Plextor ConvertX PVR
The Plextor ConvertX Personal Video Recorder works well with a very handy program called Plextor Go Cap that handles all your recording features in one easy and simple interface.
Ease of Use, Performance: 12/25, Look & Feel: 20/25,
Features 13/25, How much I enjoy 16/25
Total: 61/100
***UPDATE: I have tried an updated and full software suite, Corel VideoStudio 11 Plus and really enjoyed this software much more than the OEM version that came with the package. The ConvertX PVR was fully useable and the Corel software had no problems whatsoever incorporating the ConvertX PVR into its software and showing it as a capture device. It just goes to show you that software is just as important as hardware and using the ConvertX with a better software works so much better. ***
Capturing video or TV content onto your computer boils down to two sections or areas of the product, hardware and software. On one side you have to connect the camcorder, VCR/DVD player or get the TV signals to your computer and then you have the software side of the product.
The software I am talking about is not the drivers or whatever your computer needs to run the hardware but the stuff you work with to actually get the video to play and record on your computer screen. The Plextor ConvertX is a hardware capture device that handles much of the capturing so your computer does not get bogged down doing most of the work.
The ConvertX PVR also works as a great analog TV Tuner but after this next year will not be much use I capturing the TV signal. This is however a really great capture device for directly converting from a DVD player or VCR to your computer for things like home videos or DVD’s that you want to record onto other DVD’s.
Many capturing devices end up being mostly a connection between your computer and the device your playing your video on but the ConvertX actually takes much of the work load from your system. You can capture and not worry about your computer getting bogged down, or more specifically your processor. I saw the processor on my system work very little while recording TV and some great DVD’s I got from the library, America’s Test Kitchen.
The hardware does an excellent job of capturing the great quality you want in a hardware converter and capture device and the ConvertX even outputs to DivX format as well as many other common formats. The hardware here is easy to install and the drivers work very well but the other software is a bit of a problem.