Looking for a 480p capture card*

[Dot50Cal]

I had my eyes set on the Decklink HD Extreme for a while, but the lack of 480p is killing me. I then turned my sights onto their Intensity (HDMI capture) but that too fell short when I realized my sources are HDCP.

So I require a capture card that:
-Captures 480i 480p 720p 1080i 1080p
-Accepts component input (adapters are fine)

Bonuses:
-Has a form of A/V Sync
-Captures Audio

I appreciate any help you guys can give, I have been holding off for over a year now til more information came out on the source's Id be capturing from and I'm really anxious to buy this asap. I realize this will cost in the region of $1000, that is fine with me.

Thanks!

[chipzoller]

ATI 650 Theater Pro, but I'm not positive that it captures 1080.

[Dot50Cal]

Isnt that just for capturing through coaxial inputs? Im looking to capture video game consoles. So preferably it would need Component Input.

[chipzoller]

It can do that via a break-out box or a multi-input dongle. Component and S-Video.

[Dot50Cal]

Its s-video or composite though, so it wont capture HD off a console:

http://ak.buy.com/db_assets/screen_shot_images/234/202871234_002.jpg

[Blue_MiSfit]

Right. I don't know of any component video capture cards that can do HD for under ~$800

[SturmMD]

I had tried to work out a solution when I was deciding whether I wanted component capture capabilities.

Here's what I figured might work,
1) BlackMagic Intensity HDMI PCIexpress capture card
2) Gefen Component with Audio to HDMI converter
3) 3+ hard-drives in a raid-0 setup capable of 119+MB/s as required for capturing

sidenotes: assuming gefen converter doesn't add hdcp, blackmagic cant capture 1080p, for simultaneously watching on a tv the component signal will need to be split (more complicated than y-cables) or using the hdmi pass-through on the capture card.

[Dot50Cal]

Also remember with the Intensity, the PS3 has HDCP required when using HDMI. So since the Intensity cant do HDCP, it wont work.

I've found a not very well known Japanese company that has a card which captures most of what I need. So I think Im going that route. I hear the Decklink HD Extreme has some bleeding issues ;\

[easy2Bcheesy]

More than that I discovered today that hte Intensity only supports YPrPb 4:2:2 output from an HDMI device. Even if you defeated HDCP on the PS3, you would still be attempting to capture 24-bit RGB. The Intensity won't work.

The only 480p capture card I am aware of is the Holograph 3D and that hasn't been made for a few years now.

[Revgen]

@ DotCal50

The only one I know that does this is the Xena capture card. It costs about $1700 the last I checked.

http://www.aja.com/html/products_windows_xena.html

[Seraphic-]

Also remember with the Intensity, the PS3 has HDCP required when using HDMI. So since the Intensity cant do HDCP, it wont work.

I've found a not very well known Japanese company that has a card which captures most of what I need. So I think Im going that route. I hear the Decklink HD Extreme has some bleeding issues ;\

Hi,

Could I please have a link to the website for that card or its name? I'm interested in it as well for HD capture at 480p.

Thanks

[edwinbradford]

The company is called Earthsoft and it's the PV3 http://earthsoft.jp/release/PV3.html. There's a video on YouTube if you do a search for PV3 which shows how it sells out, I think about 400 copies, in 1 minute.

However if you do a google and limit your results to Japanese pages you come across this, the Sony RDZ-D800 http://kilinbox.net/index.php?news=1637&diary=20061228. You can translate any of these pages using Google's language tools. If I'm not mistaken, although getting hold of a PV3 is problematic and it's use would require figuring out support in Japanese, the RDZ-D800 is on sale now in Japan and seems to use the PV3 as it's capture device? So I wonder if it supports 480p?

[Fudoh]

BlackMagic Design just introduced the Intensity Pro with Component HD input/output in addition to the HDMI ports - very nice ! And at $349 still priced very reasonable, especially if you consider how hard it is to get ahold of a PV3 card.

Fudoh

[Seraphic-]

Here is a link to the above card.

http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/

However, I wonder if the PS2 would find it acceptable for 480p/16:9 progressive scan. PS2 does some checking before it is enabled from the console.

[Fudoh]

The card probably won't do 480p, just 480i, 720p and 1080i.

However the PS2 won't check anything. You can enable 480p in a game if it's supported no matter if your display/capture card can display it.

And you should think of your output signal. You would probably end up with a 30fps progressive AVI or a 60field interlaced MPEG2 stream (for a DVD), so you would capture 480p60 and downscale it anyway (to 480p30 or 480i60), so for me 480i/720p/1080p is already a pretty good deal for $349.

[BlackSharkfr]

If the card can digitalise 1080i and 720p signals, there's no reason it wouldn't be able to digitalise 480i or 480p. But the question is how would the driver react when recieving an unknown signal.
It would probably just do the same as my pinnacle studio 500pci : it wouldn't understand the signal, you'd maybe get sime image b&w or distorted or whatever it can be and the card would probably get unstable.

I seriously hesitate buying one of those but since i play imported games on pal consoles (which gives weired hybrid ntsc resolution & frequencies with pal color signals or something like that) i really need to be sure the driver is flexible enough. Or is BlackMagic-Design accepting to do patches when just a small group of users (from the other side of the ocean) are asking for some stuff nobody else has even heard about ?

[edwinbradford]

I'm afraid Fudoh is probably correct, it's unlikely to do 480p, I emailed Blackmagic a month back and they confirmed it does not support 480p, I doubt whether that has changed as it's still not itemised in their tech. specs.

[easy2Bcheesy]

I have an Intensity and it definitely does not support 480p. A curious omission.

The obvious solution to the OP's question is a Xena AJA LHe.

[Pope Flick]

I have an Intensity and it definitely does not support 480p. A curious omission.

The obvious solution to the OP's question is a Xena AJA LHe.

Hi - neither of these cards support 480p.

I am wondering if anyone thinks this card might, as I suspect it does, but not as video rather as 30 jpegs/second.

http://www.ncast.net/DigiCaptureCard.html

Any ideas?

[ajp_anton]

I'm also looking for a way to capture 480p at 60fps (59.94?) via component.
I don't care how it's done, via converters or directly into a PCI(e) card, as long as i get 720x480 at 60fps into my computer.

Any ideas?

[Dot50Cal]

I'm also looking for a way to capture 480p at 60fps (59.94?) via component.
I don't care how it's done, via converters or directly into a PCI(e) card, as long as i get 720x480 at 60fps into my computer.

Any ideas?

Earthsoft PV3. The company that sold it is Japanese but they are no longer making the card. You'll also need a "D" connector to component adapter and a knowledge of the Japanese language to use the software.

[Seraphic-]

Well yeah, there was the Earthsoft PV3 and the Holo3dGraph II that did 480p (from what I understand) but both are no longer for sale v.i retail.

[Seraphic-]

While not a capture card, there is also the Japanese XRGB-3 (http://www.micomsoft.co.jp/xrgb-3.htm) that from what I understand, accepts 480p v.i "D" connector.

However, I'm not sure if it is possible to record the video as it seems to be more for viewing/upscaling. Don't know that much about the unit itself (need to do some more research).

Translated Text from above linked page:

XRGB-3, NTSC image signal such as image equipment and game machine for home (video image and S terminal image) and, is the rise [sukiyankonbata] unit which indicates image of the D terminal in personal computer private display.

　By the fact that you use the knitting machine, only the personal computer picture it is possible to indicate the image of the image equipment and the game machine for home in the display which cannot be indicated. In addition, because the knitting machine has child picture display function, while looking at the personal computer picture, also it is possible to look at video image and the like on the child picture.

* To correspond to also hi-vision image, even in liquid crystal display indicatory possibility.

Because it is the D4 input terminal attachment, the image of 525i, 525p, 1125i and 750p input possibility.

* Digital RGB (DVI-D), analog RGB (15 pins) with in display connected possibility.

It corresponds to the liquid crystal and picture tube display of the *1024×768/1280×1024/1600×1200 dot.

* On personal computer picture video image and the like child picture indicatory possibility.

* Full RGB processing (24bit), full digital processing.

With 3 dimensional digital Y/C separation circuit loading, decreasing [nijimi] of video image.

* NTSC image signal 4 time over sampling

* Loading numerous picture quality adjustment function. For example with gamma revision, also the part where the picture is dim is bright indicatory possibility.

* Because it is remote control attachment, power source on, input change and picture adjustment from the place where it is far are possible.

* Through it is possible in display to output personal computer image.

It corresponds to the firmware update by the USB terminal.

[signal]

The XRGB-3 is a scan converter only device.

The XRGB-3 is a VGA upscan box. It takes an input in the form of S-Video, Component, Composite, Japanese D4 or Japanese RGB, and converts it to VGA for use on a standard computer monitor. Apparently the results are usually higher quality than the game looked in the first place on the TV.

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-86-49-en-15-upscan+converter-70-1ic5.html

[Seraphic-]

I also just found THIS (http://www.conexant.com/servlets/DownloadServlet/PBR-200865-002.pdf?docid=866&revid=2) while searching google for 480p capture cards. It's called the Conexant CX23885 video/audio chip and it seems that the Leadtek Winfast PxTV1200 (http://www.leadtek.com/eng/tv_tuner/specification.asp?pronameid=355&lineid=6&act=2) uses the chip with their tv-tuner/capture card. Not sure if anyone has heard of this or know other cards that use this chip-set, but it's something to look into. I can't locate specific capture specs for the Winfast at the moment, but if anyone finds more info be sure to post it. :D

CX23885 specifications: 480i YPrPb, 480p YPrPb, 720p YPrPb, 1080i YPrPb (view below image for the rest)

http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/8915/untitled2os6.th.jpg (http://img485.imageshack.us/my.php?image=untitled2os6.jpg)

[ajp_anton]

Just sent an email to Leadtek asking about 480p and 720p on that card.

[Seraphic-]

Just sent an email to Leadtek asking about 480p and 720p on that card.

I sent one last night but have gotten no reply yet. Let me know if you get one though.

[ajp_anton]

Dear Sir,

Good day!

PxTV1200 just support below of 480i resolution only.

Provide you to consult.

Best Regards

Leadtek Service

Could it still be possible with some sort of hack? I mean, the CX23885 should still support it...?

[Blue_MiSfit]

<3 the engrish on that :)

Hopefully the necessary other components besides the chipset are in place to allow 720p / 1080i capture. Doubtful though.. :)

~MiSfit

[Seraphic-]

Relpy #1
Dear Sir,

Good day!

You mean when it capture from Video-in ?

Yes, it is.

Best Regards

Leadtek Service

Reply #2
Dear Sir,

Good day!

We are promise 480i now.

You can consult PXPVR2200 ( http://www.leadtek.com.tw/eng/tv_tuner/overview.asp?lineid=6&pronameid=351).

Best Regadrs

Leadtek Service

That is what I received to my 480p question... which is odd because the chip does support 480p.

Damn it, why is 480p capture so hard to find? It's a worldwide government conspiracy I tell you!

Could it still be possible with some sort of hack? I mean, the CX23885 should still support it...?

It might be in the card's install drivers...?

[Seraphic-]

Have some good information to report! :)

After calling several locations I was able to talk a few people at Conexant about the CX23885.

The chip itself is band new (released this year) and basically, they don't build cards themselves. They build the chip-set and allow companies to purchase it and use in their end product (whatever that may be ). Also, (from what the person I talked to understands) these companies can pick and choose what features to allow the chip to do. (i.e - even though the chip supports "480i YPrPb, 480p YPrPb, 720p YPrPb, 1080i YPrPb" a company can only allow it to support 480i)

The woman I spoke to also said that the following companies have purchased the CX23885 chip (but she was not sure for what use): hauppauge digital | ait | dtr electronics | unitronic

Here are the tech line phone numbers if anyone wants to call and try and get more information: 856-608-1389 : 951-817-9000
You can also try their contact page HERE (http://www.conexant.com/contact.html) and call other locations (but when I called, they gave me the two above numbers)

Let's hope, that with some investigating, we can locate a card that supports at least 480p. Try contacting the companies I listed about the CX23885 and see if it's for a capture card.

[ajp_anton]

I may send an email to those tomorrow, if you aren't already doing that.

Btw, what about CX23886/7/8?
The conexant website only has info about 5 and very little about 7.

[Seraphic-]

I may send an email to those tomorrow, if you aren't already doing that.

Btw, what about CX23886/7/8?
The conexant website only has info about 5 and very little about 7.

I sent one to Hauppauge Digital and another back to Leadtek (to get some clarification). As for the CX23886/7/8, no, I really don't know too much about those chips. Is there a specification .pdf?

[Seraphic-]

I received no reply from Hauppauge Digital about the CX23885.

Anyway, does anyone know what the difference between the Earthsoft PV3 Revision A and B is along with the difference between the Red vs Green version of the card?

[Dot50Cal]

I received no reply from Hauppauge Digital about the CX23885.

Anyway, does anyone know what the difference between the Earthsoft PV3 Revision A and B is along with the difference between the Red vs Green version of the card?

rev a0: original
rev a1: red board. regulators changed from variable to fixed-type. saved 4 resistors.

revb: removed cut in the pci slot, making it fixed at 32bit pci (previous revision were "supposedly" fittable in 64bit slot without actually using 64bits). removed one resistor network. removed 6 resistors. removed 2 capacitors.

These are just layout/design changes. There are no hardware changes.

You can look here for specific changes:
http://earthsoft.jp/PV3/tech-pcb-revision.html

Info thanks to Timecop at AVS Forum.

[Seraphic-]

Found a capture card that allows for 480p. It's called the "Digital Rapids DRC-1000" and costs about $2,000... :p

rev a0: original
rev a1: red board. regulators changed from variable to fixed-type. saved 4 resistors.

revb: removed cut in the pci slot, making it fixed at 32bit pci (previous revision were "supposedly" fittable in 64bit slot without actually using 64bits). removed one resistor network. removed 6 resistors. removed 2 capacitors.

These are just layout/design changes. There are no hardware changes.

You can look here for specific changes:
http://earthsoft.jp/PV3/tech-pcb-revision.html

Info thanks to Timecop at AVS Forum.

Thanks for the reply, Dot50Cal.

Did you ever own one and do you know if it accepts RGB or YCbCr/YPbPr?

Also, was the EarthSoft PV3 only sold on their official website?

[Seraphic-]

Did anyone see that EarthSoft (http://earthsoft.jp/PV4/tech-specification.html) is releasing a PV4 sometime in September (for about 18,800 Yen or $164 USD)? From what I understand, it offers the same features of the PV3, but has design changes that allow for a lower price. About 100-200 will be released each month and will not doubt sell out within minutes. I'm still going to try and get one though.

Also, I talked to someone that owns a PV3. It seems the card doesn't offer "lossless" capture, but instead uses a proprietary DV codec that is "lossy" (which is kind of a let down). Can anyone confirm this? (this might be changed on the PV4 if true) Also, the PV4 still uses an 8-Bit DAC. Here is a link to the chip-set: HERE (http://www.analog.com/en/prod/0%2C2877%2CAD9980%2C00.html).

[Dot50Cal]

I own one right now :) Im not entirely sure what it accepts to be honest. All I know is that you will need a Japanese "D" cable to component (preferably female, but that might be hard to come by). EDIT: It accepts YCbCr/YPbPr.

Yep, PV3 was only sold on the website and ALWAYS sold out of their 500# stock within 1 minute of sale.

Yes, PV3 uses its own codec by default. Some guys have found a way to get the signal being sent to the PV3 monitor app though into an Avisynth script, but the image appears washed out for me, but that could be because I am putting the AVS script into VirtualDub. I can get some captures of lossless vs their codec, give me a little bit. Its quite efficient and I dont think you'd notice much difference to be honest.

If you take pictures using the PV3 app, the pictures are lossless but there are no options to change the codec in the PV3 app. But like I said some guys got the PV3 source to display using a .avs script, Im just not sure how I can use that to capture besides an app like Virtualdub, and that just gives a washed out image.

Some other things to take into consideration:

It can capture 1080p content, it just captures at 960x1080.

If you have a 7.1 setup (or possibly just more than 2 speakers) any audio played through your speakers will mess up a bit (crackle, etc) unless you set your windows speaker settings to 2 speakers. This isnt recorded, but if you want to play the game live and listen its best to do this.

It captures Optical Audio only. There are no options to record from any source other than the PV3 itself. It only captures 2 channel stereo audio.

The application is in Japanese Kanji. You will need to fiddle around to get a good handle on things, unless you are lucky enough to have a friend who can speak Japanese. I do, and had him translate it for me, then I used Resource Hacker to fill in the spots.


Edit
As promised, heres a comparison:

This is a direct capture using the PV3 app's screenshot function. As far as I can tell, this produces a "lossless" image direct from the source.
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/ps3-screencapture.png

This is a screen capture off a short video I recorded of the same scene with the PV3's codec.
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/ps3-videocapture.png

Im not sure if this is accurate but you can see the difference in size, with the increase in compression comes lower filesize. Though Im not sure if you can equate PNG compression to actual video compression?

And as I was speaking about, there is a way to get the PV3's source image into other apps and record to lossless. Though, you need to have the PV3 app open itself. This might be the cause of the lack of contrast and such. Maybe someone more educated on that can compare and give me some tips? I'm willing to follow if you guys can suggest tips to fix this. Also do note that you lose 10 pixels in width using this for some reason.
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/ps3-avssource.png

Heres another comparison. This is a super fast 60 fps game, and when I took the screen capture while recording the video stuttered a bit, so its not an exact 1:1 matchup but it serves its purpose :)

Direct screenshot from PV3 source:
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/ssd-lossless.png

Screenshot of the video recording (compressed with PV3's codec):
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/ssd-lossy.png

If anyones interested, a 720p version of this game is available from me on Stage6. Though be warned, Divx wreaked hell on the games compression. Its a shadow of its former self:
http://stage6.divx.com/user/Dot50Cal/video/1553128/Super-Stardust-HD-(PS3)-First-3-levels-720p-HD

[Seraphic-]

Looks good, damn good... :)

So how are you hooking up your PS3 to the PV3? Component to D-Terminal or a full PS3 D-Terminal Cable?

My sound card has a Analog/SPDIF in and I've been using that for awhile now with my component PS2 gaming captures, but at 480i (lol).

One bad thing about the PV3/PV4 is it only takes SPDIF audio and PS1 games don't output SPDIF, just analog (for now, I would be using this for upscaling PS1/PS2 games). Another is that it only allows for 720x480i/p. The PS2's 4:3 mode is 640x480 and it's 16:9 mode is 640x480 Anamorphic. (I can always resize the 4:3 though and upscale the 16:9)

I was thinking of building a new quad core system and buying a PV3 Rev B or a PV4 (if I can get), along with a DeckLink HD Extreme or DeckLink HD Pro 4:4:4. I doubt my current AMD 64 4000+ (single core) would be able to take those crazy HD captures. What are you system specs as of now? Any capture issues with 720p/1080i/p captures? (frame-rate, audio/video sync etc)

Also, ever find a use for that Intensity Pro?

[Dot50Cal]

Im using a component cable, but the thought never even occured to me to use a D-Terminal Cable :) Ill have to track one of those down to see if it makes a difference. The PS3's Component Out (analog out as they call it) is pretty poor though compared to other consoles.

You can always get an RCA/PHONO to SPDIF converter box, I did so I can capture from older consoles. Though some have issues, like the Sega Saturn when using SCART (I also purchased an SCART > Component box).

I have a 4800+ X2 (Dual Core), 2GB Ram (You'll need a lot for editing in avisynth). Their codec compresses on the fly, so you'll need a beefy CPU :)

No issues with audio sync, this thing is great :) Though I assume you might run into trouble if your system isnt able to keep up.

My friend has the Intensity Pro, Its good he says, but their capture software looks like crap. Its just one giant record button lol. Ill see if I can get some more info about it though for you. I do recall him saying there was noticable lag when playing games, a delay between his input and the actions on screen though. PV3 doesnt have that on my system.

Give me a little bit and Ill capture some Gears of War footage for you :) It really shows well :)

My capture setup:

For Component out native consoles, I use that. Heres the chain:
Component cable from the console is fed into my Radio Shack 4 way signal amplifier. From there the signal is fed out a JVC Component to D-Terminal cable and into the card.

I bought the Radio Shack amp before I got the card, expecting the software to be lacking fullscreen while recording, etc etc, however its pretty good software which can go fullscreen while recording a-ok.

For older consoles, I use RGB Scart, but I convert the SCART to component with a box. Since most old consoles dont do SPDIF, I bought a converter for that as well. It was pretty hard to find though.

JVC Cable - http://www.jvcservice.com/store/ProductDetail.asp?part=QAM0465-001
Analog to SPDIF - http://www.sys-concept.com/Analog_to_Digital_Converter.htm

[Seraphic-]

Yeah, they sell Playstation 3 D-Terminal Cables in Japan, but Play-Asia them too. They offer two versions, but not sure what one would offer a better signal.

Sony D-Terminal Cable (http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-2bed-71-n-49-en-84-j-70-1pn5.html) and Hori D Terminal Cable (http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-2bed-71-n-49-en-84-j-70-1o25.html)

Agreed, I would have to get something like an "Analog-to-Digital Converter" for the Playstation 1 game audio. Do you remember the price of that?

My current system has 2GB ram and a 250GB SataII HDD, but again, my cpu is only single core @ 2.4 Ghz (AMD 64 4000+)

What type/size hard drive do you have? Also, how large are the captured video files per minute? Like for 480p/720p/1080i/p.

As for your capture setup it looks good. However, you should try to use a direct connection. The reason being that using lots of splitters and converters will degrade the signal. Also, so you got the signal amplifier before the PV and don't need it? Or The signal amplifier allows the PV to capture full screen?

Ordered a PS3 the other day and I'm going to get one of those PS3 D-Terminal cables if I can get a hold of a PV card.

You have a chance to record those Gears of War videos?

[Dot50Cal]

Yep, Im tracking down a cable now ;) Most likely Ill go with the official one since 3rd party ones have tended to be worse in my experience.

I think it was around 50 dollars, its for sale on that site I linked to somewhere.

I have a 600GB HDD I record to. Its two 300GB Maxtor's raided together with SATA. 7L300S0 are their model numbers.

A really fast paced shooter game in 720p (Super Stardust HD) is around 31GB for 25 minutes of footage. This will of course vary greatly.

I tried capturing some Gears footage but to compress it to a decent size it looks like crap. Plus its been ages since I played the game and Im terribly rusty. Ill see if I can capture another game tonight. I've been a bit busy :P

Ill PM you the link when its uploaded. (You'll need an x264 decoder installed).

>>Also, so you got the signal amplifier before the PV and don't need it? Or The signal amplifier allows the PV to capture full screen?

I dont need it, Passing the cables through a female to female RCA jack is enough, though I still use it just incase I need to send the signal to another television or something.

[Dot50Cal]

http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/GTHD%20Final.mp4

Someones replay of GTHD. I captured at 1080p (960x1080) and resized to 720p size. For GTHD it actually looks better than native 720p, since you get odd scaling issues with far away backgrounds.

[Seraphic-]

Using a direct D-Terminal connection should improve the picture a fair amount. Let me know if you find a better price for official Sony version though. Also, be sure to find out if they are the PS2 or PS3 edition before you buy. It seems both work with both systems, however, it would be better to get one designed for PS3, rather then one designed for the PS2, and works with the PS3.

How much cache do your hard drives have and what raid setup are you using? And 31GB isn't too bad for 25 minutes, I thought it larger in fact.

Don't worry about the GoW. Just wanted to get some more samples to view the picture quality.

That video is awesome, looks great. :D

What x264 encoder are you using? I've always had a hard time when trying to use them. lol.

Also, about your friend's Intensity Pro, does that work with the PS3 when using HDMI? Or is HDMI gaming on the PS3 encrypted (i.e, won't display video/audio)?

[Dot50Cal]

16MB cache on the HDD's

I use Megui ;) It takes a really long time to encode even with a top of the line system but the results cant be argued with.

No, the Intensity Pro doesnt do HDCP and the PS3 requires it.

[Seraphic-]

Yeah, thought it wouldn't work. Don't we all love DRM? :D

Anyway, I had a hard time with Megui. I could never get audio to be encoded with my video and the final video output always came out as a REALLY low bit-rate. (even when using HQ/Insane settings)

[Dot50Cal]

Well, you do the audio seperate and then mux them together with the Tools menu ;) I use my own custom settings, based off the recommended ones when you get the tooltips.

Also Im not sure how big of a difference Ill see using a direct D-Terminal cable. Its been my experience that a few links in the chain like I have now dont really do significant damage to the singal. That should especially be negated since Im using an AMP powered signal splitter, but Ill give it a go and report the results ;)

[jmac698]

Just want to mention that any capture card can do 480p from component, as long as you can play the exact video in 3 passes. I've done it here.
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=107923&highlight=component4all

[Dot50Cal]

Got the PS3 D-Terminal cable in. The difference is slight, but its there. 1.90MB pics:

http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/D-term.png

http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/comp.png

[Seraphic-]

Got the PS3 D-Terminal cable in. The difference is slight, but its there. 1.90MB pics:

http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/D-term.png

http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/comp.png

The big difference I see is that the comp image looks brighter, but in terms of quality, the D-term looks more detailed.

What firmware your PS3 running? Just got mine today and it came with 1.51.

On another note, the PV4 was released few days ago. People buying them and reselling for about 2x...:mad:

[Dot50Cal]

The latest, always. You need to upgrade when a new one is released or you cant use any online features. 1.93 was just released which fixes some connection issues in 1.92.

[Dot50Cal]

Just thought I mentioned this. Looking further into it, it seems the amp puts a "wave" pattern into the signal which is pretty distracting. Ill most likely be removing it since Im not splitting the signal anyway. Ill just go with some female phono plugs.

Also, Ill be getting XBOX 360 and Wii D-Terminal Cables so I'll post some shots up of the differences with them.

Side note: PSP slim's video out (480p only for games) is quite nice :)

http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/psp1.png

I also have some 480p Wii shots that a user was asking me for, so if anyone is interested they are here:
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/480p.rar

[Seraphic-]

What "amp" are you talking about? Not sure what you mean.

Yeah, I picked up PSP, PS3 and Xbox 360 D-Terminal cables and PS3/360 Fiber Optic audio cables as well. But I won't be buying a 360 until the game I'm looking for is released into the market. There are just too many hardware problems with the system right now as they overheat and die.

What slim model did you order? My one from Japan is still on order as its out of stock. So I take it the video out feature works well? As you know it outputs a 720x480 picture with the game in a letter-box 480x272. Sound over-all good? I also heard that the aspect ratio is somewhat off when using video out.

Also Dot50Cal, do you live in the U.S? There is a slight power difference between U.S and Japan, so I was somewhat concerned about using a Japanese hardware card in a U.S system. But if you are, it would seem like there won't be a problem. And do you use a RAID 0 or 5 for your setup?

The Earthsoft PV4 is still out of stock throughout Japan, but I found another card that allows for the same capture of 480i/p, 720p, 1080i and also has lossless capture codec support. Don't have it yet, but I'll post my results when it arrives.

[djpubba]

I also just found THIS (http://www.conexant.com/servlets/DownloadServlet/PBR-200865-002.pdf?docid=866&revid=2) while searching google for 480p capture cards. It's called the Conexant CX23885 video/audio chip and it seems that the Leadtek Winfast PxTV1200 (http://www.leadtek.com/eng/tv_tuner/specification.asp?pronameid=355&lineid=6&act=2) uses the chip with their tv-tuner/capture card. Not sure if anyone has heard of this or know other cards that use this chip-set, but it's something to look into. I can't locate specific capture specs for the Winfast at the moment, but if anyone finds more info be sure to post it. :D

CX23885 specifications: 480i YPrPb, 480p YPrPb, 720p YPrPb, 1080i YPrPb (view below image for the rest)

http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/8915/untitled2os6.th.jpg (http://img485.imageshack.us/my.php?image=untitled2os6.jpg)

I've been trying to find a 480p capture solution and bought a Winfast PxTV1200 for $55 hoping it would work. It does not. It does 480i only. I tried with VitrualDub, dscaler and the oem software. No joy.

