Video Capture Device Recommendation

[Dadioh]

I am running a Mac Mini 2GHz Core2Duo version with Snow Leopard 10.6.2 and I have to convert a bunch of my old home movies currently on VHS tapes. I have tried using an Easycap USB device that I got off eBay but the issue that I am having is that it drops frames on a regular 5 second interval. It runs error free for 5 seconds... drops some frames... runs for 5 seconds... drops some frames... You can almost set your watch by it. Also the audio and video get out of synch. I have tried moving the quality slider bar in the easycapviewer program everywhere from lowest to highest quality and it is the same thing (except for larger MOV files of course). I have 2GB memory and the processor doesn't seem to spike during the lost frame intervals so I don't think it is hardware limited. I think that the driver for the easycap is actually a ported version of the linux version if I understand that correctly.

So rather than entrust my home movies to poor capture I am looking for advice on a piece of HW that works well. Recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[puckhead193]

check out the elgato eye tv 250

 

[Dadioh]

check out the elgato eye tv 250

Thanks. That seems to have a lot of TV like features that I don't need which probably pushes the cost up. I just need to convert the composite output of the VCR into a digital file.

 

[spinnerlys]

http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSi...dio+Family/Pinnacle+Video+Capture+for+Mac.htm

OR


from this

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&q=vhs+video+capture+mac+os+x&aq=f&aqi=&oq=


to this

http://www.macworld.com/article/143545/2009/10/vhs_capture_tools.html


to this

http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/products/Video-Capture/product1.en.html

 

[pilotrtc]

Do you have a PC? http://www.roxio.com/enu/store/video.html

I am using the Mac version, http://www.roxio.com/enu/store/mac.html?rTrack=m_pro_mac, and it's working OK for me. However, I am a beginner and I don't need super duper quality.

 

[neonkru]

2nd on roxio usb device

 

[Cagle]

http://www.grassvalley.com/products/advc110

the canoplus range are always highly rated, the sole job of one is to simply capture video. You can't go wrong and the resell value is high too.

 

[Richardthe4th]

Hi

What are you capturing to? Internal hd? Perhaps the internal hd is busy swapping every 5 sec... Perhaps the usb bus id full (would be a shame but anyway)

Try the capture unit, it is on usb I understand
An extrenal hd on firewire

Stop al other programms and check with activity monitor if you're running out of to/from usb/firewire bandwith etc

If that doesn't do the trick, buy a better product...

Good luck

 

[Dadioh]

http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSi...dio+Family/Pinnacle+Video+Capture+for+Mac.htm

OR


from this

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&q=vhs+video+capture+mac+os+x&aq=f&aqi=&oq=


to this

http://www.macworld.com/article/143545/2009/10/vhs_capture_tools.html


to this

http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/products/Video-Capture/product1.en.html

Thanks. I had already found the products via Google but what I was looking for was personal experience from someone that has used one of these and is recommending them. Some of the reviews on the pinnacle device were not too good.

 

[Dadioh]

Do you have a PC? http://www.roxio.com/enu/store/video.html

I am using the Mac version, http://www.roxio.com/enu/store/mac.html?rTrack=m_pro_mac, and it's working OK for me. However, I am a beginner and I don't need super duper quality.

I have a couple of PC's but I like the ease of use of iMovie for video editing. I suppose I could capture on the PC and then transfer the raw files to the Mac for editing but that is an extra step.

So with the Roxio product have you noticed any dropped frame issues or audio/video sync issues? Are you using the Roxio SW for the video editing? Wondering how it compares to iMovie.

Thanks

 

[Dadioh]

http://www.grassvalley.com/products/advc110

the canoplus range are always highly rated, the sole job of one is to simply capture video. You can't go wrong and the resell value is high too.

Yeah. I figure they must be good based on their prices I found some on eBay. Maybe I could go for a used one to keep the price reasonable.

 

[Dadioh]

Hi

What are you capturing to? Internal hd? Perhaps the internal hd is busy swapping every 5 sec... Perhaps the usb bus id full (would be a shame but anyway)

Try the capture unit, it is on usb I understand
An extrenal hd on firewire

Stop al other programms and check with activity monitor if you're running out of to/from usb/firewire bandwith etc

If that doesn't do the trick, buy a better product...

