Need Some Advice

[Debbie]

NorthQ NQ6600:
What about it ? Looks very much like a "toy" to me.

Debbie

[Apulo]

I read the German review that was linked on the NorthQ page and this one http://www.pc-experience.de/wbb2/thr...threadid=13563.

Both just say "quality very nice" to VHS or TV recordings. They don't even mention if MPG2 or 4 was used in their test, let alone bitrates etc. Lousy test methodology.

I find it confusing: they use WinDVD Creator2, which can also record software MPG2. The website specs don't clearly say if it actually does hardware encoding, but at current prices I think it may. However, the above linked review states after recording, which took little CPU power, the resulting files are redone, taking 80% CPU power of a quite powerful 3.4GHz system. No details are given but I think this device may only record MPG2 and does software conversion to MPG4? A minimum config of 1.6GHz P4 is rather high for hardware encoding, no?

I think the Plextor (real hardware MPG2 and MPG4/DIVX encoding) would be nicer, and it has built-in TV tuner as well. Bit more expensive (the one without tuner is still available and now barely more expensive than the NorthQ).

The tests also say the NorthQ aluminium case is nice but gets really hot...

I'd say wait for serious review somewhere, like in C't magazine.

*edit* they could be referring to the editing of several files to make a DVD in that review above, not recoding. It's simply a lousy written review.

Apulo

[Debbie]

Thanks for the info Apulo. That's the site I've seen. I have'nt been much impressd, same as you.
I have noticed also, from the specs. that a 2Ghz CPU or over are required. This makes me think.......

Debbie

[arciervo]

For what it's worth, the NorthQ web site (www.northq.com/products/tvvideo/nq6600.html) claims that it has a "hardware capture/encoding chip".

Tony

[Debbie]

Thanks Tony for your reply.
It appears that all the sites seem to have the same source for their info.

I will very probably have one on monday to "experiment" with. I will then know exacty what's it worth in terms of performance.

Debbie

[Apulo]

Debbie, please post your findings.

Could you try a noisy source for recording (analog TV for instance)? I'm curious how well it does on that. I'm also curious if it allows good bitrate control or if it just let's you choose from a few fixed profiles.

Thx!

Apulo

[Debbie]

Apulo, I will after I give it all the "works"

This is what my system will consit of:

Asus mobo P4S8X-X SIS Chipset (Audio on board)
Matrox Marvel G400-TV
2 120Gb 7200rpm 2Mb Buffer - Maxtor Hard Drive
P4 2GHz
DDRAM 512
Win XP Pro

Hopefully I'll collect it on Monday.

[Debbie]

This is what I have managed to do with the NQ-6600:

Installing the drivers has been no problem. The tools that came with it are quite useless.
They are intended to allow you to adjust the capture properties and do some capturing. Once you exit it appears that all the setings will revert to default.

The G400 and the capture software that came with the NQ-6600 are incompatible. You will not get a preview picture while capturing, so I installed another video card ( Hercules - 3D Prophet KYRO Series) quite basic but did the job.

So far I have'nt found any other capturing software that will work, so I have just used InterVideo WinDVD Creator 2 that comes with it. Apperently it has been modified for this hardware. It also appears that all the stettings are preset with only basic adjustments, like video standard and video source that can be manipulated.

It claims to capture in MPEG-4, DivX, MPEG-1 and MPEG-2.
MPEG-4 and DivX have'nt produced constant good results causing slight freezing of the picture which is also seen in the preview window during capture. MPEG-1 produces satifactory results within VCD standards but for some reason it is blanking the preview window during capture.

SVCD captured the picture croped at the sides which was also visible in the preview window while capturing. The only very good performance has been in MPEG-2 on all 5 presets which gives the hardware its value to some extent. Audio quality has also been quite good.

As regards heating. So far I havent noticed anything alarming but perhaps in summer it will be a different story. Our Summer temp. can go up to 35+ celcius.

I have done all the capturing from the TV tuner of a Marantz VHS recorder.

