authoring at more than 2,500 fps
 

Need recommendations - please!
Motherboard just died. The ATI AIW 9600 capture card has an AGP connector meaning I can't find a replacement motherboard or computer and don't know if I really want to. Current machine is an AMD Athlon 2400+ (nothing special).

Until recently, using normal procedures, Roxio DVD Builder 4.0 processed the mpeg2 capture file at 15 - 20 fps to create the ISO file.

Changed to using Mpeg2clip2 to edit the mpeg2 file, importing into DVD Builder with no menus or chapters, the processing rate jumped to between 1400 and 5000 fps! Have been doing this for several months before computer died.

I would like to replace the capture card with a card or device that will produce the same kind of files to work with that I get now - hardware encoded (realtime) mpeg2 DVD compatible. Is there an external device someone has had good results with or do I need to stick to an internal card (AIW, Blackmagic, etc)? My most important criteria is maintaining the encoding speed.

Thanks in advance.

What you do next really depends on

• budget
• how much time you want to spend learning new equipment

Personally, I hate having to learn new hardware/software when my old method was solid and worked well. It's not fair when the computer parts want to die on you.

And it's going to be hard to replace the quality and ease of that specific ATI All In Wonder card.

I would suggest simply replacing the AGP motherboard for $25: http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.ht...reative=390957
The 2400+ AMD is a Socket A connections.

For MPEG-2 / SD capturing computers, you don't need anything special. In fact, you can do MPEG editing and DVD authoring on older systems just as quickly as you can on the newest multi-core computers. Anything in the Intel Pentium 4 2.0Ghz or AMD 2000+ range is fine for these tasks. They'll even re-encode MPEG with decent speeds. It's when you get into advanced editing (compositing + effects), Blu-ray authoring, HD and H.264 that you really need/want those faster multi-core systems.

It sounds like Roxio was maybe re-encoding your video?

• I can capture MPEG-2 in ATI MMC (with ATI AIW card), and that's realtime to the video. Let's say it's a 2-hour program, so that took 2 hours.
• Editing the MPEG in Womble takes maybe 5 minutes.
• Authoring in TMPGEnc DVD Author / Authoring Works, or Ulead DVD Workshop 2, takes maybe 15 minutes.
• Burning takes about 5 minutes at 12x, using freeware ImgBurn.

Your newer/faster method sounds similar to mine, although with different software.

If you really, really, really want to invest in new systems, the basically anything you buy will be fine, as far as the computer itself goes. I really like the various HP systems: http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.ht...reative=390957

I bought one of the HP Slimline desktops last year, nice small footprint on the desk, to use in the office. I can easily carry to the big TV and use it for a media center. or I can put it in a small backpack, to take on trips, in case I need to do on-site work (finding a monitor is always easy). It's a quad core with a Blu-ray drive: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B002C0SPCG

As far as the capturing card goes, I use an ATI 600 USB, with that system. For MPEG capturing, I'll use ATI Catalyst Media Center -- it's much different from ATI MMC of yesteryear. For AVI capturing, I'll use VirtualDub. The ATI stick is about $60 from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B00138EOH8 -- Don't let the photos fool you -- it's more than just a TV tuner with a coax input. There is a breakout wire that comes with it, for s-video and composite capturing. The photos are misleading.

The Blackmagic card isn't really the tool for this job. That's more for uncompressed capturing, HD work, editing, etc.

Fabulous! VERY HELPFUL answer. Think I'll get the motherboard and the ATI 600 USB!

I will definately upgrade my membership!

Thanks for the quick response!

Glad I was able to help. Definitely consider the membership upgrade, and then we'll be here to help guides you through projects, as needed -- be it tech help, general advice, critiques, etc.

Thanks. :)