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| Review: Canopus ADVC55 AV Digitiser |
| The ADVC55 provides an easy solution to the problem of of converting your existing VHS and 8mm video recordings to digital using FireWire. Here's what we think of it. |
 Canopus is a market-leader in the production and supply of devices that will convert your precious analogue VHS and 8mm video footage to DV. Although many users with DV-input camcorders will be able to perform a conversion without the need for a separate unit, there are others who either prefer not to tie up a camcorder for this purpose, or wish to have a dedicated unit that can be connected to a computer.
Design and Layout
The ADVC55 is a pocket-sized unit that is seemingly perfect for keeping handy when a quick and easy connection is required to convert analogue source material to digital video via the FireWire connection on a computer or VCR. It has an attractive brushed-aluminium casing and is very light and unobtrusive. In fact, its design and functionality couldn't be easier - simply connect up either composite video RCA Phono plug or S-Video and twin RCA Phono audio connectors at one end, plug in a 6-pin FireWire (OHCI-compliant, IEEE1394) cable in the other end and plug that, in turn, into the computer. The unit is clearly marked with Input and Output information, and a 6v DC socket is supplied for connection of an optional external power supply. A set of DIP Switches is also included on the back of the unit for more precise selection of input/output compatibility settings. DS1, for instance, is used to select either NTSC or PAL input. DS3 selects either input level 0dB or +15dB.
What's in the box
The package includes a 6-pin to 6-pin FireWire cable and a 16-page User Manual. The latter contains the immortal line "Stop using the unit when smoking", which one assumes to refer to the potential dangers of using the device if it overheats!
Installation and operation
After setting DS1 to the preferred video standard (PAL, NTSC and also SECAM), all that's required is to provide an input from an analogue source. This can be a VHS or S-VHS player, or indeed any analogue camcorder (S-VHS, VHS, Hi-8, Video-8) capable of providing either a composite or S-Video output. The supplied 6-pin FireWire cable should be plugged into an available FireWire socket on either a Windows or Apple Mac OSX computer. It should be noted that when used in this manner, an independent power supply is not required because the DC is supplied via the FireWire connection (provided a 6-pin cable is used). In other cases, the optional power supply should be used. The FireWire cable will connect to an available FireWire socket that has been set up for use for video capture (such as an installed PCI FireWire card, a hard-wired socket or - in the case of Apple Macs - any FireWire socket at all).
With the unit connected and the source tape playing, it's simply a question of selecting the right option in the computer's video capture / editing package to see a preview picture and to hear the audio. The unit allows for the connection of simulaneous composite and component video sources (via RCA Phono and the S-Video connector respectively), it will automatically default to the S-Video source. All elements of the signal are relayed to the computer via the FireWire connection. We tested the unit with an Apple Mac G4 desktop machine running iMovie4 on Mac OS 10.2.8. The signal was detected as soon as the program was opened and we were able to capture and playback without fuss. We also undertook the same job using a Sony Vaio PCV-RS224 desktop PC running Windows XP Home and Pinnacle Studio 9 with similar results.
Performance
The output performance of the ADVC55 is every bit as good as its big-brother product, the now-discontinued Canopus ADVC100, probably because (we assume) it uses the same Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip. The unit is quick and easy to set up, with no disc driver installation being required on any machine at any stage; both Windows XP and Mac OSX have no problems with seeing the device in the same way it would a DV or Digital-8 camcorder. We did undertake a quick comparative test designed to evaluate the performance of the ADVC55 against the built-in A-D conversion of a Sony TRV50 DV camcorder, with pleasing results. Though the connection of a VHS tape playback to the camcorder produced perfectly acceptable quality conversion, it was noticeable that the ADVC55 did the same job slightly better, with less moire patterning on detail and slightly better colour resolution than the camcorder's built-in AV-DV conversion.
Conclusion
The ADVC55 is a compact, portable bus-powered device that many users requiring on-the-spot A-D conversion will find indispensable. Conversion quality lives up to the high standards we've come to expect from Canopus, and we feel sure this unit will attract users who don't wish to rely on their camcorders for conversion of analogue rushes to digital. It should be noted that the unit is a one-way converter, however; users requiring two-way conversion (from analogue to digital and back) should consider the Miglia's Director's Cut Take 2 unit (which can also be FireWire bus-powered). Overall, the ADVC55 represents very good value for money and therefore highly recommended for those requiring simple conversion.
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| Points for: |
Small, compact, portable and possessing a quick means of connectivity for analogue sources. Great conversion quality. |
| Points against: |
One-way conversion only.
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| Conclusion: |
It's small and light and fits into a pocket. Great Canopus conversion quality makes it good value for money. |
| Rating 1-5: |
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| More Information: |
www.canopus.com
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