ViodiTV


Really Low Cost Video Capture – A Review

Do you have loads of old analog tapes that you need to convert to digital or need a way to bring analog video into your iPod? The Pinnacle Video Transfer [PVT] may be just the device you need. The PVT converts composite or S-Video and stereo audio inputs into highly compressed MPEG-4 files. There are three levels of encoding quality available with resolutions ranging from 320×240 to 720×480.

This device is about simplicity, as a computer is not required. Composite or S-Video is input  one side of the device, while a USB 2.0 port interfaces to an external flash drive, hard-drive, iPod, or PSP on the other side of this unit. LEDS indicate recording status, signal presence and encoding quality. The output is MPEG-4 file, encoded from 512 Kbs to 1.5 Mbs, depending upon the quality selected. 

I was able to edit the files in both Sony Vegas 6.0 and Pinnacle’s VideoSpin video editor.   The above video includes clips digitized by the PVT (indicated by the time stamp in the upper left hand corner of the video).  I found no problems in uploading the MPEG-4 files to YouTube.

Operation of the PVT was straightforward, although there were some recording issues, which were resolved with an updated driver. A scene detection feature would be nice, such that it automatically would split files into one large file. Another interesting feature would be if it had a Firewire interface, such that it would be possible to convert digital feeds directly into MPEG-4 files.  

Although I cannot really think of how an independent telco might use this, the quality is amazing for a consumer-grade device. This is a cost-effective way to convert analog video to digital, in lieu of more expensive video capture devices. Others in this class that bear a closer look, that may have more features, but also come with more complexity include the SanDisk V-Mate and the Neuros MPEG4 Recorder 2.

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