Analog/Digital Conversion Procedure With Canopus 110

[BobWard]

I just ordered a Canopus ADVC 110 to convert my VHS tapes to digital. Once you have made the wiring connections between the VCR, the ADVC 110 and the computer, do you have to have a video editing software program ( e.g., Premiere Elements, etc) running in order to save the file to disK? Or can you just save directly to disk without running though a video editing program?

I have PRE version 2 and just got a new WIN7 64-bit computer; XP compatibility mode is installed. If I need to have a video editing program open, would there be a difference in the quaity of the saved file if I were to use PRE 2 or the Movie Maker software that is available for WIN7? I will be saving files in a DV AVI format.

Bob

[BobWard]

I think I have answered my 1st question. I found the ADVC 110 manual on-line and it says to open your video editing software to start the conversion process.

Regarding the 2nd question, I would guess that an DV AVI file conversion would be of the same qualitiy no matter what software is being use in the conversion.

Bob

[Ken Jarstad]

Hi Bob,

What you need is a video capture program. All video editors have them built-in but you can use a separate one if you want to. Many people here use WinDV for capturing since it is very reliable and you don't need your video editing application open when you capture. WinDV doesn't play the sound through the PC speakers so it is very quiet <smile>. But you might check your captured file after a short test capture to make sure the audio is really there.

Premiere Elements version 2 will install and work for editing on Windows 7 32 bit - not sure about 64 bit. Just know that the DVD authoring templates don't get installed - been there, tried that! You can burn an auto-play DVD but for authoring with menus you will need an additional application that is Windows 7 compatible or an updated editor.

[BobWard]

Thanks for the comment, Ken.

Based on what you said, it sounds like there will be no difference in the quality of the downloaded file whether I capture with WinDv or PRE.

At the present, all I want to do is get the VHS tapes conevrted to DV AVI. Then later on, I will start working on them for editing prior to converting to a DVD. At that time, I will probably buy PRE9 which is rumored to be close to a launch. Hopefully, that version will be 100% WIN7, 64-bit compatible.

Bob

[Bob]

there will be no difference in the quality of the downloaded file whether I capture with WinDv or PRE.

That's correct. The Canopus unit will convert the analog input into digital video (DV). As long as the capture program takes the DV and writes it out to a dv-avi file there will be no loss in quality.

... PRE9 which is rumored to be close to a launch

Depends on what you consider "close". Premiere Elements is released on a yearly cycle, usually in September or October. The last two releases have been in October. PRE 8 was released in October 2009, so PRE 9 is expected to be October 2010. About 5-6 months away.

[BobWard]

Bob,

My comment about a new launch of PRE version 9 was based on this 4/21/10 post in the Adobe PRE forum. Sounds like it might happen before the fall.


"I was invited to the CS5 launch last week , I asked about PE8 and updates and the anwser was PE9 is very close to been launched, Also asked about would it be 32bit or 64bit answer was 32bit, I think and maybe wrong they will put one or to new features and add on, fix 8.0.1and rebundel it and call it 9.

Even though 8.0.1 for me is a big improvement on 8 ,I feel Adobe should take more time to sort out the current bugs and other funniy thing make it work as advertized."

Bob Ward

[Steve Grisetti]

I, for one, would certainly be happier with a rock-solid, stable video editor with few new features than I would an editor with lots of bells and whistles that I couldn't keep running!

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

To me, that was the strength of PrElv2. A good, stable editor that did the job. No whistles, no bells, just good functionality.

If I had wanted sceneline, auto this, auto that, everything done for me, then I would have bought one of the more basic editors.

[Ken Jarstad]

What he said

[Bill Hunt]

I very strongly agree with Steve (nothing new there), and would want total stability to take center stage.

Other than some added Presets, I'd be happy with stability. Maybe Adobe will add the Desktop (Customizable) Preset from PrPro? That would be helpful to many.

Hunt

[Dave McElderry]

Yep, maybe it's time for Adobe to make a "play" editor for the masses and a separate real editor for the rest of us. Yeah, right...I'll hold my breath.

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

Yep, maybe it's time for Adobe to make a "play" editor for the masses and a separate real editor for the rest of us. Yeah, right...I'll hold my breath.

I suspect that Adobe would answer that they already do this with PrEl for the "play" audience and PPro for everyone else. Shame that they took the decision to go down the "play" route as, with the early versions of PrEl, they had a market segment all to themselves.

[Dave McElderry]

I suspect that Adobe would answer that they already do this with PrEl for the "play" audience and PPro for everyone else. Shame that they took the decision to go down the "play" route as, with the early versions of PrEl, they had a market segment all to themselves.

Good point John. I don't think about PPro because it's out of my price range and probably more than I need, feature-wise. But I'm sure with those who would prefer stability and the "serious" part of the functionality.

[VernonRobinson]

I don't know the answer, but is PrPro any more stable than PrEl 7. I am sure that it has changed, but in the past didn't these product share a similar code base? Just asking since I was just starting to work on learning PrPro. In many ways it seems behind PrEl 7 and I have not even seen PrEl 8. But I must admit that I am only 30 minutes into it .

-Vernon

[Ken Jarstad]

Since this topic has meandered toward the choice of editors.......

My recent adoption of the Platinum Edition of Vegas gave me the same impression as Elements 2 did five years ago - it's a subset of the Pro version. Too bad Elements is no longer that way.