You can't use full-speed video on a paper document. What you need are photographs that will lie still on the page. But a video camera is a great way to capture still images (30 shots a second, faster than a whining motor-driven SLR). ComputerEyes RT lets you grab a frame from your TV or camcorder. It is simpler and cheaper than full video, and it works with portable computers, because it's an external box rather than a plug-in board. I tested a few frame-grabbing products from various manufacturers (I publish a newsletter for model airplane enthusiasts), and this one is one of the best.
The color units, the RT and the Pro, have sparkling S-video input, while the black-and-white box has nearly as good composite inputs, producing pictures that are more than adequate for use in a newsletter or real estate listing. It can grab a frame on the fly, so just choose your moment. When playing back (or just playing through the camcorder), you see the action in real time in a little window. The resolution is whatever your camera gives - the ComputerEyes RT box is good for 640x480x24-bit color, better than most video. You can fix all the usual suspects - brightness, contrast, and color parameters - both before and after capture. Once you have pressed the button, you can process the picture with Enhance, ColorIt!, Photoshop (for which they provide a plug-in), or any of the other picturemonger programs.
I used mine with a PowerBook 180, but since ComputerEyes RT is SCSI, it will work with any Mac. My ComputerEyes RT ran so hot I could smell it when I walked into my office, but it didn't fail, and the sales department tells me a cooler chip is in development.
ComputerEyes RT: US$599. Digital Vision Inc.: (800) 346 0090, +1 (617) 329 5400.
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ComputerEyes
