ADVC300 - Major Help Please

[thewelshman1943]

Hi

This is my first posting and I am hoping someone can help me

1) Which is the best software to use.

Adobe Premiere Elements 4
Adobe Premiere Pro CS3
Pinnacle 12 Ultimate
Pinnacle 11

Also can someone explain in very simple terms on how I set this ADVC300 up

I have read the manual but at the age of 65 my mind does not take in tech details very well

I want to capture my VHS Tapes (Some good quality, some a little snowy).

Edit them then burn onto a DVD for future reference as VHS Players are getting very obsolete in the UK

I would like decent reproduction, that is why I bought the ADVC300 after reading about them on the forums although I was tempted to buy a second hand Matrox RT 110 Pro

Help on all points mentioned wopuld be very much appreciated But please....in very simple terms

Thank You

Tony

[SoundFreak]

Hi

This is my first posting and I am hoping someone can help me

Hi Tony, welcome to the forum,

As I don't use the ADVC300, I Can't advise you on that but I'm sure someone will chime in.

As for editing software, shouldn't there be something included with the converter, Neo maybe ?

Anyway if you are new to video editing, you might want to start of with a simple application, that for example can capture, edit (simple cuts, few filters etc) and burn to dvd.

Why don't you look up Canopus MpegCraft , it's a simple application, not very costly, and can do all three ! (capture, Edit, Burn DVD)

If you want a bit more look at Edius Neo for example, if new to NLE's this could become a bit overwhelming, but at the other side there are quite a few Edius Pro tutorials on GV website from wich you easily could see how things should work in Edius Neo (at least the basics, capturing, editing, burning)

Not that the other applications are no good, but then you'll be spending time in 2 forums for help, one for the ADVC300, and the 2nd for you Editor ?

p.s. just did a search and found Canopus MpegCraft it for $69.99

[thewelshman1943]

ADVC300 Major Help

Thank you Tony...I have the Neo but It does look far beyond my capabilities..I will read up on the opther canopus software you suggested

Thank you for your help....it is much appreciated


"Flying Dutchman"


Funny Funny or coincidence

I was a bus driver in North Wales for years then for twenty years worked holiday shuttles to spain, yugoslavia etc plus a lot of Eurolines especially Galway (Ireland) to Amsterdam

because I was fast ... everyone called me "The Flying Welshman"

Anyway...thank you

Tony

[SoundFreak]

Thank you Tony...I have the Neo but It does look far beyond my capabilities..I will read up on the opther canopus software you suggestedTony

Hi Tony,

If you have Neo you have all you need, if you have a reasonably fast internet connection (everyone should have, except here in Borneo) spend about 1 hour to view all the tutorials you can find them here http://ediustraining.thomsongrassvalley.com/ and let it sink in.

Don't worry too much the tutorials being for Edius Pro, from what I understand, Neo can do all the basic's + more, only the advanced features are not available in Neo, you won't be needing them anyway for VHS to DVD jobs (to a certain extend that is)

Then the next day watch them again, then immediately after watching the 2nd time try and play with Neo, slowly you will pick up, and you can ask questions here, lot's of help, even for newbies, almost no question is too crazy, remember, we were once niewbies too !

Even if you get Mpegcraft or any other NLE, you will have to learn it anyway, might as well pick up how Neo works.

Once you are past the intimidating user interface and know the basic settings you will be burning DVD's before you know it ..............

[kbosward]

You would probably find Pinnacle Studio easier to use, at least to start with (I still use version 9.3!).

One thing people sometimes find when capturing the video to their computer is that the ADVC300 stops capturing whenever there is a break in the recording on the tape (scene change). The way to prevent this is to turn off "device control" in whatever program you are using to do the capturing. Because of this (and also because the "big" programs can be unnecessarily complicated trying to get them to capture), many people use a small, freeware application called WinDV to do the capturing. If you use this and find that the ADVC300 is stopping unexpectedly during scene changes, untick the little box between the Config and Capture buttons.

Also, if your VHS tapes are commercially produced, they may have Macrovision protection. If so, the picture captured by the ADVC300 will be very dark and unwatchable.

Ken.

[comedians]

Hi Tony

Setting up the ADVC300 is quite straight forward and will usually work straight from the box, just make sure you have the dip switch (6) video format set to PAL and not NTSC
Plug the composite or S-video cables to the front input and the same on the rear for the outputs to your PC. If you are capturing via Firewire then plug in only the DV cable to the rear DV socket.
Make sure you have the Input Select switch set to "Analog" and start capturing.

One of the easiest & best capture programmes for SD to perhaps consider is www.scenalyzer.com, from there import the clips into Neo.

Hope this helps

[thewelshman1943]

ADVC300 - Major Help Please

Hi Ken Hi Roger D

Thank you for your comments which I have taken on board

I have captured one tape with edios and one with adobe premiere elements

I know how to use elements etc but edios (I am stuck because it will not open the folder where I saved my work)

I have Pinnacle 12 Ultimate and also the latest Ulead 11.5 with Dolby

So I will try these as well

I will try WinDV and so long as I do not put a hammer through everything I think I will be fine (well I live in hope)

I will most probably be back

One last thing

Is this Canopus ADVC300 a better buy tha the Matrox RT110 xtreme pro card

Tony