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Still Working With Analog? |
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Even if you just bought a DV camcorder, changes are you have some analog tapes that you may want to edit. Here are some alternatives for getting these analog assets digitized and ready to edit. Vendors of these products include Adaptec (www.adaptec.com), ADS Tech (www.adstech.com), AVerMedia (www.aver.com) Canopus Corp (www.canopus.com), Pinnacle Systems (www.pinnaclesys.com) Camcorders with Analog Input Capabilities Many camcorders can convert an incoming analog signal to DV, store it to tape and pass it though your camera’s FireWire port simultaneously, so you can capture on your computer during the conversion process. This feature is generally called analog input or analog pass through and is convenient if you only have limited numbers of analog tapes to convert. Otherwise, you run the risk of wearing out your expensive camcorder on a task you can easily perform on a $200 external box. Graphics Card Some graphics cards can capture video with audio captured via the system’s sound card. This is a good alternative if you already have the graphics card, but not the best alternative if buying new for several reasons. First, graphics cards usually capture to a proprietary format. We prefer DV for its quality and universal cross platform compatibility. Second, when you capture video with one device, and audio with another, you increase the risk of sound synchronization issues. Finally, other solutions are more portable. If you decide to buy another computer, you can’t use the capture card without obsolescing the older computer by removing the graphics card. So, if you already have a graphics card that captures video, give it a try. If not, consider the other alternatives presented below. Other Internal Cards Internal analog capture cards produce much less clutter than external units, but are more complicated to install and can’t easily be shared among different computers. When buying: · Make sure the card offers S-Video and composite inputs, as well as stereo audio input. Don’t buy a card that uses the system sound card to capture audio. · Make sure the card captures in DV format. MPEG-2 is acceptable as an additional option, but DV is your best choice when capturing for editing. · Make sure the card can both capture video from and write video back to the analog camcorder. · Make sure the card doesn’t work exclusively with a particular video editing program. Otherwise, if you change editors, you may have to buy another capture device. External Boxes External boxes are easy to install and share, but can promote clutter around your desktop. When buying: · Don’t buy a box that connects via USB 2.0, which always capture in MPEG-2 format. Instead, get a box that connects via your DV port and captures DV video. · Make sure the box offers S-Video and composite inputs, as well as stereo audio input. Don’t buy a box that uses the system sound card to capture audio. · Make sure the box can both capture video from and write video back to the analog camcorder. · Make sure the box doesn’t work exclusively with a particular video editing program. Otherwise, if you change editors, you may have to buy another capture device. For More Detailed Information See PC Magazine Guide to Digital Video Chapter 2- Getting Video To Your Computer:Buying a DV-based Capture Solution, Plain Jane 1394, When to go real time, Buying an Analog Capture Solution, Features to look for in an analog capture product, When to go MPEG-2, Internal options, External options, Looking forward – hybrid options for capturing analog and DV (note: Chapter was written in May, 2003 so some information is dated).
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