So something in your setup is still not fast enough for 1080p.

Maybe processor maxing out was only part of the problem.

What is the bus speed the port replicator communicates with your laptop at?

Since I successfully used the blackmagic mjpg capture program media express that the card comes with at 1080, I think all the hardware is setup correctly.

I think there's something very odd with your set-up Eric. The difference in CPU load between 'medium' quality and 'filmscan2' should be much more than 5%. The preview window causing 80% CPU load also isn't right.

If you're capturing OK at 720p60, I'd be interested to know what sort of CPU load you're getting there. Also, when you're capturing at 1080i, are you using pulldown to convert to 24p?

Richard you were right, I times some tests on converting hdv files in low and film scan and got the same behaviour where the film scan used less cpu, but took longer time to finish. So I'm thinking this is limiation of my hard drive not being able to write the data out fast enough so the CPU is waiting.

Also out of curiosity I timed converting an HDV file that was 1:17 and it took 1:14 in medium mode. Just barely 1:1. Given that HDV is 1440 and Blackmagic is 1920 looks like my computer just isn't fast enough. I should have spent the extra $200 and gotten the top of the line processor, though I doubt a .1 extra gigaherz would make enough difference.

Finally found the right set of settings that will allow my marginal laptop to record live video through Blackmagic Intensity card.
cineform "low" mode, also had success with medium, Resize to 1440x1080, put camera in 24p mode, and turn on remove 3:2 pulldown.

I'm not sure the extra 100Hz of CPU juice would make any difference either, especially when the likely culprit is your hard disk, based on your test (though if you're re-encoding a file already on your main hard disk, it's not going to be a very accurate test as the drive would be reading and writing simultaneously, lowering speed massively).

The next test would be to defrag your hard disk and see what difference that makes. Google 'PerfectDisk' - it's the best defragging software around. You might also considering a reformat of your hard disk, and if using Vista, go back to XP. I have a lowly Radeon X700 in my desktop PC, and its preview window is fine in XP, but rubbish in Vista, even with Aero turned off. I have noticed similar GPU-sapping performance in my 8400M-equipped notebook.

On my capture notebook, I have two partitions - the first one of around 300gb, for video. The second, around 20gb, for the OS. I install onto the second partition as this would be the slowest area of the drive - leave the fast area for the video captures, which need it.

Filmscan really is overkill and especially taxing on a notebook CPU. I would be sticking to 'high' personally.

New cheap ($160) solution for capture (via component only) into cineform on laptop

AVerMedia AVerTV Express HD DVR

Hands On: AVerMedia AVerTV Express HD DVR | We Got Served

Serge - are you sure?

I haven't seen Cineform codec in its specs.

And that card doesn't do 1080p, only 1080i.

Hi, Alex!

I'm sure but not 100% :)

# upports real-time H.264 recording
# Digital recording in MPEG-2, AVI, H.264 (iPhone, & iPod), PSP

I think you can choose to capture in AVI with any installed DS codec incl. Cineform.