Should I buy this card?

Hammer45 wrote on 4/6/2002, 8:46 AM
Here is what I want to do:

Capture a film clip from VHS, edit it, then write it back to VHS. My current capture device is a Dazzle 80, which drops WAY too many frames (I am guessing because of the USB 1.1 interface). I am thinking of getting the ATI 7500 All-in-Wonder 64MB DDR video card to accomplish my goal. I am aware of ATI's reputation for drivers, but I am hoping XP Pro can do a better job than other OS's. I am also leaning toward this card because I would like more memory to drive my 21" monitor - the 32 MB DDR card I currently have provides nice color depth but can lag a bit when having several windows open and moving stuff around on the screen.

I also saw an advertisement for a Canopus ADVC-100 analog-digital converter. It would be about $100 more than the AIW card (and totally stretch my budget to the limit), but if it would be a better solution than the AIW then I would seriously consider it. My only concern is it's singular functionality - it seems like the AIW would provide me with more flexibility down the road.

I would like to make this purchase as soon as possible, so any advice you could give me would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you, and thanks for this wonderful board.

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 4/6/2002, 10:23 AM
For me it's not even a choice. Go with the Canopus converter if you possibly can. There really just is no comparison between that and the AIW. If you still need a new video card, buy the non-AIW version of that ATI card and save some money there. For that matter, more memory is only going to affect the speed of your monitor when you're doing 3D real time rendering in programs like video games. It won't make any difference at all for other applications.

To be fair, i will point out that one thing you will lose with the Canopus converter over the AIW card is the ability to display the windows desktop on an external TV. If that's really imporant to you, look into the dual-head versions of the card instead. That would also give you the ability to run dual monitors.