Add-on capture card??

MyST wrote on 2/22/2002, 9:38 AM

I'm brand new to Vegas and I need to add a capture card. Problem is I have no more room in my tower for a card. Is there such a thing as an IEEE card that can be connected via the USB ports on the CPU? If so, do you recommend this?
Also, would you suggest trading my Voodoo 3 for a newer card with firewire ports? Which video card would you suggest?
Cost is an issue.
Any and all suggestions welcomed!

Thanks.

Comments

SonicNateM2 wrote on 2/22/2002, 9:45 AM

Yes, there are USB->firewire connections, but I do not know of one that is OHCI compliant, and as a result I do not know of one that works with Vegas.

For less than $100 (sometimes a lot less) you can pick up an OHCI compliant IEEE 1394 PCI card to put into your machine. This will allow you to connect your DV cam, deck, or converter to your machine in the standard way that allows Vegas to work with it. There are now video cards that include 1394 support and sound cards that do the same. The problem is that most of them are not OHCI compliant and are based upon the manufacturer's proprietary technologies. If you are looking at a video or sound card that includes this, please check with the manufacturer's website to see if the card is OHCI compliant. If it's not, it will not function correctly with Vegas.

Hope this helps.

DataMeister wrote on 2/22/2002, 1:06 PM

I am curious, what cards and how many slots are currently in your computer?

JBJones

MyST wrote on 2/22/2002, 1:25 PM

Echo Mia sound card.
Turtle Beach Montego Quadzilla.This uses 2 openings.
Cable modem.

The good news is I have an empty PCI 32 bit slot. The bad news is that all my openings at the back of my tower are taken. I have an internal fan which fits in the place of a PCI card and blows air out the back. I'm not too crazy about removing this fan because it helps keep the Athlon glitch-free.
I use the Montego as my midi interface and also for gaming( this is a family PC,sigh!).

Thanks for your help.

DataMeister wrote on 2/22/2002, 3:57 PM

So you only have 5 PCI slots? I'm not completely familiar with the Montego, but if the secondary slot is an optional Midi interface, then one thing you might try is one of those USB Midi interface boxes. That might allow you to free up the second slot on the Montego.

Also, I don't know the layout of your case either, but if there is room to mount a fan somewhere else in the case you might try that. MaximumPC magazine is full of examples where people modify their cases to increase air flow or create windows with special internal lighting or other elaborate modifications. It isn't terribly hard to cut a hole and mount an extra fan directly to the case. IF there is room.

And if your mother board has temperature sensors you could try taking the fan out and then (with everything closed back up) run a Quake3 demo loop or another automated processor intensive program for about an hour and check the temp of the CPU. In most motherboard layouts I've seen, the CPU isn't really close to the PCI slots so the PCI fan may not be doing much to help the CPU temp anyway. Of course if you suddenly start getting more fequent crashes, then the fan probably was helping.

JBJones

MyST wrote on 2/22/2002, 4:17 PM

Thanks JB! Actually, there might be a way to modify the fan as you suggested and mount it to the back panel of the tower (it's perforated). Thanks for your input, you probably saved me some (much needed)bucks!

Later.