video IN/OUT. I've got a friend that is less than satisfied with the video out quality of his Asus 7100.

I've been fairly happy with my rage pro 128 so I'd imagine that the Radeon AIW would be a good match too. Stick with this if you need 3D gaming capabilities too.

The MATROX would probably be the best one if you didn't need fast 3D gaming capabilites. Matrox has always had brilliant video output.

 

[ManuTOmanU]

The Matrox Marvel G400 doesn't do MPEG 2... just AVI... I think... at least there is no realtime MPEG capture...


Well what I would do is get the G450 16MB DDR and the hauppauge pvr(more info on this card here)

well that is what i am going to do... the only problem on the hauppauge is that it doesn't output to analog devices like VCRs...

 

[OneZeroOneZeroOne]

If your camcorder/deck can output via Firewire/1394, then check out the Pinnacle DV200 for $353 at buy.com
This comes with the full version of Premiere 5.1 video editing software. The software alone retails for $595.

You may also want to check out a site called www.videoguys.com which is a commercial site that also has a lot of info.

I bought the DV200 for Firewire capture, and have an Asus 7700 Deluxe (which was bundled with Ulead Video Studio) for analog video capture.

 

[OneZeroOneZeroOne]

Allow me to add that the Pinnacle DC30 Pro is Pinnacle's medium-priced analog video capture card, and that it is also bundled with a full version of Premiere 5.1 ($500 at videoguys.com - I have not shopped around for this card.)

I have never used this particular card, but Premiere video editing software rocks!

 

[OneZeroOneZeroOne]

Forgive all the posts, but I went into Premiere and looked to see if can output MPEG-2. Here's what it says:
Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) is a file format that compresses video files effectively, but is not as widely standardized as QuickTime or AVI. There are actually several variations of MPEG. The version generally used for Internet and CD-ROM is MPEG-1, which provides picture quality nearly comparable to VHS. MPEG-2 can provide SVHS picture quality. However, the keyframe-based compression that makes MPEG popular for delivery of final video makes it unsuitable for high-quality editing. MPEG export is not built into Premiere, but Premiere-compatible plug-in modules are available from other companies or may be included in some video-card bundles.

HTH

 

[ManuTOmanU]

Are there any Hi-8 devices that output via Firewire/1394???

I haven't seen any but maybe I am wrong...

 

[burat]

Hi-8 is analog...
thanks for all the replies; i am becoming more convinced that there ain't no way on earth to do this reasonably (i.e. <$500).
i think what i'm gonna need to do is digitize my analog tapes, so that i can use a cheap digital (such as the studio dv) video editor, although probably not in anything but low-res/MPEG-1 format.

 

[OneZeroOneZeroOne]

burat:

I am still very new with my video editing, but will offer these final observations:

You're right, Hi-8 is analog only, Digital-8 and DV are the digital formats...

My re-read of your post says:


<< ...video editing solution... >>

If the quality of the video editing software is paramount, I don't think you'll find anything better than Premiere (within your budget)



<< ...reasonably-priced (let's say <$500)... >>

The Pinnacle DV500 is the most reasonably priced card that comes bundled with Premiere 5.1. The bundle retails for $799, but that's why eeeeBaaaaay was created



<< ...capture and edit Hi-8 and DV movies to MPEG-2... >>

The DV500 captures both analog and digital, MPEG-2 AND DV (it's a hybrid card)



<< ...burn it into CD-R's for archiving... >>

If all you need to do is archive, i.e., get it saved somewhere other than the hard drive, the format that it is saved in should not matter (as long as you don't intend to PLAY it from CD.)

Here's a few links to check out:

Premiere

(VideoGuys) Comparison Matrix

(VideoGuys) Video Capture Card Roundup

 

[ManuTOmanU]

Well maybe we could help you if you would tell us what you need it for... if you want profesional editing for a busines, well 500$ ain't nothing.. but for what I am doing, like more hobby and stuff it is a lot of money and you can get some decent stuff...


Sure it won't do everything.. but personally i need to say that some parts are more important than others...

well what were you thinking of using the device for?

 

[burat]

This is for personal use; i just want to archive some old tapes (late 80's), but i'd also like to see if i can store it in vcd form.

i think the Studio DV 500 is probably the best bet.

i was hoping the Radeon a-i-w would do the trick, but trolling different chat rooms just shows how buggy and ineffective this card is for video editing

 

[TravisBickle]

did I read the word Radeon and buggy in the same sentence? go wash thy mouth out you unbeliever

 

[ManuTOmanU]

please don't misunderstand him....

His basic use is going to be video capture and editing....

Do you still think that the AIW is the perfect card?


????????

I don't think so...

 

[Soccerman]

I know that Matrox has it's own encoding card that requires a G400 to connect to (though you supposedly need a 'special' G400).

Tomshardware did a review on it, I think you might be able to compress to MPEG2 if you need to...

tomshardware

also, they have a newer review of something similar, take a look.

 

[Mday]

of course i can't let this thread go without say the HDD speeds necessary to have full motion video ;-)

 

[Soccerman]

of course i can't let this thread go without say the HDD speeds necessary to have full motion video ;-)

of course you can't! however if you can capture directly to MPEG 2, you significantly reduce the amount of hard drive space/speed needed (if you did DVD quality MPEG2 compression, I would expect maybe 10 megs/second).