If you already have a DV cam, and this has pass through ability, as most do, you should be able to use this as a convertor for the analogue sources, so you may not need to buy the separate convertor. Similarly you can use it as a pass through to play out to analogue for VHS.

Something like a Sony digital 8 camcorder will play 8mm, hi-8, and digital 8 tapes directly, and you can plug in other sources-such as vhs, dv, etc.,-and use the pass thru function. From all reports, there is no qualitative difference between using a camcorder this way or using a stand alone converter. Some video cards have capture abilities at the quality level you seek, but someone else will have to offer recommendations..

jboy's advice is very good,
If not a D8 camera buy a D8 VCR, it may just last a bit better with tape shuttling all the time.

Either way that give you the ability to capture / PTT from standard 8mm, Hi8 and D8 as well by using either to from VHS or SVHS or anything else that has composite of SVideo in / out.

If you've got the money Canopus and Televideo have boxes that do YUV and balanced audio, I think its only component to f/wire not the other way around. That give you the ability to bring in Bet SP footage as well if you're aiming a bit higher.

Is it true the only way to get full screen TV out to a TV monitor in Vegas is via firewaire out? I read this on another forum, and it doesnt make sense? surely you can use duel monitors and duel vid cards to have 2 x full screens?

this is where i read it
http://www.dv.com/forums/showReplies.jhtml?sid=1&fid=6&tid=87800019

Vegas is set up for firewire out, which makes sense if that's how you got your video into your PC in the first place. On the downside, it doesn't use an overlay window so some cards with an analog out that take the overlay window and duplicate it on a TV don't have that to work with.

Otherwise, you can use dual monitors or TV out to duplicate/clone your entire screen - just not an automatic full screen of the preview window on a TV without firewire.

I own a Canopus ACEDVio and I would highly reccomend it to anyone using vegas. Mainly because you don't have to use another device to do a external monitor preview, I'm sure it has really saved my elecric bill, and my camcorder not having to have it on all the time just so I can do a external preview. And now you can get the card without the software (if you already own vegas). It's still around the same price as the
ADVC-100 (maybe a little more).

i think, from doing a little more research, i have found some of my own answers, would be nice if some oine could tell me if i am on the right track?

Vegas doesnt support hardware editing, and for what i want to do, that isnt essential anyway.

For a nice vegas setup i would be ok with a good, new and fast PC, something in the order of p4 3ghx hyperthreading turned on, 1gb ram, raid 1 system disk (i like to mirro the OS), 80gb for my existing data and an IDE raid 5 array with 240gb capacity (3 x 120gb drives), Raedon vid car with duel monitor support, 1 x 17in (cos i already have it) and 1 x 19in monitors, then just drag the preview window over to the second monitor, or buy 2 x 19in and place them side by side for a stretched look.

I cant work out where to have a preview TV/PAL monitor connected? Does this have to be connected via firewire and my cam to the TV? or is there another way?

In addition i would need to buy one of the DV convertors, like the canopus AVEDVio for analogue input/output. Ahh i see above that it will do preview to TV monitor for me? GREAT!

This should handle all my initial editing needs, i think, with a view to buying a DV deck in the future to save wear and tear on my cam - can the deck act as a passthru to a monitor/tv ?

If someone could tell me a) if i have this about right, b) which is second best vid card available, that will do great vid editing, i believe it must support overlays and hardware mpg2 ?

kind regards and thanks

"I cant work out where to have a preview TV/PAL monitor connected? Does this have to be connected via firewire and my cam to the TV? or is there another way?"

Vegas uses the firewire out to send the video showing in the prev window to whatever device you have that will do the digital to analog conversion for TV viewing. Some cameras, decks, most boxes will do this for you, but you have to check the individual device specs. I don't know if one of the canopus (or other brand) cards will take the DV internally, convert it, and provide analog outputs for the TV directly - you'ld likely have to find someone using whatever card and Vegas together.

"If someone could tell me a) if i have this about right, b) which is second best vid card available, that will do great vid editing, i believe it must support overlays and hardware mpg2 ? "

a) sounds about right
b) matter of opinion and cash - check out various reviews online, make sure the card works on it's own or preferably with Vegas (some as the new RT I think need premiere.
RE: overlays, Vegas doesn't provide them, they are normally used whenever you're playing video outside vegas in windows, if that's what you're referring to. Hardware mpg2 is nice, but more expensive, often seen in cards that also do some realtime.