[B.I.L]

Does anyone know of a product that will let me get video in and out of a PowerMac (G4, specifically). Audio ports would be nice too, but that is already built in so is not really important. A PCI card would be the best. I want something inexpensive, this is just for hobbiest/screwing around type stuff. The only product like this I know about is the ATI Xclaim 128 VR, but it is also a 3D accelerator that I don't need. I've seen it as low as $170, is there anything out there with in&out for less?

BTW, it seems pretty dumb for Apple to be pushing all this video stuff, yet not having a way to import analog video, even as an option. My 7500 has video in!

http://www.formac.com/new/products/tv/protv_index.html

you can get the XClaim VR card for about $143 - i cannot recommend anything better at this price point.
www.pcwonders.com has it for $173
get the $30 rebate coupon from outpost.com and then your final price will be $143

Is that formac card compatible with a G4 500? If so it might be worth picking up.

Originally posted by TItleist01:
Is that formac card compatible with a G4 500? If so it might be worth picking up.

I don't see any option on that site for video out from the formac card. "Audio/video in and capture" alone is cheaper with the USB solution from XLR8 InterView which also includes the Strata VideoShop app.

Well I am in a very similar case as B.I.L, i have a G4 and a 7500, but I was wondering if someone could put the 7500`s A/V card in the G4...

On Iomega's page, under "Factory Specials" the list the Iomega Buz for $99. It specifies it for a G3, but I can't see any reason why it wouldn't work on the G4s. Anyone have any experience with this product? I was looking for a way to capture analog video to edit.

macmario:

Sorry, the 7500's AV capabilities, as well as those of any 7XXX or 8XXX series Macs, are built into the logic board, and not on a removable card. Thus, they cannot be moved to a G4 or any other Mac.

Originally posted by ecarlson:
macmario:

Sorry, the 7500's AV capabilities, as well as those of any 7XXX or 8XXX series Macs, are built into the logic board, and not on a removable card. Thus, they cannot be moved to a G4 or any other Mac.

Not entirely accurate. Actually on the 6100, 7100, and 8100 series the card was a seperate card. Not that there is any way to install that card in a G4 though.

Well the BEST unit for the G4 is definately the Sony Media Converter. It works well with Premier, FinalCutPro and iMovie. You can get it from Sony's webpage or from the Apple Store. I recommend this over the Xclaim VR for stability. I had one before and crashed my G4 so I sold it and bought the Media converter instead. It does cost $100 more than the Xclaim VR but well worth it. And you do not sacrifice a PCI card slot. It plugs right into your Firewire port! I hope this helps!!!

------------------

The Sony Media Converters are definitely cool. The one thing they don't allow you to do as well as something like the ATI VR card is watch full screen TV. With the Sony Media Converter you'd have to watch TV in premiere or something like that. For some this is not an issue but my computer IS my tv as well so for me it was problematic. I use the IXMicro IXTV PCI card. Not sure how much it is these days but it was about $99 (don't think it allows good capture though...).

The aurora fuse and igniter cards are exceptional performers. The fuse is less than $500, and the Igniter is around $1k. They both grab and output great video. Remember, you need lots of fast disk space for any decent capture card.

The sony media converter is not cool.

The problem with this product (along with everything else sony is making these days) is all of the copy protection "features" that are included. Thus you can not digitize macrovision protected video. There have been many reports of this unit mistakenly thinking that original video footage is copy protected.

Sony does not care about fair use. Sony does not care that it is legal to make copies of any media and store them in any format for personal use. Sony doesn't even care if the copy protection scheme doesn't work correctly. They would rather err on the side of inconveniencing consumers.

Think very carefully before purchasing any sony product. If you're thinking of buying a cd player from them, try to play a cd-rom you burned yourself on it first. If you're in the market for an mp3 player, check to see how many times the sony model will let you download the same file to it. Thinking about a minidisc player? Try making a digital copy from one minidisc player to another.

Do you remember asking sony to prevent you from doing any of these things?

