Why are Hi8 DV file sizes so large?

[lordsmurf]

No, the VC500 is not a clone.

The "clone" specifically refers to certain cards also using the same (or near-same) chipsets. However note that most clones are harder to find than the actual ATI 600 USB. "Clone" is somewhat of a misnomer, but the ATI 600 USB also came first (hence clones). To muddy the situation even more, the clones all come from company that used shared model numbers. So you can't search for "model XYZ" (and Tevion goes further, has no models whatsoever), as what you think you're getting may not actually be a clone. Again, it's confusing ... which is why I've been providing capture cards in the marketplace for the past few years. I'm taking the guesswork out of finding the right gear.

If you capture DV over analog, which can be fine, even necessary, you'll use an analog USB card. Not Firewire.

The problem with the VC500 is that it appears to have mid-production changes. which give odd results. The worst result is an AGC that can rival the ATI 650/750 cards, which are infamous for bad AGC. The main chipset may (or may not) be unchanged (unconfirmed), but something else is definitely different and variable. Either the non-main chips, or even programming on chips. Look deeper on the forum -- it's definitely not all glowing. sanlyn appears to have one of the problem-free cards, but others have not fared as lucky (including myself).

That said, Amazon reviews more often reveal the knowledge (or lack thereof) of users, and is not a reflection on the device itself. Heck, even something as basic as a can opener gets bad reviews from idiots that don't know how to open cans!

latreche34 is correct about using Firewire for DV transfer/"capture", but that method can be problematic. For example, when the tape refuses to capture without barfing out an unreasonable number of clips. (Even WinDV can do this, even though you've specifically set it not to. And it is frustrating. Analog capture solves the frustration, and quality lost is negligible if any. Consumer camcorder DV simply isn't that great.)

[Sac John]

Thank you, LS.

My goodness, no exaggeration, you really are a remarkable reservoir of knowledge.

Okay, the VC500 is off the shortlist. I would jump on the ATI 600, but it appears out of production or out of stock. There's also the matter of a converter's software being Mac friendly or at least just connecting to iMovie without proprietary software.

I hope you'll be around to thumb up or thumb down my buying decision before I commit. Your advice to buy the TBC-1000 worked out great for me. It's almost comical how futile trying to encode HI8's without a TBC was - and then seeing (so far) ALL of my videos go in uninterrupted with the 1000.

So yeah, I'm a believer in letting you do the research so I don't have to! No need to question your suggestions. I can just get on with the work of encoding tapes.

[lordsmurf]

The best hardware is out of production, sold only on second-hand markets -- ie,this forum's marketplace subforum, eBay, etc.

[Sac John]

LS,

I've been searching A/D converters for my Mac. All the units you recommend are only available used, as you know. I'd like to get something new. Is there no new A/D converter you can recommend for my Hi8 > TBC > Mac workflow? Ideally something that will let me use iMovie as the importing software, as I'm already used to that - although I'll learn some propriety software if necessary.

I'm getting so frustrated with how much there is to learn and the lack of recommendations on new gear - not to mention wildly conflicting reviews on Amazon ... that I'm this close to just throwing in the towel and using my PD150 so I can get on with things whether or not I have image quality. Second rate image quality is still better than NO image quality if I'm not getting anything encoded.

Any suggestions other than the used units you already mentioned?

Thanks for your help so far.

-John

[latreche34]

Unfortunately there is no new brand name capture devices being made, All Chinese crap or expensive professional ones that are made for HD/4K and capturing analog SD video was just a lousy addition (even the designers themselves never lived the VHS era). If this is overwhelming for you just use whatever you got and save the tapes so one day you will do them the right way.

[Sac John]

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

Unfortunately there is no new brand name capture devices being made.

Ah. I didn't understand that until you came right out and said it.

I now have a lead on an ATI 600 USB clone. I hope to be back to encoding in a week or so.

[Sac John]

Hi LS,

The ATI 600 clone converter arrived yesterday. Everything looks good.

If I can ask you another question, you mentioned earlier on the thread that, (me being a Mac user), I should capture to ProRes 422.

I know you are not a Mac person, but is iMovie as good as any other software for my purposes? Will I be able to adjust resolution codec in iMovie to ProRes 422 per your recommendation?

You know enough about Mac stuff to be able to recommend a specific codec resolution (something I wasn't even aware of until you brought it up) so I wonder if you can tell me if iMovie is good enough or if that software somehow compromises the video quality.

[lordsmurf]

Use Videoglide for the ATI 600/clones.
Capture 640x480 ProRes422.

Not a Mac person? Nope! I've used Apples for many years, currently have my own Mac Mini with 10.6 (10.10 upgrade failed, so system currently down). Used FCP and DVDSP for many years, when still doing lots of DVD authoring. In addition to Mac and Win, we've used Linux GUI desktops here for the past decade. WinXP for capture, Win7 work laptops/desktops, Win8/10 for tablets. I'm platform agnostic. These are just tools. Mac is just barely passable at capturing, Linux even less so. At worst, my Mac knowledge is a bit dated by a few years, since not using newest OSX/macOS.

[Hushpower]

Quote:

The ATI 600 clone converter arrived yesterday.

Sac John, would you mind saying what you got?

Thanks, Al

[Sac John]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hushpower

Sac John, would you mind saying what you got?

Sheesh. I can't seem to post a simple picture this week. Let's try again.

Anyway, it the Tevion High Speed DVD Maker.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sac John

Anyway, it the Tevion High Speed DVD Maker.

One thing that MUST be noted is that not all "Tevion" devices are the same.

All Tevions share the name "DVD Maker", and have no model numbers. Even cards that appear the same may not be the desired 600 "clones". There are specific identifiers that I must look for, and ultimately the only true test is to have it in-hand and installed.

Again, due to the all the wild variables, and risky buys (even for me, much worse for novices/newbies), this is precisely why I'm making the hardware our community needs available in the forum. I'm the "easy button". Insert a few dollars (buy the gear), and press me.

Years ago, in decades past, I'd suggest this item or that. Feedback was sometimes mixed, and I was dumbfounded by negative comments. Many times, it was user error. But not always. The most confusing was when it was peers, people that I knew weren't dummies. The variable was the condition, production/sub-versions, etc. Ever since I've been supplying hardware, past 5 years, such comments are extremely rare, as I've vetted the device. People don't realize how many bad items I come across, and reject.