New to list - suggestions invited, please!

[Phil A. Lefebvre]

Coming in a bit late due to being on vacation, but hope this helps:

>What I want to do is capture analog video from VHS tapes (about 500 
>of them!) to a Mac, and then burn Video CD's, Super Video CD's, or 
>DVD's from these captured tapes.
>
>I asked on the G-List about the cheapest machine that I could use for
>this, and I have decided on buying a Blue & White G3 or a Sawtooth G4.

Definitely get the Sawtooth G4. The G4 encodes to MPEG about 2-4x 
faster than a G3. Even if you got the B&W G3 and upgraded the 
processor to a G4, the Sawtooth has a better design that will give 
better performance MHz-to-MHz.

>I would like the opinions of this list on the following, though:
>
>I'd prefer a PCI capture card/TV tuner card, but all I have seen for
>Macs are professional cards that cost upwards of $700 or much more. Is
>there a Mac PCI card out there that is inexpensive, can capture at least
>352x288 or better, captures stereo audio, & works with OS 9 and OS X? Or
>do I have to go with a FireWire A/D D/A box that's still overpriced and
>doesn't do as well?

I saw your post on the LEM Swaplist looking for an ATi XClaim VR 128. 
(I noticed because I have one, but haven't decided if I want to sell 
it yet.) That is your best bet in OS 9. I know of no PCI capture card 
that works in both 9 and X.

There wasn't much in OS X until the Televio, distributed by Dr. Bott 
for $150. I just got one, but haven't had the chance to install it 
yet. (Which is why I don't know if I still need the ATi card.) It 
works with OS X 10.1.5 and above in a B&W G3 or above, though it 
recommends a G4/400 or higher. Has RF, RCA and S-video inputs and 
stereo audio inputs and outputs.

<http://www.drbott.com/prod/db.lasso?code=6202-TLVO>

>Is there a all-in-one software solution for OS 9 or OS X or both that is
>easy to use, reliable, and inexpensive or free for
>capturing/editing/filtering/encoding/burning VCD/SVCD/DVD's?? If not,
>what programs do you recommend, and where can they be found?

There is a hardware MPEG-2 encoder called USB InstantDVD, distributed 
by ADS Technologies. It captures from any video source, converts to 
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 in real time, lets you edit the material, then burn 
to disc using Toast 5 or other burning software. It is $350 and works 
only in X. Needs a G4/400 or better for MPEG-2.

<http://www.adstech.com/products/macav1750/intro/macav1750intro.asp?pid=MACAV1750>

You could also look at the EyeTV from El Gato. It is a little box 
that will encode any video source to MPEG-1 in real time, allow you 
to edit out commercials, then use Toast 5 et al. to burn VCDs. We 
just got the EyeTV for my wife's iBook (w/ G3/500) and it is a very 
nice device. It's $200 and only works with OS X.

<http://www.elgato.com/eyeTV/index.html>

There is no software solution that will go from soup to nuts for any 
of those formats in any Mac OS. There are freeware MPEG tools you can 
string together to do this in OS X, but it is pretty complicated, and 
doesn't sound too reliable from what I've seen.

Toast 5 Titanium is the only thing that works in both 9 and X, but it 
only does the encoding, authoring and burning of previously edited 
video to VCD, and the burning of previously edited, authored and 
encoded SVCD and DVD. Toast 6 will have the ability to 
author/encode/burn SVCDs and DVDs. Should be out within a month or 
two. Still need editing software though.

<http://www.roxio.com/en/products/toast/index.jhtml>

You could put a DVD burner (the original DVR-103/A03 can be found as 
a closeout for around $100 now, and the DVR-104 and 105 are around 
$150) in your Sawtooth, get iLife for $50, then burn DVDs quite 
easily. Since iMovie 3 will now work with any QuickTime footage, you 
can used analog video, from say a Televio. That is by far your best 
price/performance ratio, as long as you get the Sawtooth or better.

<http://www.apple.com/ilife>

>I do have copies of iMovie, Final Cut Pro 3, and Final Cut Express. Are
>these good for what I want to use them for? None (except iMovie, which
>came with OS X) are installed yet. I have some very good friends who are
>Mac nuts who have tried to help me out, but they don't know about video
>stuff...

iMovie will work fine for editing. Final Cut is overkill for cutting 
out commercials.
-- 
_______________________
Phil Lefebvre
Chicago, IL