[SeanTek]

Hi All,

I have been following this thread for a long time now, and think that I have finally found the right card. While I was in Japan this summer I picked up two SKnet Monster X cards:
http://www.sknet-web.co.jp/product/mhvx.html

http://www.sknet-web.co.jp/images/mhvx_s.jpg

The Monster X PCI Express internal card that captures up to 1920x1080 (480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i--1080p is not supported), along with stereo analog or S/PDIF, using a D-Terminal connector. In other words, it supports up to D4 (in D-Terminal speak). You can download the drivers and application software directly from SKnet.

According to sources that I found (and by inspection of the PCB), the card uses the Analog Devices AD9983A A/D converter. This converter appears to max out at 1080i, so 1080p is totally impossible. http://www.analog.com/en/prod/0%2C2877%2CAD9983A%2C00.html

It's too bad SKnet didn't shell out $1/unit more for the AD9984, as the AD9984 apparently goes to 1080p. Alas, we make do with what we can.

When I was in Japan I looked everywhere for a card, after trying the Blackmagic Intensity Pro in June (which did not work out as it only supports 480i, not 480p). As has been noted on this forum, the Earthsoft PV3 or PV4 are impossible to find. I checked out the Canopus HDRECS, but like the Intensity Pro, the HDRECS does not appear to support 480p. The HDRECS also costs around US$1000.

I am successfully using the Monster X to play Nintendo Wii, in 480p widescreen, on my 30" HP LP3065 monitor in Windows XP SP2 32-bit. The Monster X is specifically marketed to support playing of high-resolution game consoles such as Xbox, Xbox 360, GameCube, Wii, PlayStation 2 (PS2), and PlayStation 3 (PS3) on your computer monitor. They specifically tout PS3. Of course, you could also use this to capture video out of another computer if that computer is outputting component video, and you have a D Terminal connector.

If people want proof I can upload pictures. I found that the included Monster X software sort of dithered the onscreen image so that it looked like bad 16-bit or even 8-bit color about 95% of the time. However, I managed to get DScaler up and running with the card. I was using an nVidia 7600GT and am now using an 8600GTS, so I do not know if the bad dithering should be blamed on the Monster X drivers, DirectX, the Monster X software, or the video card driver. The bottom line, though, is that with DScaler (and maybe 5% of the time with the SKnet-provided application), the quality was pristine and amazing. Any questions? Has anyone else tried this card?

[Ranguvar]

The HAVA Platinum HD will accept anywhere from 480i to 1080p component, pass it through to your TV, and downscale it to 480i and send it digitally through Ethernet.

So, no HD recording, but HD viewing and very good quality recording.

[djpubba]

Yes, PV3 uses its own codec by default. Some guys have found a way to get the signal being sent to the PV3 monitor app though into an Avisynth script, but the image appears washed out for me, but that could be because I am putting the AVS script into VirtualDub. I can get some captures of lossless vs their codec, give me a little bit. Its quite efficient and I dont think you'd notice much difference to be honest.


I picked up a PV4 recently. Can you explain further how/where to grab the stuff I need to take lossless screen? I seem to only be able to grab stills from a recorded dv movie, which is compressed with their proprietary codec.

Will the MonsterX card capture in a lossless format?

[SeanTek]

I wanted to provide an update on my Monster X experience. Yes, the Monster X will capture in a lossless format. With appropriate fiddling, the quality is really quite pristine.

My hard disk crashed so I had to reinstall Windows XP (32-bit). Incidentally, on the partition formerly known as "working OS installation," I was able to use DScaler with the Monster X card without a problem. However, I installed DScaler (both 4.15 and the experimental 4.16) after installing the Monster X drivers, and unfortunately, DScaler causes a STOP error of IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL when it switches to "composite video" (the component video input pin) on the Monster X.

Hope, however, is not lost. I found the following at karinto (かりんと！) http://karinto2.mine.nu/index.php?MonsterX

Apparently this poster has a Monster X and has done a lot of amazing work with this card! I tried using the MxCapture application posted there:
http://karinto2.mine.nu/index.php?MonsterXTOOL

And the Monster X is working beautifully with the tool. (I used the tool in conjunction with the Monster X Setting Utility to change the color balance.) I have not yet tried to capture, but MxCapture apparently supports capturing in a variety of formats and quality settings.

The MonsterXTOOL page also has a link to "64bit_test" drivers. Hooray--64-bit drivers! It says that the test version is unsupported, but the fact that they exist at all is encouraging. Does someone have Windows Vista 64-bit, and if so, can they test those drivers? I seriously doubt that they would work on Windows XP x64 as they are built with "Longhorn DDK Provider" in the resource description, but it's worth a try as well if anyone out there is willing to give it a shot.

[Mysteriouskk]

I wanted to provide an update on my Monster X experience. Yes, the Monster X will capture in a lossless format. With appropriate fiddling, the quality is really quite pristine.



How did you get your monster x running? I installed the drivers, program, etc, and all I'm seeing is static or a green screen when my xbox 360 is connected to my computer using the D-terminal cable. I've tried dscaler, mplayer classic, and they all do the same thing.

Thanks

[ajp_anton]

So does this Monster X really work (you had some problems after a re-install)?
I'd prefed capturing with VirtualDub, but as long as I can get lossless 480p and 720p I'm happy.

Does it do 60fps btw? <-important

And then there's also the D-terminal cable... why all these different cables

[Dot50Cal]

D-Terminal is the Japanese standard. Its Component video with a different connector.

[Mysteriouskk]

So does this Monster X really work (you had some problems after a re-install)?
I'd prefed capturing with VirtualDub, but as long as I can get lossless 480p and 720p I'm happy.

Does it do 60fps btw? <-important

And then there's also the D-terminal cable... why all these different cables

Yea, I got it to work. I'm now capturing at excellent quality. Check out my first post on http://www.cgaming.com

I compressed it quite a bit and I'm trying to get it smaller.

[ajp_anton]

That video is 30fps, encoded at 60fps, making every frame appear twice.

[Mysteriouskk]

That video is 30fps, encoded at 60fps, making every frame appear twice.

Really? how does that work?

[Dot50Cal]

Really? how does that work?

Not all games run at 60FPS. The great majority of console games are restricted to 30. You should really change the framerate if that is the case, you are making videos double the size they need to be.

If your card is anything like the pv3, it will record at 60 frames regardless of what the game runs at. Also, why are you limiting the horizontal width of the video on that page? Its 1000, which is throwing off the aspect ratio. And WMV inside an AVI? :(

[Mysteriouskk]

Not all games run at 60FPS. The great majority of console games are restricted to 30. You should really change the framerate if that is the case, you are making videos double the size they need to be.

If your card is anything like the pv3, it will record at 60 frames regardless of what the game runs at. Also, why are you limiting the horizontal width of the video on that page? Its 1000, which is throwing off the aspect ratio. And WMV inside an AVI? :(

Yea... still trying to figure out what to do to get it as small file size as possible. Do you have any recommendations or settings as to how I should do it?

[ajp_anton]

So can someone comfirm that this card really does 60fps (that video doesn't really proof anything) so I can start looking for someone who sells it =)

[Mysteriouskk]

So can someone comfirm that this card really does 60fps (that video doesn't really proof anything) so I can start looking for someone who sells it =)

Do you know a game that does 60 fps? Maybe I can try it later.

[Mysteriouskk]

What is the best way to go from MJPEG source to a small file size to post online? (1280x720)

[Pope Flick]

What is the best way to go from MJPEG source to a small file size to post online? (1280x720)

Unless REALLY necessary, skip the 100% size and output a 640x360. That'll help the file size straight away.

[Mysteriouskk]

Unless REALLY necessary, skip the 100% size and output a 640x360. That'll help the file size straight away.

I've gotten it around 0.3-0.4 KB/sec and it looks alright for 1280x720. I'm just wondering what is the way to encode the files and stuff. Apparently the video is 30 fps or something and the wmv and avi thing is messed up. How would I fix it?

[Pope Flick]

I've gotten it around 0.3-0.4 KB/sec and it looks alright for 1280x720. I'm just wondering what is the way to encode the files and stuff. Apparently the video is 30 fps or something and the wmv and avi thing is messed up. How would I fix it?

Time out. I'm not sure what that other guy was referring to, but if you captured that off a XBox 360 in its 720p format then you should be capturing at 59.94 fps, assuming your card captures at a default that matches the signal the 360 put out. If you can tweak the cframe rate you can capture at, then perhaps its different.

If I were you, and continue to intend to use youtube to host, I'd do your export at 30 fps, then send that file to youtube, where it would convert to 30 fps anyways, if I'm not mistaken. Better for you to do that work and create a file that's as close to 100MB as possible (youtube's non-Director limit) to send to them.

[Blue_MiSfit]

Better for you to do that work and create a file that's as close to 100MB as possible (youtube's non-Director limit) to send to them.


Absolutely. I saw a guide somewhere on how to encode an FLV perfectly so that YouTube doesn't re-encode it. This alone will make a huge difference.

For such a large downsize, something like bicubic or spline resize would probably be ideal. IMO lanczos might introduce some haloing...

Also, your video will probably be VERY clean. I would expect little to no analog interference due to the usage of the D terminal. This may (surprisingly) be an issue for MPEG codecs, as they typically expect some noise / grain. You might need to add a bit of grain to it. Just an idea that I remember someone mentioning awhile back. There could be some noise in the chroma planes that a quick fft3dfilter(plane=3) might fix. Use fft3dgpu if you can, and tweak as you prefer obviously.

By doing such a drastic reduction in resolution, you will probably lose a lot of detail, but that's to be expected...

If not YouTube - I.E. DivX Stage 6 - then go balls to the walls. Preserve full resolution - 60fps (if it's not all dupes), and keep as much detail as possible. Good luck!

I've need to get one of these cards (and my Xbox 360 back). I've got Forza 2 videos to make!

~Misfit

[Pope Flick]

http://www.leadtek.com/eng/company/press_2.asp?newsid=652


This just announced by LeadTek, and claims 480p support.

Anyone use one of their cards and now if lossless might be an option? This release is very short on specifics, espcially price....

[Mysteriouskk]

How does this video look? (Burnout Paradise at 60fps)

http://www.cgaming.com/test/test03.html (14MB, 30 sec)

[Dot50Cal]

It looks nice, but why do you have the resolution set to 960x547 when the video is 1280x720?

[Mysteriouskk]

It fits on the screen for most users. If you want to see it 1280x720, you need to use the full screen.

[ajp_anton]

How does this video look? (Burnout Paradise at 60fps)

http://www.cgaming.com/test/test03.html (14MB, 30 sec)Still not 60fps...

[Seraphic-]

How does this video look? (Burnout Paradise at 60fps)

http://www.cgaming.com/test/test03.html (14MB, 30 sec)

Mysteriouskk, was that done with the MonsterX?

Also Dot50Cal, in your other post you talked about trying HDMI with PS3 and the BlackMagic Intensity card. As you said, there was no video and did not work due to HDCP. However, do you recall if the audio stream passed to the card and was able to be heard/recorded? I've been trying to find out if the PS3 used HDCP for audio stream as well for the video stream.

Thanks

[squid_80]

The Intensity only passes audio to the pc if there's video to pass as well. It kinda sucks because audio always drops out when there's a display mode change.

[Seraphic-]

The Intensity only passes audio to the pc if there's video to pass as well. It kinda sucks because audio always drops out when there's a display mode change.

Are you sure you can't pass the audio if there is no video? Even so, I think the Intensity only does two channel anyway. However, the main reason I was asking is to see if there was HDCP or anything over the HDMI audio stream for a HDMI surround sound audio receiver.

[squid_80]

It will pass it unmodified through to the HDMI-Out port on the card but there's no way to get the audio on the pc if there's no video signal (with the current drivers).

[Mysteriouskk]

Still not 60fps...

It is 60fps...?

Mysteriouskk, was that done with the MonsterX?

Also Dot50Cal, in your other post you talked about trying HDMI with PS3 and the BlackMagic Intensity card. As you said, there was no video and did not work due to HDCP. However, do you recall if the audio stream passed to the card and was able to be heard/recorded? I've been trying to find out if the PS3 used HDCP for audio stream as well for the video stream.

Thanks

Yea, it was done with the Monster X.

Does anyone know a good host or some site that can stream videos? I can't seem to find one fast enough to handle this kind of material. Something not too expensive or free would be great.

[ajp_anton]

It is 60fps...?The video is 60fps, yes, but there are only 30 "unique" frames per second. Which means you're wasting space making doublets of every frame.

[Mysteriouskk]

The video is 60fps, yes, but there are only 30 "unique" frames per second. Which means you're wasting space making doublets of every frame.

How can I check it?

and how come it looks not as smooth when I try to make it 30fps? Is there some other way to convert it to 30fps?

[Pope Flick]

How can I check it?

and how come it looks not as smooth when I try to make it 30fps? Is there some other way to convert it to 30fps?

I'm not sure what you and Anton are driving at.
If this capture took place at native frame rate for this game, it's a 59.94 frames per second video. PROGRESSIVE. So, he's not 'duplicating' any frames, that's the actual output of the game.

I do game capture work, and this is exactly how my native, uncompressed 720p footage looks. Without knowing your process after capture, I cannot say exactly how to convert to 30, but that's what you want to do: capture the video, then put it into an encoder and set the size settings, but make the output at 30fps. In part, because that's what many lcd computer displays run at, and it'll aid in their viewing.

As it is, your video is VERY dense and does seem to push my robust system - but it's a mac. :p

[Mysteriouskk]

I'm not sure what you and Anton are driving at.
If this capture took place at native frame rate for this game, it's a 59.94 frames per second video. PROGRESSIVE. So, he's not 'duplicating' any frames, that's the actual output of the game.

I do game capture work, and this is exactly how my native, uncompressed 720p footage looks. Without knowing your process after capture, I cannot say exactly how to convert to 30, but that's what you want to do: capture the video, then put it into an encoder and set the size settings, but make the output at 30fps. In part, because that's what many lcd computer displays run at, and it'll aid in their viewing.

As it is, your video is VERY dense and does seem to push my robust system - but it's a mac. :p
I wanted to either end at wmv or h264 files, so right now I'm just using wmvmuxer to create my wmv files. If it is 59.94fps original, should I make the final video at 29.97fps? I tried setting it to 29.97fps, but for some reason, the video always ends up at 59.94? Is there something wrong with wmvmuxer?

[Pope Flick]

I wanted to either end at wmv or h264 files, so right now I'm just using wmvmuxer to create my wmv files. If it is 59.94fps original, should I make the final video at 29.97fps? I tried setting it to 29.97fps, but for some reason, the video always ends up at 59.94? Is there something wrong with wmvmuxer?

Well, again, I'm on a Mac, but if your end use is wanting to post the vids while retaining the highest qality, I'd capture as close to lossless as possible, then export a 30fps Quicktime because that's -from what I understand- an excellent default setting for your average computer monitor.

Also, if you're not going to stream it full size, then export at 640x360 too, and keep it as close to that as possible. That will help quality as well, provided it isn't blown up on your webpage.

[Mysteriouskk]

Well, again, I'm on a Mac, but if your end use is wanting to post the vids while retaining the highest qality, I'd capture as close to lossless as possible, then export a 30fps Quicktime because that's -from what I understand- an excellent default setting for your average computer monitor.

Also, if you're not going to stream it full size, then export at 640x360 too, and keep it as close to that as possible. That will help quality as well, provided it isn't blown up on your webpage.

Yea, I'll keep that in mind.

[ajp_anton]

Now that you mentioned it, I also remember I noticed the video looked a bit too smooth for 30fps.
So I downloaded it again and opened it with virtualdub using avisynth's ffmpegsource. It made me feel really stupid. Yes, it really is 60fps.

MPC's frame-forward clearly showed 30fps doubled into 60fps. There was even some small differences in compression artifacts for the doublets, further proving the 30fps. It's always worked fine with other video formats.

I'm really sorry I didn't test it properly. Well, now you know you didn't do anything wrong, and I know what card to get =)

You're recording to uncompressed right?

And to whoever said LCDs run at 30fps: I've never seen LCDs at lower than 60Hz, like mine, and 60fps looks much better than 30fps.

[Mysteriouskk]

Now that you mentioned it, I also remember I noticed the video looked a bit too smooth for 30fps.
So I downloaded it again and opened it with virtualdub using avisynth's ffmpegsource. It made me feel really stupid. Yes, it really is 60fps.

MPC's frame-forward clearly showed 30fps doubled into 60fps. There was even some small differences in compression artifacts for the doublets, further proving the 30fps. It's always worked fine with other video formats.

I'm really sorry I didn't test it properly. Well, now you know you didn't do anything wrong, and I know what card to get =)

You're recording to uncompressed right?

And to whoever said LCDs run at 30fps: I've never seen LCDs at lower than 60Hz, like mine, and 60fps looks much better than 30fps.


I'm recording using the Pic Video MJPEG codec it comes with at the 18 level (out of 20). For some reason, I'm not sure how to capture completely uncompressed. I still need to figure some stuff out.

[Blue_MiSfit]

Try a lossless codec, like HuffYVU or Lagarith.

~MiSfit

[News Bot]

After reading through this topic, I see that the Monster X and the Earthsoft PV4 are basically the best in terms of HD capture cards.

Problem is, where does a mere non-Japanese mortal aquire them? ;_;

[Mysteriouskk]

After reading through this topic, I see that the Monster X and the Earthsoft PV4 are basically the best in terms of HD capture cards.

Problem is, where does a mere non-Japanese mortal aquire them? ;_;

Use Japan to US services such as Rinkya, to buy stuff straight from Japan. You basically choose what you want to buy using Yahoo Japan's Auction site and they will win the auction and ship the product to you. There is a small fee though.

[News Bot]

Yeah. Last time I heard it was $15. Not so bad, considering the end price of the overall product.

Thing is, i'm in the UK. ;_;

[Mysteriouskk]

Yeah. Last time I heard it was $15. Not so bad, considering the end price of the overall product.

Thing is, i'm in the UK. ;_;

Rinkya and other service shipping places do offer shipping around the world, so take a look at those options and see what fits you best.

[News Bot]

Ahh, I see. Thanks for the help. =D

Mysteriouskk, would you be able to capture a 480p game by any chance?

[ajp_anton]

I only have room for one card in my Media Center, and it needs DVBt. Been planning to move the power supply outside the case and somehow put a capture card where it was, but i just found the perfect card:

http://www.leadtek.com/eng/tv_tuner/overview.asp?lineid=6&pronameid=399

[easy2Bcheesy]

I'm recording using the Pic Video MJPEG codec it comes with at the 18 level (out of 20). For some reason, I'm not sure how to capture completely uncompressed. I still need to figure some stuff out.

Your Burnout video is a 60fps capture, but you're dropping a lot of frames. When I play it back I can see the "jumps" in the passing scenery which are not present in the game. It's blatant right from the beginning with the passing bus.

What tool are you using to capture? Can't you use VirtualDub?

[News Bot]

http://img167.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/users/8/2/7/9/keyboard0807-img600x450-1198645781p1010809.jpg

The four cards on the mag are basically the only four HD capture cards out right now. The PV4 and MonsterX are Component (or DVI, to be more accurate) while the Intensity and HDRECS are HDMI.

Does anyone know if the HDRECS suffers from the same problem as the Intensity?

[Mysteriouskk]

Your Burnout video is a 60fps capture, but you're dropping a lot of frames. When I play it back I can see the "jumps" in the passing scenery which are not present in the game. It's blatant right from the beginning with the passing bus.

What tool are you using to capture? Can't you use VirtualDub?

Does it happen after a couple of seconds in the video? It could be just that the harddrive is spinning up, so it only loses frames at the beginning of the capture.

[ajp_anton]

If the hard drive is spinning up, you
1) have set it to spin down in Windows (can't be done on OS-disc)
2) can't record anything to it before it's rotating at full speed
3) haven't been using the drive for a long time (in most cases setting the capture filename counts as using the drive)

I don't think the drive spinning up can be a problem. Also, there are random dropped/duplicate frames over the whole clip.

[Mysteriouskk]

If the hard drive is spinning up, you
1) have set it to spin down in Windows (can't be done on OS-disc)
2) can't record anything to it before it's rotating at full speed
3) haven't been using the drive for a long time (in most cases setting the capture filename counts as using the drive)

I don't think the drive spinning up can be a problem. Also, there are random dropped/duplicate frames over the whole clip.

Should I capture at a lower setting?

[News Bot]

Should I capture at a lower setting?

Do you have any USB devices, or any other external devices connected at all?

I drop frames like a complete sap when I have a USB device in. >_>

[easy2Bcheesy]

Should I capture at a lower setting?

That would most likely help. In truth 720p60 is very difficult to capture without recourse to a DirectShow encoder. Once again, are you using VirtualDub to capture? Does the MonsterX show up as a device within VirtualDub's capture core?

[Jaxel]

Hmm... well looking through this thread... I basically see 4 devices...

PV4, MonsterX, Intensity and HDRECS...

Would anyone please give me a straight answer on which one would work best for capturing video game content: such as Tekken Dark Ressurection, Virtua Fighter 5 or Soul Calibur 4? These are all 60fps core games.

From what I have read... PV4 and MonsterX can do D-Terminal, which is slightly better than Component. The Intensity is designed for HDMI, but it can do Component through a break-out box... So basically, all 3 of these devices can capture the PS3 (and possibly 360) video output in high definition...

So what is each devices' positives and negatives? Price? Where to buy? Hardware constraints? I assume all of them are PCIe.

[easy2Bcheesy]

I believe D-Terminal is essentially component with a different socket, so I'm struggling to imagine that the quality will be any better. For what it's worth, Intensity Pro's component support is OK, but its colour balance is incorrect and the picture is softer than HDMI.

That said, if your final deliverable video is going to be compressed to x264 or WMV (the only real choices for a 720p final deliverable asset), that might actually be a good thing.

[Jaxel]

Alright... then its confirmed that the Intensity can do Component video and that would be my best choice, right?

[squid_80]

Alright... then its confirmed that the Intensity can do Component video and that would be my best choice, right?
Intensity PRO can do component. Extra $100 over the regular Intensity.

[easy2Bcheesy]

So long as you don't want to capture 480p, Intensity Pro is fine.

[Dot50Cal]

The PV4 and MonsterX are Component (or DVI, to be more accurate) while the Intensity and HDRECS are HDMI.

They are D-Terminal, that is not DVI.

I believe D-Terminal is essentially component with a different socket, so I'm struggling to imagine that the quality will be any better.

Correct, I don't think there is any quality difference.

If anyone has the ability to capture HDMI out from a PS3 (be it debug, or using a device to get around HDCP) would you take some snapshots of PS1 and PS2 games? Im not sure what the problem is, but it appears the the PS3 has terrible video out while in these modes (compared to the PS2 or PS1). Im curious if its just the analog out or a system wide problem. Though I will say, it scales games much better, it just crushes blacks and distorts color (even when upscaling is off).

[Jaxel]

So long as you don't want to capture 480p, Intensity Pro is fine.

Wait... the Intensity Pro can do 720p... but it can't do 480p? WTF is that?

[Dot50Cal]

Wait... the Intensity Pro can do 720p... but it can't do 480p? WTF is that?

An all too common trend. If you want 480i 480p 720p 1080i and 1080p (limited to 960x1080 max) then you want to go with the PV3 / PV4. They are D-Terminal (Japanese equivalent of component). It captures all footage at 60FPS, so its up to you to convert the framerate appropriately should your game run less than that. You are however limited to using the application thats bundled with the card. Virtualdub and the like will not recognize it.

[easy2Bcheesy]

480p is not supported most likely because there are no 480p cameras - or at least none worth designing a capture card for. Blackmagic and the like will only dedicate engineering effort to products and functionality that will give them a significant marketshare, and I can't blame them.

Dot50Cal - I'm sure I've seen HDMI shots of PS2 via PS3 somewhere online on a forum posting or something. I'll look.

[Seraphic-]

An all too common trend. If you want 480i 480p 720p 1080i and 1080p (limited to 960x1080 max) then you want to go with the PV3 / PV4. They are D-Terminal (Japanese equivalent of component). It captures all footage at 60FPS, so its up to you to convert the framerate appropriately should your game run less than that. You are however limited to using the application thats bundled with the card. Virtualdub and the like will not recognize it.

Does the PV4 also do limited 1080p or is that just the PV3?

Now the real question is, what can you do with 960x1080p? After all, it's missing half of its resolution (960 missing). What can you do with a video missing so much? Must look quite distorted, no? And in that case, why not just 1080i? You would at least get the full 1920x1080 resolution and could deinterlace (although, it really isn't true "full" resolution... as 1080i would only be 540p).

[Dot50Cal]

I cant speak for the PV4, but the PV3 does "limited" 1080p.

De-interlacing is blah to me, I only capture progressive frames. Plus working with 1080p video with the bitrates/quality level I use just isn't an option really. Another thing to note is that most PS3 1080p games do not render at 1920x1080, rather 960x1080, so you'd basically be doing the scaling job yourself anyway. The only benefit to capturing full 1920x1080 frames would be that the PS3 has the ability to overlay HUD items after the image has been scaled properly, to mask the scaling.

[Seraphic-]

Good point, interlacing isn't really the ideal form for video as lots of issues with motion blur and what not. Most PS3 games are not even 1080p, just 720p.

Also, what revision of the PV3 do you have again? Anyone know if the PV4 does limited 1080p like the PV3?

[Dot50Cal]

I have the Red PCB, Revision B (final).

[Seraphic-]

Dot50Cal, have you ever heard anything about "hardware-assisted compression" for the PV3 or is it all done with the software codec? And is th process to take 960x1080 to 1920x1080 the same idea as taking 640x480 to anamorphic wides-creen of 853x480? I'm wondering because for games that are native 1080p, would be creating half the resolution from nothing (as half of it is not there). Interested in how that works.

You would think if the PV3 had 1080p support the PV4 would too. Wonder if it is worth the risk to buy a PV4 without knowing and just hope it has support as well. Anyway, was doing some searching using Google for 960x1080 support with the PV4 and came across an interesting article about this resolution.

Except, it will be pretty weak 1080 support with an odd and substandard result. The horizontal resolution will be worse than with 720p (960 across instead of 1280), and the images will be twice as blurry horizontally as vertically. 960x1080 is going to look worse than 1280x720 (although it’s certainly an improvement over having to drop back to 480i).

The point here is that horizontal scaling is easy because data is almost always output row by row. Vertical scaling is hard because you'd have to buffer entire rows of data and THEN double them or average between then.

The math is easy, too:

1280x720 = 921,600 pixels

1920x1080 = 2,073,600 pixels (125% more than 720p)

960x1080 = 1,036,800 pixels (12.5% more than 720p)

http://ozymandias.com/archive/2007/01/29/Bruce_2700_s-Thoughts-on-PS3-Horizontal-Scaling-in-SDK.aspx

http://img167.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/users/8/2/7/9/keyboard0807-img600x450-1198645781p1010809.jpg

The four cards on the mag are basically the only four HD capture cards out right now. The PV4 and MonsterX are Component (or DVI, to be more accurate) while the Intensity and HDRECS are HDMI.

Does anyone know if the HDRECS suffers from the same problem as the Intensity?

What problems are you talking about for the Intensity and HDRECS? Also, what are the capture specs for the HDRECS (720p max)? What is the price as well?

[easy2Bcheesy]

I would imagine the problem they are describing is no 480p support whatsoever.

The rest of the info is described elsewhere on this thread: 1080i max, $1000. So you're better off with Intensity Pro.

[Seraphic-]

http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/GTHD%20Final.mp4

Someones replay of GTHD. I captured at 1080p (960x1080) and resized to 720p size. For GTHD it actually looks better than native 720p, since you get odd scaling issues with far away backgrounds.

Would you be able to scale this from 960x1080 to 1920x1080 or is going to 1280x720 the only way to do it?

[easy2Bcheesy]

You'd be able to scale it to whatever you want in VirtualDub, or better yet edit in 960x1080 and then encode your final WMV or MP4 to scale for you (this is a very good idea as it'll save bandwidth).

If you want to see a "best case scenario" of 960x1080, turn off 720p on your PS3 XMB, enable 1080p and load up Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Most PS3 games will look a lot worse upscaled in this manner due to lack of anti-aliasing.

To be honest, 720p looks just as good and is a far more workable proposition for editing etc.

[Dot50Cal]

Would you be able to scale this from 960x1080 to 1920x1080 or is going to 1280x720 the only way to do it?

I will get some shots today, I no longer have the raw footage.

[easy2Bcheesy]

So PV3 is streaming 960x1080 at 60fps over a 32-bit PCI bus? Impressive.

