AVForums

Our philosophy in our forums, reviews, podcasts and feature videos is to promote audio and visual excellence by gathering and sharing the best information and resources available.

Help

To begin please visit our help section »

Not a Member Yet?

It only takes a minute to start enjoying the benefits of AVForums membership, and it's free!

Member Log in

Advice sought on product to capture VHS onto pc

Post Reply
Old 09-09-2006, 3:10 PM   #1
Martin Dean
Guest
Posts: n/a
Advice sought on product to capture VHS onto pc

Hi,

First time poster here. I'm looking to buy either a Terratec Grabster AV 400 or a Dazzle Video Creater Platinum.

My pc is Windows 2000 and it's possible these are XP only but I could work on another pc.

Some details on the Dazzle here;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dazzle-Video...UTF8&s=gateway

I can't really find many positive reviews on either device. I know the Dazzle can be obtained more cheaply from ebuyer so that would be my preference. The Dazzle also appears richer in features.

I have a variety of VHS videos I want to capture and I really just want a nice, reliable combo of hardware and software and of course decent results at the end of the day.

Also I don't want to be opening up a pc to insert a card so I am favouring external devices.

I did a search on Dazzle here but not much came up hence my post.

Thanks for any advice.

Martin
  Quote
Old 09-09-2006, 3:52 PM   #2
Prominent Member
 
sbowler's Avatar
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Leeds
Experience Points:
11,173, Level: 25
Points: 11,173, Level: 25 Points: 11,173, Level: 25 Points: 11,173, Level: 25
Activity: 1.4%
Activity: 1.4% Activity: 1.4% Activity: 1.4%
Thanks: Gave 131, Got 497
Posts: 3,694
Re: Advice sought on product to capture VHS onto pc

Have you tried Dabs.com
  Quote
Old 09-09-2006, 7:49 PM   #3
Analogue
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Advice sought on product to capture VHS onto pc

I am also shopping for a device to enable me to import analogue video to .avi. (My experience says this is the best way to start rather than importing as mpeg).

I have also been recommended Dazzle for this purpose, however the Dazzle website does not make the difference between Dazzle 80, Dazzle 90, and Dazzle Platinum at all apparent.

Anybody who can explain would be very welcome.
  Quote
Old 10-09-2006, 4:56 PM   #4
Distinguished Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Rainham Essex
Experience Points:
29,410, Level: 41
Points: 29,410, Level: 41 Points: 29,410, Level: 41 Points: 29,410, Level: 41
Activity: 44.7%
Activity: 44.7% Activity: 44.7% Activity: 44.7%
Thanks: Gave 175, Got 1,419
Posts: 12,737
Re: Advice sought on product to capture VHS onto pc

This thread should offer some answers to your questions. However the VHS VCR will only output a composite video signal and not S-Video (unless it is an S-VHS VCR) or RGB.

Mark.
  Quote
Old 10-09-2006, 5:11 PM   #5
Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: boston
Experience Points:
5,244, Level: 17
Points: 5,244, Level: 17 Points: 5,244, Level: 17 Points: 5,244, Level: 17
Activity: 0%
Activity: 0% Activity: 0% Activity: 0%
Thanks: Gave 2, Got 31
Posts: 324
Re: Advice sought on product to capture VHS onto pc

Why not get a cheap dvd rcorder, and forget about the pc.
I have transferred tapes via pc, and it takes forever whereas play the tape to your dvd recorder and it takes only slightly longer to create a dvd copy than it does to play the tape.
  Quote
Old 10-09-2006, 7:40 PM   #6
Analogue
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Advice sought on product to capture VHS onto pc

Quote:
Originally Posted by alnwrd View Post
Why not get a cheap dvd rcorder, and forget about the pc.
I have transferred tapes via pc, and it takes forever whereas play the tape to your dvd recorder and it takes only slightly longer to create a dvd copy than it does to play the tape.
I tried this with a (normal price) DVD recorder but if you do any sort of editing with scenes taken from more than one DVD then the end product is poor PQ. I have done the same with scenes acquired via firewire to .avi from my later DV camcorder and the end product DVD is great PQ. So want to do the same with my analogue footage
  Quote
Old 10-09-2006, 7:45 PM   #7
Analogue
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Advice sought on product to capture VHS onto pc

Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkE19 View Post
This thread should offer some answers to your questions. However the VHS VCR will only output a composite video signal and not S-Video (unless it is an S-VHS VCR) or RGB.

