Video Capture Devices

[CrackTiger]

Does anybody know where I can find out what the better current video capture devices are? I can't find much available in general, even just to blindly buy. It looks like my card isn't going to work anymore so I'd like to try to line up a new one by the end of the year.

[SuperDeadite]

What do you want it for?  If you just want to record footage from consoles, I'd recommend an old analog Hard Disc Drive Recorder.  Easy to setup, easy to record, no lag, no cable mess.  Most will be equipped with a DVD-RAM drive.  Some have SD Card slots.  Mine has a LAN port so I can just upload directly off the unit.  It's so much easier then messing with PC capture card.

[TmEE]

I'm quite happy with my really cheapo Bt879 based capture card... I wish it had RGB input though... it has it INTERNALLY :/

[CrackTiger]

Ideally, I'd like to be able to capture different types of video at different resolutions as well as frame rates (up to 60fps). I was happy with my last card that recorded full quality dvd video on the fly, but it was pretty much stuck at mpeg2 720 x 480 29.97fps. I've found a decent priced external device by the same company that does 1080i on the fly in a bluray player compatible format, but it may be rigid like my last card and require converting every time I make a video for online. It was fine with dvd video since most programs are designed to work with it, but I don't want to get stuck having to convert video to a lower resolution.

[SignOfZeta]

The videos if yours I've seen in the past were pretty good, but they had that interlacing business going on. Was that in your conversion software or was it in the hardware?

I've been on the lookout for a capture device for the last decade or so. There is never one that looks good enough in my price range, and, as you said, I can never find decent reviews. They only mention convenience features or what extra adaptors they needed to attach their Handycam or whatever, not the important stuff.

[CrackTiger]

The videos if yours I've seen in the past were pretty good, but they had that interlacing business going on. Was that in your conversion software or was it in the hardware?

I've been on the lookout for a capture device for the last decade or so. There is never one that looks good enough in my price range, and, as you said, I can never find decent reviews. They only mention convenience features or what extra adaptors they needed to attach their Handycam or whatever, not the important stuff.

The interlacing is from converting to divx. Maybe there's a way to turn it off, but the file sizes would likely increase and I'd only want to do that if I could make select gameplay videos at 60fps.

I'll probably just pick up that 1080i device and see if it's good enough since it's still under $300.

[Joe Redifer]

TmEE, make me something with component inputs so I can capture stuff from my older consoles.  RGB SCART would be fine, too, just as long as I could have at least a composite output to see what the hell I am doing as I record!

[SignOfZeta]

The videos if yours I've seen in the past were pretty good, but they had that interlacing business going on. Was that in your conversion software or was it in the hardware?

I've been on the lookout for a capture device for the last decade or so. There is never one that looks good enough in my price range, and, as you said, I can never find decent reviews. They only mention convenience features or what extra adaptors they needed to attach their Handycam or whatever, not the important stuff.

The interlacing is from converting to divx. Maybe there's a way to turn it off, but the file sizes would likely increase and I'd only want to do that if I could make select gameplay videos at 60fps.

I could be wrong, I don't think it would increase the file size. I think the reason low end software does this (ie: iMovie) is because it massively speeds up final rendering.