Considerring a Marvel G400

[DantePN]

Hi all,

I've been using my G400 since it came out, waiting eagerly for the Parhelia. However, I'm thinking about buying a Marvel G400 for some basic video capture. Nothing major. I'm probably just going to copy a boatload of VHS tapes and convert them to divx/VCD format with possibly some DVD authoring several months down the line. I know the Marvel G400 does this, but I just wanted some feedback from you all on the product.

Anyone have any troubles with the card? I'll be using it in a Win2k box, Athlon 1700+ with 640MB SDRAM, etc, etc =)

Thanks for the input!

[miya]

Only buy it if you're getting a really, really good deal. Otherwise get a WinTV or similar and use it with your current G400, it will cause you far fewer headaches (and it will still work on modern OS's, unlike the Marvel.) The only thing a Marvel has over the WinTV is hardware mjpeg compression, which is uneeded with a cpu as fast as yours (and doesn't work under win2000 anyway.)

[Dr Mordrid]

Since you already have a G400, and thereby have access to the DVDMAX option, I'd look towards getting one of the PCI capture card still being manufactured and therefore still getting driver updates.

I've used the Hauppage WinTV Theater with good results. The only problem with Hauppage is that something they're doing in their drivers isn't kosher and causes its olverlay not to work with some display adapters. It definitely breaks with the Parhelia.

Some on this forum have reported that the Terratec Cinergy 400 TV capture card is very nice, but it may take a bit before it's available in the States.

Dr. Mordrid

[miya]

Doc,

Have you tried the WinTV with the just released new Parhelia drivers? I would think that the problem is on the Matrox side, since those are the new drivers with bugs still to be worked out.

-S

[DantePN]

Thanks for the input!

There was a marvel going on ebay for like $50 so I was considerring that. I don't know of any good PCI cards and I haven't had trouble with Matrox before (love my G400). The Hauppauge WinTV is decent? Kinda expensive, though. Any other suggestions? BTW, as soon as I get my parhelia, I'm gonna give my friend my current G400 if that affects any possibilities

Thanks again =)

[Eddy]

While looking for a cheap capture/tuner card, I also came across the Pinnacle PCTV. It's almost the same price as the TerraTec Cinergy 400 TV over here. I don't know much about the specs, capture quality or drivers for this card.

Eddy.

[LvR]

I have had the misfortune to try and "make" PCTVs work in a few machines of customers that insisted on re-using these.

The PCTV is a very good tool for the unwary to determine how not to do things when you are working with video capture/editing.

Get yourself the G400 and stay a happy chappy.

If you are willing to pay for the shipping from South Africa, I have 2 PCTVs still reminding me of my silly past somewhere in the lab.

[DantePN]

Hehe, yeah. I had a Pinnacle Studio MP10 and that thing won't even work on my current system. It just doesn't like my motherboard or something silly like that. Works fine on dad's HP PC uner win98, but not on my custom rig with Win98 nor Win2k. Hence why I'm trying to avoid Pinnacle

Gonna keep looking for a cheap Marvel G400!

[LvR]

Pinnacles DC10 and DC30 cards are really good performers in contrast.

The DC10 is not a bad alternative if you are willing to live with only Mjpeg capturing. They can be had for just about nothing now and even runs under W2K and XP (Using the custom Studio editing package only)

[miya]

You do realize that the Marvel is severely crippled under Win2000?

I have a Pinnacle PCTV Pro and it works great. It is the exact same hardware as the WinTV FM. I use these drivers under Win2000: http://btwincap.sourceforge.net/
I would hate it if I had to use Pinnacle's drivers (crappy) but I'm very happy with my current setup. I'd still recommend a WinTV if you can afford it since their drivers are even better. Paired up with a G400, it will do everything that a Marvel can do under Win2000, with fewer headaches.

[Dr Mordrid]

WinTV's drivers do some not-so-legal things that make it now work with the Parhelia.

Yes, we're sure it's the WinTV's fault.

Dr. Mordrid

[DantePN]

miya: yeah, I had heard things about the Marvel being crippled under Win2k, but I've also heard the contrary. So I thought I'd ask the hardcore Matrox users for their thoughts

I'll probably end up getting a WinTV card. Just gotta figure out which one to choose from! It won't ever be in the same box as my Parhelia-to-be system, just to G400. So the Parhelia + WinTV issues shouldn't be a problem.