[Dot50Cal]

Quite :)

I should have mentioned, for 1080i / 1080p capture you can modify the horizontal resolution if you desire. The max for 1080p capture is 960x1080, but the 1080i width can be modified to quite a few as you will see below.

*PLEASE DONT HOTLINK THESE*
480p:
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/widths/480p.png

720p:
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/widths/720p.png

1080i (960 width)
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/widths/1080i(960).png

1080i(1280 width)
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/widths/1080i(1280).png

1080i(1440 width)
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/widths/1080i(1440).png

1080i(1600 width)
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/widths/1080i(1600).png

1080i(1920 width)
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/widths/1080i(1920).png

1080p(960 width)
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/widths/1080p.png

I'll get some shots of a 1080p game (RR7) and a 1080p (1280x1080 - GT5 Prolouge) in a moment. Also I should note that GTHD runs 1440x1080, so seeing a benefit from capturing 960x1080 would see a boost in rendered pixels as opposed to capturing 720p.

Edit:
Ridge Racer (full 1920x1080 game)
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/widths/RR

GT5 Prologue (1280x1080)
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/widths/GT5P

Do note that in order for me to get exact shots I had to record the footage, so there may be compression artifacts in these. Sorry about that, these games dont exactly pause for still shots well :devil:

[Mysteriouskk]

What is your system"s spec? For some reason, my PV4 card doesn't work at all. I've tried multiple mobos, AMD and Intel and, it just doesn't recognize the card at all. It recognized it the first time I install the card, but now I can get it to work at all. Anyone know what I should do? Anybody want the card?

[Seraphic-]

Dot50Cal, have you ever heard anything about "hardware-assisted compression" for the PV3 or is it all done with the software codec? And is the process to take 960x1080 to 1920x1080 the same idea as taking 640x480 to anamorphic wides-screen of 853x480?

Oh, and here is an interesting video of HDMI vs Component gaming capture at 720p. I'm sure people will differ on what looks better.

http://trailers.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/2654/t_uncharted_comparison_componenthdmi_gt_h264.mov

What is your system"s spec? For some reason, my PV4 card doesn't work at all. I've tried multiple mobos, AMD and Intel and, it just doesn't recognize the card at all. It recognized it the first time I install the card, but now I can get it to work at all. Anyone know what I should do? Anybody want the card?

I think I saw your post on the video help forum. Made reply to your issue. The first gen of the PV4 cards had issues with Core2Duo CPUs, the PV4 will not work with them without a flash update. That might be the issue, but it should work with other CPUs. Did you try the newest drivers? Did you buy it new? And yes, I might be interested in the card. Was interested to know if it is able to do 960x1080p like the PV3.

[Dot50Cal]

What is your system"s spec? For some reason, my PV4 card doesn't work at all. I've tried multiple mobos, AMD and Intel and, it just doesn't recognize the card at all. It recognized it the first time I install the card, but now I can get it to work at all. Anyone know what I should do? Anybody want the card?

You may have one of the incompatible motherboards. I heard there are a lot of issues. I have a DFI Lanparty UT DR Expert and a 4800+ X2 CPU (Dual core).

Dot50Cal, have you ever heard anything about "hardware-assisted compression" for the PV3 or is it all done with the software codec? And is the process to take 960x1080 to 1920x1080 the same idea as taking 640x480 to anamorphic wides-screen of 853x480?

I haven't heard anything about hardware assist. Its all done in software AFAIK. Blim from Gamersyde did tell me that the PV3 has 3 different levels of compression though. On simple scenes it doesnt compress as much, but on hard scenes your preview may skip frames and CPU usage goes to 100%. I noticed this myself when capturing Uncharted. The video records fine, but your preview loses a whole lot of frames so its hard to play that way. It happened for me when Drake was using vines on a white/grey wall which was panning back and forth.

You'd just need to resize the 960x1080 capture to 1920x1080 when encoding if you want to simulate 1080p.

[Mysteriouskk]

Dot50Cal, have you ever heard anything about "hardware-assisted compression" for the PV3 or is it all done with the software codec? And is the process to take 960x1080 to 1920x1080 the same idea as taking 640x480 to anamorphic wides-screen of 853x480?

Oh, and here is an interesting video of HDMI vs Component gaming capture at 720p. I'm sure people will differ on what looks better.

http://trailers.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/2654/t_uncharted_comparison_componenthdmi_gt_h264.mov



I think I saw your post on the video help forum. Made reply to your issue. The first gen of the PV4 cards had issues with Core2Duo CPUs, the PV4 will not work with them without a flash update. That might be the issue, but it should work with other CPUs. Did you try the newest drivers? Did you buy it new? And yes, I might be interested in the card. Was interested to know if it is able to do 960x1080p like the PV3.

Yea, I bought it new, and it did work the first time I ever installed it, so I think I might just be using the wrong motherboard or something like that. Is there a way I can flash it myself? I can't try the new drivers, because it doesn't even show up on my computer.

I have yet to try an AMD mobo and X2 processor, so I'll probably try that first.

Do you know a motherboard that completely works with the PV4?

[Seraphic-]

Yea, I bought it new, and it did work the first time I ever installed it, so I think I might just be using the wrong motherboard or something like that. Is there a way I can flash it myself? I can't try the new drivers, because it doesn't even show up on my computer.

I have yet to try an AMD mobo and X2 processor, so I'll probably try that first.

Do you know a motherboard that completely works with the PV4?

No, I cant' say for sure what motherboard works with it. But what motherboard were you using when it first worked? I would suggest get an idea on what motherboard Dot50Cal is using, since he has a PV3 and the PV4 should be similar to that.

But when it was working, do you recall seeing if the PV4 had support for 960x1080p?

[Mysteriouskk]

No, I cant' say for sure what motherboard works with it. But what motherboard were you using when it first worked? I would suggest get an idea on what motherboard Dot50Cal is using, since he has a PV3 and the PV4 should be similar to that.

But when it was working, do you recall seeing if the PV4 had support for 960x1080p?

It did recognize the card that first time, but I never got to use it past then. I believe I was using a C2D E6600 processor with a gigabyte mobo.

[Seraphic-]

It did recognize the card that first time, but I never got to use it past then. I believe I was using a C2D E6600 processor with a gigabyte mobo.

Oh, and I forgot to say in my last reply. Yes, you can flash the update to the PV4 using a computer that doesn't use a C2D. The update used to be on their main page of their website. They might have moved it within somewhere.

But it is odd that your computer would see it and then not. Maybe it got burned out or was just a bad card? It seems like you tried in a few systems and it didn't work.

[easy2Bcheesy]

You'd just need to resize the 960x1080 capture to 1920x1080 when encoding if you want to simulate 1080p.

That's a waste of bandwidth. Encode at 960x1080, but adjust the aspect ratio to widescreen (1.777 to 1 if memory serves) and it'll resize on the fly during playback. Both WMV and MP4 can do this, and so can MKV.

But as I said previously, this really is a waste of effort for the following reasons, assuming we're talking PS3:

1. Barely any games actually support 1080p
2. Those that do are often compromised in terms of performance - lower frame rate or what-not
3. Many games with 1080p support aren't rendering 1080p any way - most are 720p upscaled
4. Due to the limitations with card, your best case scenario is a barely perceptible increase of quality over 720p any way - the gains of which will most likely be lost in the encoding process.

[Dot50Cal]

I agree, if I had to do such a thing I would scale it down to 960xXXX and keep the proper aspect ratio. I was just showing him that option is there (and is what games often do).

[easy2Bcheesy]

Oh, and here is an interesting video of HDMI vs Component gaming capture at 720p. I'm sure people will differ on what looks better.

http://trailers.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/2654/t_uncharted_comparison_componenthdmi_gt_h264.mov


Such a comparison is meaningless as the quality of the component capture will be entirely beholden to the quality of the digital to analogue converter on whatever capture card it is they're using. From what I've seen though based on my own observations, there's a fair bit less detail resolved in component. I would put this down to my screen except that I struggle to see the difference at all with my 360 Elite.

Gametrailers' comparison is also meaningless when the base quality is compromised by lame-ass Quicktime h.264 encoding. Uncompressed stills like Dot50Cal's earlier would be a better indication.

[easy2Bcheesy]

Heard back from my contact in Japan - MonsterX is now officially out of production, and stock is scarce. If you're interested in one, I'd start to search now.

[Iolly]

What's the difference in acquiring a progressive source at 480i thru component with intensity pro (or any other) rather than 480p (assuming source is 480 over)?
I mean: won't all fields match anyway (careless if bottom or upper field 1st)?
???

[easy2Bcheesy]

You don't get a picture. Most likely because the frequency of the signal is entirely different to 480i. For starters, twice as much video information is being transmitted.

[Schrade]

Gametrailers' comparison is also meaningless when the base quality is compromised by lame-ass Quicktime h.264 encoding. Uncompressed stills like Dot50Cal's earlier would be a better indication.

They actually use SVQ3 and not h.264. They just name their files with h264 in them for some reason. Even the WMV ones.

GameTrailers really sucks with their encoding quality.

Video #0
Codec : Sorenson 3
Codec/Info : Sorenson Media Video 3 (Apple QuickTime 5)
PlayTime : 2mn 55s
Bit rate : 3330 Kbps
Nominal bit rate : 3382 Kbps
Width : 960 pixels
Height : 540 pixels
Display Aspect ratio : 16/9
Frame rate : 29.954 fps
Minimum frame rate : 8.022 fps
Maximum frame rate : 29.970 fps
StreamSize : 69.7 MiB
Encoded date : UTC 2008-01-19 00:09:40
Tagged date : UTC 2008-01-19 00:09:49

Audio #0
Codec : AAC LC
Codec/Info : AAC Low Complexity
PlayTime : 2mn 55s
Bit rate : 189 Kbps
Nominal bit rate : 192 Kbps
Bit rate mode : CBR
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : L R
Sampling rate : 48 KHz
Resolution : 16 bits
StreamSize : 3.96 MiB
Encoded date : UTC 2008-01-19 00:09:40
Tagged date : UTC 2008-01-19 00:09:49

[gigantibyte]

I only have room for one card in my Media Center, and it needs DVBt. Been planning to move the power supply outside the case and somehow put a capture card where it was, but i just found the perfect card:

http://www.leadtek.com/eng/tv_tuner/overview.asp?lineid=6&pronameid=399

I thought this would be cool but no...

From jr_huang@leadtek.com.tw:

Dear Customer,

Thanks for your contacting first of all.
The card is software MPEG-II encoder and it don't sell to Canadian due to digital TV format is different

I was then directed to choose one of their S-Video cards. :P

[ajp_anton]

It's the "software mpeg2" thing that makes it interesting. It should mean you can record uncompressed without any trouble getting past the hardware encoder, right?

About "digital TV format is different", are there different versions of "DVB-t" or just "different digital formats"?

[Mysteriouskk]

They actually use SVQ3 and not h.264. They just name their files with h264 in them for some reason. Even the WMV ones.

GameTrailers really sucks with their encoding quality.

Video #0
Codec : Sorenson 3
Codec/Info : Sorenson Media Video 3 (Apple QuickTime 5)
PlayTime : 2mn 55s
Bit rate : 3330 Kbps
Nominal bit rate : 3382 Kbps
Width : 960 pixels
Height : 540 pixels
Display Aspect ratio : 16/9
Frame rate : 29.954 fps
Minimum frame rate : 8.022 fps
Maximum frame rate : 29.970 fps
StreamSize : 69.7 MiB
Encoded date : UTC 2008-01-19 00:09:40
Tagged date : UTC 2008-01-19 00:09:49

Audio #0
Codec : AAC LC
Codec/Info : AAC Low Complexity
PlayTime : 2mn 55s
Bit rate : 189 Kbps
Nominal bit rate : 192 Kbps
Bit rate mode : CBR
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : L R
Sampling rate : 48 KHz
Resolution : 16 bits
StreamSize : 3.96 MiB
Encoded date : UTC 2008-01-19 00:09:40
Tagged date : UTC 2008-01-19 00:09:49


What is the best way to compress my videos if I use Sorenson Squeeze?

I'm using Sony Vegas Pro to edit my videos, so I'm wondering how I should go about compressing it.

Do I make an uncompressed video out of vegas and then put it through squeeze?

[easy2Bcheesy]

Why use Sorenson Squeeze at all? Surely Vegas has WMV and h.264 output options?

[Mysteriouskk]

Why use Sorenson Squeeze at all? Surely Vegas has WMV and h.264 output options?

I cant seem to get the same quality per bitrate when I use wmv or h264 or something.

It just looks better on gametrailers for some reason.

[Schrade]

I'd render the video out uncompressed then use something that uses x264 to compress it.

ffmpeg, Avidemux, mencoder, or x264 itself if you want to process audio separately.

Or, just try some of the handy GUIs out there like AutoMKV, RipBot or meGUI.

[easy2Bcheesy]

Weirdly I've never managed to get AutoMKV working with my HD .avi files.

[Jaxel]

I got a question for those of you out there who have the Black Magic Intensity Pro... I plan on building a building a machine for it since: its cheaper than the rest, its easy to buy, and its in English... Here are requirements listed on the Intensity Pro webpage:

Traditionally uncompressed HD video has required the use of very fast, external disk arrays. However the high quality Online JPEG codec included with the Intensity drivers means that you can capture high definition video to a single, internal SATA disk. If you want to work with uncompressed video, you'll need at least two SATA disks in a RAID 0 configuration for standard definition. For uncompressed high defintion we'd recommend at least four SATA II disks (with 16 MB cache and running at 7200rpm) in a RAID 0 configuation.

I prefer to do all my capturing at the highest quality possible, but getting four identical SATA2 disks together is a bit of a chore (especially when most motherboards dont have enough controllers for it). Are four disks an absolute necessity? Could I do it with two? What kind of quality loss should I be expected if I go the single disk compressed route?

As well, what kind of file sizes am I looking at here? Right now with my standard definition recordings with my ATI Radeon x800XT-PE I am getting about 12.5 minutes for each 1GB of recorded video.

Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit

Really? Vista Ultimate? Why is Ultimate a requirement? Is Vista Home Premium enough? Also, are VirtualDubMod, AviSynth, DGIndex, and MKVToolnix compatible with 64-bit operating systems?

[easy2Bcheesy]

Blackmagic MJPEG sucks balls. If you can afford another $250, couple it with CineForm NEO HDV (free 15 day trial) for excellent results. That way you get uncompressed quality and can still use your single SATA drive.

For completely uncompressed capture you WILL need a three or four disk RAID array.

You don't need Vista Ultimate. Any Vista or XP will do.

[Jaxel]

Looking at the CineForm Neo HDV website, I'm a little confused on what it does... I'm guessing its just a codec that replaces MJPEG? Looking at the BlackMagic manual, it says uncompressed, I should be expecting about 370gb for each hour of video... what should I be expecting with Neo HDV?

Are there any open source, free solutions like the Neo HDV?

[easy2Bcheesy]

If there was a freeware alternative to Neo HDV I doubt they could get away with charging $250 for it. Try it for 15 days and if you don't like it, don't buy it.

[Jaxel]

If there was a freeware alternative to Neo HDV I doubt they could get away with charging $250 for it. Try it for 15 days and if you don't like it, don't buy it.

Yeah... thats true...

Actually I'm afraid that I WILL like it... thus forcing me to buy it.

[easy2Bcheesy]

I suspect that your four disk RAID array will cost considerably more.

[Jaxel]

See thats exactly it... I dont know whats worth it...

Can get 320gb drives for $90... for the cost of the software, plus $20, I could buy 3 extra hard drives (thus making a four disk RAID Array), which will also quadruple my disk capacity and handle the uncompressed video without issues... right?

But at this point, the FILE SIZES are the biggest issue... with uncompressed, its 370gb per 1 hour of video... with MJPEG its 18gb per 1 hour of video... with Neo HDV, how much will 1 hour of video consume?

[Jaxel]

On a further note... if I could get at least 5 hours of video using NEO HDV on a single 640gb drive... that would be my FIRST choice...

But like I said... I would like to know the file sizes for Neo HDV.

[easy2Bcheesy]

On 'high' setting CineForm probably yields around 40GB to 70GB for one hour of video depending on the complexity of your material.

[Jaxel]

So explain to me how CineForm works...

I capture the video compressed in MJPEG and Neo HDV decompresses it into the CineForm format? Or do I capture directly into CineForm? I noticed that the website specifically lists the Intensity for compatibility.

[easy2Bcheesy]

You never gain quality by re-compressing an already compressed stream. CineForm is its own codec with its own capture tool. As I said, just try it.

[Mysteriouskk]

Is Cineform a lot better than PicVideo's MJPEG codec?

[Jaxel]

CineForm is compatible with AviSynth and VirtualDubMod?

[Jaxel]

Okay... before I buy the Intensity Pro...

Are there any other High Definition solutions available in ENGLISH? (I dont care about HDMI, only Component)

[Mysteriouskk]

Okay... before I buy the Intensity Pro...

Are there any other High Definition solutions available in ENGLISH? (I dont care about HDMI, only Component)

Only the Intensity Pro is in English as far as I know.

[Jaxel]

I just bought the Intensity Pro card and it came with 1.8.0 driver software (which worked). So I went onto the blackmagic website and downloaded the newest 1.8.2 driver software isntead. After installing the software and restarting my machine, it told me that I needed to upgrade the firmware on the Intensity Pro, so I clicked okay and the program ugpraded the firmware. When it was done, it told me to restart my machine, which I did. Then, it told me yet again, that I needed to upgrade the firmware, so I ran it again, finished again, restarted again... then it all happened again, it put me into an infinite loop of firmware upgrading. Unfortunately, because the firmware upgrade isnt working, I cant capture any video, and unfortunately because I ran the firmware upgrade, the old 1.8.0 software can no longer detect the card...

Has anyone else had this problem? Anyone have any solutions?

[easy2Bcheesy]

Sounds like an issue for Blackmagic technical support to be honest.

[Link00y]

Well, I now bought that Leadtek PXDTV2300H - the one featuring 480p via component (no, it doesn't support HD input I tested).

And here comes my little review... the software you're given is crappy in my eyes it's targetted at the base user - unfortunately I haven't found another software besides which was properly able to handle the 480p input (most softwares only recorded 30 FPS, others crashed and others - did something else).

The viewing quality is actually awkward - the software (targetted as base users) always has a visible deinterlacer running even when it isn't needed at all - and if you encode to its proposed output formats (MPEG1 or MPEG2) you can select Interlaced encoding and progressive encoding - as I figured progressive encoding will be handled as "deinterlace source" although that's not needed, I switched to interlaced and making it even worse - I succesfully got interlaced video from a progressive source.

But now.. that's about the bad points.. if you select another codec (I went on with HuffYuv and PCM audio) the result is MUCH better - while the preview quality is still kinda awkward the capture quality (and that's what a capture card is there for in my eyes - I normally watch TV/play video games on my TV) is: full and nice resolution (I recommend 720x480 or 768x480 for 480p input) and: 60 FPS.. and I made some quick checks it really seems that it's actual 60 FPS and not something like 30 FPS with every frame doubled (well, I recorded with my Wii and some games internally only run at 30 FPS but that's gamewise and not capture card-wise).

I am checking whether I can upload some test videos (for some videos A/V sync was lost but I was only trying and I seriously did not care for that - because I made other tests and found that it can be helped).

So result: when I got it I thought about returning - capture quality in 480p was simply bad but the only rule is: not to use the MPEG(2) encoders. But in the end.. as long as you do not use those encoders but something better it seems kinda decent - and definetely good considering the card is in a "low price" segment (50€ for me). Same goes actually for screenshots: those are never deinterlaced (even in 480i mode) - so in 480p they shine with glory (well, I tested on my Wii and Xbox 360 you gotta take care about overscan but that's all).

[easy2Bcheesy]

I've got a Monster-X card now and while it's great for 480p capture, I am having untold issues with it in 720p and 1080i. Nothing wrong with my sources, nothing wrong with my cables, it's simply not very good.

Basically, even the supplied viewer software produces video like this (http://216.75.63.164/problem.wmv).

The MxCapture tool produces a better, but still not decent level of stabilisation. The fact that it is improved suggests that the app has been coded to accommodate its deficiencies.

But this all goes to explain the frame drops in MysteriousKK's earlier videos and also his sync issues.

[Dot50Cal]

Damn guys, thats really sad to hear. Easy, that seems like it might be a hardware conflict? Maybe try swapping the card around to get on a new IRQ? It could even be your motheboard, I know the PV3 is also very fussy on what hardware you run it on. If you have another machine try using that if the IRQ swap fails.

[easy2Bcheesy]

The card performs identically on two entirely different systems, one of which was freshly formatted.

If it wasn't for what I've seen in MysteriousKK's 720p captures, along with the fact that the MxCapture tool deliberately appears to be adjusting for the problem, I'd be inclined to agree.

[Mysteriouskk]

The card performs identically on two entirely different systems, one of which was freshly formatted.

If it wasn't for what I've seen in MysteriousKK's 720p captures, along with the fact that the MxCapture tool deliberately appears to be adjusting for the problem, I'd be inclined to agree.

I try capturing some Xbox 360 and Wii footage tonight.

Did you try reformatting?

[easy2Bcheesy]

As I said, I have a freshly formatted PC that's doing exactly the same.

[ajp_anton]

Link00y:
Does VirtualDub work with the PXDTV2300H (480p at 60fps)? I had never planned to record into any mpeg2 anyway, I always use lossless or uncompressed. So as long as that works...
Also, what about this "overscan" thing... you can't get a full 720x480 picture after cropping?

[Mysteriouskk]

As I said, I have a freshly formatted PC that's doing exactly the same.

When you capture 480p, does it squish the video? I have to load it into Sony Vegas and change the pixel aspect ration to widescreen for it to look ok.

[easy2Bcheesy]

480p is a uniform 720x480. So yes, you will have to adjust the pixel ratio. You can't capture in 848x480.

[Mysteriouskk]

480p is a uniform 720x480. So yes, you will have to adjust the pixel ratio. You can't capture in 848x480.

What is the best way to crop out the video so that there are no black bars horizontally or vertically?

And when I export to wmv, should I use 848x480, and square pixels for the movie?

[easy2Bcheesy]

Haven't we been through this all this already? A crop/resize filter in something like VirtualDub would eliminate the borders and you encode to wmv with a 1.777:1 pixel aspect ratio.

[Mysteriouskk]

Haven't we been through this all this already? A crop/resize filter in something like VirtualDub would eliminate the borders and you encode to wmv with a 1.777:1 pixel aspect ratio.

In Vegas, when I render as a wmv file, I only have the options of 1.000 square pixels or 1.333. How can I export a vegas file using virtual dub?

[easy2Bcheesy]

Just export an AVI and encode using Windows Media Encoder.

[Mysteriouskk]

I tried the Neo HDV codec and it lags at 720p when I'm recording it; however when I'm done capturing and I play it back, it is perfectly fine. 480p with the codec works fine. I can capture and play it back normally, so I guess my cpu or something isn't powerful enough.

I'm doing a Super Smash Brawl Review in 480p, so that should be coming tomorrow.

[Jaxel]

Okay... just got my Intensity working (THIRD card, had to RMA twice, 4videoequipment.com rocks!)...

The following video was captured using the Black Magic Intensity Pro (http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/) and the CineForm Neo HDV (https://www.cineform.com/products/NeoHD.htm) at 720p 59.94fps through Component (YPbPr) cables. It was captured at "Low" quality because I haven't put together my Raid-0 array together yet and any higher would have put in massive frame loss. Encoded with x264-aac in a Matroska Video wrapper.

http://www.crookedjester.com/T5DRo.mkv

Any advice you guys have for improving the quality of video? Just like Mysteriouskk, I too have the "lag" on playback, but no lag on actual capture problem. Unfortunatley, the Intensity Pro cant do 480p, only 480i, 720p and 1080i.

[easy2Bcheesy]

First of all, the data rate of CineForm at the High quality level is still only using around 65% of your single SATA drive's bandwidth - at most. There's no need to limit yourself to Low quality.

Secondly, lag on playback is down to one of two factors:

1 - your CPU
2 - your media player

First to check the CPU - in the start menu, under CineForm there should be a tool to reduce the playback quality. Select fast, lower quality playback. Do you still get the lag?

Second, switch to Media Player Classic to play the clips.

If the lower quality playback setting has no lag, then basically that means your capture is sound.

What CPU are you using exactly?

[Dot50Cal]

For reference, even with a 4800+ X2 (dual core) AMD cpu, on my PV3, the preview window for me lags when capturing 720p footage from certain games. It usually happens when there are large white area's with lots of motion (hard to compress). I've noticed this on Uncharted Drake's Fortune, but have yet to encounter it anywhere else. The captured video is fine though, its just the preview that cant keep up.

[easy2Bcheesy]

Fair enough, but PV3 is a completely different kettle of fish to Monster-X what its propietary capture tool etc.

A 4800+ X2 would struggle with 720p and CineForm.

[Seraphic-]

Okay... just got my Intensity working (THIRD card, had to RMA twice, 4videoequipment.com rocks!)...

The following video was captured using the Black Magic Intensity Pro (http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/) and the CineForm Neo HDV (https://www.cineform.com/products/NeoHD.htm) at 720p 59.94fps through Component (YPbPr) cables. It was captured at "Low" quality because I haven't put together my Raid-0 array together yet and any higher would have put in massive frame loss. Encoded with x264-aac in a Matroska Video wrapper.

http://www.crookedjester.com/T5DRo.mkv

Any advice you guys have for improving the quality of video? Just like Mysteriouskk, I too have the "lag" on playback, but no lag on actual capture problem. Unfortunatley, the Intensity Pro cant do 480p, only 480i, 720p and 1080i.

I thought that when using component with the Intensity Pro, with no way to adjust image settings (saturation/contrast/sharpness, etc), that the image would have luminosity issues and other picture issues?

Also, what makes cineform worth $300+? Unless you acquired it another way. =D

Last, what is up with that website you talked about? 4videoequipment.com changes their stock for the item using a random number generator on every page reload. :p

Availability:
Item in stock!: 10

http://www.4videoequipment.com/video/store2/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=9339&E=Blackmagic+Design-Blackmagic+Intensity+Pro+-+High+Definition+HDMI+I/O+Capture

[easy2Bcheesy]

CineForm's $250 and it's worth the money simply because it gives you small, manageable filesizes of the highest quality. It also saves you money in that you won't need a 3-4 disk RAID array to get uncompressed quality.

You get a 15-day free trial so there's no need to 'acquire' it. More than that considering the fact that it's just a few guys working out of a small office somewhere in CA, ripping them off leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

If you look at the DV Info message board you'll see that they're enthusiasts just like you and me.

[Seraphic-]

CineForm's $250 and it's worth the money simply because it gives you small, manageable filesizes of the highest quality. It also saves you money in that you won't need a 3-4 disk RAID array to get uncompressed quality.

You get a 15-day free trial so there's no need to 'acquire' it. More than that considering the fact that it's just a few guys working out of a small office somewhere in CA, ripping them off leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

If you look at the DV Info message board you'll see that they're enthusiasts just like you and me.

Didn't know that much about them so that is why I was asking what makes it worth their price. I mean, even with the $250 version you can't do 1080i/p (yes I know, no full 1080p cards out in the price range for most of us. but 1080i is). The $250 seems to max at 1440 resolution and you would need the $600 version for 1080i/p.

Seems like a cool program, but the price is kind of up there. They would make less money per sale, but would have a lot more sales I think if they made one version and sold it for less.

[Jaxel]

Seraph, I am using the trial right now...

CineForm Neo HDV is capture software that converts directly into CineForm's Intermediate Codec... which is only about 1gb per minute and doesnt require a raid array. The compression is so good that you cant really notice a difference between that and the full BlackMagic Uncompressed format which is 6gb per minute and requires a 4-disk array.

Also, since CineForm's DeckLink software captures the video itself, there is no need to do any capturing through other software like Premiere or Vegas. I would personally buy the software WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT for $50... but I dont know how I feel about $250.

New Question...

With my old capture card, it captured 480i video at 30fps into MPEG2. This was fine because then I could use DGIndex-DGBob to make it into 480p video at 60fps, which is great for high level fighting games like Tekken, Virtua Fighter or Soul Calibur... Unfortunately, Cineform Intermediate captures video into an AVI wrapper. Is there any software out there that works just like DGIndex that I could use to capture 480ix30 video and convert it into 480px60 video?

