Elgato announced a new USB device - the Video Capture - Which automatically detects NTSC, SECAM, PAL, and PAL/60 video formats for worldwide compatibility. Video resolution: 640×480 (4:3) or 640×360 (16:9) Video format: H.264 at 1.4 MBit/sec or MPEG-4 at 2.4 MBit/sec Audio: AAC, 48kHZ, 128 kBit/sec

Perhaps the standout feature of the Elgato Video Capture Device that separates it from the dozens of other MPEG 1 and 2 units that have been around in the Mac and PC market for years -- is native H.264 encoding. Files can be synced with video capable iPods, iPhones and Apple TV and can be edited in iMovie ‘09 without re-encoding.

There's still a need for Analog video gizmos like this for capturing Analog content from legacy VCR's DVD Players, VHS camcorders and whatnot... but there's something about this product that seems just a bit too-little, too-late. For your money, you might as well just get a Hybrid TV tuner which supports Analog capture anyways.

Tags: H.264, USB dongle, USB capture