Press Releases

PRINT

For several years is that the Dazzle and allows a lot of nostalgic memories to digitize their analog transferring to the computer and then archive it on DVD, and now a Blu-Ray. But Macs are set aside and left no inexpensive alternative. Finished! Pinnacle has released its Video Capture for Mac! A white Dazzle and software to digitize your video files to MP4 in just 4 clicks!

Design
The Dazzle itself is apparently identical to the PC version from the fact that it is white. It is within it a little more than the PC version. As the Mac is much easier to use than Windows PCs, the Dazzle allows you to capture directly in MP4 format ready for your iPod or Zune. The Dazzle captures a source RCA (audio and video) or S-Video (video only, Audio comes from the RCA ports).

In addition, once your video is acquired, the software automatically imports it into iTunes. We could not ask for more you say? Keep reading.

Features
USB (1.1 or 2.0)
MP4 compression hardware
Pinnacle Video Capture software for Mac included

Performances
This is where it will drip depending on your level of expertise and your video source. I did two tests, one from the cable television which has a HD back to SD, Radio Canada for those who know. As you can see from the first video, the image is very clear and we do not see many compression artifacts.

http://www.vimeo.com/3388250

For the second video, I used an old Sanyo camcorder using 8mm tapes. The camcorder itself is playing the tape and I use the RCA audio output (mono) / video capture.

http://www.vimeo.com/3389022

Operation is super simple, connected, started the program, 3 screens of a guide to cross and wait! The video is even in iTunes! Practice for those who want a solution without setting stories and obscure. But the "power-user" like me, is disappointing. Let me explain.

In my case, I would like to capture old family videos from 8mm cassette in and I would just restore the image quality. Except that the Video Capture for Mac Pinnacle compresses the video file in a format that causes a loss of quality. As a result, my catch would not be equivalent to another in Windows made with the Dazzle! Although for mononcles, but very bad for Geeks!

Should be able to save the video in a non-compressed format (just like DV) to restore them and burn them on DVD without quality loss. So I discuss with members in the forum Pinnacle and for now it does not appear to be in their plans ...

First use ... problems!
As soon as I received my Video Capture for Mac, I am eager to install the software and try to make my first catch. And it did not! I had the image, but I did not sound. I hack with the options of sounds system preferences to no avail. I am therefore, going to see if there was an update on the website of Pinnacle. There was a settled and problems under Leopard, but I'm still in Tiger, I thought I had no need ... So I sought my friend Google and I finally found the reason! Even if I am not under Leopard, you need to update the software!

Once updated all works perfectly. The moral of this story? Do your update even if you do not see a reason to do so!

Positive and negative

Positive
 Ease of Use
 Strength
 Portability MP4 video compression

Negative
 Impossible to capture in a non-compressed!
 Version of the software included does not work, you must update

Conclusion
As usual Pinnacle offers a quality product that succeeded brilliantly capture audio / video from your analog sources. For someone who seeks simplicity the Video Capture for Mac is the ideal solution! The Dazzle still remains a player and solid performance in video capture. But for those who seek flexibility in the process and advanced options, you must go your way at the moment. The capture is automatically compressed into MP4 without having access to the parameters compression.