[Seraphic-]

Jaxel, when using component with the Intensity Pro, with no way to adjust image settings (saturation/contrast/sharpness, etc), doesn't the image have luminosity issues and other picture issues?

[Mysteriouskk]

Here is my first compilation and review of Super Smash Brothers Brawl in 480p...

The quality is alright, and I'm trying to see what format works best with their site.

It was captured with the Monster X using a combination of both the Neo HDV codec and MJPEG. I couldn't really tell them apart, so I basically stuck to MJPEG, since it takes up less space wise. It's at 848x480, because the Monster X captures 480p at 720x480, but I needed to change the pixel ration to widescreen, and when I do that I also need to change the resolution for it to work. I also cropped the video a little bit, to get rid of the black bars on either side.

Video: http://www.vimeo.com/765108

If you have any questions, leave a reply here.

Thanks

[Jaxel]

Seraphic, I have ZERO issues with luminosity... the picture comes out great and the colors are very vibrant...

http://www.crookedjester.com/VF5trailer.mkv

I notice a huge difference between Neo HDV and MJPEG however... MJPEG looks like a crazy video bob.

The only issue I have had with the card itself is occasionaly the sound wonks out and instead of capting the audio, it captures a loud fuzz. The only way i have found to fix this is to restart my computer... Oh, and occasionaly the program locks up my computer.

[Seraphic-]

Here is my first compilation and review of Super Smash Brothers Brawl in 480p...

The quality is alright, and I'm trying to see what format works best with their site.

It was captured with the Monster X using a combination of both the Neo HDV codec and MJPEG. I couldn't really tell them apart, so I basically stuck to MJPEG, since it takes up less space wise. It's at 848x480, because the Monster X captures 480p at 720x480, but I needed to change the pixel ration to widescreen, and when I do that I also need to change the resolution for it to work. I also cropped the video a little bit, to get rid of the black bars on either side.

Video: http://www.vimeo.com/765108

If you have any questions, leave a reply here.

Thanks

Cool review, nice work. Did you ever find out if the monterx can do 640x480?

Also, I sent you a reply to you PM back from awhile ago. Just saw it today.

[Seraphic-]

Seraphic, I have ZERO issues with luminosity... the picture comes out great and the colors are very vibrant...

http://www.crookedjester.com/VF5trailer.mkv

I notice a huge difference between Neo HDV and MJPEG however... MJPEG looks like a crazy video bob.

Yeah, I saw that video before. The video is good but kind of looks over smoothed. However, you said you used a low quality setting so it might be from that or from the lower bit-rate used in the final movie.

I called blackmagic a few weeks ago. They said when using component, there is no way to adjust saturation/contrast/sharpness/hue, etc. that kind of sucks.

[Jaxel]

The oversmoothing comes from the x264 compression... I havent found a good setting for x264 to keep it sharp and have a small file size. When I watch the original capture, its extremely clean, looks uncompressed.

[Mysteriouskk]

Cool review, nice work. Did you ever find out if the monterx can do 640x480?

Also, I sent you a reply to you PM back from awhile ago. Just saw it today.

It can probably do that. I'm using MXcapture to capture video, so you can't really input your resolution. Whatever goes in, that is what it captures at.

[Seraphic-]

It can probably do that. I'm using MXcapture to capture video, so you can't really input your resolution. Whatever goes in, that is what it captures at.

You had to buy a Japanese Wii, right? Or did the Japanese version of Smash Bros. Brawl run on a U.S system?

[Jaxel]

So any solutions to my new problem?

With my old capture card, it captured 480i video at 30fps into MPEG2. This was fine because then I could use DGIndex-DGBob to make it into 480p video at 60fps, which is great for high level fighting games like Tekken, Virtua Fighter or Soul Calibur... Unfortunately, Cineform Intermediate captures video into an AVI wrapper. Is there any software out there that works just like DGIndex that I could use to capture 480ix30 video and convert it into 480px60 video?

[Mysteriouskk]

You had to buy a Japanese Wii, right? Or did the Japanese version of Smash Bros. Brawl run on a U.S system?

I borrowed my friend's japanese wii... :)

[Jaxel]

Okay guys... some people helped me on AIM and I found a solution to my problem...

With MPEG, I was using DGIndex/DGBob with Avisynth...

With AVI, I am now using Gunnar Thalin's "Deinterlace - Smooth" with AviSynth...

Works great, doubles the frames just like DGIndex did, and smooths it out and resizes to original source without any quality loss... a bit weird looking in VirtualDubMod with the input video being half the size.

[Jaxel]

Secondly, lag on playback is down to one of two factors:

1 - your CPU
2 - your media player

First to check the CPU - in the start menu, under CineForm there should be a tool to reduce the playback quality. Select fast, lower quality playback. Do you still get the lag?

Second, switch to Media Player Classic to play the clips.

If the lower quality playback setting has no lag, then basically that means your capture is sound.

What CPU are you using exactly?

The lag is in the preview window, not in the actual recording or the playback. I have a Intel Q6700 2.66ghz QUAD Core, with 4GB of RAM. Whether I use the High Quality or the Fast Playback options, the preview window still lags... either way, the Fast Playback option shrinks the size of the video, which sort of defeats the purpose of high definition, doesnt it?

[easy2Bcheesy]

Fast playback is merely scaling down the playback so as not to stress the CPU. It has zero effect on capture (which is still HD) just on the playback of your clips. Previously you said that the 'playback' was at fault, but now you appear to be saying it's fine but it's the preview window that is the problem.

If the preview window in the CineForm tool is running with lag, that is something you should address with CineForm tech support. Or alternatively just ignore the preview window and connect a secondary monitor to the Intensity output.

[ajp_anton]

Is there any kind of summary of what's been discussed here?
Like a list of cards, how much they cost, what they can do, how good they do it, and what programs they are compatible with?
Been kind of leaning towards the Monster X, but i read it doesn't do 720p very well...? And I've only seen it on a few Japanese sites that doesn't sell abroad.

[easy2Bcheesy]

Intensity Pro: great card overall, but no 480p support, no support for non-Blackmagic codecs within VirtualDub, but does have support from CineForm. Blackmagic MJPEG codec is not very good.

MonsterX: Wonderful 480p support, questionable 720p support, only really works with its own capture tool.

PV3: Great quality, 480p support, but only works with its own capture tool.

Leadtek PXDTV2300H: Cheap at $70, 480i/480p component support only - not enough details to make any further assessment (poster not replying to PMs or questions).

[Mysteriouskk]

Intensity Pro: great card overall, but no 480p support, no support for non-Blackmagic codecs within VirtualDub, but does have support from CineForm. Blackmagic MJPEG codec is not very good.

MonsterX: Wonderful 480p support, questionable 720p support, only really works with its own capture tool.

PV3: Great quality, 480p support, but only works with its own capture tool.

Leadtek PXDTV2300H: Cheap at $70, 480i/480p component support only - not enough details to make any further assessment (poster not replying to PMs or questions).

Blackmagic Intensity is $250 / Pro $350

Monster X and PV3/4 retails for something like $200 in Japan, but to get it to the states or elsewhere will cost an extra charge*

[ajp_anton]

I only really need the 480p, but 720p would be a nice bonus for the future. So it has to be MonsterX or PV3/4.
I've always been using VirtualDub for capturing. Looks like it doesn't work with either of them.
Can they both record lossless/uncompressed, and how bloated are the tools needed?

[Mysteriouskk]

I only really need the 480p, but 720p would be a nice bonus for the future. So it has to be MonsterX or PV3/4.
I've always been using VirtualDub for capturing. Looks like it doesn't work with either of them.
Can they both record lossless/uncompressed, and how bloated are the tools needed?

The tools are all in Japanese so it makes it more difficult to use, since you sorta need to use the settings to get it right.

[Seraphic-]

Anyone interested in a Blackmagic Intensity HDMI capture card? I have an extra one. The HD card will work with with Windows and MAC OS X and will capture 480i (720x480), 720p (1280x720), and 1080i (1920x1080) using HDMI. It will also capture two channel audio using the same HDMI cable.

The card runs using a PCI express 1x slot and your Xbox360 must have an HDMI port. Works great with Xbox360 game capture (xbox360 needs HDMI port).

[Mysteriouskk]

Anyone interested in a Blackmagic Intensity HDMI capture card? I have an extra one. The HD card will work with with Windows and MAC OS X and will capture 480i (720x480), 720p (1280x720), and 1080i (1920x1080) using HDMI. It will also capture two channel audio using the same HDMI cable.

The card runs using a PCI express 1x slot and your Xbox360 must have an HDMI port. Works great with Xbox360 game capture (xbox360 needs HDMI port).

Wanna trade for my PV4?

[Seraphic-]

Wanna trade for my PV4?

Why would you want to get rid of your PV4?

[Mysteriouskk]

Why would you want to get rid of your PV4?
I can't get it to work with my computer... lol

I've read that you need certain hardware for it to work. Apparently it doesn't work with mine.

E6600 + Gigabyte Mobo...

[Seraphic-]

I can't get it to work with my computer... lol

I've read that you need certain hardware for it to work. Apparently it doesn't work with mine.

E6600 + Gigabyte Mobo...

Don't you have a MonterX card? Why would you get a PV4 too?

Anyway, your PV4 must be part of the first 70 lot released. There was a known issue with them not working with Core 2 Duo processors. You need to flash a new firmware to the card.

1st lot 70 unit peculiar information

* About the problem where 1st lot 70 PV4 is not recognized mainly with Core 2 Duo environment
<< Guide >>
We have produced after the 2nd lot with new flash memory contents, this problem does not occur.
The yellow round seal of diameter 16mm is pasted in the baseplate after the 2nd lot.
This problem was correctedat FPGA circuit release number 02.
The FPGA circuit it is possible by using PV version 3.1.3, to renew to new ones.
We keeping PV4 at our company, because also it is possible, to renew,please inquire.



http://earthsoft.jp/PV4/info-update-01.html

[Mysteriouskk]

Don't you have a MonterX card? Why would you get a PV4 too?

Anyway, your PV4 must be part of the first 70 lot released. There was a known issue with them not working with Core 2 Duo processors. You need to flash a new firmware to the card.



http://earthsoft.jp/PV4/info-update-01.html

I actually got the PV4 first, but couldn't get it working, so I bought the MonsterX.

I'm not sure what or how to update it, since my mobo doesn't recognize the card. I think I have to send them the card, but I'm not sure how that is going to happen since I'm in the United States, and I also don't speak Japanese. Do you think you could help me out with it?

btw... my PV4 does have the yellow dot on it.

[Seraphic-]

I actually got the PV4 first, but couldn't get it working, so I bought the MonsterX.

I'm not sure what or how to update it, since my mobo doesn't recognize the card. I think I have to send them the card, but I'm not sure how that is going to happen since I'm in the United States, and I also don't speak Japanese. Do you think you could help me out with it?

btw... my PV4 does have the yellow dot on it.

Anyway, to update the card, you have use a computer that doesn't have the problem and can see the card. So, you have to use a computer that doesn't have a Core 2 Duo CPU (ask a friend or try at work or something).

[Dot50Cal]

Can they both record lossless/uncompressed, and how bloated are the tools needed?

PV3 has its own compressed format, but its virtually lossless. I posted some shots in this thread. If you are serious about buying one of these cards, you really should read this entire topic first.

[MaggIvy]

Anyway, to update the card, you have use a computer that doesn't have the problem and can see the card. So, you have to use a computer that doesn't have a Core 2 Duo CPU (ask a friend or try at work or something).

Since we're on the topic of processors, will the Intensity Pro work with a quad core pc?

[ajp_anton]

Finally found the Leadtek 480p card somewhere that ships to Sweden. It's even cheaper than I thought so I should get it within a week or so (they say friday but you never know...)

edit:
Got the card one day earlier. After lots of testing (even installed Vista for the first time when I couldn't get it to work in XP), I've been able to locate the problem:
The card is stuck at S-video. Whatever input I choose, the card keeps returning the picture from S-video. Even "No Input" and "TV tuner" in VirtualDub does that. Yes, I've also tried the bundled software (PVR2).

edit2:
Problem seems to be that my two capture cards aren't compatible with each other. The other one captures composite and S-video at the same time, so there are 3 capture devices. When using all of them together, one of them seems frozen to one input. This "one" is always the PxDTV2300H (frozen to S-video), except once when it was the S-video one (which was probably frozen at "no input" or something). Can't seem to make it happen again.
If I disable the old card in Device Manager, I can connect to the new card. Then I enable it and everything works. This way I can stay connected to all of them for a few minutes before the computer totally freezes.
All this is tested on two computers, XP and XP/Vista (all 32-bit, 64-bit doesn't work at all).

[Mysteriouskk]

So are there any updates to the Monster X card and MXcapture program?

[MaggIvy]

Ok, I read that the Blackmagic Intensity (NOT pro) one can capture via hdmi if you have hdcp compliant video card and monitor. I was wondering if anyone has tried this with any success?

[easy2Bcheesy]

edit2:
Problem seems to be that my two capture cards aren't compatible with each other. The other one captures composite and S-video at the same time, so there are 3 capture devices. When using all of them together, one of them seems frozen to one input. This "one" is always the PxDTV2300H (frozen to S-video), except once when it was the S-video one (which was probably frozen at "no input" or something). Can't seem to make it happen again.
If I disable the old card in Device Manager, I can connect to the new card. Then I enable it and everything works. This way I can stay connected to all of them for a few minutes before the computer totally freezes.
All this is tested on two computers, XP and XP/Vista (all 32-bit, 64-bit doesn't work at all).

So can you capture 480p at 60fps within VirtualDub? Any chance of a Super Mario Galaxy or other Wii screenshot showing uncompressed quality?

So are there any updates to the Monster X card and MXcapture program?

Not that I can see.

Ok, I read that the Blackmagic Intensity (NOT pro) one can capture via hdmi if you have hdcp compliant video card and monitor. I was wondering if anyone has tried this with any success?

I find this to be incredibly unlikely. Where did you read it? The whole point of HDCP is to prevent digital copies of HD video and I feel sure that the HDCP decoder chip would need to be on the Intensity, not the graphics card.

[ajp_anton]

So can you capture 480p at 60fps within VirtualDub? Any chance of a Super Mario Galaxy or other Wii screenshot showing uncompressed quality?I got the cards to work (without freezing), but I still need to temporarily disable one of them while connecting to the other one.
VirtualDub doesn't work with 480p - I get two unstable pictures stacked side by side. PVR2 (comes with the card) works, and you can choose whatever codecs you have on your computer. Only possible resolution (at least for uncompressed/lossless) is 768x480, can probably be resized if you compress with ffdshow.

Just came home from a Smash Bros Melee tournament, and I was hoping I could capture a little Brawl too, but nobody wanted to play in 480p widescreen...
Zelda TP is 30fps, but I can try to capture a little Monkey Ball (after I finish compressing 30 hours of Melee videos).

[easy2Bcheesy]

It sounds for all the world like VirtualDub is stuck on 480i mode. That would explain the wobbly images.

Are there no options under video->capture filter you can tweak?

I don't mind what game you grab, I just want to see the quality. It doesn't matter what frame rate the game runs at, the Wii is still outputting a 60Hz signal at 480p.

[MaggIvy]

I find this to be incredibly unlikely. Where did you read it? The whole point of HDCP is to prevent digital copies of HD video and I feel sure that the HDCP decoder chip would need to be on the Intensity, not the graphics card.

Ohh ok, I see...in that case I guess I'm better off getting the intensity pro?

I heard it from a friend so i was wondering if there is any potential of it really working.

[easy2Bcheesy]

I'd say the potential is approximately zero. The Intensity is receiving a scrambled signal it has no means to decode. For grabbing console, Intensity Pro isn't bad so long as you can put up with the awful software it comes with.

[MaggIvy]

I know I can use Iuvcr for it, I've managed to get it to work with the hdmi one, I just couldn't get a signal.

I agree with the software though, it does suck.

So I'll get an intensity pro then.

Thanks.

[Seraphic-]

Ok, I read that the Blackmagic Intensity (NOT pro) one can capture via hdmi if you have hdcp compliant video card and monitor. I was wondering if anyone has tried this with any success?

What console are you trying to capture v.i HDMI from? Xbox360 or PS3?

[Jaxel]

I know I can use Iuvcr for it, I've managed to get it to work with the hdmi one, I just couldn't get a signal.

I agree with the software though, it does suck.

So I'll get an intensity pro then.

Thanks.

What is Iuvcr and Iuvsr? Right now I am using the trial for Cineform Neo, but I dont want to be spending $250 for the software. Are Iuvcr or Iuvsr a viable replacement for them? The Intensity Software is garbage.

[easy2Bcheesy]

He's talking about this. (http://www.iulabs.com/iuvcr/index.shtml) It's no replacement for the compression/quality of CineForm.

[MaggIvy]

What console are you trying to capture v.i HDMI from? Xbox360 or PS3?

PlayStation3.

[MaggIvy]

He's talking about this. (http://www.iulabs.com/iuvcr/index.shtml) It's no replacement for the compression/quality of CineForm.

Make that "she" lol.

What is Iuvcr and Iuvsr? Right now I am using the trial for Cineform Neo, but I dont want to be spending $250 for the software. Are Iuvcr or Iuvsr a viable replacement for them? The Intensity Software is garbage.

It's just something I used because I kept getting errors that other programs couldn't access the capture card. So I used Iuvcr and it worked.

What's Cineform Neo? Can it record in a "lossless" codec like huffyuv or lagarith? I'm not going to bother recording in uncompressed since I don't have 4 disc raid...

[easy2Bcheesy]

It's impossible to capture losslessly consistently at anything better than a 2.5:1 compression ratio. CineForm isn't lossless but you honestly can't tell the difference quality-wise and your compression ratio is closer to 10:1, meaning easy to handle files plus no need for RAID arrays.

[Jaxel]

Yeah... Cineform Neo is AMAZING.

[MaggIvy]

It's impossible to capture losslessly consistently at anything better than a 2.5:1 compression ratio.

What is 2.5:1 compression ratio?

[Southstorm]

@MaggIvy
Lets say you have a 1000MB raw video file. A 2.5:1 compression ratio would mean 1000 / 2.5 = 400. So your compressed video file would be 400MB, and so forth...

[MaggIvy]

Oh so you mean its impossible to record to get a set file size or something? You kinda lost me there.

I'm really not worried about saving hd space if thats the case.

[easy2Bcheesy]

You should be because a single hard disk on its own doesn't have the speed to capture high definition uncompressed and even with 2.5:1 compression, I still need a two disk RAID-0 array.

[MaggIvy]

I have two hds but I just don't understand how this array thing works? What is it?

[easy2Bcheesy]

A RAID array combines two disks together to form one volume. It can offer up to twice the speed by simultaneously writing data to both drives.

Uncompressed HD capture is far beyond the limits of a single hard disk - you're really looking at four disks in a RAID-0 array. Mathematically lossless compression like Huffyuv is at best 2.5:1, meaning you can get away with a two disk RAID-0 array.

As CineForm offers a 10:1 compression ratio, it can capture the entire flow of data onto a normal SATA drive, no arrays required. Indeed, it's so good that even a single 2.5" laptop drive could cope and that's a lot slower than an equivalent desktop drive.

[MaggIvy]

NOW I see. :thanks:

[MaggIvy]

Hey, I was searching around for codecs and I found this other one called sheer video.

Is it any good for capturing?

http://www.bitjazz.com/en/products/sheervideo/

[easy2Bcheesy]

No, for two reasons:

a) it's a lossless codec so you'll still need that two disk RAID-0 array
b) it's a Quicktime codec and PCs don't usually capture using Quicktime

[MaggIvy]

Oh so as long as it isn't lossless I can get away with it?

I see.

[easy2Bcheesy]

For HD capture with an Intensity on a single disk drive, you're looking at CineForm or the Blackmagic MJPEG codec you get free with the card.

The codec and the bundled software suck harder than an industrial strength vacuum cleaner, so basically there's either CineForm or nothing, really.

[Jaxel]

Heh... anyone know a way to reset the 15-day trial on the cineform software? lol... $250 is too expensive for something I am only going to use as capture software.

[Blue_MiSfit]

$250 is too expensive for something I am only going to use as capture software.


No, it isn't.

CineForm is an extremely powerful piece of software, and nothing out there comes close. It's well worth the money for this kind of thing. Open source solutions can do the same or better image quality, but not at anywhere close to the speed.

Don't tread into rule 6 territory.

~MiSfit

[MaggIvy]

For HD capture with an Intensity on a single disk drive, you're looking at CineForm or the Blackmagic MJPEG codec you get free with the card.

The codec and the bundled software suck harder than an industrial strength vacuum cleaner, so basically there's either CineForm or nothing, really.

Thanks, I'll be sure to save up some money and get that lol.

[Jaxel]

Open source solutions can do the same or better image quality, but not at anywhere close to the speed.

What open source software?

[Jaxel]

Right now I have a 2 disk RAID-0 array... with the new Western Digital 640AAWKS drives...

According to the Disk Speed Test, I can write at 175 MBps.

And at 8bit YUV 4:2:2, I can handle 720 at 100fps...

However, when I use the Blackmagic Media Express program to record 720p video in Uncompressed (since MJPEG is terrible), it often cuts off after about a minute, probably because it cant keep up. Shouldn't my hard drives be enough to handle the uncompressed video?

*EDIT*... new question... Why does MJPEG look different when I play it back, and when I view it in virtualdubmod? When it play it back in a media player, it looks like it has some really bad interlacing going on... but when I open it up in VDM... it looks amazingly good... Why is that?

[MaggIvy]

I think its been mentioned you'd need a 4 disk raid array in order to capture in uncompressed...two disc raid is for capturing with a lossless codec.

[Blue_MiSfit]

I've personally captured 1080p24 8 bit 4:2:2 to a 3x 250GB SATA RAID 0 array (Mac OS X software raid). It works, until the drives are a little over 1/2 to 2/3 full, then the array slows to a point where frame drops become unavoidable.

4 Drives should let you fill the array to a higher percentage without frame drops. 1.5gbps is a lot of data to sustain :D

Imagine that happening on a feature film shoot, where in the middle of the take you have to yell to the director "THE RAID'S DROPPING FRAMES" and either switch to DVCPRO HD capture (reduced resolution and lossy compression), or put things on hold for an hour or two so the RAID could be offloaded. That was a lot of fun.

Still, when it worked, we were getting (almost) CineAlta HDW-F900 quality video out of a <$20,000 camera + computer setup :D (Canon XL-H1 -> Blackmagic Multibridge Pro over HD-SDI -> Mac Pro running Final Cut Pro).

If we'd been running Windows with Premiere and CineForm NEO, we could've avoided RAID, and captured to a bank of fat drives, all day, without thinking twice about it. That's _huge_. Now they have a Mac OS X version of their software, so epic win on both fronts. See what I mean about being a seriously badass piece of software?

@Jaxel:
Any one of the powerful open-source codecs come to mind - namely x264, xvid.. If these could operate real-time, and look as good as CineForm does at the data rates it uses, that would be very impressive.

Regarding your Uncompressed capture issue - I don't know. I've heard the Blackmagic software is absolute shite. I never used it - just Premiere and Final Cut.

Regarding the JPEG issue - I think whatever media player you're using is trying to do something silly, like field match, or weave deinterlace. If the frames look good in VirtualDub that's all that matters. What media player and decoding chain are you using that creates interlacing artifacts when playing the 720p MJPEG stream?

~MiSfit

[easy2Bcheesy]

I'm fairly sure that XviD and x264 operate in the 4:2:0 colour space so even if it was theoretically possible to capture HD at the same speed as CineForm, you'd still be lacking chroma resolution. As it is, ffdshow's MJPEG chokes at 720p 30fps.

CineForm charge $250 for their codec because it's worth it, basically.

As said above, basically you have a choice between capturing uncompressed and spending a fortune on a RAID array, or capturing compressed with the same quality with the added benefit of small filesizes that are easy to copy about, easy to edit with etc.

I'm running a four disk RAID array here and you just can't edit multiple streams in realtime with uncompressed video.

More than that, there's also a very valid case of how much your time is worth. If you're farting about looking for a CineForm alternative, how many hours are you wasting doing so when there's a ready made solution available? How much are those hours of your personal time worth?

[Jaxel]

Alright... I see what you guys mean...

In the meantime... I heard that I can use VirtualDub to capture video with Intensity Pro... But whenever I select Capture AVI in VDM, it tells me no Capture Device Found... So can VDM capture the Intensity Pro?

[Blue_MiSfit]

I wouldn't use VirtualDubMod. It's very out of date. Try the latest VirtualDub 1.8.0 from Sourceforge. It's like... 5 years newer? :)

Also, easy2Bcheesy's post is total QFT. Right on the nail.

~MiSfit

[Dot50Cal]

I just had a harrowing experience updating my PV3. You needed to flash the firmware multiple times to run the latest PV app. I finally got the card working again. If anyone is attempting to do this, you probably shouldn't. I nearly ruined my card.

[easy2Bcheesy]

Alright... I see what you guys mean...

In the meantime... I heard that I can use VirtualDub to capture video with Intensity Pro... But whenever I select Capture AVI in VDM, it tells me no Capture Device Found... So can VDM capture the Intensity Pro?

I've no idea why you would want to use VirtualDubMod over VirtualDub... I thought all the modifications were done in the main part of the program, not the capture tool... which will be five years out of date.

There's also the fact that Intensity Pro uses its own custom colour space identifier which means that the compression options available will be Blackmagic's rubbish codecs or plain uncompressed.

[squid_80]

VDubMod is so old it can only use vfw devices, not directshow. That's why it can't find the intensity.

[Jaxel]

I dunno... I've just been using VDM for a long time now, and ya know what they say... if it ain't broke, dont fix it. My workflow has all customized vcfs and stuff; and I think they dont work in standard virtual dub...

As for capturing, I went back to using Blackmagic Media Express because VirtualDub cant capture files larger than 2gb. Either way, right now I cant afford Cineform Neo.

[squid_80]

Virtualdub has no problems capturing files larger than 2gb. Vdubmod might, which is why we're telling you not to use it.

[Jaxel]

Either way... if Blackmagic Express works, I have no reason to use VirtualDub.

But as well... I'm seeing a lot of frame loss in my MJPEG video recordings from this weekend at 720p. By the end of a 20 minute video, the audio is completely out of sync.

[Blue_MiSfit]

Dropped frames suck :(

[Jaxel]

dropped frames wouldn't be as bad if it dropped the audio as well... then at least the audio would stay in sync and it would still be usable. But when its out of sync, its pretty much worthless.

[MaggIvy]

OK, so I finally got my hands on Cineform Neo. But I'm having problems, as soon as I open the program my CPU usage jumps up to 100 percent and my antivrius went crazy when I installed this the first time...is there any explanation for this and is this normal?

I'm running on a quad core CPU...

[Blue_MiSfit]

Normal? No.

Your antivirus went crazy? You sure you obtained Cineform Neo through legit channels?

~MiSfit

[MaggIvy]

Well, I signed up and download a trial version here:

http://www.cineform.com/products/NeoHD.htm

Basically my norton went mad with script warnings as soon as I installed it 3/4ths of the way.

[Blue_MiSfit]

Hmm.. Not surprising. Norton has been known to get false positives in the past.

I would suggest disabling it for the time being (or removing it and switching to something a little less bloaty ;))

~MiSfit

[MaggIvy]

What about CPU being 100 percent? Could Norton also be causing that or something?

Also, I finally got the Intensity Pro today, and for the analogue wires, there is no yellow one for video...just blue, white, black, green, and red? What do I connect the component to? lol.

[Blue_MiSfit]

What about CPU being 100 percent? Could Norton also be causing that or something?

My guess is that norton FUBARd the installer, so it didn't get in there correctly. I suggest remove Cineform, erase and re-download the installer, then re-install it.

Are you overclocking at all? If so, definitely remove that.

http://www.blackmagic-design.com/downloads/manuals/IntensityProMan-en.pdf
There's the manual for the Intensity Pro

Page 28 shows that your analog breakout cable should have several connectors, including component in / out(red, green and blue for each), 2ch analog in and out(red / white), and S/PDIF / AES/EBU output (black).

To connect your component source, connect the red, green, and blue jacks on your source to the red, green, and blue jacks that correspond to component input on the Intensity Pro's analog cable.