Mark.
Still does not answer my query about what the difference between Dazzle 80 Dazzle 90 and Platinum are? Is the 80 the low res option??
  Quote
Old 11-09-2006, 12:20 AM   #8
Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hillingdon /Hayes, Middx
Experience Points:
47,154, Level: 53
Points: 47,154, Level: 53 Points: 47,154, Level: 53 Points: 47,154, Level: 53
Activity: 2.7%
Activity: 2.7% Activity: 2.7% Activity: 2.7%
Thanks: Gave 1,052, Got 2,970
Posts: 19,311
Re: Advice sought on product to capture VHS onto pc

Quote:
Originally Posted by Analogue View Post
Still does not answer my query about what the difference between Dazzle 80 Dazzle 90 and Platinum are? Is the 80 the low res option??


To an extent the differences have been in hardware/ software encoding and Hardware differences in inputs/ output options. Lately the software is basically the same ( different cut down versions of Pinnacle Studio™) They seem to have dropped the model nos especially after being bought by Pinnacle.
If you already have Studio itself then you only need the hardware as Studio has the relevant drivers and can be used to configure the hardware.
Studio 10 is now on ver 10.6 and seems pretty stable now.
Im not sure the output PQ itself varies across the range but being software only encoder, the most basic model is CPU dependent on speed and resolution.
The others may also default to lo-res if a USB1 connection is chosen over USB2

Dazzle was (and still is ) marketed as a low cost solution so superlative PQ may not feature high as it is not expected that purchaser will want more but given that one is coming from VHS this reflects more on the mpeg encoding not AVI.
They are basically being pitched as convenient alternatives to budget TV cards and PCI analogue cature cards which are varied in the quality of mpeg encoder chips some of which mainly exist to digitise TV broadcasts .
I feel they are "cheap" enough to try without great expectations: You may be pleasantly suprised
As stated in earlier posts on this subject on another thread, the costlier ADVC hardware by Canopus ( and Canopus codecs) are more likely to give consistent PQ.
Pinnacle/Avid do have Hardware with Pro versions for Liquid and Moviebox for Studio which are a notch above the Dazzle Products. Studios 500 usb seems to share similar hardware with Dazzle but software is full version

Last edited by senu; 11-09-2006 at 10:12 AM.
  Quote
Old 11-09-2006, 9:08 AM   #9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Experience Points:
4,555, Level: 16
Points: 4,555, Level: 16 Points: 4,555, Level: 16 Points: 4,555, Level: 16
Activity: 1.1%
Activity: 1.1% Activity: 1.1% Activity: 1.1%
Thanks: Gave 44, Got 110
Posts: 1,055
Re: Advice sought on product to capture VHS onto pc

Don't forget the Divx certified Plextor M402u:
http://www.plextor.com/english/products/M402U.htm
I see there's one on clearance at Misco for 30pounds. 'slightly shabby box, product pristine'

Last edited by alpine101; 11-09-2006 at 9:13 AM.
  Quote
Old 11-09-2006, 9:38 AM   #10
Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hillingdon /Hayes, Middx
Experience Points:
47,154, Level: 53
Points: 47,154, Level: 53 Points: 47,154, Level: 53 Points: 47,154, Level: 53
Activity: 2.7%
Activity: 2.7% Activity: 2.7% Activity: 2.7%
Thanks: Gave 1,052, Got 2,970
Posts: 19,311
Re: Advice sought on product to capture VHS onto pc

Quote:
Originally Posted by alpine101 View Post
Don't forget the Divx certified Plextor M402u:
http://www.plextor.com/english/products/M402U.htm
I see there's one on clearance at Misco for 30pounds. 'slightly shabby box, product pristine'
Excellent product for archiving and great value at that price. It however doesnt seem to do avi ( DV) for editing in Premiere etc.
AFAIK the bundled Ulead Product is not an mpeg editor ( unlike ver 9 and 10)
  Quote
Post Reply

Powered by  
 Latest popular product prices
Kodak PlaySport Zx5 
7 prices from
 £79.99 Click to show/hide the offers

Sony DCR-SX45E 
4 prices from
 £189.99 Click to show/hide the offers

Toshiba Camileo H30 
1 price
 £107.00 Click to show/hide the offers

Samsung SMX-F50BN 
4 prices from
 £119.99 Click to show/hide the offers

Panasonic SDR-S70 
7 prices from
 £116.00 Click to show/hide the offers

Panasonic HX-DC1 
7 prices from
 £123.95 Click to show/hide the offers

JVC GZ-HM30 
7 prices from
 £144.99 Click to show/hide the offers

Sony DCR-SX21E 
2 prices from
 £149.99 Click to show/hide the offers

 Updated February 11th at 7:30pm. Prices include delivery.


Thread information and display options
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off