Compro C500 PCI DVI/Analogue Video Capture Card

Seriously; this is the best thing since I dumped my old ISA capture card due to XP software issues.. In the meantime I have tried good bad and indifferent USB capture devices. But this card under Windows 7 and/or 10 is so simple to use and gives brilliant results when transfering VHS tapes or downloaded video to DVD. I cannot praise it enough, sliced bread has nothing on this baby.

This is advertised as a DVI capture card but it only has S-Video digital and composite video analogue interfaces. Needed it to capture video screenshots from another computer but it's not compatible with either a VGA or a DVI outputs. Waste of money.

Caveat: I am definitely no expert.The chipset (the only way to find out was to buy the card):Texas Instruments TSB43AB22A (Firewire);PLXTech PCI 6140-AA33PC G (PCI bridge);NXP Trident Microsystems SAA7134HL (decoder).Tested on Gigabyte GA-7VAXP KT400, Barton 2800+ @ 2083 MHz, 1.5 GB PC2700.Clean install of Windows XP Home Edition SP3 on 320 GB HDD, activated, validated & fully updated (see later). Capture attempted using VirtualDub and the supplied VideoStudio 11.Results:Frames are dropped even in preview. Capture to disk is hopeless. I have an ancient ISA MJPEG card (in a Slot A board) which does a better job than the C500. Poor quality components and slipshod final assembly. I am baffled as to how such a product made it all the way to market ... maybe my test system is underspecified (although it meets advertised requirements and VirtualDub reports less than 10 % CPU usage) ... maybe it's a driver problem. But I note from the driver history that this is a mature solution dating from a time when even my test computer would have been whizz-bang ... perhaps there have always been problems with the disk capture component of these (TV) cards. Oh, and the bundled Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5 software seems to install a Media Player component which breaks WGA and MSE ... at which point you discover the extent to which MS must own your hardware (the MBR if not the BIOS).Conclusion:If you have limited time & expertise and are transferring VHS to disk on a budget then find an old ATI All-In-Wonder somewhere (anything from the Rage 128 onwards works better for me than the C500). The C500 is just an expensive way to buy a Firewire port, an S-video to RCA (+ audio cable) adapter and a couple of CDs of dated Ulead crippledware. I would have asked Amazon for an SGA refund on the grounds that the product is not fit for purpose but it does work after a fashion (for 60 seconds or so) ... and anyway once in a while you just have to take the hit. In as much as this is an obsolete technology, the foregoing is of no significance save as a drain for my ill-informed spleen; Amazon asked for a review so they got it.GQ

I bought this to transfer my old VHS tapes to DVD. I use Windows 7 64bit.Plugged the card in, installed the drivers off the disc, then went to the auto driver update through windows which found me a more newer oneCard works like a charm, you may need to purchase a scart output adaptor if your VHS player is old to connect toForget the software which comes with it; it is dated and awful! download the trial of Nero Video works great with the card, and then if you wish purchase a key off them for £20 off their site

Does what it says on the box, easy to install, simple to operate

Doesn't work, website for support and updates unavailable - Compro seems to have disappeared.

My previous video capture card struggled with Windows 7(I'm using the 64 Bit OS) as it was designed for Windows 2000 mainly but there weren't any problems with the Compro-it's been great with converting my old V.H.S. cassettes into uncompressed AVI files. I've not yet tried the card with my camcorder, though I'm eager to do just that!

SIMPLE TO USE AND VERY EFFECTIVE