It should work :) If you're trying to connect composite (usually yellow), use the green jack for input - as the diagram specifies.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

~MiSfit

[squid_80]

Don't forget to set the intensity software to match the source. Look in control panel for the intensity applet. Last time I checked the manual didn't mention it and there's no direct link installed in the start menu group.
Also don't rely on the drivers that came with the card, they're probably well out of date. Get new ones from http://www.blackmagic-design.com/support/software/ (Hey blackmagic, update the damn x64 driver!)

[MaggIvy]

Ok, so I managed to connect it using component but its all weird and stuff...I can't get it to record in HD even though its resolution is hd. In Cineform Neo it has these weird lines at the top and bottom of the video...what settings are best recommended for HD capture using component?

[Blue_MiSfit]

What do you mean exactly it's all weird and stuff?

What are you trying to capture, what program are you using to capture, and what do you see in preview and in the captured file?

Screenshots help :)

~MiSfit

[MaggIvy]

LOL sorry, I'm bad at describing stuff.

I'm trying to capture from PS3 using the component, from numerous video games. Heavenly Sword was one I was testing stuff on. I'm using Cineform Neo to capture them. It's hard to explain, but sometimes its even watery, it ripples...and so on but thats in the preview and I think its because I selected fast...

I have tried numerous settings, and its always the same results, as for the white lines on top, which can be cropped off...but still its there and it has me worried lol.

Here's some links:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/hs3.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/hs2.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/hs1.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/dney1.jpg

Clearly the red is just way to over contrasted...or something like that. I don't have problems like this in other games or when I use my old analogue cc...

Now, I don't know how but someone managed to get this, which looks great, from an Xbox 360 using component...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/callofduty1mt6.jpg

How do I get something this good?

Oh and I'm still having problems with the CPU usage being 100 percent, I realized though if I downsize it a bit then it uses 20 percent less.

[Jaxel]

MaggIvy... how are you splitting your signal? Are you using a regular y-cable splitter, or a distribution amplifier?

This was done by y-cable splitter... looks the same on PS3 and 360...

http://www.crookedjester.com/_matchvids/vf5.080413/vf5.080413.L5.Shagnificent.vs.KowTow.mkv

[MaggIvy]

I was using an old S-video PS2 cable on the ps3 to test it out. I couldn't plug in the s-video, but I could get the component parts to work. Maybe thats the cause...also what is a y-cable splitter?

Is it this? And does it connect straight to the PS3?
http://www.avdgear.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VCDICMM2

As for the CPU...I updated Intensity Pro last night and since then the CPU usages has been anywhere from 15-74 percent. That's much better...or is it?

[Blue_MiSfit]

Much better, and much more in line with what it should be.

Always use the latest software from Blackmagic. They sometimes rush things out and ship crap drivers with it.

Also, I'm not clear exactly how you're connecting your PS3.

Just go straight from the PS3 to the Intensity Pro via Component.

~MiSfit

[Jaxel]

Does BlackMagic plan on putting out a 1.8.4 for Vista x64 anytime soon? lol... wtf.

Right now I have 1.8.0

[MaggIvy]

Well, either way, I'm in need of new and longer cables. I've been doing lots of reading and I found that component is capable of doing HD. Would these work with PS3? Cause I think it would be the better choice...

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320240981915&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=011

Are these any good? They might be used...but its better then spending 80 bucks on new ones...and can these do HD? Are they capatible with Intensity Pro?

[Jaxel]

These are what I use...
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=64186

They can do 1080p no problem. Some cables can only do 1080i.

[Seraphic-]

Mysteriouskk (or anyone), could you go over the process you used to get your MonsterX to work?

Did you use driver Ver1.00.16.02 or Ver1.00.15.04. Was the [SDK] file needed or any other file needed?

I've installed the Ver1.00.16.02 drive, but when I click on the MonsterX icon that is created on the desktop, I get an error and then an illegal operation.

[MaggIvy]

These are what I use...
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=64186

They can do 1080p no problem. Some cables can only do 1080i.

Will this work with intensity pro?

[Seraphic-]

Will this work with intensity pro?

Yes, would be fine.

[MaggIvy]

Sweet, thanks.

[Mysteriouskk]

Mysteriouskk (or anyone), could you go over the process you used to get your MonsterX to work?

Did you use driver Ver1.00.16.02 or Ver1.00.15.04. Was the [SDK] file needed or any other file needed?

I've installed the Ver1.00.16.02 drive, but when I click on the MonsterX icon that is created on the desktop, I get an error and then an illegal operation.

Hmmm.... I think I had that issue once. I believe I had to reformat and install a fresh copy of windows.

I just used the new driver (not sdk).

[Seraphic-]

Hmmm.... I think I had that issue once. I believe I had to reformat and install a fresh copy of windows.

I just used the new driver (not sdk).

Alright, thanks, got it working now. Had to reconfig a few thing and manual install the drivers.

Anyway, just need to adjust the settings to approve picture and figure out how to start capture.

Do you know what the VRM7 and VRM9 are for?

[Mysteriouskk]

Alright, thanks, got it working now. Had to reconfig a few thing and manual install the drivers.

Anyway, just need to adjust the settings to approve picture and figure out how to start capture.

Do you know what the VRM7 and VRM9 are for?

Suppose to be better/higher quality or something? VRM9 is too intense for my computer, so I usually just do overlay or vrm7.

[Seraphic-]

Suppose to be better/higher quality or something? VRM9 is too intense for my computer, so I usually just do overlay or vrm7.

I'll give it a go with my system and see how it goes. However, can't quite get figure out how to start the capture process just yet. :)

And what was the problem someone was having with their MontserX? Frame-rate was messed up capture at 720p or something?

Also, is anyone interested in a Blackmagic Intensity Card (HDMI only)? I have an extra one and it will capture 480i/720p/1080i over HDMI along with digital stereo audio over HDMI. Will work with Xbox360 and is tested and 100% working. Along with that, I have CFW PSP if anyone is interested.

EDIT:

Mysteriouskk, how do you correct the images issues with the MonsterX? It picture seems to jump around a lot.

Dot50Cal, how do you set the PV3/4 for scaled 1080p capture?

[Mysteriouskk]

I'll give it a go with my system and see how it goes. However, can't quite get figure out how to start the capture process just yet. :)

And what was the problem someone was having with their MontserX? Frame-rate was messed up capture at 720p or something?

Also, is anyone interested in a Blackmagic Intensity Card (HDMI only)? I have an extra one and it will capture 480i/720p/1080i over HDMI along with digital stereo audio over HDMI. Will work with Xbox360 and is tested and 100% working. Along with that, I have CFW PSP if anyone is interested.

EDIT:

Mysteriouskk, how do you correct the images issues with the MonsterX? It picture seems to jump around a lot.

Dot50Cal, how do you set the PV3/4 for scaled 1080p capture?

You have to use the program MXCapture to start capturing. Search for it on google. When you say the image jumps around, is it the colors or the entire picture moving? Sometimes in mxcapture, the entire picture brightens up, so I have to reset or click some button in the monsterx settings app.

[Seraphic-]

You have to use the program MXCapture to start capturing. Search for it on google. When you say the image jumps around, is it the colors or the entire picture moving? Sometimes in mxcapture, the entire picture brightens up, so I have to reset or click some button in the monsterx settings app.

Is this it? If yes, is that the newest version?
http://space.geocities.jp/mxcapture/

Also, the entire image sometimes jumps around and I also have the extreme brightness issue sometimes as well. But I was using the MonsterX icon that was created on the desktop from the driver install. I take it that is just for viewing and not capture?

[Dot50Cal]

If anyone out there can get me a good 1280x720 calibration image, I can get my friend who has an Intensity Pro to send a lossless screenshot to me, so I can compare it to my PV3. I know some other folks who have PV4's and such, so getting pics off them shouldn't be much trouble.

Dot50Cal, how do you set the PV3/4 for scaled 1080p capture?

Change the capture width to 1920 width in 1080i mode, and when you run 1080p content into it, it'll capture 960 width (the max). After that, just set flags on your video to resize itself to 1920 width, or encode with a resize command.

[Mysteriouskk]

Is this it? If yes, is that the newest version?
http://space.geocities.jp/mxcapture/

Also, the entire image sometimes jumps around and I also have the extreme brightness issue sometimes as well. But I was using the MonsterX icon that was created on the desktop from the driver install. I take it that is just for viewing and not capture?

Yea, that is the latest. Hmmm.. jumping around might be due to a number of things i guess. Not really sure about that.

For the extreme brightness, yea, the monsterx icon is just a viewer. You need to use mxcapture or some capturing program to capture video.

[Seraphic-]

If anyone out there can get me a good 1280x720 calibration image, I can get my friend who has an Intensity Pro to send a lossless screenshot to me, so I can compare it to my PV3. I know some other folks who have PV4's and such, so getting pics off them shouldn't be much trouble.



Change the capture width to 1920 width in 1080i mode, and when you run 1080p content into it, it'll capture 960 width (the max). After that, just set flags on your video to resize itself to 1920 width, or encode with a resize command.

I have a Intensity Pro, PV4 (and MonsterX) so I can help you out on that. Wanted to try them all out.

Alright, i'll give that a try. Was asking because I'm wondering which would produce the higher quality image? Uncompressed 1080i 30fps capture (Intensity Pro) and then de-interlace/frame duplicate to 1080p 60fps. Or lossy 960x1080p capture (PV4) and resize to 1920x1080p 60fps.

Yea, that is the latest. Hmmm.. jumping around might be due to a number of things i guess. Not really sure about that.

For the extreme brightness, yea, the monsterx icon is just a viewer. You need to use mxcapture or some capturing program to capture video.

Might be driver conflict with the PV4/IntensityPro, but I'm not sure yet. I'll have to mess around some more and see if I can get it working 100%.

I also need to now learn how to use MeGUI. As I'll want to encode the HD videos with x264 to retain high quality and sharpness, but not be too massive in size.

[Mysteriouskk]

I have a Intensity Pro, PV4 (and MonsterX) so I can help you out on that. Wanted to try them all out.

Alright, i'll give that a try. Was asking because I'm wondering which would produce the higher quality image. Uncompressed 1080i capture (Intensity Pro) and then de-interlace/frame duplicate to 1080p 60fps. Or lossy 960x1080 capture (PV4) and resize the 1920x1080 60fps.



Might be driver conflict with the PV4/IntensityPro, but I'm not sure yet. I'll have to mess around some more and see if I can get it working 100%.

I also need to now learn how to use MeGUI. As I'll want to encode the HD videos with x264 to retain high quality and sharpness, but not be too massive in size.

Have you gotten your pv4 working yet? If so, what are you system specs. I still can't get the thing working on my system.

[Seraphic-]

Have you gotten your pv4 working yet? If so, what are you system specs. I still can't get the thing working on my system.

Yeah, PV4 works great as does the Intensity Pro. Still working on the MonsterX though.

[Mysteriouskk]

Yeah, PV4 works great as does the Intensity Pro. Still working on the MonsterX though.

What mobo and processor do you have?

[Seraphic-]

What mobo and processor do you have?

Did you update the PV4 flash using PV-Windows-330.exe and then run PV-Windows-Driver-320.exe after from http://earthsoft.jp/PV/download.html? That is what I did.

As for my system, just built it. It is a Intel Quad Core with a Gigabyte motherboard.

[Mysteriouskk]

Did you get the Monster X working Seraphic?

[Seraphic-]

Did you get the Monster X working Seraphic?

No, haven't had a chance really to mess around with it. My system is currently disassembled on my desk. Waiting for one final part. :cool: (should arrive Monday)

[specane]

Has anybody tried this card :
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-135-LT&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=169

It supports 480p via component break out cables, obviously at the price it doesnt do 720i/p or higher.

[ajp_anton]

Has anybody tried this card :
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-135-LT&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=169

It supports 480p via component break out cables, obviously at the price it doesnt do 720i/p or higher.You haven't read the whole topic, have you? =)

I haven't been able to do much with the component part of it except just check that it works (both 480i and 480p). Used it at a Smash Bros Melee tournament and I just finished editing and compressing all 57 hours of video from there (took 3 weeks).
What I can tell so far is that it has the best quality composite I've seen.

I'll try to get some component video captured this weekend.

[easy2Bcheesy]

@Seraphic:

If you read the topic you'll note that I found the MonsterX to be pretty much useless for HD capture for the exact reasons you mention. The picture jumps about all over the place.

The MXCapture tool manages to compensate for a lot of the problems, but I found the card to be pretty much useless for reliable capture of anything above 480p.

[Seraphic-]

@Seraphic:

If you read the topic you'll note that I found the MonsterX to be pretty much useless for HD capture for the exact reasons you mention. The picture jumps about all over the place.

The MXCapture tool manages to compensate for a lot of the problems, but I found the card to be pretty much useless for reliable capture of anything above 480p.

Yeah, I remember someone in this topic having issues with 720p capture and posting a video of their MonterX capture (was that you?)

When I was messing around my MonsterX I was testing with 720p and that was when the image was quite messed up. I had not tried 480p as of yet though.

The reason I picked up both a PV4 and a MonsterX was using the PV4 for lossy scaled 1080p and the MonsterX for lossless 480p. But since 1080p doesn't seem feasible this generation, I need to decided what one to keep and one to sell. As I still need one card for 480p capture. Lossy 480p with PV4 or lossless 480p with MonsterX (if I can get it working).

Also, has anyone tried to contact MonsterX tech support about the issues with the card? I tried to e-mail "ssk-world@sknet-web.co.jp", but came back with "Delivery Notification: Delivery has failed".

[Mysteriouskk]

Yeah, I remember someone in this topic having issues with 720p capture and posting a video of their MonterX capture (was that you?)

When I was messing around my MonsterX I was testing with 720p and that was when the image was quite messed up. I had not tried 480p as of yet though.

The reason I picked up both a PV4 and a MonsterX was using the PV4 for lossy scaled 1080p and the MonsterX for lossless 480p. But since 1080p doesn't seem feasible this generation, I need to decided what one to keep and one to sell. As I still need one card for 480p capture. Lossy 480p with PV4 or lossless 480p with MonsterX (if I can get it working).

Also, has anyone tried to contact MonsterX tech support about the issues with the card? I tried to e-mail "ssk-world@sknet-web.co.jp", but came back with "Delivery Notification: Delivery has failed".

I don't know about sknet tech support, but do you know if Earthsoft has some sort of tech support?

[miraged]

The reason I picked up both a PV4 and a MonsterX was using the PV4 for lossy scaled 1080p and the MonsterX for lossless 480p. But since 1080p doesn't seem feasible this generation, I need to decided what one to keep and one to sell. As I still need one card for 480p capture. Lossy 480p with PV4 or lossless 480p with MonsterX (if I can get it working).

Just how lossy is the 480p capture of the PV4? I suppose the 720p capture is lossy then too? I am really thinking of getting a PV4 from a friend in Japan because it seems to be the best way if you want 480P+Higher.

[Seraphic-]

I don't know about sknet tech support, but do you know if Earthsoft has some sort of tech support?

Yes, there is support from Earthsoft at info@earthsoft.jp

I've sent them a few questions now and then. I was respectful in my questions and they were also nice enough to reply in English.

(you might not always get a reply)

I really need to find a usable sknet support e-mail and see if they offer support. That is, if I can't get the MonsterX working 100%.

Just how lossy is the 480p capture of the PV4? I suppose the 720p capture is lossy then too? I am really thinking of getting a PV4 from a friend in Japan because it seems to be the best way if you want 480P+Higher.

I have not had a chance to work with my system long enough to be able to tell you how lossy the capture PV4 codec is. Come Monday, I will have the last part for my system and then will able to do lots of testing with all three capture cards. And yes, every video capture with the PV4 uses a lossy codec. Only images are lossless.

Side note: Windows XP SP3 will be released for download this Tuesday =D
(however, you can already find it on torrent websites for download. I rather wait though)

[Mysteriouskk]

Do you think I would be able to return my pv4 to them and get a replacement. I'm in the US, so I'm not sure what exactly to do.

[Seraphic-]

Do you think I would be able to return my pv4 to them and get a replacement. I'm in the US, so I'm not sure what exactly to do.

I don't know, e-mail them an ask if you can working something out.

Also, you have a MonsterX right? Do you have image issues with 720p?

[Mysteriouskk]

I don't know, e-mail them an ask if you can working something out.

Also, you have a MonsterX right? Do you have image issues with 720p?

Nope, the only problem I have is that there is audio synching issues after 2-3 minutes of capturing. Usually 1 sec delay

http://www.vimeo.com/941075

Do the PV4 guys speak any english, or are they just using google translate or something.

[ajp_anton]

PxDTV2300 H review:

Inputs:

Composite:
Used this card at a Smash Bros Melee tournament, and even though it handles passively split signals worse than my other capture cards (darker picture), the quality is still much better.

S-Video:
I live in Europe so no S-video signals from my video games to test.

Component:
480i works with any capture program (like VirtualDub).
I only got 480p to work with Winfast PVR2. Don't have anything to compare with, see the samples at the bottom of the post.
Also here the picture gets darker when passively splitting the signal.
The lack of anti-aliasing in Wii games is clearly visible with 480p =)

Audio:
There are inputs for two audio channels at 48kHz, 16 bits/sample

TV tuners:
There are tuners for both digital DVB-t and analog TV. There are no analog signals here to test, and I haven't had time to try the DVB-t (shouldn't be anything special since it's already digital).


Capturing:

Winfast PVR2 comes with the card, and it lets you use any codec installed on your computer while capturing. There is a huge list of resolutions but the top 10 or so are 768x480 and the bottom half is 768x576 (so only two resolutions to choose from).

There are some random glitches appearing randomly (picture 1 (http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/2252/g1uq4.png), 2 (http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5052/g2rg4.png), see the thin line at the bottom, though the location is usually random). They appear mostly in the first second of a recording, but with PVR2 I've also seen them during the capture. This could be because my computer is too slow, because it happens very often with lossless compression (CPU maxes out) and less with uncompressed (hard drive close to max linear speed). The reason why it happens more this PVR2 is because i can't get 480p60 anywhere else =)

With Virtualdub, the only supported audio format is 48kHz, 16bit, stereo.
PVR2 can't record sound via this card, so you will have to get the sound throught your sound card.


Videos and screens:

Super Monkey Ball: BB (60fps, 6.3MB, 0:17)
Video (http://rapidshare.com/files/110906060/monkeyball480p60.mp4.html) (cropped, downsized to nearest mod16 and AR set to 16:9)
Picture 1 (http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/1033/mb1zf4.png), 2 (http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6127/mb2vc1.png), 3 (http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/6724/mb3iv1.png) (cropped)

The Legend of Zelda: TP (30fps, 31MB, 3:28)
Video (http://rapidshare.com/files/110912928/zelda480p30.mp4.html) (cropped, downsized to nearest mod16 and AR set to 16:9) (black bars change during the clip, so some couldn't be cropped)
Picture 1 (http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/4339/z1wa6.png), 2 (http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/1865/z2cg5.png), 3 (http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/879/z3ru6.png) (cropped)

[Seraphic-]

Nope, the only problem I have is that there is audio synching issues after 2-3 minutes of capturing. Usually 1 sec delay

http://www.vimeo.com/941075

Do the PV4 guys speak any english, or are they just using google translate or something.

Got my system up and running now. So back to working on the MonsterX.

Mysteriouskk, what do you have you VC/AC/Mux set for in with the MonsterX in MxCapture? First page after you click the wrench and screwdriver icon. Better yet, send me an image of that first page if you could. My system seems to be able to run VMR9 fine, just need to fix the image jumping now. Also, 480p works fine, problem is with 720p.

Seemed like normal English when they replied to me.

[Mysteriouskk]

Got my system up and running now. So back to working on the MonsterX.

Mysteriouskk, what do you have you VC/AC/Mux set for in with the MonsterX in MxCapture? First page after you click the wrench and screwdriver icon. Better yet, send me an image of that first page if you could. My system seems to be able to run VMR9 fine, just need to fix the image jumping now. Also, 480p works fine, problem is with 720p.

Seemed like normal English when they replied to me.
Those three options were the only thing I changed. VC set to Picvideo Mjpeg 3 Directshow Compressor. Audio to PCM and Mux to AVI Mux. You also need to go to the fourth tab, and set the first one to your monster x folder.

How long does it take to receive a reply from Earthsoft.

[Seraphic-]

Those three options were the only thing I changed. VC set to Picvideo Mjpeg 3 Directshow Compressor. Audio to PCM and Mux to AVI Mux. You also need to go to the fourth tab, and set the first one to your monster x folder.

How long does it take to receive a reply from Earthsoft.

Awesome! Got the MonsterX working at 480p/720p!! All three cards working now. :devil:

Could take a few days to a week for a reply. Send one and find out.

[Mysteriouskk]

Awesome! Got the MonsterX working at 480p/720p!! All three cards working now. :devil:

Could take a few days to a week for a reply. Send one and find out.

Which do you like the best out of the three?

[Seraphic-]

Which do you like the best out of the three?

Haven't done enough testing yet to be able to rank them. Too bad it seems the MonsterX will capture 720x480 even if you set it to 4:3 (and even it it seems to display as 640x480). The captured file is 720x480 and the source is 640x480. Also, in MxCapture, where is the menu to adjust sharpness, saturation, etc?

Now I need to start trying to find out what I'm doing wrong with MeGUI. Even when set to insane quality, my test videos look like really bad and low bit-rate.

[Seraphic-]

Dot50Cal, with the PV capture application, how do you play back video and enable spdif audio? I have video/audio set to plugs A, but no sound. Also, when I try to play back a captured video, it seems to play back as a time line with a drag bar. So I can't test to see if it has sound. Can you convert the dv files to say avi to be edited?

Thanks

[Blizzardstar]

I got the PxDTV2300 H card and I have a problem while recording PSP:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/UltimagaWeapon/PSPimage.jpg

You can see that there's a section of the screen missing the same size of the border in the top. I'm using DScaler and I tried shifting the image but it didn't work. Is there any way to fix this?

[ajp_anton]

I got the PxDTV2300 H card and I have a problem while recording PSP:

[image]

You can see that there's a section of the screen missing the same size of the border in the top. I'm using DScaler and I tried shifting the image but it didn't work. Is there any way to fix this?That's exactly what I get with DScaler at 480p. Like I said before, I've only got it to work with PVR2.

[Blizzardstar]

Who do the sample videos you posted don't have sound?

Is the software from the card hard to use? I only know how to use DScaler.

[ajp_anton]

Who do the sample videos you posted don't have sound?

Is the software from the card hard to use? I only know how to use DScaler.No sound because, if you read my review, PVR2 can't record sound from the capture card. Was too lazy to find an RCA->3.5mm adapter to get it through my sound card.

It's not that hard to use. You just select the input and start recording. You can create profiles for different settings (uncompressed, Lagarith, HuffYUV, ffdshow...) and change between them.

[miraged]

My friend in Japan bought me a PV4 today, can't wait to get it!

[Blizzardstar]

I kinda found a way around most things.

But still when I put the recorded video on Virtualdub and edit it it gets out of sync.

Edit: It seems MPEG-2 is the only codec doesn't get any lag, but it looks like crap.

[Seraphic-]

I'm interested in hearing some ideas on some methods people are using to re-size 480p video captured at 720x480. Going from 720x480 to 640x480 (4:3) and 853x480 (16:9 - or nearest acceptable 848/854x480), but retaining the highest possible quality.

[Revgen]

Intensity Pro: great card overall, but no 480p support, no support for non-Blackmagic codecs within VirtualDub, but does have support from CineForm. Blackmagic MJPEG codec is not very good.


That's nothing that Graphedit can't solve. :)

[squid_80]

I can't see graphedit being a very reliable capture program.

[VGAcapturingsolutions]

Hey Dot50Cal,
Came across your thread re 480p capture card and thought this link might help. They specialise in a range of digital and analog capture cards. Worth a quick look.

http://www.ems-imaging.com/catalog/modules.php?name=catalog&file=index&cPath=39

Hope this helps. S

[Seraphic-]

Think I've got the hang of MeGUI now. Here is a demo 720p 59.94FPS (4:3 Mode) capture. Came out good if you ask me.
Problem is, and what sucks, is that my source is 4:2:2, but to use x264 I have the convert to 4:2:0 and lose lots of my color information... :mad:

Demo Capture (http://www.temp.seraphicgate.com/DemoCapture.rar)

[bestsoft666]

You would probably end up with a 30fps progressive AVI or a 60field interlaced MPEG2 stream (for a DVD).

[Revgen]

I can't see graphedit being a very reliable capture program.

Well, actually I use Graphstudio LINK (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=133928)

I cap to Huffyuv just fine with mine. No dropped frames, audio is in sync throughout. Don't even need a RAID setup either. I just cap straight to my 7200rpm drive.

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3114/huffob3.png (http://imageshack.us)
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3114/huffob3.c7457a2a7f.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=211&i=huffob3.png)

[miraged]

Think I've got the hang of MeGUI now. Here is a demo 720p 59.94FPS (4:3 Mode) capture. Came out good if you ask me.
Problem is, and what sucks, is that my source is 4:2:2, but to use x264 I have the convert to 4:2:0 and lose lots of my color information... :mad:

Demo Capture (http://www.temp.seraphicgate.com/DemoCapture.rar)

Wow that looks damn awesome, did you use your monster card for the capture? Also from what console did you capture.

[Seraphic-]

Wow that looks damn awesome, did you use your monster card for the capture? Also from what console did you capture.

Thanks :devil:

This was done with a full uncompressed capture using the Intensity Pro. It is a Playstation 1 game, but upscaled to 720p (4:3) using a Playstation 3. :cool:

Pocket Fighter 480i (original)
http://www.temp.seraphicgate.com/pf480i.jpg

Pocket Fighter 720p (upscaled)
http://www.temp.seraphicgate.com/pf720p.jpg

[miraged]

A bit of color loss but otherwise awesome!

[Seraphic-]

A bit of color loss but otherwise awesome!

Yeah, like I said:


Problem is, and what sucks, is that my source is 4:2:2, but to use x264 I have the convert to 4:2:0 and lose lots of my color information... :mad:

Don't think there is anyway around this... :confused:

[miraged]

Hmpf I think its still okay, I expected much worse to be honest.

[Blue_MiSfit]

Bah... 4:2:2 to 4:2:0 is minor for your final encode.

4:2:2 is much better for working with interlaced material, filtering, and doing things like chroma key, but it's unnecessary for distribution. Don't loose sleep over it :)

I think something's happening to your video levels. Maybe a gamma correction is needed for the final encode? It looks overall a bit washed out...

~MiSfit

[Seraphic-]

Bah... 4:2:2 to 4:2:0 is minor for your final encode.

4:2:2 is much better for working with interlaced material, filtering, and doing things like chroma key, but it's unnecessary for distribution. Don't loose sleep over it :)

I think something's happening to your video levels. Maybe a gamma correction is needed for the final encode? It looks overall a bit washed out...

~MiSfit

Yeah, the color really does looked washed out. But I was thinking this was because of going from 4:2:2 to 4:2:0 and losing 1/6th of the color information.

You are saying it is more washed out then it should be? What might you suggest to add gamma correction?

Here are some more samples with a true 720p 16:9 game. Not as easy to tell the color difference in these, but it is still there.

Uncompressed 4:2:2
http://www.temp.seraphicgate.com/raw422.png

Uncompressed converted to 4:2:0
http://www.temp.seraphicgate.com/raw420.png

Encoded with MeGUI x264 using HQ-Slowest @ 7,500 bit-rate
http://www.temp.seraphicgate.com/mkv420.png

[Seraphic-]

Dot50Cal, how do you convert the PV3/PV4 files to something like avi for editing? I've got audio working with captures, however, can't get the .dv file to convert to .avi file.

Also, when I set console to 1080p, PV4 changes to 720x405. How do I set it to capture 960x1080p? Tried to set it to 1920 in 1080i mode, but it returns error when try to capture 1080p source.

Thanks

[miraged]

Not sure if this helps you but eh maybe you should check the following link: http://earthsoft.jp/PV/AviUtl.html

[Seraphic-]

Not sure if this helps you but eh maybe you should check the following link: http://earthsoft.jp/PV/AviUtl.html

Thanks, that did it. Must have overlooked that link.

Now just need to get scaled 1080p working.

[miraged]

Thanks, that did it. Must have overlooked that link.

Now just need to get scaled 1080p working.

