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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/798
100 MacDirectory
REVIEW | VIDEO
In the video editing industry, there is a lot
of focus on software – how intuitive an
interface is, how simple the editing
functions are, how many features have
been added. What's frequently
overlooked, because it's not sensational, is
how the video gets to the editing station
in the first place.
If you've spent any time fiddling with
cables, transferring from VHS tape to
digital, or trying to work around
incompatible file formats, Pinnacle
Systems' Video Transfer device is for you.
The unit itself is small, fitting easily in the
palm of one's hand. One end features
standard inputs: composite video, S-video,
stereo audio ports. The other end outputs
into several devices via the USB 2.0
standard: hard drives, flash drives, the
Sony PSP, and even directly into the iPod
(which, as a bonus, will get its battery
recharged during the transfer itself).
Interestingly, there is one more port, right
next to the port for the power unit. It's
marked 'USB-B', where the USB 2.0 port is
marked 'USB-A'. On the enclosed Quick
Start guide, the port is labeled 'Reserved
for future use'.
Clearly, Pinnacle thinks ahead, but it's
unknown at this point what this future use
might be. The port itself does bear a
superficial resemblance to a Firewire port,
so it's likely some upcoming digital
transfer standard that no one's talking
about yet.
The Pinnacle VT unit captures everything
in the MPEG-4 format, a common and
high-definition format that's become the
universal standard. What's even better is
that it outputs to different qualities and
sizes, depending on the project
requirements, and/or the size of your
storage device. It's as simple as pressing
the 'mode' button on the front of the
device, to choose 'good', 'better', or 'best'
with their corresponding file sizes.
It is worth mentioning where this device
sits in relation to Pinnacle's other Video
Capture/Transfer products, as there might
be confusion when searching for the unit
to solve your particular problem. The VT
simply transfers video to a storage device,
converting the signal along the way. It
does not capture video, as Pinnacle's
Video Capture for Mac does, nor does it
offer any built-in editing tools, the way the
Dazzle Video Creator Platinum does.
And finally, though the DVD Recorder
software from Pinnacle is a similar transfer
device, the VT will only transfer to a hard
drive, not a static medium.
It also compares favorably to other video
transfer devices for Mac, such as the
Director's Cut Take 2 Analogue/Digital
Video Converter, which operates on the
same principle, but 1) Uses a Firewire
cable, 2) is much bulkier, so unlikely to be
a good fit for someone who wants an
easily portable solution, and 3) converts to
the much greater in file sized format of
DV. It also costs more than twice as much
as the VT, so the benefits are obvious.
Included in the packaging along with the
unit itself are a 3 x RCA audio/video cable,
a power supply block (rather small itself,
compared to the usual monsters that take
up two power outlet spaces), and the
documentation. And it's that simple. Plug
one end into what you want to record
from, and the other end into what you
want to transfer to. Small and light
enough to take anywhere you need it to
be, this unit is a must have device for
anyone who shoots video on the fly. Even
for those who do all their editing and
transfer at the same station, the smaller
footprint of the VT makes for a tidier
space. Pinnacle keeps refining the
industry, giving us what we want, even
when we didn't realize we needed it.
VIDEO TRANSFER BY PINNACLE > THE HOW-TO SOLUTION
Product Pinnacle Video Transfer
Made by Pinnacle Systems