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Inexpensive parallel-port encoders make it to put video into your presentations
If you're intrigued by the possibility of adding customized video clips to your presentations, but put off by the intimidating process, the answer may be an external video encoder. These easy-to-use devices plug right into the parallel port on the back of your computer, so there's no need to go digging around under the hood. Best of all, they let you capture video from a camcorder or VCR and drop it directly into your presentations, with or without further editing. Presentations tried out five new external encoders priced under $400. Here's what we found.
This review is focused on five video encoders. Four are based on a new compression chip from C-Cube Microsystems and capture MPEG-1 video: AVerMedia's MPEG Wizard, Dazzle Multimedia's Dazzle, FutureTel's Sphinx Pro and Videonics' Python.
The fifth encoder, Alaris QuickVideo Transport, uses a two-step, non-MPEG capture and recompression approach to produce simple AVI files that can be played back on your computer.
In addition to these products, we previewed a beta version of the new Iomega Buz, another two-step device that saves video as MotionJPEG rather than MPEG. Though its price is similar and it has an external module, Buz requires you to install a video-capture card in your computer.
The four MPEG encoders use the same C-Cube compression chip, so image quality differences are hard to spot (the Alaris product is noticeably different, however). None of these products contain soften filters or have the ability to handle fast movement and complex scenes like Data Translation's popular and easy-to-use Broadway board.
But, when it comes to creating simple video clips for presentations - such as your CEO describing long-term strategy -- these devices do a remarkable job for the price.
MPEG is a presentationfriendly video format
Most Pentium-based computers can decode MPEG's complex interframe compression without additional hardware, and Microsoft and Apple have made MPEG a standard data type for their ActiveMovie and QuickTime media players. This means you can insert high-quality MPEG digital video directly into your PowerPoint, Corel, Freelance Graphics and Astound presentations.
Parallel-port connectivity means you hook up and go Sphinx Pro and Dazzle can be attached directly to your computer's parallel port, a great convenience...