Video Capturing Devices Buyer’s Guide
Looking to buy a video-capturing device? You might already be looking at some online but you aren’t sure which one to get since there are so many choices. If it’s your first time buying a video-capturing device, you might also be confused about how and when to use them.
This guide covers all the things you need to ask yourself before buying a video-capturing device. You will need to make sure your computer and the ports are compatible before buying a device. Knowing your plans for usage will also give you a good idea of which one to buy.
Input and Output Ports
Before getting a video-capturing device, make sure you are taking into consideration the input and output ports. If you are syncing a computer to a digital camera, you will want to make sure you have an HDMI cord as most cameras come with an HDMI out port.
Old VCRs and older camcorders have other inputs including RCA A/V ports. So, you will need to ensure your video-capturing device has an output that can work with this.
The inputs and outputs are one of the most important things you need to consider because you want to make sure the cords and equipment can all be used together.
Computer Hardware Compatibility
Not all video-capturing devices will work with every computer. For example, you might want to see if your computer works better with external or internal video-capturing devices and then buy the best one accordingly.
You also need to ensure your computer has a PCI or PCIx slot so that you can install an internal card. If your computer does not have one of these, you will need to get an adaptor or special cord to make sure the device can be used with your computer.
If you don’t want to put an internal card in the computer or you are not sure how you can use an external USB video-capturing device. These are easy to use and you do not need to open the computer up for any reason.
You only need to connect the capturing device to the USB port on the computer. The video-capturing device driver will also install automatically making it very user-friendly.
Consider If You Need Software
Depending on the reason you want a video-capturing device, you might also want to get the software to go with it. Many video-capturing devices come with software so you can buy them as a bundle and get all the materials you need at the same time.
For example, you might want software that allows you to edit and burn videos onto DVDs. Most computers need extra software to be able to do this so make sure you are checking for what you need before buying anything.
You probably do not need software if you are only going to save the videos on the computer and do not need to plan to burn them or edit them.
Budget
Video-capturing devices come at many different prices. If you only want to use it a few times to get videos from VCRs, you probably don’t need the top-dollar one. However, if you want to start converting videos on a regular basis, you will want to ensure you get a higher-quality one that can work for a long time.
Spending some extra cash upfront will ensure you spend less money in the long run because you do not need to constantly buy a new one and keep updating it.
How Will You Use It?
Before buying a video-capturing device, make sure you know what you plan to use it for. Do you want to just save the videos and play them from the computer? Do you want to burn them in discs? Do you want to many any edits?
Knowing the answers to these questions will ensure you know which video-capturing device to buy.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know what a video-capturing device is and the features you need to look for, you can begin looking for the perfect one for you and your needs. Video-capturing devices are great things to have when you want to transfer audio and video from older devices onto your computer.
Just make sure you know what software and ports you need before buying the device.
