Adaptec VideOh! DVD Media Center Review (page 2)

For Videomaker readers, the VideOh! might be seen primarily as an external analog video capture device. The quality of the video that the unit plays on the computer monitor is very good. The device converts your analog video (via RCA or S-video) into MPEG-2, which is the standard for DVD video discs. MPEG-2 is not a great format for editing so the Sonic software you’ll use for editing is limited to basic trimming and rearranging of clips. Still, for basic conversion of your analog videotape to DVD with a minimum of hassle, the device works. The VideOh! has very little tolerance for unstable video images: if a tape has tracking problems this device will not fix the video and will likely not capture it at all.

All of the primary editing and DVD creation features of the VideOh! come from the Sonic MyDVD software, which interacts with your DVD burner. So you’ll be using the WinDVR software to first record your video to the hard drive and then author your DVD using MyDVD. The only easier way to get a DVD from your video would be to get a standalone living room DVD recorder, but then you’d sacrifice editing and authoring capabilities.

Overall, the VideOh! DVD Media Center performed well, and offered a simple, effective solution for creating DVDs and recording television broadcasts directly onto the computer. It primarily wants to be a television watching and recording device, as evidenced by the fact that the device has a built-in television tuner. If you do not need or want to watch television on your computer, this is not the device for you. Its lack of video outputs may limit its appeal, but for many its low price and ease of use will be a very welcome combination.

Joe McCleskey is an instructional media specialist.

Platform PC
Processor: 600MHz or faster
Operating System: Windows 2000 or XP
RAM: 128MB
Hard Disk Space: 250MB
Printed Manual: 16 pages
Inputs: composite video, S-video, stereo audio
(RCA), coaxial RF cable
Output: USB 2.0
Encoding: MPEG-1, MPEG-2
Other Features: TV tuner (125 channel), remote control

• Easy to install
  
• Solid DVR performance
  
• Simple DVD authoring

• No video outputs


• Scant documentation

Although Adaptec's VideOh! tackles video editing and DVD tasks with simplicity, the internal television tuner reveals that it is really a TV recorder (DVR).

$180
Adaptec
691 South Milpitas Blvd.
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 945-8600
www.adaptec.com

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