VHS to DVD

1. Yes, the Hauppauge TV tuner card can/will serve as the video capture device (and a TV tuner card is, essentially, what you need).

 

2. The Hauppauge HVR-1250 has coax, composite, and stereo audio input jacks. To connect from your VCR, then, you can either choose coax or the component video and a convertor to go from component audio jacks (red/white) into a standard stereo jack.

 

3. Read the FAQ at the top of the forum for more about the Xcelerator. I like it, myself, but it's a mixed bag. For the purpose of capturing from your VCR, it pretty much only serves as a pass-through to the TV tuner card (at which point you won't need the audio convertor, since the Xcelerator front panel has standard component video and audio jacks).

                 

4. You get a special version of Roxio Creator Premiere that provides support for the hardware accelerator in the Xcelerator (again, read the FAQ for more), and that provides for both capture and DVD writing. You also get a special Adobe suite that includes Premiere Elements 4.0, Photoshop Elements 6.0, and SoundBooth CS3. It's a nice suite, and Premiere is great for editing video that you captured using Roxio. Note that Premiere itself only supports digital input, e.g., via a Firewire port from a digital camcorder; it does NOT support component input, for which you'll use Roxio.

 

5. Not sure about the tuners shipping separately, although I'm guessing that pertains to the ATI CableCard tuners, which are external.

 

Good luck. The XPS 420 is a great system for what you're looking to do.

Wynand-

 

Thanks for the reply and info.  I still need to clear up these questions (using the original question #'s):

 

2.  The audio input into the Hauppauge HVR-1250 is a 1/8" stereo phone jack, like on a sound card?

 

4.  Does the software you listed (Roxio Creator Premiere, and the Adobe suite of Premiere Elements 4.0, Photoshop Elements 6.0, and SoundBooth CS3) come with the system even if I don't get Xcelerator?

 

Thanks again.

 

 

2. Yep, standard stereo input jack.

 

4. I'd clarify this with a Dell sales rep, but I believe that both do come with the system regardless. If you go through the online configurator without selecting the Xcelerator, I don't believe it changes any of the software bundles.

Wynand32-

 

Thanks again for your help.  From all of your posts I’ve read, you seem very knowledgeable.

 

As you suggested, I contacted a Sales Rep (“Chat Live with Sales Agent” link), and man, are they ever confusing!  I chatted with 3, and they all said that I needed the Xcelerator to record VHS to DVD.  I think that they either don’t know, or are told to really “push” the Xcelerator.  They all said that I needed the Xcelerator to make the audio and video connections.  However, that doesn’t jibe with what Wynand32 said, or with the Xcelerator FAQ, which says:

“3. The Xcelerator front panel simply provides a pass through to the TV tuner card (which is why a TV tuner card is required with the Xcelerator). The Xcelerator itself is connected via internal USB. Your actual input is therefore the TV tuner card…”

 

Also, one rep told me that the Hauppauge 1250 TV tuner does NOT have a Video Capture Device.  It’s quite frustrating.

 

I’m not necessarily opposed to getting the Xcelerator, it’s just that I’ve read mixed reviews about it.
 
I just want to clarify this, because I’d be real disappointed if I ordered my intended configuration, and it couldn’t record VHS to DVD.  I’d like to get Dell to tell me it can do that before I order it.  Are the phone reps more helpful than the online reps?

 

I’m sorry to keep flogging this issue, but it sure has me baffled.

 

Thanks, Lex

After taking a bit of a longer look, it would appear that the Xcelerator does indeed provide the "only" inputs for composite video. They aren't on the ATI TV tuner itself. That doesn't really conflict with what I wrote before--it really IS just a pass-through from the front panel RCA jacks to the tuner, it's just that apparently the only way to get a composite video connection is via the Xcelerator's front panel.

 

Now, interestingly enough, if you look at the description of the ATI 650 Combo PCI Express (ours) on ATI's site ( http://ati.amd.com/products/tvwonder650/PCIe/index.html), it's supposed to support composite video input. It may be that there's an accessory somewhere out there that provides the same sort of breakout box or somesuch that connects the same way as the connections on the Xcelerator front panel. For the life of me, I can't remember if anything came in the Dell box to that effect, but I'm kind of doubting it.

 

A little research is in order, I think... 

 

Update: Aha! And as soon as I sent this, I found a reference to a Composite Video to S-Video adapter that's available with one OEM's version of the card. And, voila! Here's one at Amazon:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Svideo-Male-Composite-Female-Adapter/dp/B000V1PB3Y/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1201749772&sr=8-16

 

So, there's a mystery solved. If you want to capture analog from a camcorder via composite video, you just need this sort of adapter. You don't need the Xcelerator (although, it's nice to have).

Wynand32-

 

Thanks again for your help.  I do see that the ATI TV tuner has no video in.  However, the Hauppauge tuner does, I believe.  I guess the Hauppauge video in is pretty much the same as the ATI would be, with the adapter you found at Amazon (only $1.49!).   I'll still bet that you could use either of those video inputs without the Xcelerator, like you said before.

 

Take care, Lex