Looking forward to your pv captures since I still have to wait a while for mine.

[Seraphic-]

Looking forward to your pv captures since I still have to wait a while for mine.

I'm not even sure how much I'm going to use the PV4.
I'd rather capture lossless with the MonsterX/Intensity then lossy with the PV4.
Only thing I guess I'll use it for is scaled 1080p capture to be resized to full 1080p.
I might even end up selling it in the end.

[miraged]

Well have you compared yet how big the quality loss even is? I read it a few times now but I havent seen any picture proof or anything from someone who compared the cards. I've seen a few videos of PV3/4 and they had damn fine quality (and I really couldnt see any quality loss there).

[Seraphic-]

Well have you compared yet how big the quality loss even is? I read it a few times now but I havent seen any picture proof or anything from someone who compared the cards. I've seen a few videos of PV3/4 and they had damn fine quality (and I really couldnt see any quality loss there).

No, I haven't compared them. But when I talked to Earthsoft support, they told me there was no way to capture lossless with the card, so I know it is lossy to as least some level.

I'll have to post some images from all three cards to for comparaison.

[Seraphic-]

Here is another demo capture. Was trying to upmix two channel to 5.1 channel, but couldn't get it to work yet. This is a capture of an already compressed 720p video from the PSN store, still looks awesome though.

137MB Download (http://www.temp.seraphicgate.com/DemoCapture2.rar)

http://www.temp.seraphicgate.com/me720p.jpg

[miraged]

Damn fine but I am no expert at all. But after seeing this I really want to have my PV4 (even it may be lossy) now!

[Seraphic-]

Damn fine but I am no expert at all. But after seeing this I really want to have my PV4 (even it may be lossy) now!

Yeah, I know. HD Capture is awesome! :devil:
Looking forward to starting full production the videos for my website.

[MaggIvy]

Well, actually I use Graphstudio LINK (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=133928)

I cap to Huffyuv just fine with mine. No dropped frames, audio is in sync throughout. Don't even need a RAID setup either. I just cap straight to my 7200rpm drive.

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3114/huffob3.png (http://imageshack.us)
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3114/huffob3.c7457a2a7f.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=211&i=huffob3.png)

I'd really like to learn how to use this program and all, I have tried and no matter what I do, I cannot get it to work...let alone understand it.

[MaggIvy]

Oh and one more thing, I got BSOD when I was trying to capture using my old CC.

Umm, NVM that post I'll make my own thread about it.

[miraged]

Btw Seraphic how much space do you use up for capturing?

Also this may be a stupid question but is it also possible to have like 720p output but only to capture in 480p?

[Revgen]

I'd really like to learn how to use this program and all, I have tried and no matter what I do, I cannot get it to work...let alone understand it.

1)

Well, if you don't have it already, you'll need the xmllite.dll file in your system32 directory. You can get it here. http://afreedll.com/dll/info/xmllite_dll.html

You'll also need the 2.1 CCESP version of Huffyuv. You can get it here. http://www.doom9.org/Soft21/Codecs/huffyuv_ccesp-patch_025.zip

2)

Open Graphstudio, then choose your video capture device by selecting:

Graph --> Insert Filter --> click bar in upper left-hand corner and choose Video Capture Sources --> select Decklink Video Capture --> press Insert

3) The Declink Video Capture device should appear. Double-Click it and set it up to capture in the format you want.

4)

Choose your audio capture device by selecting:

Graph --> Insert Filter --> click bar in upper left-hand corner and choose Audio Capture Sources --> Choose Decklink Audio Capture --> Press Insert

5) The Decklink Audio Capture device should appear. Double-Click it and configure it. I only use 2 channel. Haven't tried 6-channel or 8-channel.

6)

Before you use Huffyuv, you must set it up in VirtualDub or some other program first. The way you set it up in VirtualDub will be the same as it will be used in graphstudio.

Then choose Huffyuv in graphstudio by selecting:

Graph --> Insert Filter --> click bar in upper left-hand corner and choose Video Compressors --> select Huffyuv among the list of codecs --> Press Insert

7)

Choose your audio codec by selecting:

Graph --> Insert Filter --> click bar in upper left-hand corner and choose Audio Compressors --> Choose the audio codec of your choice --> Press Insert

I choose to use PCM.

8)

Choose AVI Mux by selecting:

Graph --> Insert Filter --> click bar in upper left-hand corner and choose DirectShow Filters --> Choose AVI Mux --> Press Insert

9)

Click on the "capture" pin on the Decklink Video Capture box and drag to the "input" pin of the Huffyuv box. The Decklink Video Capture -- AVI Decompressor -- and Huffyuv chain will appear.

10)

Click the "capture" pin of the Decklink Audio Capture and drag to the "input" pin of the audio codec (PCM in my case). This should creat a Decklink Audio Capture -- Audio Codec chain.

11)

Click the "output" pin of the Huffyuv box and drag to the "input 1" pin of the AVI Mux box.

12) Click the "output" pin of the Audio Codec box and drag to the "input 2" pin of the AVI Mux box.

13) Once that is done, then select your file by going to:

Graph -- Insert File Writer --> Browse --> Select the drive and directory you want your .avi file stored --> Type "mycap.avi" in the filename box. Whatever you name it (I named mine test2.avi), make sure ".avi" is at the end of it. --> Click Save --> Click OK

14) Click the "AVI Out" pin of the AVI Mux box and drag to the "in" pin of your "mycap.avi" box.

15) Your graph should look similar to the pic I posted before.

16) Now press the Green Arrow button to start capping, and press the red square to stop capping.


That's it. Let me know if it worked.

[MaggIvy]

Whoa, I think I got it to work, just waiting on my cables to come in for me to test it for sure...is there any way I can preview what I'm capturing?

Here's my graph result...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/graphedit.jpg

In case you want to see.

[Revgen]

^ Looks good.

To preview your capture:

1) delete every filter except Decklink Video Capture, and Decklink Audio Capture.

2) Go to Graph --> Insert Video Renderer --> Select "Video Renderer"

3) Go to Graph --> Insert Audio Renderer --> Select "Default Directsoud Device"

4) Connect the "capture" pin of the Decklink Video Capture with the Video Renderer.

5) Connect the "capture" pin of the Decklink Audio Capture with the Default Directsound Device.

6) Press the green arrow to play and the red square to stop the preview.

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/4484/huffpreviewek4.png (http://imageshack.us)
http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/4484/huffpreviewek4.c873a9e627.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=50&i=huffpreviewek4.png)

[MaggIvy]

So this will allow me to capture while I watch?

Here's my graph:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/myrendergraph.jpg

And for some reason I have 30fps when its supposed to be at 59-60 fps...is that normal?

[Revgen]

So this will allow me to capture while I watch?

And for some reason I have 30fps when its supposed to be at 59-60 fps...is that normal?

No. It's only a preview. You'll have to use the other one to cap. But you can hook up a monitor to the component-out plugs that come with the card and watch while you cap.

Where is it showing 30fps?

[MaggIvy]

In the final output in huffyuv, its supposed to be 60 fps, but its only 30 fps. I left clicked my caps, and pressed info, and it only has 30 fps.

And I can use both graphs while I do this if I want to cap while I play?

[Revgen]

In the final output in huffyuv, its supposed to be 60 fps, but its only 30 fps. I left clicked my caps, and pressed info, and it only has 30 fps.

And I can use both graphs while I do this if I want to cap while I play?

Are the frames themselves 60p? Set your marker to 60 frames in Vdub and see if it's 1 second.

If not than you need to go into Decklink Video Capture filter in your graph and change it to 59.94p or 60p or whatever format your trying to cap. If that doesn't work than go into media express and change it to 720p 59.94 or 720p 60p or whatever to make sure that app isn't overriding. Also make sure the video you are capping is the same as what your card is setup to cap. Make sure your capping 1080i at 1080i, 720p at 720p etc.

I haven't tried capping and previewing. I'd rather keep my graph as simple as possible. I just watch with the monitor connected to the component out on the card.

I gotta go right now, so if you any more questions, I'll answer them later tonight.

[MaggIvy]

Ok, I did that, and still it captures at 30 fps.

Were you able to get 60 using huffyuv?

[Revgen]

^ Yes. 60p works fine.

Like I said above, try changing the format from the official Blackmagic apps, and see if that works.

I had trouble trying to cap 1080i at one point because I would change it to 1080i but it would cap at 720p. I ended up starting over and doing a new graph. It worked. Make sure to change to format of the Decklink Filter before connecting anything else.

Gotta go. I'll be back.

[MaggIvy]

^ Yes. 60p works fine.
Make sure to change to format of the Decklink Filter before connecting anything else.

Gotta go. I'll be back.

Ok, that there was my problem, I connected it before adjusting the settings and therefore it wouldn't work, so i just deleted the declink video capture off the chain and replaced it, then adjusted it, and re connected it, it worked since then.

Ok, see yah later and thanks for all your help, now I just gotta wait for those cables to come in.

[MaggIvy]

No. It's only a preview. You'll have to use the other one to cap. But you can hook up a monitor to the component-out plugs that come with the card and watch while you cap.

Ok, about that, I've been thinking...would I be able to output it to my tv through my dvd recorder? Like, hooking up the component out to the input of the dvd recorder and watching it through there?

What if the input was hd component while the output is regular component. Will that work?

[Revgen]

Ok, about that, I've been thinking...would I be able to output it to my tv through my dvd recorder? Like, hooking up the component out to the input of the dvd recorder and watching it through there?

What if the input was hd component while the output is regular component. Will that work?

If you're going to watch the HD signal, you're going to need a device that supports HD resolutions. If DVD recorder can take a 720p or 1080i signal then fine. If it only supports 480i, then it will not work.

What you could try, and I haven't used it, is you can go into the Intensity applet in control panel, choose "Select Output Processing", and choose "HD to SD Letterbox 16:9". I have no idea how Blackmagic does downconversion, but hopefully it doesn't affect your capping performance. In theory, your DVD recorder should accept SD resolutions, so you'll be able to watch it while it records.

[MaggIvy]

Hrm, ok cause I really don't want to get another monitor...I'll mess around and see what I can get.

Oh and what's Y, R-Y, and B-Y? Component?

[Revgen]

Oh and what's Y, R-Y, and B-Y? Component?

Yep. Hopefully the downconversion works fine for you.

[MaggIvy]

Oh and one more question, what if I want to break up my caps? Like, instead of having one huge recording that's probably filled with footage I don't need, I can stop and record again, but make it so it won't record over my other record....

[Revgen]

Oh and one more question, what if I want to break up my caps? Like, instead of having one huge recording that's probably filled with footage I don't need, I can stop and record again, but make it so it won't record over my other record....

You have to stop recording, like in the middle of a commercial break. Rename the recorded file to another name, then press record again. There really isn't any other way to do it.

[MaggIvy]

Ok, cause I was gonna do that if there was no way lol.

Thanks again.

I guess all I can do now is wait till I get my wires to test all this out for sure.

[Revgen]

Oh, and one more thing. I can't seem to record more than 510GB using AVI Mux. It stops once it reaches that point. That means you'll have to stop during a commercial and rename the output file. This seems to be a limitation with AVI Mux, because I can cap to MKV Muxer just fine over 510GB. Unfortunately, there is no way to process Huffyuv in an MKV container unless you use Directshowsource, which is more of a PITA than just renaming the capture file.

[MaggIvy]

Whoa, 510 gigs? That's a lot. How long was that clip?

[Revgen]

Whoa, 510 gigs? That's a lot. How long was that clip?

A little over 3 hours. I tried it 3 times already, it stops at 510gb everytime.

[Gabe Logan]

Make that "she" lol.



It's just something I used because I kept getting errors that other programs couldn't access the capture card. So I used Iuvcr and it worked.


I cannot get it to work with my Intensity.is that what you were using it with?

[MaggIvy]

I managed to get IUVCR to work with intensity. No problems at all. But right now I'm using Graphedit with it.

[Inventive Software]

Re: 510GB limitl: I know in VirtualDub there's an option to change the Superindex number so that you can capture to stupidly large files. My first question would be: do you use VirtualDub to capture it? Secondly, is the drive actually big enough to store more than 510GB worth in one file?

[ajp_anton]

My first question would be: do you use VirtualDub to capture it?"I can't seem to record more than 510GB using AVI Mux."Secondly, is the drive actually big enough to store more than 510GB worth in one file?"because I can cap to MKV Muxer just fine over 510GB."

[Revgen]

^ What he said.

I cap using Graphedit since VirtualDub can't cap using the Blackmagic Intensity Pro with Huffyuv or any other non-Blackmagic codec.

[Dot50Cal]

Well have you compared yet how big the quality loss even is? I read it a few times now but I havent seen any picture proof or anything from someone who compared the cards. I've seen a few videos of PV3/4 and they had damn fine quality (and I really couldnt see any quality loss there).

I have a shot showing the difference early in the topic. It was a difficult decision for me to make as well, since up until I got the PV3 I always captured lossless. In the end I'm glad I made the switch. Files are much smaller and in the end the lossy nature of the PV codec is quite good.

Seraphic-, Look for a 1080i setting and change it to 1920. That should give you 960x1080 for 1080p footage. Also, consider setting an aspect ratio flag to resize the 960x1080 footage rather than stretching it and then encoding it.

Edit: Found it:
Lossless:
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/ps3-screencapture.png
From PV3's video:
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/pv3/ps3-videocapture.png

Red is really the only thing that suffers, and even that isn't very bad.

[Seraphic-]

Seraphic-, Look for a 1080i setting and change it to 1920. That should give you 960x1080 for 1080p footage. Also, consider setting an aspect ratio flag to resize the 960x1080 footage rather than stretching it and then encoding it.


Yeah, I think I tried that last time I gave it a go, but it came out at a far less resolution then 960x1080. I'll have to try again tomorrow.

I've heard about setting aspect ratio flag before, but never tried it. Would that also work for a capture at 720x480 and you wanted it to display at 640x480 and 853x480?

As for how lossy the PV codec is, I still haven't compared all three cards yet.
I've been messing around with stereo to 5.1 DTS for my HD videos.
Already done it a few times, now just trying to make it sound even better. :)

[miraged]

I have a shot showing the difference early in the topic. It was a difficult decision for me to make as well, since up until I got the PV3 I always captured lossless. In the end I'm glad I made the switch. Files are much smaller and in the end the lossy nature of the PV codec is quite good.


Ah very interesting! Since I still have to wait a bit more for my card how much space takes the pv3/4 codec for capturing 480 and 720p per second or minute? Since I am looking to get more space and I wonder if I will need a raid system later. Thanks :)

[Dot50Cal]

It depends heavily on the game.

[miraged]

Hm any numbers like lowest to highest you had yet?

[Dot50Cal]

I usually dont keep the raw recordings around so I cant give you a size. I'll be recording a bit of RE4 Wii in the coming weeks, So I'll let you know how large the files get with it (480p). Though, I do recall while playing RE4 Wii I had around 20 hours of record time in 480p on a 300GB HDD.

[miraged]

Yeah I don't worry too much about 480p since it shouldn't use too much space. However 720p is a total different story ...! Well should you captaure something in 720p again please tell me how much space it takes :D. Thanks for the info.

Edit: I should get my PV4 b the end of this week (or maybe next week). I just hope the customs will make problems...

[Seraphic-]

Yeah I don't worry too much about 480p since it shouldn't use too much space. However 720p is a total different story ...! Well should you captaure something in 720p again please tell me how much space it takes :D. Thanks for the info.

Edit: I should get my PV4 b the end of this week (or maybe next week). I just hope the customs will make problems...

Just tested it using its proprietary DV codec. The PV4 at 720p and when capturing audio as well, is 855MB per minute.

Thanks Dot50Cal, found out what setting was needed for scaled 1080p.
However, when I try to capture, it gives me an error. The preview picture is also freezing every second for a second on and off.
Works with 1600 selected, which works out to 800x1080p.
Did you use another other settings?

Also, what is the menu used for that lists the sizes in MB? 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, all the way up to 2GB. Is that system memory?

[miraged]

Thanks a lot Seraphic, so its around the 100MB per second I had expected. Seeing how cheap HDDs are right now I am going to end with two new 1TB HDDs.

[Seraphic-]

You won't need that much space for the PV4 capturing.

[Dot50Cal]

I noticed with newer versions of the PV app that it sometimes gets confused and tries to capture full 1920x1080, and it ends up crashing the app. Try messing around with it.

Yes, system ram. Though I never really found a use for putting that higher than the default (128MB).

480p footage of RE4 running in 4:3 (visible area of 640x334) is approx 261MB per minute.

[Seraphic-]

I noticed with newer versions of the PV app that it sometimes gets confused and tries to capture full 1920x1080, and it ends up crashing the app. Try messing around with it.

Yes, system ram. Though I never really found a use for putting that higher than the default (128MB).

480p footage of RE4 running in 4:3 (visible area of 640x334) is approx 261MB per minute.

The error says something like:
"PCI berth's range was not enough so stopped recording"

So maybe it is trying to capture full 1920x1080.
So you have gotten this error before? If so, how did you correct it?

[Dot50Cal]

Yep, Thats the error. I'm not sure, I haven't had a need to capture in 1920x1080 in a while. When I get my PS3 back I'll have a look.

[MaggIvy]

Ok, so I finally got my cables for the PS3, however, there is a problem, I cannot get it to dsiplay at all on my PC...

I'm using these cables...

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-n-70-2hij.html

Can anyone help?

It only shows in standard and I have no audio at all, just a screeching noise.

[Revgen]

Only shows in Standard?

Perhaps the PS3 needs to be set to hi-def.

I don't have a PS3 so I don't know for sure how it works.

[Revgen]

For anybody using Graphstudio to cap, there is a program called AutoHotKey that I use to scedule recordings now.

http://www.autohotkey.com/

You use the AutoScriptWriter to record youself starting GraphStudio, opening up your .grf file, pressing play, pressing stop, then stop the AutoScriptWriter. Make sure to record for 15 seconds. The AutoScriptWriter will write an .AHK file. Open the AHK file in notepad and find the different places that show "00:00:15". This indicates the 15 seconds you took to record. Adjust the 15 seconds to a time that you want to use, like say if you want to record for an hour you change it to "01:00:00".

After you change the AHK file you can convert it to an .EXE using the AHK2EXE converter. Then schedule that .EXE to run with the Scheduled Tasks program that comes with Windows.

[MaggIvy]

Only shows in Standard?

Perhaps the PS3 needs to be set to hi-def.

I don't have a PS3 so I don't know for sure how it works.

Yeah, I did all that...and it wouldn't even show up in graph edit at all either.

And when I finally had video, the audio was soo distorted it was almost scary. I had ringing noises, static, screeching, everything else in between.

Thinking it could be the cables I connected it to the tv, and amazingly there are no problems at all.

It's gotta be a PC problem or something.

[Seraphic-]

Yep, Thats the error. I'm not sure, I haven't had a need to capture in 1920x1080 in a while. When I get my PS3 back I'll have a look.

Did your PS3 fail and needed replacement from Sony?

Also, before you talked about setting aspect ratio flag for 960x1080 to 1920x1080. Never tried that, but would that also work for a capture at 720x480 and you wanted it to display at 640x480 and 853x480? Is doing such a thing suggested over resizing the capture with software such as Avisynth?

Both the PV4 and MonsterX allow you display as 640x480, but the capture is still 720x480. Or did you find a way to capture 640x480 with the PV3?

Yeah, I did all that...and it wouldn't even show up in graph edit at all either.

And when I finally had video, the audio was soo distorted it was almost scary. I had ringing noises, static, screeching, everything else in between.

Thinking it could be the cables I connected it to the tv, and amazingly there are no problems at all.

It's gotta be a PC problem or something.

Do a system format and clean reinstall of the OS and just what you need to try and capture.

[MaggIvy]

Damn, I've done that soo many times already...it can't possibly be the OS. But I will do it anyway.

Also, I've had it work with regular component before. I don't know why it won't work with the HD component.

[Revgen]

Did you set the Intensity Pro to the PS3's resolution using the Intensity applet in the Control Panel?

[MaggIvy]

There is no option to set it to 720p or anything, except for when I'm actually using the program to capture.

It only has the input select options and etc.

I had a trial of Cineform Neo and it expired so I got rid of that incase it locked stuff out...

[Dot50Cal]

Did your PS3 fail and needed replacement from Sony?

Also, before you talked about setting aspect ratio flag for 960x1080 to 1920x1080. Never tried that, but would that also work for a capture at 720x480 and you wanted it to display at 640x480 and 853x480? Is doing such a thing suggested over resizing the capture with software such as Avisynth?

Both the PV4 and MonsterX allow you display as 640x480, but the capture is still 720x480. Or did you find a way to capture 640x480 with the PV3?



Do a system format and clean reinstall of the OS and just what you need to try and capture.
No. A friend is borrowing it to play GTA4.

It only captures in 720x480 for 480i, 480p.

No, I didnt (whats the point?)

[MaggIvy]

Ok, so I thought I'd update on whats going on....it seems that to capture in HD I first have to go from HDMI to Component, which was great, but doing so caused the audio to glitch, and even more so when I went from standard to HD. So what I have to do is restart the computer pretty much and I'm good to go.

I'm only having a few other problems, when rendering using graph edit, I can't see anything on the preview screen. It's black unless I click on it. Is there any fix for that?

Is there a way to record progressively?

I was doing some testing with media studio and it came out interlaced when the preview was progressive. At least I thought so. I was using the MJPEG to capture just to see if anything at all worked.

When I can get graph edit to preview properly I can start using that regularly.

Is it progressive for you Revgen when you record using huff in graph edit?

Any possible solutions to what is causing this preview problem?

My coloring issue seems to have been fixed...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/RSV2.jpg

Much better then when I first tried.

And the test videos... (http://www.epicalstudios.net/epicaluploads/HDTests.rar)

I won't have these up for long.

I had to use MJPEG to capture using media express.

[Seraphic-]

No. A friend is borrowing it to play GTA4.

It only captures in 720x480 for 480i, 480p.

No, I didnt (whats the point?)

Dot50Cal, my point was that 4:3 output from PS2 is 640x480 not 720x480. :)
Was also trying to ask if you set an aspect ratio flag to resize or resize with software such as Avisynth.

MaggIvy, what capture card are you have these problems with and what is this talk of going HDMI to Component?
You were trying to capture PS3 using HDMI or something?
I don't understand what you are trying to get across. :confused:

[Dot50Cal]

I thought that the consoles native output is 720x480 (interlaced, usually) and your television crops off the black bars (usually 40 pixels on each side, making it 640)?

[Revgen]

To record progressive you set it to 720p. Interlaced is 1080i.

If the output of the PS3 is 720p than you should set the Intensity to 720p 59.94

[MaggIvy]

MaggIvy, what capture card are you have these problems with and what is this talk of going HDMI to Component?
You were trying to capture PS3 using HDMI or something?
I don't understand what you are trying to get across. :confused:

Ugh, sorry, I'm bad at explaining stuff lol.

But yeah, the PS3 is originally connected to my TV using HDMI. So on the PS3 myself I had to switch the output from HDMI to Component or whatever. Then, I had to set the resolution I wanted to use.

Doing so it caused a glitch in the audio, and I have to restart my pc every time.

I'm using the Intensity Pro.

Also, sorry, I wasn't feeling well yesterday. I could barely even stay awake...and I had the shivers like mad. I probably had a bad case of the fever.

[MaggIvy]

To record progressive you set it to 720p. Interlaced is 1080i.

If the output of the PS3 is 720p than you should set the Intensity to 720p 59.94

OH ok, cause it was set to 60fps at 720p.

Also, I'm having problems trying to preview using graph edit, it's just a blank screen unless I click on it with my mouse, I can see little parts of it.

Is there any way to fix this preview problem?

[Revgen]

OH ok, cause it was set to 60fps at 720p.

Also, I'm having problems trying to preview using graph edit, it's just a blank screen unless I click on it with my mouse, I can see little parts of it.

Is there any way to fix this preview problem?

I've never had this problem before.

Perhaps it's a video card issue?

Do you have the latest display drivers installed?

[MaggIvy]

Yes, I think so.

I searched Microsoft Update and there was an update on the software for my monitor, but nothing at all for my video card.

Update: So Microsoft Update was wrong, I went to nvidia and searched and found out I was way behind...I had driver 94.17 or something like that, when version 175 has been out since May 13th.

Now I'm up to date for sure.

[Gabe Logan]

Yeah, I did all that...and it wouldn't even show up in graph edit at all either.

And when I finally had video, the audio was soo distorted it was almost scary. I had ringing noises, static, screeching, everything else in between.

Thinking it could be the cables I connected it to the tv, and amazingly there are no problems at all.

It's gotta be a PC problem or something.

I had the same bad audio problems before when recording ingame of Metal Gear Solid Online.Here is what i recored but did not know how bad the audio was until i uploaded it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9ZdjNY8VPk

I used component set at 1080i for my Intensity Pro.I believe the way i fixed mine was to uninstall and reinstall the drivers.Personally i think these drivers are very buggy.Right after reinstalling drivers and the Decklink software my Decklink in my control panel was gone so through some trial and error i had good audio and Decklink back in action.Have you made sure that the settings in Decklink are in sync with your PS3.I know i had trouble with video when those were off.

[Gabe Logan]

No, it isn't.

CineForm is an extremely powerful piece of software, and nothing out there comes close. It's well worth the money for this kind of thing. Open source solutions can do the same or better image quality, but not at anywhere close to the speed.

Don't tread into rule 6 territory.

~MiSfit

I am using the trial version and for the most part it captures a very good picture except for one game that i had tested where it had some screen tearing.One thing i am wondering is if i am able to listen in to the capture as it is happening because right now i get no audio but i do get audio once the capture is done with.

[easy2Bcheesy]

CineForm can't add any screen tearing that wasn't in the source. If you want to listen to the capture, I'd use the video/audio passthrough on the Intensity as the preview window is a bit small any way (50% resolution).

[ArcticFox]

Sorry to be offtopic but how are you people capturing PS3 video using HDMI and non HDCP capture cards, from what i understand all video signals from PS3 are HDCP encrypted?

[easy2Bcheesy]

There are devices which kill HDCP but they're in short supply. Xbox 360 has no HDCP so Intensity can capture from it. With PS3, I would suspect that most people are using component.

[Seraphic-]

Xbox 360 does have HDCP, but it is only active during DVD/HD-DVD playback.
The PS3 on the other hand has it active for both games and DVD/Blu-Ray moves.

The devices easy2Bcheesy talks about are indeed in short supply and cost as much as the Playstation 3 console itself. Also, there is always the chance that the device could be blacklisted by Sony, then it will not longer work and you're out the money. So run a quick Cost-Benefit analysis in your head.

[Dot50Cal]

The PS3 "test" kit (reviewer's) allows you to deactivate HDCP. It cannot play Blu-ray movies, so its not a problem.

[MaggIvy]

I used component set at 1080i for my Intensity Pro.I believe the way i fixed mine was to uninstall and reinstall the drivers.Personally i think these drivers are very buggy.Right after reinstalling drivers and the Decklink software my Decklink in my control panel was gone so through some trial and error i had good audio and Decklink back in action.Have you made sure that the settings in Decklink are in sync with your PS3.I know i had trouble with video when those were off.

Yep I'm sure they are correct.

Also, when everything was finally working I had to re adjust the settings for the cc, and that's when my audio glitched horribly.

I uninstalled and re installed the devices, cause doing so cause the drivers to be re installed as well. Not sure if its a good idea or not...

[MaggIvy]

Sorry to be offtopic but how are you people capturing PS3 video using HDMI and non HDCP capture cards, from what i understand all video signals from PS3 are HDCP encrypted?

I'm using hd component cables, which can support up to 1080p. But the CC can only do 1080i.

[MaggIvy]

If you want to listen to the capture, I'd use the video/audio passthrough on the Intensity as the preview window is a bit small any way (50% resolution).

How do you do that?

[Seraphic-]

Dot50Cal, found a fix for the PV4 scaled 1080p capture issue.

In my case, I had to disable my soundcard for the PV4 not to return the PCI 960x1080p bandwidth limit error.
My system has two PCI slots, one for soundcard and one for PV4.
But I guess the soundcard was using some of the needed bandwidth for the PV4 960x1080p capture.

Seems I'll just have to disable the soundcard whenever I need 960x1080p capture.
Then go back and enable it when I'm done.

http://www.temp.seraphicgate.com/pv4.jpg

[miraged]

I thought you had a PV3?

