Pinnacle Studio MovieBox DV

As PCs get more attractive, the peripherals that we connect to them need to follow suit. Pinnacle isn't cutting any corners in the design stakes and has had its new MovieBox video-capture device designed by FA Porsche, an Italian designer best known for his stylish sunglasses and briefcases.

Instead of the usual grey plastic, the MovieBox is a lozenge of silvery grey metal that can either lie flat on your desk or can be mounted upright on a rotating stand.

The MovieBox has a wide range of video input and output features. A FireWire port allows you to connect it to a digital camcorder and there are also input and output connectors for analogue video, so you can capture and record video from conventional devices, such as a domestic VCR or TV. You can also convert analogue video into the digital DV format by using the Mode button to switch between analogue and digital modes.

For editing work, Pinnacle throws in a copy of its Studio 8 editing software. This provides a good range of editing tools and special effects and can also be used to create DVDs (if you have your own DVD recorder).

The MovieBox DV connects to your PC through a high-speed FireWire interface, which allows it to capture full-screen video. If you don't have FireWire on your PC, there's also a USB model available for £50 less.

Of course, if you have a FireWire interface on your PC then you already have the ability to capture digital video, so you may be quite happy to do without the MovieBox's analogue capabilities. However, if you need to work with both digital and analogue formats - perhaps to transfer old video tapes onto DVD - then the MovieBox is a versatile and impeccably stylish way of getting the job done.

Contact: Pinnacle Systems 01895 442003
www.pinnaclesys.com