analog-digital converters

[worker201]

I'm interested in purchasing an analog-digital audio/video converter. Something I can connect to my computer that allows me to capture VHS video or LP audio, that sort of thing. There's a couple at BestBuy for like $120, but they are Windows only (lame). I've seen a few for Macs as well, but they try to ram the video you capture into iMovie or some such crap, so that's not what I need either.

It needs to have RCA inputs, red, white, and yellow. It needs to output to USB or Firewire - I don't have a desktop I can stick cards in.

And it should be cheap.

Anybody have any recommendations? A product you've heard good things about? Thanks for your suggestions.

[Void Main]

You could use a TV tuner for this although there may be a better way more targeted to exactly what you are looking for. I use the Hauppauge PVR-350 for my MythTV box but you could get by with a cheaper one:

http://www.hauppauge.com/

Looks like you can get the PVR-150 from Amazon for $68 and that should do what you need. I guess it's $91 if you want one with the remote control. I think those imitation Hauppauge cards also work with Linux and are a little cheaper. But these things have built in TV and FM tuners so you might be able to find just an encoder only for less money and maybe even something USB connected. Not sure what is available that would be supported by Linux.

You might also look this over for ideas:
http://dvr.sourceforge.net/

[Master of Reality]

I've seen ATI video cards that have RCA input, not sure how much or if they work with linux.

[Void Main]

I just realized you had a requirement of usb/firewire because you are using a laptop. The MythTV site lists a few USB cards:

http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Video_capture_card

This one looks to be well supported:
http://www.plextor.com/english/products/ConvertX2.htm


Looks like a little more than you want to pay though. The site shows $159. They also show a $70 rebate so if that can be subtracted it would get you below 100 bucks.

[worker201]

The Canopus boxes that professional video editors use run around $300, so $150 is quite a bargain. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Void Main]

The "kino" software might work well for your capturing needs depending on what you are doing. I used to use it when capturing video from my video camera on my Pinacle firewire capture card. I personally have never had a lot of luck with video over firewire in Linux. I would always have lockup trouble. I wonder if the USB devices would be better?

[Calum]

i have a similar question, can i ask it here?

i also want to do this, but only with audio. Does anybody know of a sound card (or whatever) that will be able to have me record analogue stereo input into audacity? i am using FC4 with the ladspa stuff installed already, but my current sound card (a soundblaster live, with live drive) doesn't work, ie: the live drive doesn't work at all seemingly, and the 3.5mm input jacks at the back appear only to hear in mono.

Ideally a sound card, that works fully in common linux systems and takes stereo phono inputs, would be ideal.

[Master of Reality]

dont most sound cards have a line in these days? You just need a cable that can take the two outputs from the stereo into one jack and i'm fairly sure the line in on my soundblaster audigy is stereo. I do this the other way with the line out of my soundcard going to the left and right aux. inputs of my stereo.

[JoeDude]

I was under the impression that any card with SPDIF could do this...was I mislead?

[Void Main]

Like master of Reality I thought any card with a "line in" could do this (as long as the card is supported by Linux/ALSA/etc).

[Calum]

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I was under the impression that any card with SPDIF could do this...was I mislead?

doesn't this stand for sony/philips digital interface? i don't see how this can help to record analogue audio.

anyway, the SPDIF thing is on the live drive part (which apparently won't work in fedora).

re: stereo, however hard i try i can't get anything other than one channel at a time plugging leads into the 3.5mm jacks at the back. The leads are stereo, the outputs from the sources are stereo, the card outputs to stereo prolerly from the 3.5mm headphone jack... I have this problem with every sound card i have bought (this is the fourth to try and fix this problem). I am beginning to consider bypassing the PC entirely and instead using my Boss BR1180-CD to be honest. It's just that i am sure somebody has successfully recorded in stereo using linux/audacity from tapes/records, and i just wanted to know what sound card those people are using.

[Void Main]

Are you using the "microphone" input or the "line-in" input? There is high probability that the microphone input is indeed mono but the line-in should be stereo. I most definitely have two sliders to adjust when I look at my line-in properties (L+R) and only one slider on my microphone input which would reinforce that thought. I also have a checkbox for line-in capture in the volume control properties. This may need to be checked to get the line-in input.