videocapture
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TUAW Review: iGrabber, a cheap way to digitize old videos
The other day while I was attempting to clean up my office, I came across a bunch of old MiniDV tapes from various vacations that my wife and I had taken over the years. That got me thinking about the 8mm videotapes from the pre-MiniDV age, and the even older VHS vacation tapes from the Pleistocene Era. Since I have done a pretty good job of going to a paperless office, I figured it was about time to make my other media go digital as well. I don't necessarily want to edit the movies right now -- at this point, all I want to do is get the raw video transferred to my iMac, and then at some future date, when I have the time (like 20 years from now), I'll transform them into mini-documentaries. The big concern I had was getting the video into my Mac, and since I no longer shoot video with tapes, I needed something that would just get the job done with a minimum of fuss and cost. A quick Amazon search brought up a device from MyGica (yeah, I've never heard of them, either) called the Geniatech iGrabber (US$34.99 at Amazon). It had surprisingly good reviews compared to more expensive devices like the Elgato Video Capture Device ($74.99 at Amazon). I found several other adapters that were even cheaper, but they either had poor reviews or weren't listed as being Mac-compatible. Here's a quick review of the iGrabber, a fairly inexpensive and easy way to digitize old videos.
iPhone OS 4 unlocks 720p video capture, further solidifying iPhone HD?
Last time on let's-speculate-about-Apple-products, the New iPhone rumor mill dug up dirt on video chat and a 5 megapixel camera. Now, it appears there might be one more reason to call it the iPhone HD. MacRumors reports that the iPhone SDK 4 beta includes the value "AVCaptureSessionPreset1280x720," leading some to believe Cupertino's next phone will record video in 720p. Mind you, the iPhone 3GS was technically already capable of that feat, so this might not have anything to do with a new handset, but honestly, at this point the iPhone's camera wouldn't be competitive recording in a smaller format anyhow.
webOS 1.4 hitting Sprint's Pre and Pixi on February 15th?
Good news for nonplussed (in more ways that one) Pre and Pixi owners: come the day after Valentine's, it looks like you'll be able to capture your loved ones in moving pictures format! This comes from an alleged Sprint technician who reportedly took the above screencap promising a firmware update with all the features we've heard debuting as webOS 1.4, except for Flash support on the Pre. Note our use of "alleged" and "reportedly," though -- we can't independently confirm this image, so take it with a grain of salt. Still, February was the previously-mentioned release date, and when better to release than just after the halfway mark of the month?
Elgato Video Capture allows Macs to record analog video
Sure, the MPAA won't be happy that you're not just videotaping your TV, but the Mac users out there still looking for some real-time SD recording action might want to check out Elgato's Video Capture box. Nothing too fancy here, just RCA / S-Video / SCART input and some software to trim clips and export to H.264 and MPEG-4, but it could be just the ticket if you've got a stack of VHS tapes or something. Out in Europe now for €100 ($134), we'll let you know when it comes Stateside. [Via Electronista]
Hack provides Liveview Canon EOS DSLRs with video recording
If you're just now starting to come to grips with the fact that Canon's utterly succulent EOS 5D Mark II is just way, way out of reach, here's a little something to lessen the impact of your inferiority complex. An enterprising young buck with a passion to bring video capture abilities to other EOS cameras figured out a way to enable that very capability on all Liveview EOS DSLRs. Of course, there's still the whole "manual focus" requirement -- which means that the bulk of your captures will be way out of focus -- but it's a new feature for your existing camera nonetheless. Now that the cat's out of the bag, why don't you just push out an official update to add this into more cams, Canon? We mean, can you imagine the look on Nikon's face if you really came through?Read - The hackRead - Video capture from a Canon EOS 40D
First Look: macVCR 2.0
Arten Science has announced the immediate availability of macVCR 2.0, a Leopard application for capturing any video source on a Mac screen and saving it to QuickTime, AVI, M4V, or other movie formats.While not as full-featured as Telestream's US$99 ScreenFlow or Ambrosia's US$69 Snapz Pro X, the entry-level price of macVCR 2.0 may make it attractive to Mac owners who are looking for a low-cost video capture solution. Features include: Live Camera Feed Option Magnify Area at Cursor Date and Time Overlay Option Choice of Codecs Resolution Presets Performance Adjustment Support for Multiple Monitors Record a Selected Region of any Monitor Export to Windows Media, iPhone, Apple TV, AVI and Many More Low Disk and CPU Usage macVCR 2.0 is available for US$22.62 (£14.00) from the Arten Science Web store. A free trial download (click downloads application) is available for those who wish to try the software before they buy; it limits recording time to 90 seconds. macVCR 2.0 is free to educational and charity organizations.
