Review: Plusdeck 2c peripheral

Elsewhere in this section, we look at a device that can help convert video tapes to a form that can be viewed on a computer or copied to a DVD.

Similar devices, such as the Ion USB Turntable, exist for copying old LPs. The Plusdeck 2c, on the other hand, is the first device we've ever seen specifically for copying old audio tapes to a computer.

It's certainly possible to do this manually, by hooking up a hi-fi system or a cassette player to the line-in connection on the back of the computer, and running some software to record the music as it is being played. However, the Plusdeck simplifies matters, including as it does the cassette player, software and all the cables required.

The device sits inside one of the 5.25in drive bays on the front of the computer (it would be possible to install it inside an external drive caddy if you have no free bays, but this would be hard work). It takes a power connection from the PC's main power supply, and connects using a cable to a small insert that screws into a spare PCI slot in the PC's case.

If installation sounds complicated on paper, it's actually not too taxing in practice, and the instructions in the manual are clear and helpful. All the screws and cables are in the box.

The software installed quickly and worked well - the tape player can be controlled in the program or using the buttons on the front. There are several options for quality control, and the program can automatically split tracks (although there needs to be a gap between tracks on the tape for this). It can be left to run through a cassette, automatically copying both sides with no need to turn it over.

Sound quality is generally excellent, although results will depend on the state of the cassette tapes. One minor irritation is that the device needs to be connected both to the sound card (or PC sound input) and the serial port, which will count out anyone whose computer is without such a port. It would have been nice to have seen a USB version that made all the connections automatically, but for now, this edition works well enough.

Vista compatible: Yes

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