The computer setup consisted of:
400W Standard ATX PSU.
Asus P4S8X-X with SIS chipset and audio on board.
P4 2GHz
Hercules - 3D Prophet KYRO Series.
512 Mb DDRAM.
2 120Gb 7200rpm 2Mb Buffer - Maxtor Hard Drive.
Pioneer A06 DVD writer.

[Apulo]

Thanks for the review! MP4 freezing up now and then may indicate it's a software codec after all...

MPG2 sounds like it's hardware.

What options do you get regarding capture bitrates for MPG2?

Any chance of a short DVD resolution clip getting put online? Just a short one would be enough, couple of megs in size.

PS: can the case be opened (screws) or is it one of those glued-shut things?

Apulo

[Debbie]

Apulo,

It appears that all codecs are on a chip (hardware compression). Media Studio Pro could'nt recognize the DivX clip, saying "no codac on this camputer", or somthing similar.
I have the DivX codec installed and works fine on convenional capture hardware with no problems in editing.
Only God knows what they did. Infact all clips did play, but editing, no way exept in IntrVideo WinDVD Creator 2 that came with it.

Just before the end of the drivers installation you are asked to have the usual software installed eg. DirectX 9 ..... and also WinDVD Creator 2 is a must.
The only clip that Media Studio Pro 7 had no problem with has been the MPEG-2 one.

You don't relly have any options exept what WinDVD Creator 2 offers. Upon inspecting the clip properties, if I remember correctly, it was 8000 kbps. and 4000 kbps. Then there was a smaller frame size with the same bitrates.

Yes, the case can be opend and the screws are well exposed.

Sory about a clip. After a 7 hour session I was so frustrated that I just rebooted and installed a ghost image of my HDD sending everyting to hell and went to sleep at 4:30 AM.

The only decent job, to some extent, has been with MPEG-2 captures and even then very occasionally there has been "tearing" at the bottom of the frame during fast movement.

The "thing" went back this morning with no regrets I assure you. I do not however exclude that it could produce better results with a different computer hardware setup. Things like this often happen.

Should you reqiure further info. please don't hesitate.

[Apulo]

Debbie, thanks a lot for the hard work. Scratch one more from my list. I now have a shortlist left of 6 PCI cards and 3 USB devices. We're getting there

Apulo

[Debbie]

If you would consider an AGP card as an option I would recommend the Radeon 9600XT (VIVO). Have a look at the specs. on the Asus site: http://usa.asus.com/products/vga/r9600xt/overview.htm
I have the Asus version and I'm quite happy with the results. On my other machine I still use the old Marvel G400-TV with AVI_IO for capturing in *.AVI

[Apulo]

I wouldn't mind AGP or PCI express, as long as it has hardware MPEG2 encoding of good quality. I tried software codecs like the ATI one or WinDVD Creator, and found the results below par for the noisy cable signals we have here. For good prefiltering, the PC hardware isn't yet fast enough, so a hardware encoder can give much better results.

Apulo

[Debbie]

I fully agree with you about HW compression. However having the option of using different codecs isn't a bad idea ether. I use WinDVR for MPEG-2 capturing or somtimes Ulead both give quite impressive results. I think the most important is what you begin with. If you begin with a poor, noisy picture then whatever you use will always give you inferior results.

If you spend money on HW MPEP-2 compression and it will result to give you the same result as a software solution or could be poorer, then you would have spent your money on part of the HW that you will not be using. Good HW compression doesn't come cheap.

[Brian Ellis]

I wouldn't mind AGP or PCI express, as long as it has hardware MPEG2 encoding of good quality. I tried software codecs like the ATI one or WinDVD Creator, and found the results below par for the noisy cable signals we have here. For good prefiltering, the PC hardware isn't yet fast enough, so a hardware encoder can give much better results.

Apulo

IOW, Garbage in, Garbage out.

If you have a noisy signal, you can either keep it as a noisy signal or you can partially filter the noise out. If you do this, you will lower the resolution, so what you gain on the swings, you lose on the roundabout. There is no miracle solution and if you have garbage in, it doesn't matter two hoots whether your codec is HW or SW, you will have garbage out.