What kind of video card do I need to download video camera data?

[MySTified3k]

Hi all. I'm trying to figure out "digital video" on a computer, and need some clarification or re-education.

My goal: I am building a computer system for non-techie family members. They have 2 small children and shoot alot of digital video. They want this new system to allow them to download their digital video camera information into the computer and edit it, save it on CDroms, send the cdroms out or make video CD's of it.

I know there's alot to be learned about the editing and converting to VCD, that's NOT what I'm interested in right now. What I want to know is: what kind of video cards actually attach to a video camera and allow you to record the information?

I see that most video cards have "DVI" but what is this? Does this let you bring digital video IN, or just OUT? I also see that most new video cards have "S-Video" which I know new TV's also have. Again, is this just an OUTPUT or an INPUT too?

Where does Firewire come into the picture? I read on another forum that Firewire gives you much better source information from your video source, and yet even the most expensive All in Wonder video cards don't seem to have a firewire port. What is going on here?

I am getting the impression that All in Wonder's are the only cards that work with video in... but I don't see how, since they have the same VGA, DVI, S video connections that every other card has, including my basic radon 8500 retail.

Can someone help me out here? Again I'm not concerened with how we "encode yet" that stuff looks extremely complicated and I'll learn that later, right now I need to know which cards to consider buying and how to hook it up to the video camera!

Thanks,
Bianca

 

[Peter]

With a digital image source, you need a data connection - mostly USB for still cameras and FireWire for video.

Those AIW and/or standalone TV/video-in cards are useful for analog image sources - TV cable or antenna, video tape recorders and cameras, old videogames and home computers, these things.

On the output side, you either make a video CD from the stuff (requiring a CD burner and the appropriate software), or view directly from the PC. For the latter, you can put a graphics card in that has VGA, DVI and S-Video/Video outputs to connect to anything from monitors, flat panels, beamers, TV sets, analog VCRs ...

 

[MySTified3k]

Ok, but if you want to do digital video IN, where/how do you get a "firewire" connection? I haven't seen a video card yet with one of those ports!

If a person wants to connect their digital video camera to the computer to run digital video IN, what exactly do they need to buy?

Thanks

Bianca

 

[rbV5]

If a person wants to connect their digital video camera to the computer to run digital video IN, what exactly do they need to buy?

Just a firewire PCI addon card will work great. Look for a card bundled with video editing software, shold be less than $50 for something decent.

 

[Ben88]

Here is the one I have. $18 for firewire card plus cable.
They sell the cable alone for like 30 bucks at best buy...LOL This is all you need to be able to import digital video. Just make sure you have a large hard drive. My 60gig hard drive can hold about 3 hours of digital feed.

Well my cable modem is screwed right now. Go to compgeeks.com and do a search for "(EUR-0811)PCI to IEEE 1394"

 

[Ben88]

Here is the link

http://www.compgeeks.com/details.asp?invtid=EUR-0811

 

[Beandog]

All you need for their purpose is a Firewire Port to get the digital from camera into the computer, assuming camera has a Firewire port. If your building a new computer and want a decent sound card, you can get the Sound Blaster Audigy Card for $60 bucks and it has a Bulit in Firewire port too, so you get the port you need with a really good sound card. Or you could just buy a Seperate PCI card to add the Firewire port, prices vary so shop around, also many newer Motherboards coming out have versions that offer a Firewire port built in...Newegg has always been one of the top places to buy computer parts on the web, plus there service and fast 2 day fedex shipping is unmatched ordering online! Now for the Video Cards, if you get the VIVO option on the card this means just ANALOG video in and video out, so you can move old VHS tapes into your computer and then put them on CD or DVD, other uses would be to record TV shows. Most of the Cards have the Basic only features Like you have seen VGA to connect to a standard CRT computer monitor, DVI to connect to the newer LCDs, and SVHS out to your standard television but few cards give you the extra VIVO as discussed above which adds about $15 to $20 to the cards Price so only get that option if you really need it. Also, most cards come with a DVI to VGA connector cable...this cable allows you to set up second CRT type monitor so that you can have two Monitors running off the same computer assuming the Video card supports DUAL monitor, this would allow you to see the movie on one screen and the editing tools on another, nice huh, but again more costly for the second monitor, but at least this feature is built into most of the GF4 cards and the Radeons, so if you think you might need that feature in the future check the card. Good Luck

 

[Pauli]

Yeah, Beandog has a great idea with the Soundblaster Audigy that has a built-in firewire port. I am using this setup with my minDV camera and it works great. I think the All-In-Wonder Radeon 8500 has a firewire port in addition to all of the analog connectors as well. The analog connectors can come in handy if you want to convert VHS tapes to VCD as well.

The DVI connector on video cards is used only to connect to an LCD display. It has nothing to do with video capture, digital or analog.