I just got a Dell (2.4, 512 RAM, P4, 120 Gig )and there is a S-video input in back of computer & we have a DVD burner. I am trying to hook up my VCR to the comp. so I can put our VHS tapes & home movies on DVD. I have read everything and am still confused about what I need - a "video capture card" and editing software? There is Dazzle external device that was @ $69.00 but some of the reviews were bad - then I saw a Pinnacle program & card kit that was about $125.00 but the reviews said you had to be VERY computer literate and the customer service was non-existent (web site based support was down also).. So my question is - is there anyone out there who really knows about this stuff and can tell me exactly what I need and (maybe) what I don't? If I can get something that does what I need and also allows tv viewing on computer that would be very cool (but not necessary). Thanks in adavance for any help... Christine

It sounds like you have an nvidia video card if so you should be able to go to their web site and get some info on video capturing. If not you can call Dell and ask them what else you need to make it work. Hope this helps somewhat, Doc

If you have s-video in, all you need is software. Just connect your vcr (provided it supports s-video) to the input and there's our input signal. I was always partial to ATI's all in wonder series of cards for what you're describing, but I think you can get the same effect from the ATI tv wonder, which has a coaxil cable input, which you can watch tv off of, and hook a vcr, or anything else that can hook up to a simple cable input (ie camcorder). If it's just vcr and tv you are interested in, that's probably the best bet, a tv card, that is if you can't get the s-video in thing to do what you need.

What Doc says is good advice. I'll tell you my experience. I went nuts trying to figure out video capturing from my camcorder. I too have an S-Video port as well as a firewire port. It turns out that the firewire caputres video without an aadditional capture card. So I just plug the camcorder into the firewire port (using a special firewire cable). I bought Pinnacle Studio8. It's a good program but Pinnacle support, as you say, is about the worst I have ever seen. This program captures video, lets me edit it, and I can then put it anywhere I want to: on a disk, back into the camcorder, on the hard drive, or wherever. I realize your question is different, but maybe this gives you a start. Have you actually tried doing what you want to? I think you would need a video capturing program, and I am not prepared to recommend Pinnacle because of their support. But I bet you can capture without getting a capture card. My computer came with a video capturing program, but I decided Pinnacle was better. Pinnacle gives instructions in its manual on capturing from a VCR. I can scan thus for you and email it, but it sounds like you're going to need another piece of hardware. If you want me to email you, let me know. I realize this only takes you part way. Sorry I can't be more helpful. A google search -- I tried 'Video capture from a VCR' -- will turn up a lot of site on how to capture video, but too many of them assume you already know a lot, which I didn't. Try this site: http://lists.suse.com/archive/suse-multimedia-e/2002-Jan/0004.html Also this one from a university: http://www.esam.northwestern.edu/local/video.html