Component Video to PCI Card Recomendation?

Not to work in USB 1.1 is pretty much expected for the first one, but on the added USB 2.0 card? Something does not fit here. Did you install grabber AFTER the USB 2.0 card drivers were fully installed and restarted? Also to be on the safe side should install the drivers that come with the USB 2.0 card and not Windoz generic ones. Anyway video capture (and worse realtime soft video compression) will get a low-end system to its knees, so you will propubly miss more frames than you want. Another affordable solution is to use those 4ch+ video surveilance PCI cards or something else that uses hardware video compression to have acceptable results.

there were no drivers with the usb 2.0 card, which works with anything else I plug into it

Check Device Manager for USB card and that it's regocnized as a 2.0 (Enhansed or Ehcd) device. Then plug the grabber and sort items in DM 'by connection' -don't remember the word (not by type)- and see if it's connected on it or elsewhere.

Device manager does see it as 2.0

the grabber doesn't show up on other computers either, at $5 it's not even worth sending back

I'm just trying to come up with a solution for under $100, the solution need not be USB or even internal to the computer

Your intuition is right: USB is far from ideal for reliable data streaming, especially heavy stream application such as video capture, so in general terms, PCI (even IDE or SATA for external devices) card is far better option.

The obvious industry standard leaders are Pinnacle, an excellent German firm now based in the USA, and their most affordable analog-input video-capture card was called PCTV.

This line of products is now obsolete, but I understand they have alternatives called "Studio MovieBox HD" and "Stusio Movie Board" - browse the specs to see if it fits your requirements.

It is however recommended that you increase your RAM to 1GB, and see that your Hard-Disk is spinning at 7200 RPM - if live capture is required, as this system is capable of full High-Definition capture as well.

I'm working with both PCTV-Rage, and PCTV-Pro for about eight years, and it never failed, skewed, or bumped. They make excellent video hardware, (and software if you are into editing as well).

looks reasonable

We trying to use with some wireless cameras [of unknown origin] that out put component video for security, no real capture required. More like oh look someone is coming up the driveway...

I'll have to get some more info from the customer

we have a gig ram stick for the computer, I'm not positive about the processor speed

The PC is just a beater to print & other lowlevel stuff

If no real capture required, that or any similar 878 or Philips chipset PCI video capture card will work just fine. The real bottleneck I was obviously refering is on compression and storage so go for it.

the tricky bit looks like the software to install the drivers

Pinnacle drivers setup is as smooth as you can imagine - a real treat. Their apps user-interface is also excellent.

No, I'm not working for them - they're just that good

B.T.W: they're based in California

Pinnacle is looking like the winner to me, if the processor is fast enough, looks like they have real customer support

when the cameras are plugged into a TV they cycle from camera to camera in a user defined period & length [remote too]. I tried one at my house & it caused my wireless router to crash

System Requirements for low end Pinnacle devices Processor Intel Pentium or AMD Athlon 1.8 GHz (2.4 GHz or higher recommended) Intel Pentium HT or AMD Athlon 2.4 GHz or 1.6 GHz Dual core required for Windows Vista Graphics Card DirectX 9 or 10 compatible graphics card with 64 MB (128 MB or higher recommended) 128 MB required on Windows Vista (256 MB or higher recommended) Memory 1 GB system memory recommended Operating Systems Supported Windows 7, Windows Vista (SP2), Windows XP (SP3)

Pinnacle may have 1st rate equipment

the customer service blows

my customer couldn't buy the part online

so I took a crack at it, same result

I contacted support, which suggested calling....

that's not giving me much hope, a company who's website doesn't work & seemingly isn't interested making a sale

the search continues

Garthh, as it happened to me I never needed customer support because the device was up and running the first time.

Is it that you cannot order the unit online, or that once you had the unit you couldn't operate it ?

I can't order it or figure out from the information on the other products a substitution?

Maybe you could try this product - It's basically the same

http://www.pctvsystems.com/

Or, alternatively, try Amazon for the product

http://www.amazon.com/Pinnacle-PCTV-PCI-Card-23040/dp/B003IPC1WO/ref=sr_1_19?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1305914730&sr=1-19

In fact, you can find there a whole range of their products

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=pinnacle

1st one no component video

when I look at the amazon page it reads like software

http://www.amazon.com/Pinnacle-Systems-8230-10067-21-Studio-Movieboard/dp/B003VRXJZM/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1305916232&sr=1-4

here

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=pinnacle+studio+hd+14&client=ubuntu&sqi=2&cid=3546046458967658064&os=tech-specs

looks like a winner

I guess we'll find out

Thanks

It also has a Firewire input - ideal for digital (DV) video-camera connection, because you can control the camera playback from your PC

Most popular wireless video cameras, output in four distinct frequencies, to be decrypted by their respective receivers. Some receivers are capable of receiving only one (selected) frequency, and some are capable of 4 to 8 frequencies. As the receiver has the analog output port, there lies the limitation.

To divide a video input to four distinct pictures or fields (on the same screen), you will need a DVR, a divider-card, or a split-filter (the cheapest alternative). This outputs a single picture signal, divided into the four fields inputted.

The price of receivers capable of more than four input frequencies, soar, so it more economical to purchase two four-frequencies receivers and feed them into a multi-input divider card.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814139165 ************** Model Brand JATON Model 3DFORCE FX5200TV Form Factor Low Profile Ready Low Profile Bracket Included No Interface Interface AGP 4X/8X Chipset Chipset Manufacturer NVIDIA GPU GeForce FX 5200 Core Clock 250MHz PixelPipelines 4 Memory Effective Memory Clock 400MHz Memory Size 128MB Memory Interface 64-bit Memory Type DDR 3D API DirectX DirectX 9 OpenGL OpenGL 1.5 Ports D-SUB 1 x D-SUB TV-Out S-Video / Composite Out VIVO No General RAMDAC 350 MHz Max Resolution 2048 x 1536@60Hz SLI Support No Cooler With Fan Operating Systems Supported Windows 98/ME/NT 4.0/2000/XP System Requirements Requires at least 250 Watt power supply Features Features CineFX Shading Architecture Digital Vibrance Control (DVC) 3.0 High Performance & High Quality 3D Acceleration High Performance 2D Acceleration Advanced Display with nVIEW Capbilities Packaging Package Contents 3DFORCE FX5200TV Manufacturer Warranty Parts 2 years limited Labor 2 years limited

Thanks B

too late already ordered the other

I'll be back one we put it in & try it

As to multi-input security and recording systems, I recently bumpet into this advert, a PC-Compatible, four-input control and recording security system, supporting a full 1 Terrabyte SATA Hard-Disk, having it's own hidden/flip-up 7 inch LCD monitor.

http://www.everbuying.com/7-Inch-HiddenTFT-monitor-Four-Channel-Embedded-Digital-Video-Recorder-PAL-p-20733.html

I wonder what it means by

Support mobile remote surveillance ?

waiting for the board to show up

That's Chinenglish for "Remote (wireless) camera movement control"

For an input to such a system, motorised remote (requires wireless router) camera with day and night vision capabilty is possible, to be panned and tilted from the control and recording center, for real, real cheap, when compared to such setup made by professional installators

Some of those cameras have their own built-in movement detector, wired to automatically start recording or alarm.

Hey how'd you know what the next question was/is?

It was obvious