Btw I guess you need RAID already with 100MB+ per second for capture, right?

And all the highres stuff that is posted here just makes me wanna get my PV <.<.

[MaggIvy]

Is there any way to fix this preview problem?

Ok, so I finally was able to fix my preview problem.

The problem was Objectdock.

I disabled that and was able to watch my previews no problem.

I only had 3 dropped frames in total when using IUVCR to record. None when using Graphedit, and none when using MediaStudio.

I'm still waiting to see if there will be other problems...ok, so the only problem I'm having is when playing lossless recordings that are larger than 10 gigs when they have audio. Meh, it's nothing big. I don't really need audio for what I'm going to do with it anyway.

Anyway, here are my results from using Graphedit or Iuvcr.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/UniverseofEntertainment.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/Mirrors-Edge.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/Folklore2.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/Folklore1.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/Gloria.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/Dante.jpg

And here are my recording results, progressive 720p 59.94 fps.

Pack 1: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZFU3DZCG

Pack 2: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1MO7OKI1

It takes forever to compress these into anything. The folklore clip took 40 minutes.

[Gabe Logan]

How do you do that?

I ended up using a coax cable from the coax out of the Intensity to my DAC(Digital to Analog converter) and i was able to hear it also.I am sure the same thing can be done through the RCA out ports.

[Mysteriouskk]

Does anybody live in Japan. I need to send earthsoft my PV4, so that they can fix it, but I'm in the USA, and the warranty only covers it in Japan. So I was wondering if I could ship it to you in Japan, and then you could ship it to them, and then when you get it, you can ship it back to me. Of course, I will cover all of the shipping costs, and some more to cover the work.

Thanks

[Gabe Logan]

I only had 3 dropped frames in total when using IUVCR to record.


Are you using a RAID array to get captures off of IUVCR because mine is sluggish and since i had to RMA one of my RAID drives back the performance really sucks.

[Gabe Logan]

Does anybody live in Japan. I need to send earthsoft my PV4, so that they can fix it, but I'm in the USA, and the warranty only covers it in Japan. So I was wondering if I could ship it to you in Japan, and then you could ship it to them, and then when you get it, you can ship it back to me. Of course, I will cover all of the shipping costs, and some more to cover the work.

Thanks

Sorry about your card.May i ask what happened?Was it defective or did some voltages destroy it?

I ask because if one day i were to get one.

[miraged]

Want to know the same!

Getting my PV4 today (hopefully).

[Seraphic-]

I think his PV4 might have been defective or was maybe damaged because of use with a Core 2 Duo CPU.
Not saying it was Mysteriouskk's fault, but there was an issue when using the first batch of that card with that CPU. However, that issue should only have resulted in the PV4 not being seen by the system and should not have damaged the card. So most likely, the card was defective from the start.

Mysteriouskk, did you get a contact from Earthsoft? Did they reply to you about warranty?
Also, did you ever have a chance to try an update the flash memory the card with a computer not running Core 2 Duo CPU? I sent a message to Earthsoft and got a reply from in less then two days.

As for the PV4 working in the outside of Japan, as I've posted a few times in this topic, I'm using a PV4 in North America without issue.

[Dot50Cal]

The update process is very confusing, I had to run it multiple times in order to finally let the upgrade "take". Never again XD

[miraged]

Hmmm I just hope mine will run well. As for the update of the flash memory, anyone got tips on that? The only thing I know so far is that you have to shut down your pc after the update.

[Mysteriouskk]

Sorry about your card.May i ask what happened?Was it defective or did some voltages destroy it?

I ask because if one day i were to get one.

It could've been that, but all of my computers never have recognized the card, so I'm pretty sure it was defective from the start. I'm just hoping I can find someone in Japan to help me trade it in.

Want to know the same!

Getting my PV4 today (hopefully).

I think his PV4 might have been defective or was maybe damaged because of use with a Core 2 Duo CPU.
Not saying it was Mysteriouskk's fault, but there was an issue when using the first batch of that card with that CPU. However, that issue should only have resulted in the PV4 not being seen by the system and should not have damaged the card. So most likely, the card was defective from the start.

Mysteriouskk, did you get a contact from Earthsoft? Did they reply to you about warranty?
Also, did you ever have a chance to try an update the flash memory the card with a computer not running Core 2 Duo CPU? I sent a message to Earthsoft and got a reply from in less then two days.

As for the PV4 working in the outside of Japan, as I've posted a few times in this topic, I'm using a PV4 in North America without issue.

I contacted Earthsoft, and they said they can't replace it internationally. I would need to send it to someone in Japan, in order for it to be under their warranty.

Since none of my computers could see it or recognize it, I couldn't run the flash update.

Is there anyone in Japan that could help me out?

[MaggIvy]

Are you using a RAID array to get captures off of IUVCR because mine is sluggish and since i had to RMA one of my RAID drives back the performance really sucks.

Nope.

It's just a regular hard drive.

I use one to capture and one to save to...

[MaggIvy]

If you're going to watch the HD signal, you're going to need a device that supports HD resolutions. If DVD recorder can take a 720p or 1080i signal then fine. If it only supports 480i, then it will not work.


Ok, I have another idea, instead of buying another monitor to watch my output, what if I were to output back into my tv using component?

It can handle 720p and 1080i.

I just need the cables to do so.

Will it work?

Using the Green, Red, and Blue component.

These... (http://cgi.ebay.ca/25-ft-Component-Video-Audio-Cable-5-RCA-HDTV-Gold-25ft_W0QQitemZ130224100956QQihZ003QQcategoryZ64631QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

[mistical]

I've read nearly every post here and from what everyone has said I am thinking of getting the Intensity Pro as it looks like the best to get, for me at least and I don't have to translate and find tools for the software and help for the PV4 and Monster X. Plus it would probably be a pain finding a way and where to purchase them as well.

I'm looking to record in any HD format (720p or 480p). I already know the Intensity Pro only does 480i, 720p and so on.

This question mainly goes to Mysteriouskk but anyone else that can answer it, would be greatly appreciated. I'm not sure as to what card you are using right now, I saw a few post on you using the Monster X so not sure if you can answer this (and I already think it would be fine doing so but could be wrong) Depending on file size/etc when capturing in 720p, I'm thinking I won't always want 720p, I was wondering if by resizing the picture and such to fit 420p, if I can basically go from 720p to 480p? Keeping the HD just lowering it (as I know Intensity Pro doesn't capture 480p and I do NOT want 480i.)

For those using the Intensity Pro and that can answer this, what is the typical size (estimate, doesn't need to be head on) of say a 5 minute capture or less say using 720p?

I just plan on capturing content from my Xbox 360. I was disappointed as I wasted money on buying the HAVA Platinum HD. Quality was not what I was at all looking for (especially X360>HAVA>TV) and especially a few videos I saw from users on it and for "cheap". Plus it having 480i after purchasing.

I'm currently using and would use the HDTV Distribution Amplifier to split to Intensity Pro if that's what I end up purchasing. I'm using component cables, no HDMI. ( http://www.amazon.com/AV-400COMP-High-Performance-Component-Distribution/dp/B0009QW4MM ).

[MaggIvy]

For those using the Intensity Pro and that can answer this, what is the typical size (estimate, doesn't need to be head on) of say a 5 minute capture or less say using 720p?

For a 5 minute 21 second, 720p, 59.94fps, including audio, got me 10.2 GB, using a lossless codec like Huffyuv and recording audio uncompressed.

[miraged]

Depending on file size/etc when capturing in 720p, I'm thinking I won't always want 720p, I was wondering if by resizing the picture and such to fit 420p, if I can basically go from 720p to 480p? Keeping the HD just lowering it (as I know Intensity Pro doesn't capture 480p and I do NOT want 480i.)

Not sure, do you want to resize 720p to 480 on the fly while you capture? If so I don't think it works. Resizing after the capture shouldn't be a problem.


For those using the Intensity Pro and that can answer this, what is the typical size (estimate, doesn't need to be head on) of say a 5 minute capture or less say using 720p?

Not sure if this is interesting for you, but the Blackmagic software is said to be not really good. Also Cineform Neo Codec might help you to decrease the filesize a bit.

[mistical]

Not sure, do you want to resize 720p to 480 on the fly while you capture? If so I don't think it works. Resizing after the capture shouldn't be a problem.
Afterwards. I didn't think I'd have problems doing so after capturing and using software but thought I would still ask as it is HD.

Not sure if this is interesting for you, but the Blackmagic software is said to be not really good. Also Cineform Neo Codec might help you to decrease the filesize a bit.
Thanks. Is there other software that people are using instead of Blackmagic Software? (I will still give it a try, what is said not to be good about it?) What are you using MaggIvy?

[MaggIvy]

I used graphedit or Iuvcr.

I have used Cineform Neo till my trial ran out.

As for resizing, I think you can downsize to sd using intensity pro...its the input processing settings.

[mistical]

I used graphedit or Iuvcr.

I have used Cineform Neo till my trial ran out.

As for resizing, I think you can downsize to sd using intensity pro...its the input processing settings.

Which of 3 do you find best? and I was just seeing if there would be any problems going from 720p>480p after video has been captured and keep in HD still. I have a bunch of tools that should do that but I never have tried doing so with HD content, especially lowering the HD content and still keeping it (to 480p).

[MaggIvy]

Well Cineform simply has the best compression there is right now. It even has a bunch of features as well, like de interlacing and etc. It's expensive but it's worth it.

IUVCR is good for streaming and recording while you stream, the audio doesn't blank out like it does in cineform. It's not as expensive as Cineform either.

Graphedit is completely free, I'm still trying to get used to it. It has its ups and downs, like having to rename everything as you start a new recording and etc. And the graphs can get complicated if you want to record while watching what you want to record. I really want to learn how to stream while previewing.

[Mysteriouskk]

I've read nearly every post here and from what everyone has said I am thinking of getting the Intensity Pro as it looks like the best to get, for me at least and I don't have to translate and find tools for the software and help for the PV4 and Monster X. Plus it would probably be a pain finding a way and where to purchase them as well.

I'm looking to record in any HD format (720p or 480p). I already know the Intensity Pro only does 480i, 720p and so on.

This question mainly goes to Mysteriouskk but anyone else that can answer it, would be greatly appreciated. I'm not sure as to what card you are using right now, I saw a few post on you using the Monster X so not sure if you can answer this (and I already think it would be fine doing so but could be wrong) Depending on file size/etc when capturing in 720p, I'm thinking I won't always want 720p, I was wondering if by resizing the picture and such to fit 420p, if I can basically go from 720p to 480p? Keeping the HD just lowering it (as I know Intensity Pro doesn't capture 480p and I do NOT want 480i.)


The MonsterX captures whatever format is entering in the card. So if you have a 720p source, it will capture in 720p. I'm 99% sure you can't change it.

Do you know anyone who lives in Japan?

[mistical]

The MonsterX captures whatever format is entering in the card. So if you have a 720p source, it will capture in 720p. I'm 99% sure you can't change it.

Do you know anyone who lives in Japan?
Well I mean not during capture but after capture with other applications such as video converters for which I'd use to lower the file size and upload to websites.

For example, taking 1280x720 and resizing it to 720x480. Which I imagine should keep pretty decent quality intact but that will depend on how I compress and video codecs used.

But I think that should work so I don't think I will have any problems. I was just seeing if other people do something similar, same or whatever.

I don't know anyone in Japan to be able to purchase an Monster X.

[Mysteriouskk]

Well I mean not during capture but after capture with other applications such as video converters for which I'd use to lower the file size and upload to websites.

For example, taking 1280x720 and resizing it to 720x480. Which I imagine should keep pretty decent quality intact but that will depend on how I compress and video codecs used.

But I think that should work so I don't think I will have any problems. I was just seeing if other people do something similar, same or whatever.

I don't know anyone in Japan to be able to purchase an Monster X.
Oh, yea, I convert to 720x480 or 640x480 if I want to post them on youtube or someplace.

The quality is pretty good on youtube:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lkb2ZxaNCww

[mistical]

Oh, yea, I convert to 720x480 or 640x480 if I want to post them on youtube or someplace.

The quality is pretty good on youtube:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lkb2ZxaNCww
So have you tried or own the Intensity Pro? If so, how would you compare it to the Monster X that it looks like you own? I'm most likely purchasing the IP, I just want to make sure (as it already seems) that it's a good capture card and almost/same/if not better then Monster X? I guess. I know the IP has English versus not too. I mean quality wise and what not. Seems great quality not only from your youtube videos but your site as well, as I have checked them out before.

[Gabe Logan]

Oh, yea, I convert to 720x480 or 640x480 if I want to post them on youtube or someplace.

The quality is pretty good on youtube:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lkb2ZxaNCww

What do you use to encode your videos with?I used VirtualDub xvid with my Intensity Pro and it looked like garbage compared to the link you out up.

[Mysteriouskk]

What do you use to encode your videos with?I used VirtualDub xvid with my Intensity Pro and it looked like garbage compared to the link you out up.

I'm just using wmv or h264. Works better with youtube.

[Revgen]

Ok, I have another idea, instead of buying another monitor to watch my output, what if I were to output back into my tv using component?

It can handle 720p and 1080i.

I just need the cables to do so.

Will it work?

Using the Green, Red, and Blue component.

These... (http://cgi.ebay.ca/25-ft-Component-Video-Audio-Cable-5-RCA-HDTV-Gold-25ft_W0QQitemZ130224100956QQihZ003QQcategoryZ64631QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)


I will now revise that statement.

You can output to a component device that is not HD resolution. You just have to go into the Intensity applet in control panel and go to "Select Output Processing". You can select HD to SD Anamorphic or HD to SD Letterbox.

You can also output to your HDTV if you want to as well. Just make sure "Select Output Processing" is set to OFF.

[squid_80]

You can output to a component device that is not HD resolution. You just have to go into the Intensity applet in control panel and go to "Select Output Processing". You can select HD to SD Anamorphic or HD to SD Letterbox.

Have you actually got that to work? Last time I tried it wouldn't work, but that was before the last couple of driver updates. I was capturing thru the HDMI in and trying to monitor with a regular tv connected via the component output.

[mistical]

As I am looking to purchase this asap, can I really go wrong with buying the Intensity Pro? over the Monster X?

[miraged]

I dont see why you shoudnt. The only reason I didnt buy the IP was that its considerably more expensive and it doesnt support 480p (which isnt interesting for you anyway).

[MaggIvy]

I see nothing wrong with getting an Intensity Pro right now, just be sure you get an Intensity Pro and not a regular Intensity like I did the first time.

[Revgen]

Have you actually got that to work? Last time I tried it wouldn't work, but that was before the last couple of driver updates. I was capturing thru the HDMI in and trying to monitor with a regular tv connected via the component output.

oops, I forgot that you can't downsize and output unless your playing back an AVI using Media Express.

So yeah, it can only output the original resolution in realtime.

[miraged]

Got my PV4 today and wow, so far I only have taken some screens but its amazing already...

Xbox360

Grid Demo
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/8423/grid1uu9.th.jpg (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=grid1uu9.jpg) http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/8982/grid2yv8.th.jpg (http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?image=grid2yv8.jpg)

Dragonball Burst Limit Demo
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/6201/dbblmaincy6.th.jpg (http://img218.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dbblmaincy6.jpg) http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/3669/dbblfightjs3.th.jpg (http://img218.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dbblfightjs3.jpg)

PSP
http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/8986/menu2nt9.th.png (http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?image=menu2nt9.png) http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/6075/menuku4.th.png (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=menuku4.png)

Grid Demo Replay
http://des.der-norden-rockt.com/Griddemoreplay.zip

Uhm just my first test with all the tools.

Some nots:
- the card doesnt like Dolby Digital 5.1, only the stereo (I got heavy errors when I used 5.1)
- my hdd only got like 50-70 write speed but it seems to have no problems when I capture in 720p which results in a heavy data stream per second (or maybe I am loosing frames and I am just not seeing it)

Ehm what would be a good adapter for wii/psp normal sound output to toslink? Because I need sound from those consoles too.

[Seraphic-]

Ehm what would be a good adapter for wii/psp normal sound output to toslink? Because I need sound from those consoles too.

Yeah, the PV4 is a great card. Just too bad the video codec is somewhat lossy.
And yes, the card only takes stereo not multi-channel.

Anyway, you could use something like this for RCA to Optical.
However, I'm sure there are cheaper ones.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Analog-RCA-to-Digital-Optical-Coaxial-Audio-Converter_W0QQitemZ330238808175QQihZ014QQcategoryZ14965QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Dot50Cal posted one he uses that was like $20 or something and is somewhere in this topic.

Edit:

Ah, on page Two:
(but I was wrong on price, it is $50)

http://www.sys-concept.com/Analog_to_Digital_Converter.htm
http://www.sysconcept.ca/product_info.php?products_id=168

[miraged]

Seems like getting another product to germany, I saw similiar adapters here but they where like 70-80€ which is over double of the US price ...at least I was on the right track. Thanks for the links!!!

As for the sound, I am happy with DD Stereo and the "lossy" codec is okay with me too.

Btw in my own video of grid I noticed some "ghosting" uhm errors? Not sure if this has something to do with the game, the card or I dont know.

Other than that I am really super happy with everything, especially the price which was muuuuch less than the Blackmagic IP.

[Seraphic-]

As for the sound, I am happy with DD Stereo and the "lossy" codec is okay with me too.

No problem.
But what do you mean "DD Stereo"?
It only accepts 48kHz/44.1kHz/32kHz - 16-bit two-channel PCM (left/right).

[miraged]

Ehm I think it was called Dolby Digital Stereo, or just Dolby/Digital Stereo? Well it was just how its called in the dashboard setup. (doesnt change that its just stereo).

[Seraphic-]

Ehm I think it was called Dolby Digital Stereo, or just Dolby/Digital Stereo? Well it was just how its called in the dashboard setup. (doesnt change that its just stereo).

What dashboard are you talking about?
The one in the PV4 capture application?
Can you post an image?

[miraged]

The dashboard of the 360^^
And I currently have torn everything into pieces and its 3am, I'll do a screen later today.

[Seraphic-]

The dashboard of the 360^^
And I currently have torn everything into pieces and its 3am, I'll do a screen later today.

Ah, I see what you mean now. That is just tells the the Xbox360 what to ouput. The card will only accept "Digital Stereo". Xbox360 calls it "digital" as it is over digital optical toslink, but it is still just stereo. Don't worry about the image.

[MaggIvy]

I think the blurriness is cause of the progressive scan or something. I could be wrong...

[miraged]

Hmmmm not sure I just see a "ghost" picture around the car at some points.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/2849/52188437im4.th.jpg (http://img228.imageshack.us/my.php?image=52188437im4.jpg)
No clue if this is normal or supposed to look like that.

Btw the latest edition of the PV4 as blue seal now which means you dont have to flash your memory for the latest software (up to 3.4.x).

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/8372/pv4bluesealwr6.th.jpg (http://img67.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pv4bluesealwr6.jpg)

[MaggIvy]

Oh I see, I have those to...it's just the frames. I guess it makes motion appear smoother to...

[mistical]

My Intensity Pro came today, LOVE IT. Question so far, using Blackmagic Intensity 2.0 Software (Everything is up-to-date software and drivers). When I am capturing using Media Express, each capture (done less than 30 second videos so far to play around) the audio seems to go out near the end, usually the last 6-8 seconds or so.

I know I read about audio problems in this topic, can't remember if it was related to this card and what not. I do remember reading about someone having to restart their computer and such to fix the audio each time, that is not happening in my case just to put a note of that, if that person was even using the Intensity Pro.

I'm going play around and capture with Adobe Premiere CS3 shortly and see what goes on there with audio and other stuff I'm interested in.

[MaggIvy]

Yeah that was me...I only have to restart when I'm changing the settings. It causes a glitch in the audio for some reason.

Maybe you should try uninstalling and re installing the drivers...I did that 3 times already.

Also is it only on playback or when you are actually recording? When I record using media express I have no audio at all, unless I'm not recording. The only thing I can record and have audio at the same time is in IUVCR.

[mistical]

Yeah that was me...I only have to restart when I'm changing the settings. It causes a glitch in the audio for some reason.

Maybe you should try uninstalling and re installing the drivers...I did that 3 times already.

Also is it only on playback or when you are actually recording? When I record using media express I have no audio at all, unless I'm not recording. The only thing I can record and have audio at the same time is in IUVCR.
It was when I was changing the settings, so I did a restart, that annoying high pitched sound is gone for now.

It is/was there when I opened up Media Express and was sitting at the Record tab. I'd have to mute to not hear it. I know the audio stops when I start recording. I've tried IUVCR and I'm pretty sure I am still having that problem with the audio cutting out towards the end of the capture. Still need to try Adobe Premiere CS3.

What's the best video compression codec to use with IUVCR? I've tried multiple so far. I've always love the XviD MPEG-4 codec but not sure if it's the best or right one to be using for this type of compression. Tried a few others too. I'm was thinking I was getting audio problems as sometimes I am getting a drop in frames but changing codecs, I don't always and still problems, trying to work out.

[MaggIvy]

Never use Xvid for on the fly encoding. Xvid alone takes 40 minutes to compress a 2 minute 720 p video.

What I use for IUVCR is Huffyuv or uncompressed. When I used IUVCR it would glitch and all every so often on the video but when I pressed stop it reported absolutely no dropped frames. But my CPU usage was insane, 98-99 percent. You should check your CPU usage.

What you could do is use graphedit. I somehow came up with a graph that can preview and record at the same time using IUVCR's Tee tree preview thingy. Doing that, my CPU usage was 48-50 percent at most. Only bad thing is telling whether or not I have dropped frames or not.

Here's my graph, it works...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/grapch.jpg

[mistical]

Thanks, going to check this out now. I like the Huffyuv codec so far but having problems with dropped frames.

Could you tell me the drive your using write speed having used the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test application?

[MaggIvy]

Huffyuv is great, its fast, but huff does have its issues with frames. I have had times where it creates bad frames. If I could I'd use Lagarith but that is very slow. But in total I have had only 3 dropped frames from a 10 minute capture.

If worse comes to worse, you can just get Cineform Neo.

But anyway...my write results are for the hd it writes to, don't laugh lol:

Data read/rate in MB/s: 57.5

Data write rate in MB/s: 57.0

I don't have a raid or anything amazing, it's just two hds, one for running programs and the other for storing my caps.

[mistical]

Huffyuv is great, its fast, but huff does have its issues with frames. I have had times where it creates bad frames. If I could I'd use Lagarith but that is very slow. But in total I have had only 3 dropped frames from a 10 minute capture.

If worse comes to worse, you can just get Cineform Neo.

But anyway...my write results are for the hd it writes to, don't laugh lol:

Data read/rate in MB/s: 57.5

Data write rate in MB/s: 57.0

I don't have a raid or anything amazing, it's just two hds, one for running programs and the other for storing my caps.
I'll try out Cineform Neo soon. Have you tried Adobe Premiere while capturing at all? Haven't tested it yet but was wondering.

I'm having many dropped frames using Huffyuv, like 150+ and this is just messing around videos, getting use to things and videos around 40 seconds or less...

Thanks for the read/write speeds. I'm not using or planning on an raid setup either and I don't want to put more money into doing so. I've got 6 hard drives setup on here, and most of them get 55-68 MB/s read/write speeds as well close to yours, I was thinking that may be the problem. I should be using HD720 59.94p 8-bit 4:2:2 right?

My setup isn't that old, just an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual 4400+ 2.21Ghz processor with 4GB dual ram (dual running in each 2 of the 4 slots as my motherboard can do so) though cause I am not using a 64-Bit Windows XP Pro operating system, only can use 2.75GB of that ram, don't feel like upgrading either.

[MaggIvy]

Well you can use whatever you want. But for when I'm capturing from PS3 it's 720p 59.94fps, that way it records progressively. I'm also taking my PC in for repairs since it seems I have an overheating and power supply problem. Hopefully its a fixable issue...anyway...and no I haven't tried any editing programs yet.

I'd say download a trial of Cineform Neo and see if you get the same problems using that. Or try a different codec, like...MJPEG. I used the one that came with black magic the first time, its ok for testers and stuff.

[Dot50Cal]

Yeah, the PV4 is a great card. Just too bad the video codec is somewhat lossy.
And yes, the card only takes stereo not multi-channel.

Anyway, you could use something like this for RCA to Optical.
However, I'm sure there are cheaper ones.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Analog-RCA-to-Digital-Optical-Coaxial-Audio-Converter_W0QQitemZ330238808175QQihZ014QQcategoryZ14965QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Dot50Cal posted one he uses that was like $20 or something and is somewhere in this topic.

Edit:

Ah, on page Two:
(but I was wrong on price, it is $50)

http://www.sys-concept.com/Analog_to_Digital_Converter.htm
http://www.sysconcept.ca/product_info.php?products_id=168

Don't use that one, it has all kinds of problems. Audio drops out, which stops capturing as well as it screwing up the DC BIAS, so if you make cuts of your video the audio will click and pop. I got the Gefen version of the first link you posted. It has neither of those problems. I wouldn't be sure with a generic one like the ebay link is.

[miraged]

Ouch...I got that converter, I hope mine wont fuck up the audio :|.

[Dot50Cal]

:( If your recording drops out, thats the cause. It was extremely frustrating for me, because it would just drop out at the worst times (during cutscenes which I was recording). Another big issue like I said was the DC Bias which was adjusted. Normalizing it helped, but clicks and pops were still there if you navigated as it wasn't 100% on the 0 line. This was made worse by the fact that I needed to use some RCA attenuators when recording from the Wii as its audio is overblown by default with no way to adjust it. I'd get peaks and valleys in the audio that went off center and it was a massive pain. Id suggest returning it.

[miraged]

Well I should get mine the next days, hopefully yours was just eh ... faulty xD? I hope it will work here because I didnt plan on investing too much money into that. I read you're using a geffen now, I think those are available here too but extremly expensive, which one do you have?

[Dot50Cal]

http://www.gefen.com/gefentv/gtvproduct.jsp?prod_id=5278
That one there.

[cortexlegeni]

Hello,

I'am lokking into buying a 480p capture card and strugling between PV4 and Monster X.

Can You point me the best one for this resolution ?

And where can I buy it for a shipping in Europe (France).

Thanks

[ajp_anton]

If you only need 480p, read this post (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1129692#post1129692). I got it from here (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-135-LT). Notice the low price.

[cortexlegeni]

I already have a PxDtv2300H, but my vidéo are very blurry, Because if I want to record 480p I need to use WinTV, I don't know if it's the source but when I see capture using PV4, they are a lot sharper than mine.

[Blimblim]

Looking at this thread, I can totally confirm that both PV3 and PV4 support AC3 5.1 capture. Been using such cards for a long time now, they are somewhat lossy but sooo convenient :)

[Mysteriouskk]

Looking at this thread, I can totally confirm that both PV3 and PV4 support AC3 5.1 capture. Been using such cards for a long time now, they are somewhat lossy but sooo convenient :)

Are you only using the PV3/4 for all of your videos on gamersyde?

I'm in the process of getting my PV4 replaced under their warranty. Hopefully it won't take too long before I can start using it.

[miraged]

Looking at this thread, I can totally confirm that both PV3 and PV4 support AC3 5.1 capture. Been using such cards for a long time now, they are somewhat lossy but sooo convenient :)

Hmmm why do I get heavy sound errors then when I try to capture 5.1 from my PV4? Are there any setting that have to be done in the software?

[Blimblim]

Are you only using the PV3/4 for all of your videos on gamersyde?

I'm in the process of getting my PV4 replaced under their warranty. Hopefully it won't take too long before I can start using it.
Yeah we all only use PV3s or PV4s depending on when we bought the card. Worth every euros :)
As for capturing the AC3 audio, you guys are using pv3tool, right?

[miraged]

Didnt even know you guys are from Europe xD (well until now)!

As for the pv3tool, I think everyone here just uses the standard earthsoft sofware. Though I wonder why there is no 5.1 support in the original software then o.o . As for pv3 tool, I just found it (finally) but I havent gotten anything with it yet. Except 5.1 sound would there be any advantages of using it instead of the earthsoft software?

Btw Dot50Cal, I got my audio converter today in the mail. For me it works totally fine. I only have tested my PSP so far but the sounds seems to be 100% correct.

