Video Input for Macbook
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HeavyMetalMe
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Video Input for Macbook
Does anyone know any cheap solutions for inputting composite video into my Macbook? My roommates a jerk sometimes and hogs the TV, and I'm wondering if I can just plug my systems into my computer and play them through some type of program... Thanks in advance.
High-Brow Gag & Pure Shooting
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HeavyMetalMe
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lordofduct
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Well... video in is a little bit more annoying that video out. It needs to be converted into a file type like MPEG or something because raw video is massively huge. Things like that eyeTV have a hardware MPEG2 encoder built into it which pushes the cost up. There are "capture cards" (name of the device) that don't have hardware encoding for far cheaper, but it needs to use your CPU to encode your video for you which eats up a lot of cycles, because it needs to be encoded real time.
Due to the fact it eats up so many cycles, most software released today requires hardware encoders so that you can both watch (decode) and record (encode) all at the same time. Software like "eyeTV" and "Windows Media Center". There are some software out there that doesn't require "capture cards" with hardware encoding. I don't know which ones though.
Then you have the issue that you are on Mac OSX. That right there limits your selection down. BUT there is 2 saving graces. Both your software and hardware choices are reduced... so you need to hunt down a "capture card" that support Mac OSX AND meets your price point (no hardware encoding) AND has software on MacOSX that supports it.
BUT, there are 2 things that do help you out.
1) Macbooks use the intel x86 structure and can now have Windows installed on it. You can boot up windows and get much wider support of more "capture cards" and software that runs it.
2) Mac OSX also has support for X11 based Unix code. ermmm... what I mean is it supports 'some' software that is coded to run on Linux. And linux has a ton of programs suitable for doing this, and don't require you to have a "capture card" that has hardware encoding... such as 'freevo'.
though option 2 is really difficult to implement and I probably would NOT advise a novice doing it... there is a lot of terminal work needed to be done in Mac OSX. If your a "power user" (what ever the hell that is), then maybe you can step up to the plate and read tutorials online. There are tons of places out there dedicated to getting Linux software running on Mac OSX.
You've got tons of options out there really. Some of which can be scored for as little as 10 bucks. Your best bet is to decide which OS your going to run under, if your going to use the fact Mac OSX supports some Linux software, and your budget. Then go out and figure out what hardware your choice supports. And then get it.
I do know that Hauppauge has support for Mac OSX directly. They have very good capture cards ranging in prices from very cheap to kinda expensive (150 dollars for the dual hardware encoder, 99 dollars for the PCI express ATSC supported dual encoder, and like 35 bucks for the cheap software encoded card). They supply software as well to use as a PVR program to set up recording times for your TV shows (kinda like a cheap alternative to eyeTV or Windows Media Center). You can find their cards on Newegg.com
so yeah go do some research. The hardware you need is just called a "capture card", the software is nicknamed a "PVR" sometimes. Google is your friend here.
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this is one of the reasons I avoid Macs, they seem to stress the idea you have to use their expensive software and hardware. Which actually isn't 100% true. Your list is reduced, and getting 3rd party stuff to work is a little more difficult, but it can be done. Though just because of this right here is why I always suggest avoiding it... especially now that it uses the Core 2 Duo... it isn't like you are getting the huge power capabilities of a PowerPC processor anymore. So what is the point anymore, unless your some art student with the cash to throw at the neat art programs for it.
And even then it's a practice of personal preference. Of all the art fags I know, 50% say they love Mac for its art capabilities, the other 50% say its to convoluted and annoying to bother learning for a different version of this or that to do the same thing they've done on Windows.
Though one of them admits (my roommate), it is far better then a lot of specialized hardware. Systems like those SGCS/IRIX machines by SGI I hear are a pain in the ass to use.
Due to the fact it eats up so many cycles, most software released today requires hardware encoders so that you can both watch (decode) and record (encode) all at the same time. Software like "eyeTV" and "Windows Media Center". There are some software out there that doesn't require "capture cards" with hardware encoding. I don't know which ones though.