Patent details DSLR "Movie Mode," your compact shooter could be out of a job
While the advanced processing, glass and sensors of DSLRs has made them a likely candidate for video capture for some time now, a few technical obstacles have stood in the way. All that could be changing, though, with this DSLR "Movie Mode" patent from Japanese inventor Hiroshi Terada uncovered by Photography Bay. The wide-ranging patent addresses trouble spots such as AF focus speed and tolerance, and the auto-cropping DSLRs perform during AF adjustments, but most interesting is the mirror. The patent suggests a mirror that lets through 70% of light, while reflecting the other 30%. Reflected light can be used for continuous AF, while transmitted light is captured on the camera's primary sensor. This mirror configuration also allows live view while shooting stills. There's no telling when we'll start seeing this in cameras, or if any major manufacturers have even licensed it yet -- or have developed similar systems -- but it does seem clear that DSLR movie shooting is fairly inevitable. [Via Photography Bay]
iPhone Video proof of concept posted
iPhone developer Drunknbass has been working amazingly hard for some time now getting video recording working on the iPhone. I've been following his effort and seeing him struggle with some major obstacles. It's not a simple thing. There are issues about capturing the data and producing output in real time. And here, sometimes events outpace us. I was hoping to post a real video with this write-up but since the software has already been leaked, I decided to go ahead and write about what currently exists. Drunknbass's program is groundbreaking. It records 5 seconds of video at 10 fps and then immediately plays it back and proves that usable video capture is possible. Read more about his work and visit his website at monsterandfriends.com.
iPhone gets video recording capabilities
Thanks to another set of ambitious iPhone hackers, we've officially got video on Apple's wonder-device (that somehow omitted video to begin with). It's not much right now, but if you want, you can see your phone recording five succulent seconds of real-deal video at around 15 FPS. The developers say this is just a proof of concept, and they've been able to get up to 45 FPS on the device -- so hopefully we can expect a more robust version soon (like, say, one that lets you save the recording). Check the video after the break to see the gorgeous work in action.
Pinnacle unveils USB 2.0 Video Capture for Mac
Those looking for a simplified way to convert home videos and other recorded content to formats palatable to your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV need look no further than Pinnacle Systems' Video Capture for Mac. The USB 2.0-based device features your basic composite, S-Video and stereo inputs, touts hardware video encoding and onboard compression (MPEG-4), and was designed to operate in OS X 10.4 or later. The box should be available in stores next month for a respectable $99.99.[Via Electronista]
V3HD FireWire capture box boasts inputs galore
Those making their ends in the video production biz just might fall head over heels for the V3HD, you know, if you're down with an all-in-one solution for capturing SD / HD video as well as audio on the side. This semi-professional device can handle up to 32-channels of simultaneous audio input and output, touts HDMI output for watching your work on nearly any display, and includes just about every input you could ask for including HD / SD BNC connections, component, composite, S-Video, FireWire 400 / 800, RS-422, and XLR ins / outs for starters. You'll find MOTU's Video Console software bundled in, but both Mac and PC users will have no qualms syncing this up with their favorite editing suite. Expect to see this thing ship sometime in Q3, but as of now, there's no telling how much loot it'll demand.[Thanks, Kaku]
WoW 2.2 Mac client in-game video capture
It really seems like Blizzard is taking leaps and strides in their efforts to support some of the fun things we've been doing outside of the game and putting them actually *in* the game.When I read the patch notes and saw that the Mac client was getting in-game video recording, I immediately started my PTR client download. I was not to be disappointed. With the new "Mac Options", I can choose the resolution to record at (600x400 in this case), the framerate, and the compression. I left these as defaults, but chose to turn off the UI, cursor, and sound.Click through for a little more about the process for making the video, or just watch the video above to get an impression of what in-game recording is like.
Buffalo's multi-source video capture box
Buffalo has got a new video capture device for those not content with recording from a single source at a time, with the PC-MV72DX/U2 offering both S-video and composite inputs -- along with an integrated analog TV tuner -- to bolster your recording options. If that's not enough for you, it seems you can also daisy-chain up to ten of 'em together connected to a single PC. Alternatively, you can hook one (or more) of these suckers up to a network attached storage device (otherwise known as NAS), such as Buffalo's own LinkStation line of drives. Whatever configuration you go with, you'll get your choice of MPEG-1/2/4 video at up to 720 x 480 resolution, as well as all the PVR and TV viewing functions you'd expect to come with a PC-attached TV tuner. Look for this one to hit Japan later this month for 24,360 Yen (just over $200).[Via Akihabara News]
New video capture mode for DevHook
DevHook has just become even more amazing. ADePSP from PSP-Hacks has modified the GTA Cheat Device's ability to record in-game footage and has appended it to DevHook. With this new homebrew application, you'll be able to record footage from the games you play as animated GIFs. It'll even record footage from the XMB! This awesome application will require quite a hefty Memory Stick, as the files recorded are uncompressed.
