capture from tv card

[peacefrog]

Hi all,
Finally got some time to capture television programs using my newly bought Winfast 2000 XP RM card.

I have a few questions to ask (i have been looking over the forum but am still confused) regarding...

1) Should i capture to the software that came along with Winfast? Or is it best to use VS9 to capture?

2) From the VCR, the signal is analog, and i have seen in the forums that there are settings in VS9 for best quality (ie: capture in upper frame?) Anyone shed light on the optimum settings?

3)From the television programs, is it best to capture in mpeg mode or AVI?
My system specs are 1.8Ghz processor and 512MB ram.
I did initially trial using the bundled software to capture a tv show in mpeg then i cut out the ads and burned the file using VS8.01 (yes i upgraded) But there was the dreaded OOS problem.

Sorry for asking these type of questions here and if u think it's not appropriate can u point me to somewhere for enlightenment!

cheers
froggy

[Terry Stetler]

1. If an editor provides a capture tool and it works with a given device I tend to use it for file compatabilitiy reasons alone unless experience proves it to be an incorrect choice (drops, capture problems etc.).

2. The field options to be used in your edits are determined by your capture device and not the capture software. As such I'd recommend checking with Winfast (website FAQ's etc.) to see which field setting is correct for your projects and exports.

That said if my memory is correct the proper field order for Winfast XP is as you stated: Upper field first, aka: field order B.

3. While MPEG capture and editing is possible it's not the best option.

Consumer MPEG (MP @ ML) is a distribution format, not an editing format. As such it is more "lossy" than most *.avi formats. Lossy means you get more artifacts in the export in those portions where titles, effects etc. are applied. Exactly why MPEG's don't edit well is a whole other topic.

To be sure there are MEPG formats like HDV (high definition video camcorders) that can be edited effectively, but that's not what you'll be getting from the Winfast or VideoStudio.

I personally capture analog *.avi's using MJPeg software codecs for my non-DV edits then encode them for use on DVD's after the edit is finished.

MJPeg = Motion JPeg. This was the most popular codec for editing *.avi's before DV came along, and a lot of people think it's still a better option when quality is an issue (doing special F/X, chromakeys etc.).

The MJPeg codecs listed below are inexpensive, very fast (good for capturing on modest systems), deliver high quality and are very configurable. They also edit extremely well.

Morgan MJPeg ($15-20 depending on version):

http://www.morgan-multimedia.com/

PicVideo MJPeg ($28 USD non-commercial license):

http://www.pegasusimaging.com/picvideomjpeg.htm

Either is an excellent product, so choose your weapon.

Once installed you should create custom editing profiles for using MJPeg in order for VideoStudio to perform at its best. These codecs can be used for any video frame size, so I'd define one for each capture resolution your card supports.

[Ken Berry]

As I have mentioned at least twice in other posts in the past couple of days, I too have a Winfast card - the TV 2000, and I find it works well. I also make the point that when using this card, I ALWAYS capture from it with the software which loads with the card's drivers. When you want to use the device or just watch the TV programs, there is a small module which comes up, and the largest button (extreme right, middle with a red dot in the centre) which is the capture button. But you can set all the various other capture qualities using one of the other buttons. And its capture is both easy and excellent.

As Terry has suggested, though, you may want to verify what your card comes up with in terms of Field Order. The Manual says nothing on this and I have not been able to find out what it is supposed to be from any other source. But in my own case, the card seems to capture Lower Field First (or Field Order A) even from an analogue source. It defaults to this, but the resulting captures, as I say, are excellent, and what is more, when I then edit them in VS 8/9, they produce good DVDs.

[rcurzon]

I have WinFast TV 2000 Expert, happily using it with Ulead VS8.

IMO, I see 2 things to recommend:

1 Interlace Field Order - face it, you are going to have to spend time experimenting. With many many variables...

THIS is one of the easiest. Burn a DVD based on upper field first, and 1 on lower field first. Pick a clip with horizontal motion. The difference will jump out instantly as motion jitter in the "wrong" one. The right one will be as smooth as the original signal. For me, Upper field first is what comes across correctly.

2 Capture format - another thing to make up your own mind on, capture in AVI vs MPEG.

IMO (and my opinion only!) if you are capturing from a very limited source like a TV signal, and you have capable tools like VS8, it's hardly worth spending the disk space and re-encoding time it will cost to capture in AVI. The reason you get different advice is: people have vastly different sources, purposes, expectations, and available time to do this stuff! I capture in NTSC DVD (MPEG2, LPCM), and am still able to use all editing features of VS8... even the resynch of audio and video works great... without any apparent loss of quality and much faster. In my opinion .