A detailed review - incl. Technical blah - but also for all other readable

I really write some reviews, I am interested himself not particularly for the feedback of others. This has nothing to do with arrogance, merely that they rarely have enough detail and differentiation me - a "five-star, great product" in my opinion is just totally useless. But anyway ... I want to make an exception, because this product is so new and longed for sure so hot by many people as me. I'll go step by step:

### 1. Packing:

Very "Apple-typical" packaged - in other words, as you know it from an Apple-only product and estimates. Very solid cardboard, compact (less air in the box), Quick Start Guide (four steps), nor a 3x RCA to 3x RCA cable here.

Conclusion: Well, I like it.

### 2. Installation:

According to the manual, simply go to their website, download the application "tizi.tv" plugs the video recyclers in the USB port and get started. So done and everything works as described. Toll!

... But here's the first criticism: why the hell do I have to Enter an (enclosed in the packaging) serial number on the website come at all on the download link? (Especially, why is this app does not like the competition in the AppStore - nerve) My goodness, love company ... but please listen to your last User Tracking terribly obtrusive to build into the products. No matter how ... there remains nothing else left, because even if you look through the detours "tizi.tv" app would load, you have this then register the video Recycler latest startup: yes, really with e-mail address, password and account creation, all the trimmings - etching! Of course it is possible to delete his account at equinux again not in themselves. Was only to be expected, yes. About the "tizi.tv" app can seem at least "deregister" their video recycler again (keyword resale) - whether the device then permanently released from the Associated equinux account, I can not say because I have not tried it yet, unfortunately. But you can start from.

Conclusion: Easy hardware installation, but terrible forced the customers impose another, useless account.

### 3. Handling:

Here I rate times the actual function, namely, the capture of an analog source via the video recyclers - and that you do with the "tizi.tv" app without hesitation. I have my VCR SCART to RCA adapter connected via an inlaid band, play down and clicked in the "tizi.tv" app on the "Recording", finished. Running smoothly in the background, breaking (even after 4 hours of recording at a time) not from, so for the time being to see any flaws. The CPU load on my MacBook Pro (Early 2011 2.0GHz Quad Core) is tolerable 40-50%. So you should not incidentally degree play around with CPU-intensive stuff.

If you (like me) his 4-hour tapes by pulling at a time and this would cut later, can use the built-in editor. This is visually quite nice, somewhat bumpy in the handling, but also doing what he should. You can use the editor start / end circumcised ("Trim"), or individual items out separate ("Extract"). Then there is a "Remove Ads" feature, but which - as expected - just crap builds. Thus, if you prefer to make by hand if you want to rid films of commercial breaks.

A nasty bug has struck me: you may not have the video Recycler inserted when you start the "tizi.tv" app (v1.2), then plunges them immediately mercilessly. So remember: Disconnect before starting the application, the hardware.

Conclusion: The "tizi.tv" app looks a bit unprofessional and ugly, but does what it should.

### 4. Starting material:

In this section I would like to once again to the material, what one finds on his computer after dubbing. This should not be so interesting for many, because with the "tizi.tv" app gives unfortunately only antique MPEG2 (100 min are approximately 3 GB on the hard disk). Yes, you read correctly, the video recycler pushes the analog material in the format on the Mac, in which there are also commercial video DVDs. This is quite annoying because iMovie does not see itself with MPEG2 files - I go out of that many customers of the video Recyclers access iMovie, that's for sure a useful information.

In addition to this rather large drawback I get time to talk about the image quality ... because this is unfortunately well below average and what you can achieve with a Analoggrabber. The fragment formation in rapid scenes is truly enormous pronounced. For the technically-savvy readers not so: a fast-moving video (camera pans, etc.) recalls after shooting then strongly to a YouTube video of 10 years ago. The "tizi.tv" app offers in the settings no particular adjustment of codecs. Only "Aspect Ratio: 16: 9/4: 3", "clipping: Small / Medium / Large" and "Data Rate: High / Medium / Low". Despite "Data Rate: High", the picture is as described below average. One can only hope that nachbessert equinux here again on a software or firmware update. I'm strongly of of which is here encoded the image on the hardware, since the grabber leave the encoding of the software will look far better. I loaded two sample images (fast and slow scene) in the customer gallery.

Because I want to have the material as x264 (mp4 or mkv), I prefer after shooting better or worse yet by HandBrake (free and very good encoder for said format). In HandBrake you have the possibility of "Deblockings" with which one can a small little mending the above image flaws. This avoids the overhead of Encodes increases in HandBrake but massively: with me about 15fps. The only times as a tip from me.

### 5. The final-Endfazit:

In summary, the product has, regardless of my personal opinion unfortunately the following caveats:

- Totally impractical Mac output format (MPEG2)
- Below-average image quality
- Durschnittliche software (via direct download, does not come from the AppStore)
- Compulsory registration (in order to get the download link and an account for the Registration of the Hardware)

Therefore, there is of me only 2 out of 5 stars.

I will test the video Recycler still for 2-3 more VHS tapes (currently I have four 240 solid). Should I continue to be dissatisfied, I'll cancel the plan to secure my old VHS tapes. For me, the material is too valuable than it may look bad.

### Update 26/12/2013

After a result of this review, even someone called me from the Customer Relations team equinux to discuss with me the "problems" and I waited another two versions (1.2.1 and 1.2.2 appeared degrees), the product remains unfortunately still below average. Especially for the scheduled price. I was in the phone at least the mystery explained "why the app is not available in the AppStore" ... this has to do with the accompanying codecs. Anyway, equinux has tried very hard to keep up with this product the customer loyalty (I was even sent by mail to Christmas a little gift from the range of equinux, thank you very much).

Even when using the latest version 1.2.2 reportedly can push the recording to iMovie (no idea how that is, the output is with me still MPEG2), the product not satisfied in the least my expectations. I am now switched to a different solution and very pleased with this - but will keep an eye on the development of video Recyclers ...

PS: Why my last update of the review by Amazon was changed / removed or remains a mystery to me ... whether here equinux has objected that I have written there something of a cheaper and better solution out there, or whether it just be a mistake is ... who knows ...