ADS Technologies INSTANT DVD 2.0 (ADS Technologies-USBAV702)

• Reviewed by: jamesjohn

  Strengths: Good price

  Weaknesses: This unit has all of the classic problems of audio/video sync.

  Overall: I have tried for hours and hours to get a good video transfer. Everytime I make a movie I get audio/video sync problems. Technical support for both the ADS hardware and the Ulead bundled software was terrible. Software patches did not correct the problem. This doesn't make me an expert but I've got a computer science and electrical engineering background and I can't get this piece of junk to work. Don't waste your money on this product.

• Reviewed by: snafu099

  Strengths: Input any analog source and hardware encode cap. to Mpg-1 or mpg-2 in real time. Bypasses macrovision. Simple to complex functionality of bundled software. uses "audio lock" by defaul=-excellent

  Weaknesses: poor tech support but good support fourm

  Overall: Upgaded to this product from eariler ver 1 unit. Have been doing direct to disc capture and burn with bundled Ulead MovieFactory-2 to achieve vhs or tv to dvd media. Have done over 100 tapes up to 3 1/2 hrs in leangth with excellent results. While they are still trying to tweek the firmware, the configuation that I use provides simple, easy way of achieving to dvd. Updated rateing from 3 to 4 due to use and ADS updates

• Reviewed by: dvsrma

  Strengths: The ability to capture analog video, edit, and transfer to DVD with respectable quality at a reasonable cost. If you want more, I bet you will have to pay more!

  Weaknesses: Software is hard for a novice like me to understand. Product manual lacks precise direction.. I had to wing it!

  Overall: The only reason why I didn't check 5 stars is I would like to see if any of the other video capture devices could do the same or better without having to pay for another one! I have a hunch for under $200. you will get the same result, or maybe even less because of the editing power this has. PC mag picked this device as an editors choice because of the software bundle. I find the software bundle to be difficult to use, but I have made progress. I've done two projects, the first was a direct transfer from VHS to DVD without a hitch. The second was a number of videos taken of my kids growing up. I used Ulead's Video Studio 7. Very hard and frustrating to get to know. I finished that project removing unwanted clips, adding scene change effects, titles, and background music for the DVD menu's. I sent a copy to my sister and she was very impressed. The other review mentioned his program would freeze up, and he was dissatisfied. I do believe I had the same encounter, and I can't remember exactly what I did, but it has been resolved and not a problem since. I believe there was a selection amongst the many selections in setting up the capture page. I figured it out after printing out the manual and reading it through more than once. In fact I'm still reading it. Bottom line is this is an enormous task transfering analog to digital along with editing. If you stick with it and rack your brains out, this device and software will do the job!

• Reviewed by: rach8811

  Strengths: Good software bundle.

  Weaknesses: Doesn't work, zero tech support.

  Overall: I bought the Instant DVD 2.0 in the hopes of transferring my family's VHS home movies to mpeg2 format. The install went OK, but when I used the device to capture the video it froze at 12-1/2 minutes! One of the lights that would flicker as video would be captured then turned solid amber and the unit would get extremely hot. I would then have to unplug the power source to reset it.I looked at ADStech's support page to see if this was mentioned there - it wasn't. I looked in the manuals for trouble shooting procedures; they did not exist. Finally I contacted their tech support via their online tech support incident web page, and they ignored my requests every time.I then returned this POS and I never did here from their "tech support". I think their form is forwarded to /dev/null.Anyways, I ordered this from TheNerds.net and they soaked me 5 bucks for a restocking fee, so my out of pocket for trying this was 15 bucks. I do regret hearing about this piece of equipment.