Bhaskar:
>Right now, my immediate interest is in hardware and software to capture video
(NTSC/PAL) or 35mm film and convert it into .AVI files, something priced for
the serious hobbyist but hopefully not making too many compromises from
professional quality (dream on, you say!). Any suggestions will be *greatly*
appreciated.<
Welcome! Okay, let's see here…
I use an Intel Smart Video Recorder Pro, which comes bundled with Digital Video
Producer (srp around $700, so street price should be around $450-$500). It can
handle 15 fps at frame sizes up to 320×240 pixels, rarely drops frames unless
there's a *lot* of action or camera movement, and can easily use your 16-bit
sound card to link audio to video. Digital Video Producer is an easy-to-use
(mostly) software that creates pretty slick-looking presentations.
Hope this helps,
Tim Liebe