[CyberDave]

Originally posted by wwz:
On Iomega's page, under "Factory Specials" the list the Iomega Buz for $99. It specifies it for a G3, but I can't see any reason why it wouldn't work on the G4s. Anyone have any experience with this product? I was looking for a way to capture analog video to edit.

I'm not 100% positive, but I think the Iomega Buz was a TV tuner that worked with the Beige G3's onboard video I/O hardware. If that's the case, then it would not work with a G4.

CyberDave

[CyberDave]

I'm looking to get a G4 myself when I head off to college in the fall and a TV tuner is one thing that I am interested in. I happend to be researching the subject just a few hours before I found this thread.

Personally, I wish Apple would sell barebones systems and let people add their own hard drives, video cards, RAM, etc. Then I would not get the video card and buy something like the XClaim 128 VR. But they don't. #^$!&%$

One option I have found is a little USB box called the MyTV/FM. It plugs into a USB port and has a TV tuner, FM tuner, and supports video capture. Standard composite, S-Video, and F-type (antenna) connections. It's made by Eskape Labs. http://www.hardwarebuyline has it for $172.95. (That's the cheapest I've found it, too).

Eskape also makes a less expensive version with no FM tuner ($147.95 @ hardwarebuyline.com). They also have a video input/output device that allows you to record out to tape, but no TV or FM tuners. It's $208.95 at hardwarebuyline.com.

http://www.eskapelabs.com

IFRC, several other companies make USB capture devices and output devices, but this is the first one I've seen to include them in one box. And also the first I've seen to make USB TV/FM tuners.

There are also

Hope this helps.

CyberDave

[This message has been edited by CyberDave (edited 06-22-2000).]

wired inc. is coming out with a firewire box that converts analog to digital and vice versa. Not sure about pricing, but I think it was somewhere close to $400.
check it out at www.wiredinc.com

As for the comment abut the Sony Media Converter, please note that the person asking about A/V capabilities was looking for a "cheap" way of doing video work with audio / video in and outputs. Also I have been using the media converter for six months now and I am quite capable of capturing from any video source and audio source (Burned CDs) with no problems what so ever. Also why tie up a PCI slot for goofing around video work and run the risk of incompadability with drivers where this product does not require drivers. So please keep in mind what the person was originally asking about!

[B.I.L]

I'm thinking I'll just go with the Xclaim VR. It is the most inexpensive solution w/ both in and out and it has a lot more features than some of the other stuff that costs more. The Iomega Buz looked promising, but Iomega's phone rep. said that it only works w/ beige G3's. No other machines.

Late.

B.I.L
Maybe you can put a G3 upgrade card on your 7500 and you will be able to compress video (with better res. and frame rate of course) and then pass it to the g4 via ethernet.
That way you wont have to trash or unuse your 7500, this machine is very powerful if you give it just more attention. If you do this, maybe you will have to free up space in the 7500, and everything will just work fine.
You can use Avid, that is included in the 7500, or even Apple Video player.

[B.I.L]

Well, actually the G4 is my friend's. I'm just asking on his behalf. I do do some video w/ my 7500, with a 7200rpm HD it does okay for capture, but compression is really hard on it's 150mhz 604e. But I'm planning on getting a G4e or whatever next year, and will need to sell the 7500 to help pay for it. So since in the future I will be in the market for this kind of thing as well, I'm personally interested. So using the 7500 in some way is not a possiblity, but you're right, it would work really nice.

Also, I read the thread about the Xclaim 128 VR over at MacFixit. Sounds like this product CAN have some serious problems (no sound being captured, buggy software, conflicts). But we could get one and see how well it works. We'll see. I'll post whatever we decide to do and how it goes.

[Feathers]

Have you looked at www.ratoc.com/ ?

The MarkII Sony WDcabcdefgh...whatever, doesn't work, period. Try finding a Mark I on eBay.

The XLR8 is a bit wimpy for a G4, bare 1/4 frame at 30 frips, you'ld be disappointed. Best idea, a SONY TRV900 camcorder and a swing...and a trampoline and the ability to make yourself invisible...and fly..and...

So how many of these Firewire Analog Conversion solutions capture full-screen video?

Super "filmmaker" Fett