On the left, video I captured through my Neuros Recorder II. On the right, video purchased directly from the iTunes Music Store. Click the pics to enlarge.
| Homebrew | iTMS | |
| Quality | A little fuzzy and washed out. | Crisp and clear, with great playback at full resolution. |
| Price | After the recorder is paid off, free recordings. | $1.99 each |
| DRM | Universal Playback. If a device supports MPEG-4, it will play my media. | PC and iPod only, limited number of devices. |
| Time and Overhead | 23 minutes per Dora episode, plus the overhead to monitor the recording, stop it on time, transfer it to my Mac and then to my iPod. | Add it to my cart. Click Purchase. Go away. |
| File Size | approx 150 MB | 105-115 MB |
| Format | AAC, Stereo (L R), 24.000 kHz MPEG-4 Video, 320 x 240, Millions of colors, 29.97 frames per second, 890.14 kbits/sec data rate |
AAC (protected), Stereo, 44.100 kHz, AVC0 Media, 320 x 240, Millions of colors, 24.00 frames per second, 621.91 kbits/sec data rate |
| Child Satisfaction | Dora! Yay! | Dora! Yay! |
Blue's Clues was better.
I like to use either Tivotool or Eye TV, because you can burn the kids shows to DVDs
Interesting comparison.
"universal playback" is still a requirement for me. I really don't like the idea of a company controlling access to my media, or locking it to certain pieces of hardware or software.
Your 'time and overhead' column could be considered a bit misleading. Once you buy it you can go away for a while, but if you ever want to get a new mac you're going to have to spend some extra time and hassle asking permission from your media big brother.
Or, you can get one of these
http://www.synchrotech.com/product-1394/analog-dv-converter_02.html
I use it on my iMac, capture video in DV format straight to my HD (iMovie works great for capture) and then burn it using iDVD. I am sure a PC solution is similarly easy. For Mac users, you can output to Quicktime format as well, for portability.
Looney Tunes destroys both Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer. What is with these educational shows? Cartoons need to get back to just being funny!
huh?