Need help quick: help capturing from svideo signal
 

I have a mutli cam setup that goes into a video mixer through svideo. the signal then comes out through svideo. Previously we've just recorded the video and audio (audio comes from a separate mixer) to a vhs. however now we want to switch to dvd - but we need something reliable. So we were thinking about a DVD recorder - however one of the things we want to also do w/ the upgrade is tag a header and footer to the dvd production ( like an opening and closing to the program) so if we were using the dvd recorder idea we would have to take the dvd that we made- and then put it into the computer where'd we'd edit in the footage and then write it back out- but i'm wandering if there's any kind of device- like a hard drive recorder ... something simple and we could plug the svideo and audio into it and it would capture it to the hard drive- and then just send the video file over to the computer through like firewire. OR does anyone recommend getting a capture card for our computer and just capturing the program directly onto the comptuer each time * this is a weekly program- lasts about an hour* Any suggestions would be helpful. -- also does anyone know if there's a dvd recorder type device w/ a hard drive built in available?

I would just get an inexpensive box like this which will transcode your s-video into DV over firewire:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

Then you can capture on the computer and edit. Of course you could capture to a DVD recorder, but that would add MPEG compression and you'd have to rip the files from the disks. As we're discussing in another thread, I don't know that there are any DVD recorders which can OUTPUT DV over firewire. DV INPUT over firewire is common but not DV OUTPUT.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=71865

This is what I would do: if you already have a computer at that location, buy a capture card and use the computer to capture the footage, then edit and author the DVD. But chances are, if you already have a computer there, you are already using it for something... in this case I would buy a laptop with a PCMCIA capture card and use that. This option will give you the flexibility to take the laptop home and edit at your leisure and will give you the best quality possible.

If money is an issue, a used IBM Thinkpad will work perfectly, get one for 400-500 dollars off Ebay and add a $50 capture card... just make sure it has a large hard drive as one hour of DV is more that 12 GB and you need additional hard drive space for editing.

Mark,

Since you're already looking at the simple solution of a set-top-box video DVD recorder, you might look at the variety of STB which includes a hard drive. I have an older model Panasonic DMR-HS2, which allows recording video and audio onto a hard drive. You could clip both ends to clean them up, then add an opening and closing, which could already be on the hard drive. Then burn to DVD.

A system like this has VERY simple DVD authoring capabilities, but would be MUCH simpler and quicker than the computer route.

What I do is use a laptop(you could use desktop) and a Canopus ADVC100 connected firewire to the laptop.Input the audio and either composite or s-cable to the ADVC100 and capture to the hard drive.I backup this capture with a capture to tape by taking second audio/video feeds into a camcorder with analog input.(never had to use it).I also take a 3rd audio/video feed to VTR,but that's a bit overkill. I do it anyway just to cma.
An hour show is about 13g.Dump the show to an external firewire drive.Drop the show intro on the timeline, edit the show, drop in the close,roll credits and render out to compliant MPG2.
Hook up the firewire drive to desktop and burn the DVD.
It takes a few hour, but it it's rock steady and works
I don't suggest a capture card.
There are other solutions,this is just what I use.

David, I'd like to go your route with using a DVD recorder with a built in Hard drive, I looked on the net for an updated model of your recorder but have had trouble finding something similar. Do they make DVD recorder / HD hybrid devices that have firewire out, so you can transfer video from the recorder to a computer?

Also another question- I am using the computer that is nearby the mixer for other things, such as powerpoint and whatnot, if I did get a capture card and put it into the system, or that canupus device, would it be a bad idea to use the computer for anything else at the same time? I believe it's an athlon 64 3200 .

As noted above, this same topic is under discussion in another thread:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=71865

I don't think you will find a DVD recorder with firewire output unless you're willing to pay $$$. JVC has models with a DVD recorder, hard drive and DV tape deck which all accept firewire input, but the only firewire output is from the DV deck:

http://www.jvc.com/product.jsp?model...hId=115&page=2

Let us know if you find something with firewire output, because it's a question which comes up frequently.

Mark,

All the HD-DVD boxes that I have seen that have firewire, use it to convert DV in to MPG for DVD. I have not seen a firewire out.

There is a brand new Panasonic DMR-EH55 that might be OK. Best Buy has a Toshiba RD-SX35 with 160GB HD, which might also work. It was $390.

If these work like my older Pany does, you can record your main program, and then trim off the ends. This does NOT re-record the pgm, and takes only a few seconds. You can then make a record list of the open, body, and close - then burn that to DVD. This takes real time. You can then make a text only label for the main menu. You must then finalize the disk, which takes about 4 minutes on my Pany. You then can repeat this process for multiple DVDs, or copy the DVD in your computer.

If you choose to do the whole job in your computer, you will have a real time capture, followed by edit time, followed by rendering time to MPG2 for DVD (this WILL take from 4 to 10 times the running time, depending on your processor), followed by authoring, THEN burning to disc. The process will be MUCH easier and quicker using the DVR-DVD box. The trade-off is that the computer will give you much more flexibility in menu layout and chapter points. There should be an insignificant quality difference.