Jason Dunn
04-02-2004, 09:32 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.emedialive.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=8400' target='_blank'>http://www.emedialive.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=8400</a><br /><br /></div>"Plextor's ConvertX isn't the first USB 2-based A/D converter box we've seen or reviewed here—ADS' USB InstantDVD holds that honor—but it brings some interesting new features to the table. First and foremost, it's the first DivX-certified consumer hardware capture device, and delivers real-time DivX and MPEG-4 encoding. What's more, the ConvertX is also priced lower ($159) than devices that also offer MPEG-2, but not MPEG-4 or DivX.<br /><br />It's sleek, shiny, and lightweight, but beyond that it doesn't look like much. It mostly resembles a bedstand clock-radio except instead of the time/frequency LCD it has composite and S-video connectors and two status lights on one side and a USB port on the other. Of course, the real action happens on the inside: true to its name, the heart of the ConvertX is a real-time hardware MPEG encoder that in this latest version adds support for the MPEG-4 and DivX formats increasingly popular in Web and portable-device video delivery and available in several recently announced DVD players. The box includes an NTSC/PAL decoder which enables you to capture video from PAL video sources and convert them to NTSC for viewing on North American televisions. Inside you'll also find, naturally, a USB 2 controller for connection to high-speed USB 2 ports."<br /><br />If you don't have a digital video camera to serve as an analogue to digital bridge when transferring your VHS tapes, this is the kind of solution you'll want to look for. Looks impressive!