Dv 200, 300, 400, 500?

[iKwak]

I think DV 200, 300, 400, and the 500 has to do with the video capture card model (Firewire card), right?

And the higher the model number, the better?
Where can I find more info on this? Thanks in advance.

[Brian Ellis]

The differences are mainly software. In fact I don't think the 500+ even contains any hardware.

If you want an IEEE-1394 card, which works perfectly, you don't need to spend more than about $39 and ALL makes must give identical results in terms of video/audio quality, because all it does is convert a digital DV stream to and from a digital PCI bus stream and vice versa. The quality cannot change. I have used a cheapo Swann one for years with excellent results, but there is also the ADS Pyro and many others. Beware of bundled software: it is always either cut down or obsolete versions and usually a waste of money unless you want to spend more on the upgrade path. My recommendation is buy the cheapest card you can find in your local dealer with no bundling.

[Patrick]

Be careful...

All firewire cards are not created equal.

That is the heading of a thread I started at another forum about this topic. Might be something of interest there for anyone considering buying a firewire card.

[UtwigMU]

Depending on your motherboard, you might be short on PCI slots - especially workstation motherboards with few PCI 32-bit 33MHz PCI slots.

In that case, consider either Adaptec Duoconnect (USB2.0 and Firewire) - if your motherboard lacks the former. This card is also 1.5V and 3.3V so you can use it in 64-bit PCI or PCI-X slots (but the slot will operate in degraded mode). It's very expensive compared to separate USB 2.0 and FW cards.


Or consider Hercules Digifire 7.1 (this is what I did) - a great soundcard with 2 external and one internal FW port.

Note that there is FW 400Mb (80MB/s) and 800Mb standard.

[Brian Ellis]

Re: Be careful...

Originally posted by Patrick
All firewire cards are not created equal.

OK, I agree with you, there are differences. I didn't wish to imply the opposite. What I said is that the results must be identical. Perhaps I should have added 'OHCI' before IEEE-1394 and a rider 'if they work at all'! One difference with the TI chipset cards is that they come with a TI codec/driver which you would be wise not to use. However, I think IEEE-1394 is sufficiently stable, now, that all the cards being marketed now are OK for video capture and most of them can also be used for driving e.g., hard disc drives, with the proviso that it may not be very clever to use a second IEEE-1394 periphery while capturing.

Note I don't use the term Firewire, which is a trademark registered by Apple. You don't say you use an IBM Macintosh, so why do you say you use an ADSPyro, Pinnacle or Swann Firewire card, when you mean IEEE-1394 card? They are not the same thing.

[Dr Mordrid]

The performance results of the various OHCI IEEE-1394 devices are not identical and are definitely not created equal. Some use chipsets that work nearly transparently while others use el-cheapo chipsets that can give you fits in terms of consistant throughput.

I'd stick to those devices chipped by TI, Agere (Lucent) or the other major chipmakers. Basically you get what you pay for and those names listed above are an excellent guideline as they only use quality chipsets.

I'd NEVER get an IEEE-1394 that shared a slot with ANY other device, including sound cards. Too much risk of bandwidth contention for my blood.

Dr. Mordrid

[Patrick]

Quick, get a lawyer...

Originally posted by Brian Ellis
Note I don't use the term Firewire, which is a trademark registered by Apple. You don't say you use an IBM Macintosh, so why do you say you use an ADSPyro, Pinnacle or Swann Firewire card, when you mean IEEE-1394 card? They are not the same thing.

Maybe in your neck of the woods people would rather be oh so proper and always refer to these cards as "IEEE-1394", but here on the relaxed west coast of North America we just call 'em "firewire" in casual conversation. Nobody gets their knickers in a knot over this and Apple couldn't care less.

[Brian Ellis]

Originally posted by Dr Mordrid
The performance results of the various OHCI IEEE-1394 devices are not identical and are definitely not created equal. Some use chipsets that work nearly transparently while others use el-cheapo chipsets that can give you fits in terms of consistant throughput.

A couple of years ago, I would have agreed with you, but I think everyone now has their act together. Certainly, over the past year or so, I've never heard of any problems from "el cheapo" cards.

Originally posted by Dr Mordrid

I'd NEVER get an IEEE-1394 that shared a slot with ANY other device, including sound cards. Too much risk of bandwidth contention for my blood.

There, we are 100% in agreement, and I would include analogue input cards in the category, unless, possibly, they use separate IRQs. A chacun son rôle!

[Dr Mordrid]

I'd still avoid those firewire cards using VIA/NEC and Realtek chips.

Dr. Mordrid

[smitty]

I have used a few different IEEE1394 cards.Pyro etc.never had a problem.Recently installed a Zonet zfn2600 and it installed ok but
I could not get it to recognize my XL1S. All the other cards recognized it instantly.So there are still problem situations out there.
smitty

[Brian Ellis]

Originally posted by Dr Mordrid
I'd still avoid those firewire cards using VIA/NEC and Realtek chips.

Dr. Mordrid

My Swann card uses a VIA chipset and it works to perfection and recognises both my Sony DVCAM drive and Canopus ADVC-100 in both directions.

[smitty]

Some do infact work without a hitch, however some require the old try this and that to get them fully functional and as a suggestion I like to make life simple and recommend what works without a hitch. I'm sure all can somehow be made to work, but for me I really like plugging a card in and I'm done.On with with what editing(what I prefer to be doing)
smitty

[Brian Ellis]

Sorry to revive this thread, but others also seem to like the VIA IEEE-1394 chipset. The following is a post in a Canopus forum:

David, thanks for the reply, Don't bother now checking your computer.

I got the filter patch, and the fix patch and xpsp1a update and everything and you know what, NADA, no differance.
So I bit the bullet and went and Bought a new card with VIA chipset instead of T.I chipset.
And guess what Perfect.
I guess with computers somethings work and others just don't.
As an experiment I restored a drive image from last week Before all these extra patches, and the Via installed flawlessly again.

Thanks for everybodies help.

I have posted this in case another newbie gets stuck.

As I say the T.I firewire card worked with everything bar the advc100.- Strange

[Fluff]

http://www.miranda.com/product.php?i=55&l=1

Not sure about price but looks excellent.