vhs capture - Sony VAIO

flashersmasher wrote on 2/9/2005, 3:03 PM
I have been getting lots of good info from this forum. I'm looking for some comments on vhs conversion. I have a high end Sony VAIO with the built -in capture hardware. It has the anlog and i.link ports. I want to convert all my vhs and hi8 tapes to dvd. Direct copies and some NLE with VMS + DVDA. The VAIo forces you to use their GIGA -Pocket software to convert the VHS. I haven't been impressed with the quality of the conversions. I know there are a lot of factors involved. But Is it the software or the built in capture card? I called SONY and was told it won't let me use the VMS software to download thru the bulit-in card. Would I do much better if I got the Canopus ADVC 100 or 300 and copied that output to my harddrive via firewire. Any experence or opinions?

Comments

ScottW wrote on 2/9/2005, 4:02 PM
I've done a limited number of captures using my Sony Laptop and the built-in hardware. The quality was acceptable, so you might want to double check your settings- I think the default mode was to keep file sizes small, which is going to impact quality. The workflow was something of a PITA, since you have to export the movie from the capture software into another form that's usable.

I think though that you can get better quality with an ADVC 100, and even better with an ADVC 300 which has a built in time base corrector as well as some nice noise filtering (I like my 300). Plus you don't have to go thru the extra conversion step - you go right to DV AVI.
flashersmasher wrote on 2/9/2005, 4:52 PM
Your right. Giga-pocket stores the file as a video capsul. I don't know what file type. Then you have to export it as an avi file. I'm going to call Sony and ask some questions. Giga-pocket is the software that is used to record tv programs too. Maybe that's why doesn't convert it to a dv avi directly like most of the other capture cards do. I have alot of tapes I would like to save before they degrade to much.
gogiants wrote on 2/9/2005, 4:58 PM
If you haven't already considered it, you might look into using your camcorder's pass-through conversion feature, assuming of course that it has one.

You can hook your VCR into your camcorder, then hook your camcorder to your firewire port and voila, you can use Movie Studio or any other "normal" capture program. Some folks (including myself) have done this with good results.

Search on pass through or pass-through and you should get some hits on this forum.
ChristerTX wrote on 2/9/2005, 5:16 PM
I have a VAIO as well and the file format that GIGA Pocket use is MPEG2. If you use the best quality you should get rather large MPEG2 file as it is not compressed very much.

You can take that file in to Movie Studio for editing or you can simply bring it in directly to the DVD authoring software of your choice.

It sucks that it is not possible to use the built in analog capture in other software.
flashersmasher wrote on 2/9/2005, 5:30 PM
I did a little more digging. The High quality recording setting in Giga pocket is a MPEG 2 file, LP is a MPEG1 file and SP is a MPEG2 file. So it looks like I Ioose a bunch right there. So to do anything in VMS I have to convert it to an avi file then back to a MPEG2 file to burn to dvd. I'm i correct. Giga pocket will link me to either Click to DVD software that's the dvd autherizing software that came with the computer. Or it will link me to DV Gate software that on top states it's a MPEG2 editer? According to this forum that's not a good thing. If I do direct copy's maybe converting directly to MPEG2 and burning a DVD in Click to DVD isn't all that bad. But I have gathered converting to DV avi is the best way to get the highest quaity if I want to use VMS to NLE then convert it to MPEG2 for the dvd. I'm I on track or have I got something wrong?
flashersmasher wrote on 2/9/2005, 5:39 PM
I guess you you answered while i was typing. Yes it sucks that you can't access the built in board with any other software. I talked to some web based biz that sells video stuff and they said in their experence that an installed pci capture board won't work in a VAIO either.