OT: Camcorder with line in?

[Ian Alexander]

Anybody know of a consumer level HD camcorder with AV inputs? I have a few things I'd like to save from a DVR. No, not movies. News clips featuring a club I'm in. Or maybe a computer video capture device is what I need.

Thanks.

[Brent Evans]

Computer video capture is what you want, but you'll have to do it through an analog format (component or composite). HDMI out will most likely be encrypted and the computer won't capture it.

Look at products from StarTech. They have a USB device for S-video and composite that works well enough for this purpose and a different USB device that can capture component, VGA, and HDMI (unecrypted signals only). Both products are reasonably priced, but the HD version is obviously a bit more.

[UpTilDawn]

Computer video capture is what you want, but you'll have to do it through an analog format (component or composite). HDMI out will most likely be encrypted and the computer won't capture it.

Look at products from StarTech. They have a USB device for S-video and composite that works well enough for this purpose and a different USB device that can capture component, VGA, and HDMI (unecrypted signals only). Both products are reasonably priced, but the HD version is obviously a bit more.

I have been using an older Pinnacle usb device similar to that Startech, but not the Pinnacle software that came with it. I can capture "live" tv through my dvd recorder outputs to either composite, or S-video and the audio/video are in sync. But anything I play from a recording (vcr, dvd recorder) comes out with the audio and video out of sync, so I always have to realign them later.

If it's my system that's causing this, I'd love to know how to correct it...

If it's not just my system that causes this, then it's at least something to be alert to having to deal with when transfering from the dvr.
_________

I also can not use this Pinnacle device with just any capture software. As it turns out, I can't use Sony's Movie Studio 12, since it doesn't recognize the device. But I can use the AVS Video Recorder..... but I wonder if that also isn't the source of my sync problem. Just something to consider....


____________________

[CurtZHP]

I have been using an older Pinnacle usb device similar to that Startech, but not the Pinnacle software that came with it. I can capture "live" tv through my dvd recorder outputs to either composite, or S-video and the audio/video are in sync. But anything I play from a recording (vcr, dvd recorder) comes out with the audio and video out of sync, so I always have to realign them later.

If it's my system that's causing this, I'd love to know how to correct it...

If it's not just my system that causes this, then it's at least something to be alert to having to deal with when transfering from the dvr.



____________________

Grass Valley has a few products that are firewire based that work very well, and they preserve picture and sound sync.

Here's their least expensive offering, just a simple analog video to firewire converter.

http://www.grassvalley.com/products/advc55

When this stuff was built by a company called Canopus, they produced a PCI card version of this box called the ADVC1394. I've had one for years and it's worked flawlessly on everything I've run through it. I'm still running Windows XP, so I can't speak for its performance on 7 or 8. You can find these things on Ebay at fairly reasonable prices too.]

[Ian Alexander]

Computer video capture is what you want, but you'll have to do it through an analog format (component or composite). HDMI out will most likely be encrypted and the computer won't capture it.

Look at products from StarTech. They have a USB device for S-video and composite that works well enough for this purpose and a different USB device that can capture component, VGA, and HDMI (unecrypted signals only). Both products are reasonably priced, but the HD version is obviously a bit more.

I expect the output of a DVR not to be encrypted, or the TV wouldn't be able to play it. I think.

I'll look for the StarTech piece.

Thanks.

[Brent Evans]

I expect the output of a DVR not to be encrypted, or the TV

Perhaps encryption isn't the right word. The protocol is called HDCP and all current devices have it. Your TV handshakes with your DVR or Blu-ray or DVD player, and allows the data to pass for display only. Most capture cards won't do the handshake though, and thus the playback device won't send the data. It's a copy protection measure. Basically, the standard says that no device which records or converts to analog may pass HDCP locked video.

[UpTilDawn]

Grass Valley has a few products that are firewire based that work very well, and they preserve picture and sound sync.

Here's their least expensive offering, just a simple analog video to firewire converter.

http://www.grassvalley.com/products/advc55

When this stuff was built by a company called Canopus, they produced a PCI card version of this box called the ADVC1394. I've had one for years and it's worked flawlessly on everything I've run through it. I'm still running Windows XP, so I can't speak for its performance on 7 or 8. You can find these things on Ebay at fairly reasonable prices too.]

I've still got a PCI/FW card laying around and a free PCI slot in the Win7 PC. Maybe I'll give it a shot... $150-200 (on ebay) is a bit much for what I was expecting, but maybe it's worth the expense.

[Ian Alexander]

Perhaps encryption isn't the right word. The protocol is called HDCP and all current devices have it. Your TV handshakes with your DVR or Blu-ray or DVD player, and allows the data to pass for display only. Most capture cards won't do the handshake though, and thus the playback device won't send the data. It's a copy protection measure. Basically, the standard says that no device which records or converts to analog may pass HDCP locked video.

Gotcha. Thanks for the additional info. If component is all that works, that will be fine. Still way better than SD.

Thanks!

[IraSeigel]

Grass Valley has a few products that are firewire based that work very well, and they preserve picture and sound sync.

...

I don't know very much about DVD file structures.

I've been completely baffled lately trying to rip a homemade DVD (concert recording of a band I used to work with, the FIXX). I've tried ripping to AVI, MP4, WMV, SWF. In every case, the audio is either a little or a lot out of sync with the video.

The program I've been using - http://www.idoodvd.com/index.htm (the free version) - even allows a 1:1 exact copy, which copies the video great but with NO audio.

I've tried another utility (forgot the name) with the same results, and I was about to try Premier Elements 12. But maybe someone here has some insight? Any clues here as to what I'm doing wrong? I guess this isn't too uncommon a problem, judging from some posts in this thread.

The original recording, BTW, is on a MiniDV from a consumer handycam. About 6-7 years ago.

Thanks.

[Dave Labrecque]

I don't know very much about DVD file structures.

I've been completely baffled lately trying to rip a homemade DVD (concert recording of a band I used to work with, the FIXX). I've tried ripping to AVI, MP4, WMV, SWF. In every case, the audio is either a little or a lot out of sync with the video.

The program I've been using - http://www.idoodvd.com/index.htm (the free version) - even allows a 1:1 exact copy, which copies the video great but with NO audio.

I've tried another utility (forgot the name) with the same results, and I was about to try Premier Elements 12. But maybe someone here has some insight? Any clues here as to what I'm doing wrong? I guess this isn't too uncommon a problem, judging from some posts in this thread.

The original recording, BTW, is on a MiniDV from a consumer handycam. About 6-7 years ago.

Thanks.

I've used River Past Video Cleaner Lite for years with very few issues. Also, Vegas can work well by simply dragging the VOB files into the interface.