| Dazzle | |
| Type: | Video recorder |
The Dazzle is a family of external video capture devices that allow people to record video from analog composite video sources (DVD player, VCR, etc.) over USB (originally parallel).[1] Most models are also capable of recording analog stereo audio.
There are two different ways one can connect components to the Dazzle. One way is to connect a VCR or video game console directly into the unit with RCA composite cables or with an S-video cable. Another way is to use three composite splitters to split the AV signal, sending one into the Dazzle, and another to a TV. This method is popular for recording from video game consoles, since it provides a real time feed into a TV (used as a preview monitor) while simultaneously capturing the footage.
The Dazzle line of video recorders was introduced in 1997[2] by L.A. Vision, Inc., a Silicon Valley start-up founded by Paul Jain, who had previously founded a string of graphics card companies including Paradise Systems, Video Seven, and Media Vision.[3] [4] The initial line of Dazzle recorders used an MPEG-1 encoder/decoder chip by C-Cube Microsystems to digitize the analog input, interfacing with the computer via a parallel port cable. The maximum resolution and frame rate that the Dazzle could encode video at was 352×240 pixels at 30 fps.[5] L.A. Vision had inked their deal with C-Cube in September 1997; within two months, the Dazzle line was available on the market, by which point the company had renamed themselves to Dazzle Multimedia. Dazzle Multimedia also sold an internal, PCI-card version of the Dazzle, under the name Snazzi.[6] Dazzle Multimedia was acquired in majority by SCM Microsystems, a German-American technology company, in 1999.[7]
The first Dazzle recorder to support USB was the Digital Video Creator (DVC) 50 and 80 models, first released in March 2001.[8] [9] The DVC 80 was capable of recording both video and audio via RCA and S-video, while the more inexpensive DVC 50 was capable of recording only video.[10] Owing to their USB 1.1-spec connector, these Dazzle video recorders captured video at much lower resolutions than contemporary offerings which used FireWire, although they were still capable of capturing video at a stable 30 fps.[11]
In October 2003, Pinnacle Systems acquired the rights to manufacture and market Dazzle hardware from SCM Microsystems.[12] Pinnacle was in turn acquired by Avid Technology in 2005.[13] The Dazzle was then sold under both the Avid and Pinnacle names across various products.[14] In the late 2000s, Avid updated the Dazzle line to support USB 2.0, allowing it to capture at native NTSC video resolutions.[15]
In 2012, Alludo (formerly Corel) acquired Pinnacle from Avid.[16], Alludo continues to sell products under the Dazzle family.[17]