Video Capture Card Review: Pinnacle DV500 PLUS (page 2)

After capturing in DVTools, we batch-captured in Adobe Premiere 6.0 to see how well the two would work together in this regard. They worked great. With 10 shots in a bin we began testing DV500 PLUS's real-time attributes. Cutting together our 10-shot sequence, the DV500 PLUS had no trouble playing back the footage and outputting it to our NTSC monitor. It was necessary, however, to change the overlay mode to Primary Surface in order to get on-screen video onto our computer monitor.

Adding some standard Premiere transitions and several of the elaborate but less-useful effects from the included plug-ins, we found that the DV500 PLUS handled two-stream real-time playback with ease. Putting five static titles over the sequence, we began to see render indicators but these renders (some fairly complex with titles over transitions) chugged along and finished in less than a minute. Instant Video, Pinnacle's plug-in for Premiere, showed what portions of the program were available for real-time playback and which of the elements needed rendering.

DV500 PLUS's compatibility with the new features in Premiere 6.0 is very impressive. In particular, the audio mixer functions worked smoothly. Using four tracks of audio with natural sound, voiceover and stereo music, we volume-adjusted tracks individually and ganged them together in groups with no problem at all.

The DV500 from Pinnacle has toughed out the rough seas of do-it-yourself prosumer video editing and has evolved into the worthy DV500 PLUS. With the arrival of Premiere 6.0, the DV500 PLUS has risen to the challenge and made itself a fitting partner for the editing software of choice. Good job, Pinnacle.

Price: $799
Minimum Processor: Pentium II
450MHz or faster compatible processor
Memory: 128MB
Operating System: Windows 98/98SE/ Me/ 2000
Video I/O: FireWire, S-video, Composite
Audio I/O: FireWire, Composite (unbalanced)
Bundled software: Pinnacle Systems DVTools, Adobe Premiere 6.0 (with included Adobe PhotoShop LE), Hollywood FX, Copper, Alpha Magic FX, Pinnacle Impression CD Pro, TitleDeko RT

• Capture and device control
• Integration with Premiere 6.0
• Low price

• Overlay quirkiness

• Priced low and feature-packed, the Pinnacle DV500 PLUS works well with Premiere 6.0 and is well worth consideration as an editing solution.

Pinnacle Systems
280 North Bernardo Avenue
Mountain View, CA 94043
(650) 526-1600
www.pinnaclesys.com

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