firewire cards at DVinfo.net

Llewellyn Thomas · January 9th, 2003, 03:18 PM

I'm just wondering/

If you have a firewire card installed on your computer, do you still need a fancy capture card?

I have a canon xl1s and was just wondering why the dv packages are so expensive if all you need is just a firewire card and cable.

Is there a diffrence between the two?

Thank you

Llewellyn

Brian M. Dickman · January 9th, 2003, 03:25 PM

The only reason for a "fancy capture card" is if you do work an an analog format like Beta SP and need a way to convert analog to digital. Those of us working in DV already have no need for anything more than a firewire card.

Rick Spilman · January 9th, 2003, 04:51 PM

These days if your computer is fast enough a cheap OHCI firewire card may be all that you need with the right software. Or you can get a higher cost "real time card" which will let you do color correction and filters without rendering.

Of course, nothing is a simple as it sounds. If you buy a $40 firewire card and Avid Dv Xpress you will end up spending over $1,200 whereas if you buy a Matrox RXT100 or a Canopus Storm you get a real time card and Premiere and other software for around a $1,000. The Avid software is very good but many folks are happy with Premiere.

Probably the cheapest combination would be a $40 card and Vegas Video for $350.

Rick

Llewellyn Thomas · January 10th, 2003, 02:12 AM

Thank you

Llewellyn

Steve Leone · January 10th, 2003, 04:35 PM

I have heard good things about "Blade" NLE.....made by INsynch.....runs just over $300......you might want to take a look at that, along with a Pyro card for about $50...been using premiere, and works great for me...you can find promotional packages , like "ADS Pyro PLatinum" for $299, thats for the card AND premiere....great deal

Christopher Go · January 10th, 2003, 06:02 PM

The ADS Pyro firewire cards are solid products. I highly recommend them.

Dylan Couper · January 10th, 2003, 06:32 PM

I bought an ADS Pyro firewire card and I may now be looking at two Canon XL1's with shorted out DV ports. Not 100% sure it's the cards fault, but probably. They replaced it about 6 weeks after I returned it.

For what it's worth, I don't know what the ADS card offers that a $20 card doesn't have. I don't think I'd buy another, unless I was looking for a specific software package.

Christopher Go · January 10th, 2003, 06:53 PM

That's sad to hear, Dylan, I'd be pretty upset too. So far, mine has been working fine with my AG-DV1000 deck. One reason I went with the ADS Pyro was because it was on Avid's supported hardware list. I ordered directly from the company, card cost me $49 before shipping (it was just the base card and nothing else).

Alex Taylor · January 11th, 2003, 01:00 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Dylan Couper : I bought an ADS Pyro firewire card and I may now be looking at two Canon XL1's with shorted out DV ports. Not 100% sure it's the cards fault, but probably. They replaced it about 6 weeks after I returned it.

For what it's worth, I don't know what the ADS card offers that a $20 card doesn't have. I don't think I'd buy another, unless I was looking for a specific software package. -->>>

Dylan,

Did the cards short out the port right away or was it really gradual? I have a Pyro BasicDV and a Canon ZR20 and I haven't had any problems... I've been using it for about a year now.

Dylan Couper · January 11th, 2003, 12:13 PM

I used it for a few months before the problem occured. I can't say 100% that it is the cards fault, because ADS did not ship back a report of what they found wrong with the old card, when they gave me a new one. It's possible it was a problem with the wire, but of the computer nerds I talked to, 3 out of 4 said it would be 100% the fault of the card.

Mike Rehmus · January 11th, 2003, 04:34 PM

I remember a posting on one of the Usenet groups about a firewire cable that had been shipped with the leads reversed. That apparently blew the firewire port on a bunch of cameras. But it was an immediate thing, nothing gradual.

Alex Taylor · January 12th, 2003, 01:28 AM

I guess if it was a mass problem with ADS cards they would have issued a recall.