Good luck

Good point. I am capturing onto the same drive that the OS is on. I do have an external 1TB drive connected by firewire so I will try and see if that gets rid of the problem.

 

[pilotrtc]

I have a couple of PC's but I like the ease of use of iMovie for video editing. I suppose I could capture on the PC and then transfer the raw files to the Mac for editing but that is an extra step.

So with the Roxio product have you noticed any dropped frame issues or audio/video sync issues? Are you using the Roxio SW for the video editing? Wondering how it compares to iMovie.

Thanks

If you prefer working on the Mac, then I recommend getting the Mac version (link provided previously). There is no video editing software that comes with the device. Just the capture app and Toast Basic. So far, I have imported video from my ancient Sony Hi8 Handycam and created my first movie in iMovie 09. During that process I was reading these boards and Apple's boards and Roxio's boards and have learned that iMovie 09 is best for creating movies that are destined for computer viewing and iMovie HD is best for creating movies that are destined for TV viewing.

I'm just beginning my second project that I intend to use iMovie HD on to see if all that I've been reading pertains to my ancient video. It's going slowly for me because that first project in iMovie 09 was my first video project ever. Now I'm going to learn by doing again but this time in iMovie HD so I won't be able to report back in a timely manner.

But that being said, I haven't spent a lot of money (relatively) to get started. I purchased the Roxio device, iLife 09, and some writeable DVD media to experiment with. I also invested in an external hard drive that spins to 7200 and is a 2 TB raid.

btw: the Roxio software is not compatible with Snow Leopard yet so that may be a problem for you. Also, you can't select where the video gets saved initially so you have to move it around via iMovie.

 

[spinnerlys]

You can multi-quote via the

button that is right from the

button.

Good point. I am capturing onto the same drive that the OS is on. I do have an external 1TB drive connected by firewire so I will try and see if that gets rid of the problem.

Yeah. I figure they must be good based on their prices I found some on eBay. Maybe I could go for a used one to keep the price reasonable.

I have a couple of PC's but I like the ease of use of iMovie for video editing. I suppose I could capture on the PC and then transfer the raw files to the Mac for editing but that is an extra step.

So with the Roxio product have you noticed any dropped frame issues or audio/video sync issues? Are you using the Roxio SW for the video editing? Wondering how it compares to iMovie.

Thanks

Thanks. I had already found the products via Google but what I was looking for was personal experience from someone that has used one of these and is recommending them. Some of the reviews on the pinnacle device were not too good.

 

[Dadioh]

Aaah. Thanks for the info. I didn't realize I could answer everyone in one response... Why didn't I think of that

 

[Dadioh]

btw: the Roxio software is not compatible with Snow Leopard yet so that may be a problem for you. Also, you can't select where the video gets saved initially so you have to move it around via iMovie.

Hmmm... sounds like that would be a non-starter then SL has been out for a while. Hard to believe a big company like Roxio hasn't updated their product to SL compatible

 

[Keebler]

http://www.grassvalley.com/products/advc110

the canoplus range are always highly rated, the sole job of one is to simply capture video. You can't go wrong and the resell value is high too.

+100

i sold my canopus 100 a few year after buying it for 80% of the original cost.
their resell value is very high.

and, they are dead easy to use and rock solid stable.

 

[Dadioh]

+100

i sold my canopus 100 a few year after buying it for 80% of the original cost.
their resell value is very high.

and, they are dead easy to use and rock solid stable.

And given that their name rhymes with Cannibus they really ought to rock

 

[pilotrtc]

Hmmm... sounds like that would be a non-starter then SL has been out for a while. Hard to believe a big company like Roxio hasn't updated their product to SL compatible

I know. A bit disappointing. I bought the SL update and "thanks" to my procrastination didn't install it for awhile. After I got the Roxio thingy I found out it's not compatible so now my SL upgrade disc sits collecting dust while I wait for an update to the Roxio product.

 

[Dadioh]

Hold the the phone. A new driver for the easycap seems to have come out in January. I was on version 0.4. They now have a 0.4.1. I haven't tested fully yet but even with handbrake crunching away in the background I am not dropping frames every 5 seconds anymore. There are a few dropped when I switch the active window to something else. Also, I have not yet tried saving directly to a second disk (not on the OS disk). Once my handbrake queue finishes I can try it with the cores not busied out and onto my other disk.

So this may actually solve my issue and I may not to spend more money fingers crossed....