Can I connect dvd player to PowerMac G4?

[pathofthorns19]

Hi,
I'm wondering if I can connect an external dvd player - one that normally would hook to a TV - up to my PowerMac. Is there a video card that can be used for that and can it easily be done? The player has a S-Video hook-up to it. Does that mean that there are cards out there to add to your desktop that can hook directly to the DVD player? Or is there another easier way, say using the AV cord (is there a card for that as well)? And then is there any software that I need to install for that?
Thanks,
pathofthorns19

PowerMac G4 Quicksilver 733 MHz 640 Mb RAM CD-RW

 

[symphonix]

While you could imput the video signal from a DVD player to your PowerMac, it is awkward and can be expensive. What you would need is a video-input device such as the ones provided by Formac, Eskape or others. There are also internal video capture cards, but these are very expensive.

One of the more annoying problems is that the process of converting the signal to digital causes a delay of up to 5 seconds. This means when you hit the pause button on your DVD, it'll pause 5 seconds later (seemingly. Trust me on this, it almost makes sense)
This is why it would be dead useless for running a games console or anything like that. Its really only a way of getting video from tapes and older media into your computer so you can work with them.

The other issue is the expense: for what most video bridges cost, you could buy yourself a nice little TV anyway.