Video Capture Devices
From SDA Knowledge Base
Not all video capture devices are created equal. Here's a list of DVD recorders, capture cards and capture cables, along with what we know about them.
If reading this page to find out whether a specific device is good or not, take it with a grain of salt, as you would with any review. Most of these views are based on one person's experience.
See HDTV Lag for instructions on how to test a device's lag. The source PC/laptop should be connected to the device and the TV or destination PC/laptop's set to the appropriate channel. Each frame of difference on the screen is 40ms (PAL) or ~33ms (NTSC). Don't assume that your recorder has no lag just because you can't see any.
Inputs:
RF Analogue SD, low quality. Uses coaxial cable for audio and video. AKA "TV aerial plug", "PAL connector".
Cmps "Composite video". Analogue SD, medium quality. Uses a yellow RCA plug for video and one (white) or two (white/red) RCA plugs for audio.
SVid "S-Video". Analogue SD, high quality. Uses a black 4-pin Mini-DIN plug for video and RCA plugs (as Composite) for audio.
SCART Analogue SD, very high quality. Uses large rectangular connector for audio and video. AKA "Péritel", "Euroconnector". Europe only.
Cmpn "Component video". Analogue SD/HD, very high quality. Uses three (red/green/blue) RCA plugs for video and red/white RCA plugs for audio.
HDMI Digital SD/HD. Uses a single connector for video and audio.
Opt "Optical Audio". Digital. Uses a fibre-optic cable for audio only. Rare.
DVD Recorders
| Model/Title | Manufacturer | NTSC | PAL | PAL-60 | HiDef | Quality | Lag (ms) | Inputs | Notes | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DVR3004 | Bush | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Good | ? | RF SCART Cmps SVid | Drive sometimes unresponsive. Occasionally bricks rewritable media. Source: bmn | N/A |
| RDR-HXD870, 970, 1070 | Sony | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Good | ~100 | RF SCART Cmps SVid | Must switch between PAL and NTSC through system menu. Cannot record, edit or erase PAL video while in NTSC mode and vice versa. Source: bmn | UK |
PC Video Capture Cards
| Model/Title | Manufacturer | NTSC | PAL | PAL-60 | HiDef | Quality | Lag (ms) | Inputs | Notes | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intensity Pro | Blackmagic | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1080i 720p | Good | ? | Cmps Cmpn SVid HDMI | Source: CMiller | World |
PC USB Video Capture Cables
| Model/Title | Manufacturer | NTSC | PAL | PAL-60 | HiDef | Quality | Lag (ms) | Inputs | Notes | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Movie Capture Video Xpress USBAV-192-EF | ADS Tech | Yes | Yes | ? | No | Very Bad | ? | Cmps SVid | No drivers for Vista. Hard to get working. Unstable. Source: MortyreR45 | US |
| GameBridge AVC-1400 | Adaptec | UK | ||||||||
| Hi-Speed USB 2.0 DVD Creator | Belkin | Cmps SVid | UK | |||||||
| Ez Grabber | Techgear | Cmps SVid | UK | |||||||
| Dazzle DVD Recorder | Pinnacle Systems | UK |
