CompuServe Thread

I recently set up a 90mhz Pentium with a Miro DC1 TV motion video capture card (30fps, ISA card, VHS quality output). Very inexpensive card (under $700.00 thru discounters) but very adaquate output if (and only if) you have a fast disk sub-system. I'm using WFW 3.11 with Adaptec PCI SCSI adapter and Micropolis 1760 LT (it's the external model of the 2217 which is mentioned frequently in reviews). It's very very important to have 32 bit disk and file access and to have PCI based disk controllers. Once I finally got the correct drivers installed, which was a major headache, the PCI Adaptec/Micropolis system really smokes! The Adaptec 32bit drivers more than doubled my disk throughput. I considered several other systems including the Targa 2000+ which is clearly higher quality than the Miro but it costs around $5,000, and requires EISA based system. No matter what you use for capture – stick with Adobe Premiere 4.0 for DTV editing. If you have a fast system, Premiere is wonderful (even with all the bugs…er features).

Mike, Here is my two cents: Capabilities: Moving Video Capture: Intel Smart Video Recorder Pro, ~$500.00. See review in this month's Multimedia World magazine. Go Intel for more info. Bundled software is a good start. Also would get hold of the Multimedia Jumpstart CD from Microsoft for the latest version of VidEdit for basic video clip editing. You can request the Jumpstart CD by sending a request to INTERNET:mmdinfo@microsoft.com with name and address, no charge. The next step up for video editing would be Adobe Premier for Windows, but try the bundled and Jumpstart tools first. Single Frame Capture: Same Intel card will do a good job. If you need still capture and you don't want/have a video camera available, I like the Apple QuickTake digital color camera with the Windows connection kit. Does nice medium res. color stills and does NOT require a capture card. ~$700.00. Sound Capture: Try the sound card bundled with your machine first, if you have problems, use good major brand sound card, e.g., SoundBlaster 32 AWE. Overlay and RF playback: See comments below. How much ram? 16 meg?: I'd go with 24 meg. minimum, 32 better. Is 540meg hard drive enough or more than we need?: NO! 1 gig min. to capture and compress video. Should the sound, cd, and hd all be SCSI?: Not necessarily. For example, Enhanced IDE should be fine for a single large hard drive or two. CD may need to be on sep. SCSI for best performance anyway, hence, an Enhanced IDE HD + SCSI CD is a good combo. Having all on the same SCSI won't hurt either unless you plan to record to CD, then, having the CD Recorder and Hard drive on sep. controllers is a good idea. And again video in and out?: You'll have fine video capture and playback on the computer monitor with the Intel SVRP. Do you need output to tape or a TV? If so, others will have to comment, though maybe something simple like the Presenter Plus Sound by Consumer Technologies Northwest (800-356-3921) will do the trick. It outputs to TV and Tape and can be connected to a laptop or desktop PC. List is $495 and it is bundled with Compel, a Multimedia Presentation program that is worth a look. Let's take a base example of a Gateway (this is not an ad for Gateway, just a concrete example, substitute any other brand as needed) and see what we can do in your $4700 price range: Start with the Gateway P5-75 for $2399. FEATURES* . Intel 75MHz Pentium microprocessor . AT case with 145-watt power supply . 256KB SRAM cache . 16MB DRAM (70ns SIMMS) expandable to 128MB . 1.44MB 3.5" diskette drive . Quad-speed CD-ROM drive . 730MB Western Digital IDE (10ms) 17MB DTR with 128K multi-segmented cache buffer . PCI Enhanced IDE interface . PCI Local Bus graphics accelerator with 1MB DRAM . 15" Vivitron color monitor, up to 1280 x 1024 non-interlaced resolution . AMI BIOS . Clock/calendar . 4 16-bit ISA slots, 2 32-bit PCI & 1 PCI/ISA slots . 124-key AnyKey programmable keyboard . DOS 6.22/Microsoft Windows For WorkGroups 3.11 . MS mouse version 9.01 & Gateway mouse pad . QAPlus hardware diagnostics software . MS Office Pro on CD 4.3, Bookshelf `94 and Money 3.0 . Fully FCC Certified . 3 Year Parts, 1 Year Service Extended Warranty Add: Intel SVRP $500 Presenter Plus Sound $500 Upgrade Gateway at time of order as follows: 1 GB Western Digital IDE drive…………………add: $120 17" Vivitron color monitor…………………….add: $260 Wavetable audio kits Ensoniq Soundscape & Altec ACS-31…………..add: $209 PCI local-bus graphics accelerator with 2MB VRAM…………………………….add: $150 +8 meg RAM…………………………………..add: $400 —————————————————sub: $1089 Net, ~$4500 to get a 75 MHz Pentium with 24 meg RAM, 1 gig hard drive, 17" monitor, 2 meg VRAM, a 4X CD, the Intel SVRP, and the Presenter for TV/Tape output. You could get similar configs from Micron, Zeos, etc. You would have to give quite a bit in processor speed to go with someone like Compaq at the same price, but then you would get their excellent service. Sounds like those involved in your project are computer savvy, though, so one of the mail order folks might be fine. Use their forums on CIS for help, it is faster than calling <wry grin>! Hope this is helpful. Regards, Robb.