The Bottom Line
The ADS Tech USB Instant VideoMPX External Video Capture Card is a very easy to use and affordable option for Capturing Video in multiple compression formats. The captured video can then be recorded onto CD-R disc for playback in another PC or a living room DVD recorder. If you want a Video Capture Card that is easy to use and has flexibility in capturing to different compression formats, then the Instant VideoMPX is for you.
Pros
- Easy to use external Video Capture Card
- Captures Multiple Video Compression Formats
- Includes Ulead VideoStudio 8 Video Editing Software
- Burn Video to CD-R discs
Cons
- Installation instructions hard to follow
- No support for MPEG-2 Compression for burning DVDs
Description
- Capture Video in MPEG-1, VCD, Divx or WMV 9 formats.
- Burn Video to CD-R discs.
- Capture to the high quality Divx format for playback in Divx certified DVD Players.
- High Quality USB 2.0 transfer of Video to your PC's hard drive.
- Transfer from any Video Source using composite or S-Video and Stereo Audio cables.
- No support for burning DVD quality MPEG-2 Video.
Guide Review - ADS Tech USB Instant VideoMPX Video Capture Card
The ADS Tech USB Instant VideoMPX External Video Capture Card is a small break-out box (BoB) that attaches to a Windows XP computer via a USB 2.0 cable to a PC. The device is about the size of a computer mouse and lets you connect an analog video and audio signal from virtually any source. The ADS Tech USB Instant VideoMPX comes with an installation CD for installing the drivers for the device, as well as Ulead's VideoStudio 8 editing software and a Divx player.
I ran into a little trouble when installing the cd because the manual gave conflicting installation instructions. It may have been a typo in the manual, and after some initial frustration the installation went smoothly. Once installed the USB Instant VideoMPX worked very well. Using the Ulead software, I was able to capture about 15 minutes of VCD quality video, which I then burned to a CD-R, all in the Ulead VideoStudio application.
MPEG-1 and VCD quality video is comparable to VHS quality when recorded to a CD-R. Divx and WMV 9 use MPEG-4 compression and are comparable to DVD-Video when played back in a device designed for MPEG-4 Video. The MPEG-1 compression is great for burning a Video to cheap CD-R media and distributing to family and friends, where quality isn't as important.
I ran into a little trouble when installing the cd because the manual gave conflicting installation instructions. It may have been a typo in the manual, and after some initial frustration the installation went smoothly. Once installed the USB Instant VideoMPX worked very well. Using the Ulead software, I was able to capture about 15 minutes of VCD quality video, which I then burned to a CD-R, all in the Ulead VideoStudio application.
MPEG-1 and VCD quality video is comparable to VHS quality when recorded to a CD-R. Divx and WMV 9 use MPEG-4 compression and are comparable to DVD-Video when played back in a device designed for MPEG-4 Video. The MPEG-1 compression is great for burning a Video to cheap CD-R media and distributing to family and friends, where quality isn't as important.
