What's the best, affordable, device to record Analog Video from a TV/VCR onto a PC for fututre DVD burning?

I saw this Pinnacle Dazzle Device at Best Buy for $150. It supposedly records from any Analog Source, using either S-Video or RCA Video connections, directly into MPEG2 format onto the PC. But I read the side of the box and it says during that encoding process, it reduces the incomming image to 1/4 it's original size.

Has anyone here tried the Dazzle device with any success? Are there better devices out there? If so, where can I get one and what is it.

All I need is something that will let me use RCA cables to record GOOD QUALITY video onto my PC which would be transferred to DVD using NeroVision later on.

Thanks everyone who replys!

 

I have not used Pinnacle Dazzle but I do have Pinnacle Stkudio AV/DV capture card that I got from Circuit City for 99.99. It captures both Analog and Digital images to hard drive from VCR, TV, Camcorder, Digital camera etc.
nothing is said about it capturing the images at 1/4 the size.
I have not installed it yet, but if it does capture at 1/4 size then the fusk.r is going back.

I will read the manual and see what it says about that and let you know.

 

I know tha HP burner 3000e will capture analog and digital and it works very good. Also burns but it is 299.99. A friend of mine has it and says it does a real good job.

Might be an alternative if you need a burner also.
I understand the new models burn at 8x.

 

I just bought an great Sony DVD+/-R Burner and I already made 3 DVD+R Backups of existing DVDs, so buying a new burner is not an option.

I've seen a couple PCI Cards and USB 2.0 devices at Best Buy and Circut City, but I'm not sure as to what is better. The Pinnacle Dazzle thing looked cool, but the little note on the side ofthe box about reducing the image to 1/4 it's size set-off my skepticism alarm. If they mean 352x240, that is too small and will be very pixelated once expanded for TV format.


I am hoping that that is actually an adjustable option, because I want it to record at the full DVD standard size, which is something like 720 x 560 I believe.

I don't want it at 1/4 size, cause Nero will blow it up during DVD recoding and it'll look like a movie made with Tetris Blocks!

 

My manual says it captures both analog and digital in standard mode and wide screen mode so by saying that I am sure that the images are correct size.

It does say that when it captures the image files into an album the images are thumbnail size. This is true for most things though.

 

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1072287783836&skuId=6282685&type=product

Is this what you have? Looks like it had a Fire Wire input too - Maybe I'll get that instead?

Let me know how the video looks when you get the chance!

Thanks.

 

Yes it does have 1394 firewire port. You use firewire cable for transfer from digital camcorder or camera or digital VCR DVD etc.
It has both s video and composite video in and video out connections.

The only thing I wish it had that it don't is a In connection for your audio from the source device. You have to hook that to your video card.

I will let you know how it comes out.

Soon as I get it hooked up and running

 

There isn"t much use getting a High Quality Capture device if you are Going to Ruin the Video by useing Nero Vision Express to burn it to DVD...
Vision Express is one of the worst program for creating DVD"s because it will ALLWAYS re-encode your source Files even if the Source files are allready 100% DVD Compliant which ruins the quality not only because it re-encodes the files but because it uses the worst encoder ever created to encode the files...

If you want to get a Truely Professinal Quality capture device that will produce better quality captured than any consumer level device then take a Look at the "Canopus ACEDVio" which is a Professinal Quality Analogue/Digital converter and Video editing card that you can get for as Low as $149 US if you buy it off e-bay from a reputible Licensed Canopus reseller....Cheers

 

I have a review link for HP DVD 3000e http://www.k0lee.com/dc3000/ forwarded to me almost a year ago by the designer of this product. Anyway, "Buy AS IT IS, NO AFTER SALES SERVICE AVAILABLE, DON'T BOTHER TO CALL AS NO EXPERIENCE PEOPLE AROUND"

 

I use an Hauppauge wintv-prv350 to transfer video to dvd........you can't go wrong as long as you've a pretty good video, and chunky HD to store the movie or what ever you're transfering on!
http://www.hauppage.com/pages/products/data_350.html

i've it for 6 weeks now and i still love it


Phil

 

I have a Pinnacle AV card and it's not pretty, nothing I capture with it seems to turn out at the quality I would like.

But, if I connect the same devices through my camcorder and then into the computer by the firewire port, the image is unbelievable. Trouble is it won't pass through any copyrighted signals and I don't have SIMA. TV broadcast and video game images are exactly what I want.