Don Lindich’s Sound Advice Blog

Week 4, 2003  

 Q) I have a PC with an ATI Fury Xpert 2000 card, Windows XP, 512MB of RAM, and a 1.7Ghz processor. I would like to record my VHS video to avi files.   Surely this is possible?

-Terry

A) Yes, it is possible, but you need a way to import your analog video into your computer before converting it.   If you have a free PCI slot in your computer, I recommend the Canopus ADVC-1394 converter, at $249.   It has inputs for connecting your VCR and will convert your VHS video to digital video.   You can then edit the digital video using the included software bundle, and export it as an avi file, as well as Video CD and DVD MPEG formats.   You can see the ADVC-1394 at www.canopus.com.

Make sure you have lots of hard drive space available before attempting to import video.   A two hour VHS tape will eat up over 24GB of hard drive space, and these space requirements will only increase as you edit and export video.   Most serious digital video editors have an extra hard drive installed on their computer just for storing and editing their imported footage.
Q) I read your prior column entitled, “Whatever TV you buy, bands are in your future”.   I was wondering if this only applies to the larger projection TVs or all TVs?   I have picked out a Sony 27″ flat screen HDTV and was wondering if bands were in my future as well.

-Melissa Schad, Pittsburgh PA

A) It applies to all TVs regardless of size, except for front projection systems.   The reason bands appear is incompatible aspect rations, i.e. showing a widescreen 16:9 picture on a traditional 4:3 TV, or vice versa.   If the aspect rations are not equal, you get bands if you are viewing the entire picture as it was broadcast.   It’s that simple.

When you wrote that you picked out a 27 inch Sony flat screen HDTV, I checked Sony’s website for you to confirm a hunch:   They do not currently offer a 27 inch HDTV, or HDTV- ready set.     Sony’s televisions have excellent picture quality, but if you want to watch full-quality HDTV images or DVDs using progressive scan, you will have to look elsewhere in a 27 inch set.   If HDTV is important to you, check out the Samsung TXM2796HF or the Zenith C27V22, both priced at $699.   By purchasing an HDTV-ready set, you will insure yourself against future obsolescence.

Q) I have put slides on CDs using the computer.     I can show them on the computer, but was wondering if there was a way to show them with a DVD player without setting up a costly system.

-Jordan

A) Pinnacle’s Expression software, $35, will burn picture CDs that play on a DVD player. Another alternative is Dazzle’s OnDVD software, usually sold for less than $20. You can see the software at www.pinnaclesys.com and www.dazzle.com.

Please be aware that not all home DVD players are compatible with the picture CDs created with the software.   Check with the manufacturers to make sure.   If your DVD player reads CD-Rs and has been manufactured recently, you should be OK.