Video capture card with scene detection?
Hello. Recently, I have had to put a lot of VHS tapes onto my harddrive for various projects. In order for me to do this right now, I have to record the tape to my mini-DV camera, and then Re-record it onto my computer. I know that there are video caputre cards out there, and I have seen many different brands, but I was wondering what you people here use and what you have to reccomend. I would prefer a card that plugs directly into my computer like my fire wire card, not via USB. I would also prefer a program that comes with a scene detector (you know what I mean, the shot changes, the program capturing the video recognizes this, so it splits the clips). Do they make such capture cards and programs with scene detection? Thanks for all of your input. Any hlep would be appreciated.
Syndicate
Re: Video capture card with scene detection?
In answer to your question about scene detection. It's yes and no. Yes: Good editing Software controlling a digital capture card talking to a digital tape deck or camera will be able to create a new clip everytime it detects a break in the timecode. So that's software, card, and deck (or camera) all have to have the capability. No: It won't help you much with your VHS tapes as VHS is not digital, but analog. It will not be able to automatically detect scenes. Now to the rest of your question: If you can dump your Mini-DV footage to your computer that means you already have a video capture card. So what you need now to directly dump from VHS to your computer is a Analog-to-Digital converter box. Like this one: Link to Canopus ADVC55 --Trey
Re: Video capture card with scene detection?
Sorry Trey, but I don't think I fully expressed myself in my first post (I was kind of rushed when I wrote it). First of all, I am not an indvalit when it comes to digital video. I have been using Sony Vegas for quite some time and am extremely familiar with it. I use it reguarly to make my shorts and other various projects. What I should have said was, I want an analog video capture card that plugs directly into one of the ports onto my computer, like my firewire card. I prefer to avoid boxes if at all possible. I know how DV scene detection works by reading the timecodes (I don't know what I would do without it
). What I want when it comes to analog is a program that comes with the analog capture card that approaches scene detection the same way that Windows Movie Maker does. You see, Movie Maker, even though it's the free program, is special. It detects scenes in two ways. The first way is by analyzing the timecode if the video is DV, just like the more expensive systems. However, Movie Maker can also divide clips another way. If the video is analog, a clip is created when there is a substantial change in one frame of the video compared to the next frame. That's why Movie Maker can detect scene changes in VHS and other analog video formats. It's not nesecerily always as accurate as DV timecode detection in programs such as Vegas, but it gets the job done for analog. to tell you the truth, I do find it amusing that the free video editing software that came free on my computer can preform this software, but my $600 editing program can't 
. The problem with Movie Maker, however, is that it doesn't split the actual source file. It only splits the clips within the program by placing markers in the master file, much like how when you edit your video, the source file is untouched. It's the exact same way with this. That's what I need to be different in the program I get. I need a program that can detect scene changes in analog video, but that program needs to split the ORIGINAL file so that when I DO import it into Sony vegas for editing and rendering, the files will be split. That what's I need when I buy the capture card, a program that comes with it that can detect clips and scenes in analog video. Did I confuse anyone? Sorry if I have 
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Re: Video capture card with scene detection?
Re: Video capture card with scene detection?
Don't worry CaptainStubby. I should have taken more time in my first post and explained the situation a little more in detail. Thanks for taking the time to read and respond to my post.