A comparison of two methods of analog-to-digital medical video conversion

The purpose of this study was to compare 2 methods of analog-to-digital vid eo conversion in anticipation of improving, refining, and standardizing dig ital video production for medical education, diagnosis support, and telemed icine. A video workstation was devised containing 2 analog-to-digital video conversion systems: a digital video media converter with fire wire card an d a video capture card. A procedure for final digital video production was created that used equivalent compression, pixel resolution, frame rate, and data rate for both systems. A subjective test was performed in which 12 ar chived analog videotapes, consisting of magnetic resonance angiograms, ultr asounds, neurosurgeries, and telemedicine applications, were converted digi tally using the 2 methods. Randomized side by side video comparisons were a nalyzed and rated by subjective quality. An objective test was performed by videotaping a gray-scale test pattern off a computer monitor, digitally co nverting it by the 2 methods, and comparing the gray-scale values to the or iginal pattern. There was no significant difference in overall video qualit y (P = .31) or gray-scale reproduction using the 2 methods of analog-to-dig ital conversion. When performing simple analog-to-digital video conversion, a video capture card is equal in quality and costs less than a digital vid eo (DV) media converter or fire wire card. If a digital video camera is ava ilable for use, then a DV media converter or fire wire card is more advanta geous because it enables full operation of the digital video camera. Copyri ght (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.