January 9th, 2003, 03:18 PM	#1
Llewellyn Thomas New Boot Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 21	firewire cards I'm just wondering/ If you have a firewire card installed on your computer, do you still need a fancy capture card? I have a canon xl1s and was just wondering why the dv packages are so expensive if all you need is just a firewire card and cable. Is there a diffrence between the two? Thank you Llewellyn

January 10th, 2003, 02:12 AM	#4
Llewellyn Thomas New Boot Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 21	fire wire Thank you Llewellyn

January 10th, 2003, 04:35 PM	#5
Steve Leone Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 116	Firewire I have heard good things about "Blade" NLE.....made by INsynch.....runs just over $300......you might want to take a look at that, along with a Pyro card for about $50...been using premiere, and works great for me...you can find promotional packages , like "ADS Pyro PLatinum" for $299, thats for the card AND premiere....great deal __________________ Omens carry only as much weight as we choose to assign them.

January 11th, 2003, 01:00 AM	#9
Alex Taylor Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 390	<<<-- Originally posted by Dylan Couper : I bought an ADS Pyro firewire card and I may now be looking at two Canon XL1's with shorted out DV ports. Not 100% sure it's the cards fault, but probably. They replaced it about 6 weeks after I returned it. For what it's worth, I don't know what the ADS card offers that a $20 card doesn't have. I don't think I'd buy another, unless I was looking for a specific software package. -->>> Dylan, Did the cards short out the port right away or was it really gradual? I have a Pyro BasicDV and a Canon ZR20 and I haven't had any problems... I've been using it for about a year now. __________________ alextaylor.org

January 11th, 2003, 04:34 PM	#11
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	I remember a posting on one of the Usenet groups about a firewire cable that had been shipped with the leads reversed. That apparently blew the firewire port on a bunch of cameras. But it was an immediate thing, nothing gradual. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

January 9th, 2003, 03:25 PM	#2
Brian M. Dickman Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 148	The only reason for a "fancy capture card" is if you do work an an analog format like Beta SP and need a way to convert analog to digital. Those of us working in DV already have no need for anything more than a firewire card.

January 9th, 2003, 04:51 PM	#3
Rick Spilman Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Jersey City, NJ Posts: 366	These days if your computer is fast enough a cheap OHCI firewire card may be all that you need with the right software. Or you can get a higher cost "real time card" which will let you do color correction and filters without rendering. Of course, nothing is a simple as it sounds. If you buy a $40 firewire card and Avid Dv Xpress you will end up spending over $1,200 whereas if you buy a Matrox RXT100 or a Canopus Storm you get a real time card and Premiere and other software for around a $1,000. The Avid software is very good but many folks are happy with Premiere. Probably the cheapest combination would be a $40 card and Vegas Video for $350. Rick

January 10th, 2003, 06:02 PM	#6
Christopher Go Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 429	The ADS Pyro firewire cards are solid products. I highly recommend them.

January 10th, 2003, 06:32 PM	#7
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	I bought an ADS Pyro firewire card and I may now be looking at two Canon XL1's with shorted out DV ports. Not 100% sure it's the cards fault, but probably. They replaced it about 6 weeks after I returned it. For what it's worth, I don't know what the ADS card offers that a $20 card doesn't have. I don't think I'd buy another, unless I was looking for a specific software package.

January 10th, 2003, 06:53 PM	#8
Christopher Go Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 429	That's sad to hear, Dylan, I'd be pretty upset too. So far, mine has been working fine with my AG-DV1000 deck. One reason I went with the ADS Pyro was because it was on Avid's supported hardware list. I ordered directly from the company, card cost me $49 before shipping (it was just the base card and nothing else).

January 11th, 2003, 12:13 PM	#10
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	I used it for a few months before the problem occured. I can't say 100% that it is the cards fault, because ADS did not ship back a report of what they found wrong with the old card, when they gave me a new one. It's possible it was a problem with the wire, but of the computer nerds I talked to, 3 out of 4 said it would be 100% the fault of the card.

January 12th, 2003, 01:28 AM	#12
Alex Taylor Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 390	I guess if it was a mass problem with ADS cards they would have issued a recall. __________________ alextaylor.org