Then you have the issue that you are on Mac OSX. That right there limits your selection down. BUT there is 2 saving graces. Both your software and hardware choices are reduced... so you need to hunt down a "capture card" that support Mac OSX AND meets your price point (no hardware encoding) AND has software on MacOSX that supports it.
BUT, there are 2 things that do help you out.
1) Macbooks use the intel x86 structure and can now have Windows installed on it. You can boot up windows and get much wider support of more "capture cards" and software that runs it.
2) Mac OSX also has support for X11 based Unix code. ermmm... what I mean is it supports 'some' software that is coded to run on Linux. And linux has a ton of programs suitable for doing this, and don't require you to have a "capture card" that has hardware encoding... such as 'freevo'.
though option 2 is really difficult to implement and I probably would NOT advise a novice doing it... there is a lot of terminal work needed to be done in Mac OSX. If your a "power user" (what ever the hell that is), then maybe you can step up to the plate and read tutorials online. There are tons of places out there dedicated to getting Linux software running on Mac OSX.
You've got tons of options out there really. Some of which can be scored for as little as 10 bucks. Your best bet is to decide which OS your going to run under, if your going to use the fact Mac OSX supports some Linux software, and your budget. Then go out and figure out what hardware your choice supports. And then get it.
I do know that Hauppauge has support for Mac OSX directly. They have very good capture cards ranging in prices from very cheap to kinda expensive (150 dollars for the dual hardware encoder, 99 dollars for the PCI express ATSC supported dual encoder, and like 35 bucks for the cheap software encoded card). They supply software as well to use as a PVR program to set up recording times for your TV shows (kinda like a cheap alternative to eyeTV or Windows Media Center). You can find their cards on Newegg.com
so yeah go do some research. The hardware you need is just called a "capture card", the software is nicknamed a "PVR" sometimes. Google is your friend here.
...
this is one of the reasons I avoid Macs, they seem to stress the idea you have to use their expensive software and hardware. Which actually isn't 100% true. Your list is reduced, and getting 3rd party stuff to work is a little more difficult, but it can be done. Though just because of this right here is why I always suggest avoiding it... especially now that it uses the Core 2 Duo... it isn't like you are getting the huge power capabilities of a PowerPC processor anymore. So what is the point anymore, unless your some art student with the cash to throw at the neat art programs for it.
And even then it's a practice of personal preference. Of all the art fags I know, 50% say they love Mac for its art capabilities, the other 50% say its to convoluted and annoying to bother learning for a different version of this or that to do the same thing they've done on Windows.
Though one of them admits (my roommate), it is far better then a lot of specialized hardware. Systems like those SGCS/IRIX machines by SGI I hear are a pain in the ass to use.
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HeavyMetalMe
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There are a few USB capture cards on the Mac that work just fine. And indeed, using Boot Camp to hop into Windows expands your options even more.
The whole Mac hardware compatibility problem, Lordofduct, is that device manufacturers don't find it worthwhile to program Mac device drivers, a problem that is not entirely Apple's fault. The manufacturers have figured it's not worth the effort for the potential sales. It is marketing to 10 or less percent of the computer market versus 90 percent.
The whole Mac hardware compatibility problem, Lordofduct, is that device manufacturers don't find it worthwhile to program Mac device drivers, a problem that is not entirely Apple's fault. The manufacturers have figured it's not worth the effort for the potential sales. It is marketing to 10 or less percent of the computer market versus 90 percent.
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lordofduct
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Oh I understand this... but that is only 1 of the many reasons why. It isn't like you could point the finger at just one reason, it's a pile of all kinds of things that cause it.marurun wrote:There are a few USB capture cards on the Mac that work just fine. And indeed, using Boot Camp to hop into Windows expands your options even more.
The whole Mac hardware compatibility problem, Lordofduct, is that device manufacturers don't find it worthwhile to program Mac device drivers, a problem that is not entirely Apple's fault. The manufacturers have figured it's not worth the effort for the potential sales. It is marketing to 10 or less percent of the computer market versus 90 percent.
Kinda the same goes for Windows and its problems. Its not just one things fault.