Parallel Port Capture

TommyPollock · Post by **TommyPollock** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 5:08 pm

I've found a real neat Video Capture Device on Ebay made by Dazzle. My only worry however is that it plugs into the parallel port. I have never heard of a parallel port being used for video before, and am worried about poor quality. Does anyone have any knowledge of the situation?

El Brenty · Post by **El Brenty** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 9:14 pm

Anything that uses a parallel port (Or a serial port for that matter) is going to run at snail's pace! At the very least, go for a USB hook-up, or better still, go the whole hog with firewire!

Carnage7p · Post by **Carnage7p** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 11:26 pm

yeah firewire is pretty much the only way if you want good transfer. i've heard that those dazzle things suck. i think most people use those if their cam isn't digital or they dont have a dv in/out.

TommyPollock · Post by **TommyPollock** » Sat Sep 20, 2003 9:18 pm

My camera isn't DV. It's Analouge. That's why I need something like this. Are you saying a USB device is better then Parallel? I take it PCI is the best?

TommyPollock · Post by **TommyPollock** » Sun Sep 21, 2003 9:50 am

I forgot to say:

I don't care about time it takes to capture, aslong as it is good quality. Can anyone help? It captures MPEGs.
The reason I want this is because most cards will not have leads for audio, and I cannot find an RCA to Minijack adaptore anywhere.

El Brenty · Post by **El Brenty** » Sun Sep 21, 2003 12:41 pm

The parallel port option is probably the worst one you could take because the data transfer rate is about the slowest you can get - very old technology!

USB is way better than parallel.

Firewire is better than USB.

PCI is the best, because whatever you run off it, really wires directly into the PC's hardware, although AGP is slightly better when dealing with dedicated graphics, but at the end of the day, the final result is only as good as what the card you plug in can actually do!

I'd recommend getting a TV-capture card for the PC, that has a frame grabbing facility with has a good sample rate, at a reasonable resolution - You can usually get these as PCI cards, and they often link into your graphics cards (Like those 3DFX accellerator cards did).

Alternatively, get a new graphics card that can do the same thing, but all on 1 card! The Matrox G400TV was a very good one a couple of years back, but there's probably newer ones on the market that can sample better.

The way you would then hook the camera up is to use the composite video into the capture card, and the audio into the sound card. If you have a SVHS connection, then you'll get a slightly better result.

If you've got a good analogue camera, and the footage was shot under good lighting, etc., you will actuially end up with a very reasonable digital reproduction when you've got it transferred into the PC.

Good luck!

Post by **Matt** » Sun Sep 21, 2003 1:09 pm

Parallel port is going to be slow. Also you don't really want to capture to MPEG. Pinnacle did a card that captured in MJPEG format (avi extension). I would look out for a card that used that because quality wise it is better than MPEG.

Raptor · Post by **Raptor** » Sun Sep 21, 2003 5:44 pm

Originally posted by CamClub
The parallel port option is probably the worst one you could take because the data transfer rate is about the slowest you can get - very old technology!

USB is way better than parallel.

Firewire is better than USB.

PCI is the best, because whatever you run off it, really wires directly into the PC's hardware, although AGP is slightly better when dealing with dedicated graphics, but at the end of the day, the final result is only as good as what the card you plug in can actually do!

I'd recommend getting a TV-capture card for the PC, that has a frame grabbing facility with has a good sample rate, at a reasonable resolution - You can usually get these as PCI cards, and they often link into your graphics cards (Like those 3DFX accellerator cards did).

Alternatively, get a new graphics card that can do the same thing, but all on 1 card! The Matrox G400TV was a very good one a couple of years back, but there's probably newer ones on the market that can sample better.

The way you would then hook the camera up is to use the composite video into the capture card, and the audio into the sound card. If you have a SVHS connection, then you'll get a slightly better result.

If you've got a good analogue camera, and the footage was shot under good lighting, etc., you will actuially end up with a very reasonable digital reproduction when you've got it transferred into the PC.

Good luck!

Derfinitely go with a good capture card for analog caps. I've used the dazzle USB adapter with my laptop for quick video caps when chasing storms in the great plains, but only for video that was intended for the web. Most external devices, even USB, don't seem to be able to support the frame rates needed for good quality video. If you are shooting digital format, then firewire is the only way you should consider. ATI all-in-wonder cards do a good job of analog capture. we use the 8700 to capture anything that will be converted for DV or tape output from analog cams, and I guess the new 9700 cards have awesome cap capabilities. After all the work that can go into your production, you want to get the best quality video possible when doing your post work.

TommyPollock · Post by **TommyPollock** » Sun Sep 21, 2003 7:17 pm

I don't mean to be rude or anything, but as I already said:

I am using an ANALOGUE camera, and the RCA plugs do not go into my sound card. I need an RCA to Minijack connector.

Anyway, I have bought the device. I really hope its good, and if its not, well, I was silly for asking you guys too late on.

Thanks for your help, anyways

Riggzy · Post by **Riggzy** » Sun Sep 21, 2003 7:27 pm

ive got this Dazzle USB analouge capture thing, and it dont work at all! you cant even fit the plugs into the damn thing

Raptor · Post by **Raptor** » Sun Sep 21, 2003 11:27 pm

Originally posted by TommyPollock
I don't mean to be rude or anything, but as I already said:

I am using an ANALOGUE camera, and the RCA plugs do not go into my sound card. I need an RCA to Minijack connector.

Anyway, I have bought the device. I really hope its good, and if its not, well, I was silly for asking you guys too late on.

Thanks for your help, anyways

RCA to mini jack, mono is available at Radio Shack, as is almost any adapter out there, I found an adapter for an old bag phone style cellular antenna to BNC at the shack.... course adapters is about the ONLY thing I buy at RS

TommyPollock · Post by **TommyPollock** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 6:50 pm

How much are they at Radio Shack?

El Brenty · Post by **El Brenty** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 7:10 pm

They're around the 5 mark! I make my own up!

You can get them online direct from RadioShack at :RADIOSHACK.COM

If anyone in the UK ius looking to get something similar here, I think that Tandy (Who are Radioshack in the USA) close down or something, and you'll find that Maplin Electronics stores took their place!

You can buy the adaptors in Wal-Mart as well!

Oh, and pretty much anywhere that sells TVs should stock some of the adaptors!

TommyPollock · Post by **TommyPollock** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 9:02 pm

Thanks for that. Damn I feel a prat for buying this thing. If I get ti and it captures at 2 frames per second with a 12 x 9 resolution, I think I might take to punching myself.

foxwood · Post by **foxwood** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:04 pm

Ya, those Dazzal things are really only ment for people who are trying to put their home videos on the comp so they can burn to CD or the like.