USB capture devices, Pinnacle vs. Hauppauge tests?

[jnielsen]

I have been testing video and audio on three USB capture devices

1. Pinnacle Moviebox 710-USB
2. Hauppauge USB Live 2 ( uses Conexant CX23102 chipset )
3. Dazzle DVC103 (USB)
Capture Software: Pinnacle Studio Ultimate 12, Windows 10
VCR: Panasonic NV-HS960 with TBC and NR enabled, PAL
Cables: Shielded SVHS and audio cables, audio capture via capture device
Capture to MPG2, neutral setting of sharpness, contrast etc.

My conclusions:
There are visible differences.
1. Pinnacle 710: Lighter and sharper as Hauppauge Live 2, more details in dark areas, however some clipping in light areas. The texture of the garden tiles has exactly the sharpness that makes it look most natural of the three pictures.
2. Hauppauge USB Live 2: A little more dull in colors ( more natural ? ) as Pinnacle Moviebox 710-USB. A little less sharp(grass, tiles). More detail in light areas (the shirt). But very similar pictures.
3. Dazzle DVC103: the picture seems maybe appealing because it is very sharp. However I think it is oversharpened with halos around the objects. It does not look good, especially not in a moving video.

Test pictures here https://1drv.ms/i/s!Au87Yx6urKlahdxHc5bl873zoPBafA download to see in full size.

I find Pinnacle USB-710 the best, with its slightly sharpening and better detail in dark areas, but Hauppauge USB Live 2 is also good, and maybe even better if you prefer the most "natural" look. The difference is very subtle. However I am still looking for an even better USB device

I am considering
* Terratec Grabby ( Philips SAA711x chipset ), seems to be identical with The Diamond VC500 at least on the outside.
* Terratec Grabster AV 350 MX uses TI TVP5150 (same as ATI 600 USB).
( inspired from this list http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vide...ti-wonder.html )
* Canopus / Grass Valley ADVC-110
* ATI 600 USB, however I have read that cannot capture PAL to MPG2

What is the best device? I want USB (unless there are som cards fitting in new pc´s).
Is the Terratec Grabster AV 350 MX as good as the much recommended ATI 600 USB?
Are there any devices that can capture MP4 directly, in good deinterlaced quality?

Sound level.
I have also noticed a big difference in sound level
1. Pinnacle 710. A little low audio, I need to raise the overall level in Pinnacle.
2. Hauppauge USB Live 2: Very good sound, a little to the loud site, but usable directly.
3. Pinnacle Dazzle DVC102: Very low sound, not good
I find loud and clear audio very important, because I digitize old home videos, often with dull sound. There seems to be no way to adjust sound level by capture ( in Pinnacle ), or there is, but it only works if capture via pc-input, not via the capture device.
How do I get the best audio by capturing?

[lordsmurf]

Older post, but still relevant...

I've never noticed any clipping the 710 card, and I agree it is nice. The most nifty feature is being able to preview audio in VirtualDub without dropped frames.

The Hauppauge is decent, not too dissimilar from the ATI 600 USB.

Dazzle seems to vary by model and revision, from decent to not.

Canopus ADVC DV boxes will lose 50%+ of color, far worse than what you saw with the Live2.

ATI 600 USB is fine for lossless via VirtualDub to PAL or NTSC. But for MPEG, ATI CMC is required, and that only works with NTSC. It's a software limitation, not a card limitation.

The Hauppauge audio is natively too loud, and can distort easily, need a registry hack to behave.

The Pinnacle and Dazzle are not low, but in the 50% recommended range. If you need audio altered post-capture, use some like Sound Forge or Audacity to restore and correct.