A D S Pyro A/V Link (API-550) Video Capture

Pros: Cheap, great quality, locked audio, excellent DV/analog conversion, ignores macrovision, NTSC and PAL.
Cons: many dropped frames, swap fields, firmware upgrade only at ADS.

Machine Specs: CPU: Intel P4 3 Ghz CPU Mobo: Intel D865GLC - Integrated NIC (Intel 100 VE) - Integrated Sound (soundMAX – Analog devices) - Integrated IDE ATA 66/100 Sound: Creative SB Audigy Video: ATD AIW Radeon 8500DV Firewire: Bundled with ...

Pros: Simple installation. Variety of inputs. Can output back to camcorder or VCR. Includes 1394 passthrough.
Cons: No real cons in my opinion. My expectations were exceeded.

I have limited experience doing captures from my DV camcorder to my PC and needed a means of capturing video from my old compact VHS camcorder. After 3 minutes with the manual and another 5 hooking up the AVI-550, I had everything setup to start ...

Pros: Easy to install.
Cons: Doesn't capture smooth video.

Machine Specs: AMD 1800+ CPU MSI Main board with VIA chipset (I know, not the best for video) - Integrated NIC - Integrated Sound - Integrated Video - Integrated IDE ATA 66/100/133 I realize that the preference would be to not use boards with ...

Pros: Excellent Quality, Easy Setup, Connect an External Monitor, Excellent Tech Support.
Cons: I had to return the unit once for a firmware upgrade.

The Pyro Link is a must have for anyone capturing video from analog sources. It has been a life saver for me and has provided the ability to capture old VHS tapes, DVDs, and Cable TV to my computer for editing and authoring to DVD. Without this product I would have given up on video editing all together.

ADS tech support is among the best in the business. They offer repair and replacement of defective products (I had to send mine back once). Since mine was returned with new firmware I have NO DROPPED FRAMES and have always had excellent quality captures.

Most of the negative reviews here have obviously not contacted ADS tech support for help. If they had, they would not be complaining, they would be capturing excellent quality video with ease.

Pros: value, ease of use, size, looks
Cons: the power off thing mentioned in the review.

I bought one of these to record a few video clips for my website. I had no experience whatsoever with this type of hardware but managed to figure it out within a half hour! This unit is extremely easy to install and setup. It will run good with the included video software as well as with the built in Moviemaker in Windows XP. My only complaint would be that you have to turn the power off then back on again before starting a new clip for the unit switches to digital and does not change back to analog without powering it down.

Pros: None, Just an FYI
Cons: None, Just an FYI

Just an FYI to those reading davidjed's review... He mentioned that his Pyro A/V Link was connected to a laptop. Unfortunately, most laptop hard drives run around 4200 or 5400 RPM... considerably slower than the more common 7200 RPM found in most desktop computers.

Even with a high end CPU and a decent amount of memory in a laptop, if the hard drive is one the slower turning, lower rpm laptop drives... getting good, high quality video captures of any significant duration w/o choppiness and dropped frames is going to be nearly impossible. The drive simply can't keep up with the flow of data.

Pros: Easy to setup, worked right the first time
Cons: Lots of fiddling to get it to work right

I bought this unit hoping it would enable me to archive all my old VHS tapes (stuff that isn't on DVD, or my own work as a once-budding filmmaker). While this unit was easy to set up and worked correctly right away (unlike some other add-ons to my laptop), it quickly became finicky; sometimes it wouldn't capture anything at all; sometimes the capture would just "freeze" after about 15-20 seconds. I optimized all my hard drives, bought a separate dedicated 80GB drive, and was running with a Pentium III 1 Ghz; this was still a frustrating, unreliable experience. If an almost-$200 capture card can't work reliably, I think it's safe to say this entire technology still has a way to go. That, or maybe it'll work better on a Mac...