Pinnacle Studio MovieBox DV Review

A beautifully designed piece of hardware that the image here does not do full justice to, the Pinnacle Studio MovieBox DV is an external box that you just plug into a free Firewire port. It is designed to be an easy way to route analogue and digital video between any combination of computer and external video products.  It represents a cheap way to convert old VHS movies to digital format via the "Mode" button.

The Pinnacle MovieBox DV comes with a wide range of video input and output features. A IEEE1394 port allows you to connect digital camcorders. The analogue input and output connectors allow for connecting older equipment including conventional devices such as VCRs/TVs. 

The Pinnacle MovieBox DV ships with a copy of Pinnacle Studio as the video editing software.

Hardware Specifications

External FireWire/1394 Video Capture Device 
Cables included: 6-pin 1394 to 4-pin DV & 6-pin 1394 to 6-pin 1394 

Studio MovieBox DV Inputs: 
Composite Video input (RCA connector), S-Video input (mini-DIN connector), Stereo Audio input (2 x RCA connector) 
2 x IEEE1394 I/O connectors, DV port A, DV port B (2 x 6-pin type) 

Studio MovieBox DV Outputs: 
Composite Video output (RCA connector), S-Video output (mini-DIN connector), Stereo Audio output (2 x RCA connector) 

Studio MovieBox DV Video Capture To The Computer: 
Analogue PAL/SECAM input 720x576, 25fps. Converted to DV 25 Mbit/s when captured 
DV (IEEE1394) camcorder capture 25 Mbit/s. Full camera/device control support 

Studio MovieBox DV Video Playback from Computer: 
Analogue PAL output 720x576, 25fps 
DV (IEEE1394) output to camcorder 25 Mbit/s. Full camera/device control support 

Studio MovieBox DV Video Standalone Format Conversions: 
Analogue PAL/SECAM input 720x576, 25fps. Converted to DV 25 Mbit/s 
DV (IEEE1394) camcorder capture 25 Mbit/s. Converted to Analog PAL output 720x576, 25fps 

Studio MovieBox DV Audio Formats: 
Locked DV : In/Out audio formats 32 kHz, 12 Bit, stereo / 48 kHz, 16 Bit, stereo 
Unlocked DV : In/Out audio formats 32 kHz, 16 Bit, stereo / 44,1 kHz, 16 Bit, stereo 

Other Reviews:

CNET

VNU Net

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