--- MrWitch wrote: I know about the Canopus device, but it is almost $300 for one. Is there any others for Mac that is cheaper, but still can do around DVD size captures, as well as smaller sizes (352x240, 480x480, 720x???)?
As far as the machine... would a B&W G3, at say 350, 400, or 450 MHz be adequate? Or is a G4 upgrade needed? If so, what would be the minimum speed needed? G4/500? --- end of quote --- Ok. If you don't have a firewire port, you can put one in for $40. I'm not familiar with all the doohickies that convert analog video to digital and output to the firewire port. $300 seems to be the ballpark for things like the Hollywood Bridge etc. But my Canon camcorder probably does as good a job as any of them and is a dandy camcorder too, for maybe $400. Maybe look for a used one. Very few digital camcorders can be used as a converter. Maybe some old Sonys, but certainly the Canons, from the ZR40 up and other models too. Look for a camcorder with a REAL TIME analog to digital converter. Some folks use a camcorder and record analog video to digital tape, then upload that over the firewire port. Fine, if you don't mind the time it takes. As for other capture sizes, DV is DV: 720 x 540 or thereabouts. If you want smaller sizes, you can convert almost anything to anything else with Quicktime, or when exporting from iMovie. That's why you need a lot of disk storage for DV, but hard drives are cheap. As for processor speed: Final Cut and Premiere, the high end editing software, were in use before the G4 processor and, I think, work fine on slower machines, at least the versions that run on 0s 9. I'm not sure how slow. I have a 466 mhz G4 in my beige and it is fine for video. The problem with slower machines is that you wait longer for effects that require rendering before viewing. My 466 is just short of the 500 mhz required for Final Cut Express to do some real time effects, which means that you can look at fades and a few other things without rendering them, though they still need rendering before the finished video is output. I think iMovie 2 expects 300 mhz and does not require a G4. iDVD, which requires an internal Super drive (now under $200) does require a G4 processor, as far as I know. Outputting to DVD is wonderful and very satisfying. You can put a system together slowly, piece by piece as I did, which makes it a little easier on the pocketbook. At first I went for an A/V personality board and never got it to work at all. Spent a huge amount of time messing with old technology that would have been inferior even I got it to work. Once I went for DV (bought the camcorder first) it all worked like a charm. Today's desktop video editing is amazing, compared to what we had even 10 years ago. Rich -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