Did a little PSP Cap Video ~25MB: http://des.der-norden-rockt.com/bleachhts5.zip

(this is also for cortexlegeni since he wanted to see PSP cap quality).

[Seraphic-]

Didnt even know you guys are from Europe xD (well until now)!

As for the pv3tool, I think everyone here just uses the standard earthsoft sofware. Though I wonder why there is no 5.1 support in the original software then o.o . As for pv3 tool, I just found it (finally) but I havent gotten anything with it yet. Except 5.1 sound would there be any advantages of using it instead of the earthsoft software?

Btw Dot50Cal, I got my audio converter today in the mail. For me it works totally fine. I only have tested my PSP so far but the sounds seems to be 100% correct.

Did a little PSP Cap Video ~25MB: http://des.der-norden-rockt.com/bleachhts5.zip

(this is also for cortexlegeni since he wanted to see PSP cap quality).

miraged/Blimblim, you have a link to the pv3tool program? I have a hard time seeing how it can the PV4 can capture 5.1 audio as the earthsoft website lists two channel PCM only. But hey, maybe it can using the other app. Would be awesome to say the least.

[miraged]

The page is http://2sen.dip.jp/pv3/

Not sure but from what I've seen so far I think you have to use it with avisynth. Since I havent bothered with avisynth yet I am still waiting for blim to give us some more input of the advantages (since 5.1 is interesting but in the end I will only use stereo on my videos anyway...at least the moment) but maybe there are some capture advantages too.

[Seraphic-]

The page is http://2sen.dip.jp/pv3/

Not sure but from what I've seen so far I think you have to use it with avisynth. Since I havent bothered with avisynth yet I am still waiting for blim to give us some more input of the advantages (since 5.1 is interesting but in the end I will only use stereo on my videos anyway...at least the moment) but maybe there are some capture advantages too.

Thanks, I'll try it out. PV3Tool0901, right?

So is Blimblim saying it will accept DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, DPLII, and will capture it as AC3 5.1?

Edit:

Messed around a little, but was unable to get it to run.

[miraged]

He said he gets AC3, one of the programs from that side seems to be able to extract audio streams from .dv files in AC3, AAC and WAV. I wish I could tell more but the programs are fucked up for me and I only get question marks instead of kanjis so it even tells me less what it could be about. Anyone knows how to fix the question marks? Some aviutl options are in question marks too, while others are in japanese >.<

[Dot50Cal]

Are you sure it captures the full 5.1 channels Blim? I see it says AC3, but nothing about it being 5.1. Miraged, it usually takes a while for audio to drop out and stop recording. Just be aware that if it does happen, thats the cause. I checked out your file, and the DC Bias is off center like I said. So you will probably run into the same issues :(

I also forgot to mention. My audio de-sync's when I captured from a console that doesn't have native optical out. You can correct this in Virtualdub with the framerate adjustment though, so its not so much of a big deal. Its a steady de-sync so its easily corrected. A developer of Avisynth wrote some nice code to correct this by either adjusting the framerate like virtualdub, or resampling the audio to match the video. If you need them, check out the Avisynth forum for a post created by me.

[miraged]

Hmpf, I have to admit I only captured short clips and it seemed to work there. What program do you use for the DC Bias thing?

The vdub thing would be awesome since I always use vdub anyway, I need to read more into avisynth.

[Dot50Cal]

Adobe Audition (Formerly Cool Edit until Adobe bought them). Just change the DC BIAS to 0%, and it should match it up ok, though some parts will still click and pop since they cant get 100% on center.

[Seraphic-]

How were you guys able to get PV3Tool to run? Would not run for me.

Also, anyone with a MonsterX and using MxCapture, does changing the saturation/sharpness under Video Proc Amp effect the video for you? Doesn't seem to change anything for me.

[Mysteriouskk]

How were you guys able to get PV3Tool to run? Would not run for me.

Also, anyone with a MonsterX and using MxCapture, does changing the saturation/sharpness under Video Proc Amp effect the video for you? Doesn't seem to change anything for me.

I just sent my PV4 to Earthsoft in Japan. Hopefully it won't take too long to get it back to me. Can't wait to try it out.

I think the monster x settings tool is the only way to change saturation/sharpness.

[Seraphic-]

Cool, good luck. Another user said there some way to capture 5.1 ac3 with the PV3/4. But we haven't gotten it to work yet with PV3Tool.

Also, I don't see a way to adjust sharpness, those MX settings tools just allows to adjust colors.

[mistical]

Can anyone point me to a good screen capture application? I have tried the snapshot in iuVCR, it's not working that well at all. I've tried Media Express, not impressed by it OR it's absolute terrible quality when captured(Grabbed Frame). I wish VirtualDub had it unless I am missing it, pretty sure I am not.

[MaggIvy]

GraphStudio is another option. So not even Cineform Neo helps?

That really sucks.

And for me, I have no idea what's going on but I can't get audio at all, no matter what program I use...

[Adub]

Hey guys, I have a friend who is looking for a capture device for some Japanese TV.

He would prefer it to be an external USB solution with support for HD, 1080i is fine, and audio capture.

Even coaxial is fine, but a variety of inputs is always nice.

It doesn't really matter which format it capture in, mpeg2 or h264.

price: ~200 or less if possible.

[mistical]

GraphStudio is another option. So not even Cineform Neo helps?

That really sucks.
I'll look for this and try it. If anyone else has any suggestions, like Mysteriouskk, what do you use to capture your screen captures? I'm pretty sure I've seen you post some or do you use the software that came with your card?

[Mysteriouskk]

I'll look for this and try it. If anyone else has any suggestions, like Mysteriouskk, what do you use to capture your screen captures? I'm pretty sure I've seen you post some or do you use the software that came with your card?

I've only used the Monster X card, and MXcapture allows me to capture screens using that.

[Seraphic-]

I've only used the Monster X card, and MXcapture allows me to capture screens using that.

Mysteriouskk, how did you resize from 720x480 to 853x480 (848/852) for your Super Smash Brothers Brawl video awhile back? Was it done before encoding or during by setting a AR flag?

[Dot50Cal]

Did you download the proper version of pv3tool for your card? I know they stopped supporting PV3 from a certain point on.

[Seraphic-]

Did you download the proper version of pv3tool for your card? I know they stopped supporting PV3 from a certain point on.

I downloaded PV3Tool0901, but I don't even see an exe to run the program anywhere. Do you have run it with other program?

[MaggIvy]

Gosh, looks like it's just one problem after the other...for no apparent reason I am not able to get any audio at all. Since I recorded myself fighting Sanctus in DMC4 on PS3.

I don't know what's wrong, absolutely nothing works. I uninstalled, reinstalled the card and the drivers, checked my settings and etc. Everything is fine. I can record video, but no audio at all...

Not that it matters anymore my pc is completely out of service...just in time for repairs.

[Blimblim]

I downloaded PV3Tool0901, but I don't even see an exe to run the program anywhere. Do you have run it with other program?
Simply copy both dll files to your the folder where your usual PV application is. It's a hooking dll, so just start the pv app as usual and it should work. Beware though, I had issues with recording until I used applocale or set my system to japanese unicode.
Believe me, you'll know immediately if it worked :)

[Seraphic-]

Simply copy both dll files to your the folder where your usual PV application is. It's a hooking dll, so just start the pv app as usual and it should work. Beware though, I had issues with recording until I used applocale or set my system to japanese unicode.
Believe me, you'll know immediately if it worked :)

Alright, I'll try it.

Also, are you saying that when using PV3Tool it will accept DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, DPLII, and will capture it as AC3 5.1?

[Mysteriouskk]

Mysteriouskk, how did you resize from 720x480 to 853x480 (848/852) for your Super Smash Brothers Brawl video awhile back? Was it done before encoding or during by setting a AR flag?

I believe it just captures in 856x480 or something like that. It doesn't capture in 720x480 for some reason. I also needed to zoom in more to eliminate the black bars on the sides of the video.

[Seraphic-]

I believe it just captures in 856x480 or something like that. It doesn't capture in 720x480 for some reason. I also needed to zoom in more to eliminate the black bars on the sides of the video.

Um, how did you do that? :)
It always captures 720x480 for me.

[mistical]

I found another capture application that takes great working pictures (it can record video from devices, among other stuff, too). It's called ChrisTV PVR Professional, his/their website seems to be down still http://chris-tv.com but you can download it at http://www.download.com/ChrisTV-PVR-Professional/3000-13633_4-10280870.html?tag=lst-3&cdlPid=10834949 - It's shareware and only has a 21 day trial. Pretty good though at least for taking pictures which is all I'll be using it for. Can't try out recording yet, waiting on RAID setup, should be here later today or tomorrow.

[Blimblim]

Alright, I'll try it.

Also, are you saying that when using PV3Tool it will accept DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, DPLII, and will capture it as AC3 5.1?

The PV3/4 can capture AC3 5.1 (or DD 5.1, same thing), AAC and PCM 2.0 streams (so stereo or DPLII works). No DTS.
You'll have to use dvtool to extract the ac3 stream from the .dv file, and use nicac3source+audiodub in avisynth to remux the sound.
PVTool just adds some more useful functions to the PV capture software, it doesn't magically change what the hardware can do though ;)

[Gabe Logan]

OK, so I finally got my hands on Cineform Neo. But I'm having problems, as soon as I open the program my CPU usage jumps up to 100 percent and my antivrius went crazy when I installed this the first time...is there any explanation for this and is this normal?

I'm running on a quad core CPU...

Did reinstalling help or how did you fix it because my quad core is in the high 90's which causes the video capture to be like crap.

[Seraphic-]

Simply copy both dll files to your the folder where your usual PV application is. It's a hooking dll, so just start the pv app as usual and it should work. Beware though, I had issues with recording until I used applocale or set my system to japanese unicode.
Believe me, you'll know immediately if it worked :)

Do you mean copy "ff_liba52.dll" and "winmm.dll" to "Program Files\EARTH SOFT\PV"? If so, what folder in "\PV\" or just the root?

Also, when you said "You'll have to use dvtool to extract the ac3 stream from the .dv file", were you talking about the AVI Utility use to convert DV to AVI/Audio? If not, have link?

Edit: Think I've got it working, the program anyway. When set to AC3/AAC, I get no audio input at all. Is below what is need to enable ac3 5.1?
I tried the Record and then Stop feature in the same menu, but the file size was 0. (only wav works, AAC and AC3 return a file size of 0)
Or do you still use the record feature from the main menu in the top left? (tried that as well, but when set to AC3, there is no audio)

http://www.temp.seraphicgate.com/ac3.jpg

[MaggIvy]

Did reinstalling help or how did you fix it because my quad core is in the high 90's which causes the video capture to be like crap.

Nope it did not help. But I installed the updated drivers and it went down to 75 percent. And I have spoken to someone about the cpu usage being so high, and they say its normal. It's a problem if its always 90 percent and up if you aren't doing anything.

On mine, it lags and and all during preview but I haven't had a dropped frame.

I ended up uninstalling Norton and installed Nod32. Things have been better since as well.

And I had my pc repaired today, it appears the power supply was fried. Everything else is fine.

I also use Graphedit with the Cineform codec and smart tee preview(from IUVCR). Doing that, it got my cpu down to 48-60 percent.

My graph: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/smartcineform.jpg

[Gabe Logan]

Nope it did not help. But I installed the updated drivers and it went down to 75 percent. And I have spoken to someone about the cpu usage being so high, and they say its normal. It's a problem if its always 90 percent and up if you aren't doing anything.

On mine, it lags and and all during preview but I haven't had a dropped frame.

I ended up uninstalling Norton and installed Nod32. Things have been better since as well.

And I had my pc repaired today, it appears the power supply was fried. Everything else is fine.

I also use Graphedit with the Cineform codec and smart tee preview(from IUVCR). Doing that, it got my cpu down to 48-60 percent.

My graph: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/smartcineform.jpg


Well before during capture i would only get up to the 30's and now i am in the 70's just when opening the program so i have scanned for viruses and spyware and i'm clean so i am thinking a windows reinstall if i can't get the CPU load down.

[MaggIvy]

Tell me if that works, I'm thinking about starting fresh soon again as well...just gotta finish my projects...

[miraged]

I was wondering what kind of codecs/compressions you guys and girls use for your final videos? I tried uploading stuff to vimeo but I am totally not happy with the quailty. At the moment I havent bothered too much with codecs so I am still using xvid. But what would be the best compromise between quality and size (and maybe lead to even better vimeo quality). I already googeled and stuff but I wondered what you guys were using.

[mistical]

I was wondering what kind of codecs/compressions you guys and girls use for your final videos? I tried uploading stuff to vimeo but I am totally not happy with the quailty. At the moment I havent bothered too much with codecs so I am still using xvid. But what would be the best compromise between quality and size (and maybe lead to even better vimeo quality). I already googeled and stuff but I wondered what you guys were using.
Most people at Vimeo use the H.264 codec. It's what they recommend and what many of their users use. Once I work out my problems. I had tended to use the same at Vimeo most likely as well and probably elsewhere.

[MaggIvy]

I use Xvid and Lame mp3...I haven't tried uploading anything to streaming sites yet. It takes forever though.

[Seraphic-]

For those of us with a PV3/PV4. Here is some information on just how "lossy" the PV4 video capture codec versus a lossless codec from a reply I received from Earthsoft.

[Bitrate]
PV4 codec : general lossless code = 1 : 2 to 4

[Quality of image]
Because it is the subjective one, it is not possible to express it
numerically.

[miraged]

I still barely see any difference ^^

[Blimblim]

Do you mean copy "ff_liba52.dll" and "winmm.dll" to "Program Files\EARTH SOFT\PV"? If so, what folder in "\PV\" or just the root?

Also, when you said "You'll have to use dvtool to extract the ac3 stream from the .dv file", were you talking about the AVI Utility use to convert DV to AVI/Audio? If not, have link?

Edit: Think I've got it working, the program anyway. When set to AC3/AAC, I get no audio input at all. Is below what is need to enable ac3 5.1?
I tried the Record and then Stop feature in the same menu, but the file size was 0. (only wav works, AAC and AC3 return a file size of 0)
Or do you still use the record feature from the main menu in the top left? (tried that as well, but when set to AC3, there is no audio)

http://www.temp.seraphicgate.com/ac3.jpg
That menu is only for the realtime decoding part of pv3tool. Leave it at the A option and it will automatically detect what type of audio stream there is. It will show PCM if it's a real PCM stream, or something it doesn't understand, so if you see it switch to AC3 you are good to go.
Recording is still the same as usual, only more convenient.
If you get no sound, then your source may not output AC3 5.1.

[miraged]

I just tried using 5.1 but it completely messed up the software. After some time I even had to restart because I couldnt even get the original software to run properly again.

At least one advantage of the PV3tool is that you can capture screens shots on the fly. No more enter ->crtlb->crtlw ... which makes it a lot easier.

[Seraphic-]

That menu is only for the realtime decoding part of pv3tool. Leave it at the A option and it will automatically detect what type of audio stream there is. It will show PCM if it's a real PCM stream, or something it doesn't understand, so if you see it switch to AC3 you are good to go.
Recording is still the same as usual, only more convenient.
If you get no sound, then your source may not output AC3 5.1.

After setting the second menu to A option, should the AAC/AC3 box above it be checked or not?

[Mysteriouskk]

The Earthsoft guys are pretty good and fast. They are sending me a brand new one with the new blue sticker. Hopefully it should be here within the end of the week.

[Mysteriouskk]

I just got my brand new PV4, and my computer definitely recognizes the card, but I'm not sure how to get it to capture video or display the input video.

Is the PV.exe program suppose to show video when there is video connected to the card? Did I install it wrong?

[Mysteriouskk]

I just got my brand new PV4, and my computer definitely recognizes the card, but I'm not sure how to get it to capture video or display the input video.

Is the PV.exe program suppose to show video when there is video connected to the card? Did I install it wrong?

Nvm, got it working. Now I just got to figure out what options to change. Anyone have a good translation of this toolbar? And how do I play back DV files in other programs besides PV.exe?

http://cgaming.com/images/Untitled.jpg

[miraged]

Afaik that toolbar enables you to display different information in the bottom bar of the program (like resolution soundstuff and more).

Also there is only one more prog for .DV files, its aviutl http://spring-fragrance.mints.ne.jp/aviutl/

http://earthsoft.jp/PV/AviUtl.html this tutorial explains how to convert dv files to any format you want to (eg. encoding it lossless with cineform so that you can use it with editing tools).

[thedark20]

hi,

i post here my question about PV3/4 capture card:

i would like capture from a ps3, but i am french and use the pal system, i can record from this card in pal ? using a terminal D cable off course.

and I need another cable ?

The software is in japan, but il 's easy ? i can use this card with a another software ?

thx

[miraged]

You can capture from PAL/NTSC ( I am capturing from NTSC-J Wii/PSP and PAL Xbox360).

You either need a D-Terminal cable for you console or you get just get a cheap component switch and connect all your consoles to it and then buy a component->D-Terminal cable for the output to the PV3/4. You may need a sound converter if you want to capture from consoles without optical audio ouput (toslink).

The software is very easy to use. The website has some instructions on how to use the card (http://de.babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home&trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fearthsoft.jp%2F&lp=ja_en&btnTrUrl=%C3%9Cbersetzen), with babelfish and the corresponding pics its really easy to use the software (you will only need it for the capture anyway, post processing is done in other programms).

[thedark20]

Thx for your reply.

For a ps3, i don't need soud converter ? i can connect with optical output.
thanks very much.

[miraged]

Okay something is wrong with my PV4 now. I set up Xp x64 and now I wanted to capture again but the most I get is that the software recognizes 720p but the screen stays black und then the software crashes. It happens on x86 and x64 and I shouldnt have done anything to the PV4 itself. Anyone ever had something similiar.

[Seraphic-]

Anyone know how to get the Intensity Pro to output SPDIF audio using the breakout cable when the audio source is over HDMI? I can't seem to get any audio output.

Thanks

[Jaxel]

These are my workflows....

http://www.crookedjester.com/_misc/workflow.gif

My HD compression settings...

VirtualDub.video.SetDepth(24,24);
VirtualDub.video.SetMode(3);
VirtualDub.video.SetFrameRate(0,1);
VirtualDub.video.SetIVTC(0,0,-1,0);
VirtualDub.video.SetRange(0,0);
VirtualDub.video.SetCompression(0x34363278,0,10000,0);
VirtualDub.video.SetCompData(8664,"AAAAAAMAAAAUAAAABAEAAAAMAAABAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAuXHgyNjQuc3RhdHMAAHMAdABhAHQAcwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA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I would actually love some critiques so that I could possibly get higher quality, at a lower file size...

Here is my output: http://www.crookedjester.com/_matchvids/vf5.080413/vf5.080413.L7.Shagnificent.vs.Denkai.mkv

[Revgen]

^Well, X264 VFW isn't exactly the most efficient way to use X264. I won't get into details of it for political reasons. You can use search to find out why. However non-VFW x264 is usually harder to edit and not many editing solutions are available. The one I like to use for these is the latest versions of AVIDemux which specialize in H264.

Also, is Neo a lossless intermediate codec? If it's lossy, I'd try using graphedit or graphstudio and capture with Huffyuv instead. It's a true lossless codec and should capture fine on newer SATAII HDD's. Read my previous posts on capping with Huffyuv using graphedit and the Intensity Pro. You can also us IUVCR to cap with Huffyuv but you have to pay for it.

[Jaxel]

Okay... I think I'm starting to figure out how this thing works... I've been following MaggyIvy's workflow... but I have a couple of questions about it...

First... which one of these would be better?

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/smartcineform.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/grapch.jpg

Second... What is Smart Tee?

And Finally... is there a way to enumerate file names? For isntance, with CineForm Neo HDV, the first time I push record, it saves to "Component.0.avi", the second time ""Component.1.avi" and the third "Component.2.avi" etc... anyway to do this?

[Jaxel]

I've already noticed two problems that I cant figure out...

1... IJust switched to HD 720p and the audio and video are completely out of sync using HuffyYuv... if I go back to the Cineform, it syncs fine... I get this "Crackling" noise in the preview, but not on the actual video.

2... Occasionaly, sometimes after changing the modes of my capture card from NTSC to HD, the sound wonks out... Instead of getting the sound, I get a loud buzzing noise. I've had this problem from before I started using GraphStudio and the only way to fix it has been to restart my computer.

Other questions...

Is there a way so that I can shrink the preview video render so that it runs on my PC without lag?

Also, if I maximize the Active Movie Window, the video doesnt retain aspect ratio... how do I do this?

[squid_80]

An answer to 2: That happens a lot with the intensity. Bitch and complain at blackmagic so they'll fix it. I've had my intensity pro since they first came out in may last year and it's always done it (along with the blue screen lockups and no video signal issues).

[MaggIvy]

First... which one of these would be better?

Second... What is Smart Tee?

And Finally... is there a way to enumerate file names? For isntance, with CineForm Neo HDV, the first time I push record, it saves to "Component.0.avi", the second time ""Component.1.avi" and the third "Component.2.avi" etc... anyway to do this?

It's a tough call, Huffyuv is more compatible right now, so if you are going to compress it, I guess it depends what program you will be compressing it with. The only downfall is that Cineform is Lossy *I think, not sure* but it gives you smaller files, huffyuv is lossless and can give you way larger files. For example, using Cineform recording a 21 minute video in 720p resulted in 18 gigs. Using Huffuv resulted in 44 gig file size.

I think Smart Tee is a direct show filter. Could be wrong.

And to name files, you have to do it as you go along, I always have the save location open and minimized on my desktop so when the recording stops, you go there and re name it.

1. I don't know, try a different program or record/preview with no audio at all. Is the final cap in sync to or off sync?

2. As for the audio problem, it doesn't matter what program I use, it ALWAYS happens to me. I ALWAYS have to restart before I'm ready to capture fully. Right now I don't know of any other way around it.

3. Yep, you can make the preview smaller, just like you can make almost any window smaller. Go to the corner of the preview and you'll see the arrows, then drag it smaller or bigger...not sure if it will make preview faster or anything.

[Jaxel]

I also noticed that this program lets me capture using the Cineform Neo HDV compression without having to pay the $250 fee (to which I've been contemplating buying for a while now, I've been burning through all the trials on each type of software they offer for now)... Wouldnt Cineform have a problem with this?

[MaggIvy]

Not sure if I should answer that one...but uh...last time I tried using a codec with an expired trial graph edit wouldn't let me use it. I think.

[Jaxel]

Ah... it'll probably give me a message when my trial expires...

Anyway... I really like this program... it let me add a second sound source with a boom mic I had lying around. I use these videos to capture video game tournaments, and I've always wanted to put a boom mic in with a secondary audio track so that I could have table talk and commentary. However, I'm having trouble setting up this Microphone, no matter what, it always sets itself to 49% volume; even after I adjust it, when I click the record button it goes back to 49%. I noticed that the Microphone filter has an intake with "Master Volume"... I assume using this, I could set the volume to 100% or 10% as I needed. How do I use this?

Also, I noticed this program does an extremely poor job of mapping the boxes... I have lots of overlapping boxes.

[MaggIvy]

Not sure what you mean by boxes? Pixellation? Interlacing?

[Revgen]

@Jaxel

Try my huffyuv workflow from earlier in the thread on page 18 and see if you still have sound sync issues. You can't preview what you're capturing using that one, but it's way simpler and therefore may eliminate some possible lag.

[Jaxel]

Naw... Revgen, its the HufflyLuv that has the lag... The Cineform doesnt have any lag, and it lets me preview...

I have two Western Digital WDS6400AAKS SATAII drives in RAID-0, so I dont see why HuffyLuv would be causing the lag though... These are the new double platter WD drives, and they are said to be the fastest of all the SATAIIs... to the point where I can burst record uncompressed 720p video with BlackMagic Express for a good 45 seconds before it stops using only these two drives. (BlackMagic Express stops the moment it drops a single frame, and most people say you need a minimum of four drives)

[easy2Bcheesy]

Assuming you are using a multicore CPU, it's safe to assume that its Huffyuv's use of only one core that is the issue.

CineForm spreads its load over up to eight cores leaving plenty of CPU time for other stuff to run. CineForm is going to be absolutely monstrous on Intel's new Nehalem CPUs which are quad cores with hyperthreading. Hyperthreading made a good 15% performance difference with CineForm on the old Netburst Pentium IV CPUs and I'd expect another huge boost in the Core 2 architecture.

[miraged]

Yes I think jaxel is using a Quad (btw des here Jaxel :p)

And the Nehalem will be total beasts...

[Revgen]

Naw... Revgen, its the HufflyLuv that has the lag... The Cineform doesnt have any lag, and it lets me preview...

I have two Western Digital WDS6400AAKS SATAII drives in RAID-0, so I dont see why HuffyLuv would be causing the lag though... These are the new double platter WD drives, and they are said to be the fastest of all the SATAIIs... to the point where I can burst record uncompressed 720p video with BlackMagic Express for a good 45 seconds before it stops using only these two drives. (BlackMagic Express stops the moment it drops a single frame, and most people say you need a minimum of four drives)

What CPU do you have? I have a Quad-core QX6850 and have no problems. I guess your individual cores aren't as quick.

[Jaxel]

This is what I got...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115027

[Revgen]

This is what I got...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115027

It's practically the same as mine except my cores are 3ghz each while yours are 2.66 each and mine has a 1333mhz bus instead of the 1066mhz bus on yours. Otherwise the cache is the same and the architecture is the same. 3ghz is only theoretically 12% faster, so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it, especially if your saying that your experiencing too many frame drops. The bus however is roughly 33% faster, but I'm not sure what affect, if any this has on encoding to Huffyuv.

Are there any hardware engineers who may have a idea?

[easy2Bcheesy]

When it comes to HD encoding, bus speed definitely helps. Think about it, an uncompressed HD signal is being input into the CPU and you're asking it to encode that signal and output it, and output it again - uncompressed - to the GPU. That's a hell of a lot of traffic.

[MaggIvy]

I've already noticed two problems that I cant figure out...

1... IJust switched to HD 720p and the audio and video are completely out of sync using HuffyYuv... if I go back to the Cineform, it syncs fine... I get this "Crackling" noise in the preview, but not on the actual video.


Out of curiosity what are you trying to capture from?

I'm having the same problem using my 40 gig PS3, but on the 60 gb ps3 there are no problems.

None to be had either when using IuVCR.

Also, is it possible to record progressively with 1080i?

[Revgen]

When it comes to HD encoding, bus speed definitely helps. Think about it, an uncompressed HD signal is being input into the CPU and you're asking it to encode that signal and output it, and output it again - uncompressed - to the GPU. That's a hell of a lot of traffic.

Okay, so it looks like the 33% improvement in bus speed helps with encoding to Huffyuv with the CPU. In that case, than it isn't something to do with HDD's ablity to handle the Huffyuv encoded video. Thanks. I'm glad I got it when I did. It was the first 1333mhz CPU on the market so I went for it.

[Jaxel]

Out of curiosity what are you trying to capture from?

I'm having the same problem using my 40 gig PS3, but on the 60 gb ps3 there are no problems.

None to be had either when using IuVCR.

Also, is it possible to record progressively with 1080i?

I'm using a 60gb PS3... what is IuVCR exactly? When I was looking at it, I thought it could only do standard definition...

You can record 1080i as interlaced, and de-interlace it with AVISynth or DG.

[MaggIvy]

Strange...hrm...I tried switching what was rendering the audio last to my sound card, so far it syncs fine. Don't know for sure though.

And nope, IUVCR can do HD, I can even go into full screen and not lose the aspect ratio. It depends on what capture card its using.

[miraged]

Uhm did anyone have problems with the PV3/4 under vista (x64)? Since XP x64 was well ... I didnt like it but I tried to install the driver (at least from what I got the driver is installed but there is still a error sign near the driver in the control panel) and if I want to run I get error that there is a problem with the driver. Anyone had similiar issues?

Ahhh fixed, it had to boot without the forced driver thing.

[Jaxel]

According to the IULabs website, IUVCR can only do standard definition.

[Revgen]

Both MaggIvy and myself have used it for HDTV. My guess is that the author doesn't want to offer support for HDTV capturing so he says it doesn't support it, so they won't have to help you in case it doesn't work.

[Jaxel]

Both MaggIvy and myself have used it for HDTV. My guess is that the author doesn't want to offer support for HDTV capturing so he says it doesn't support it, so they won't have to help you in case it doesn't work.

Ok... is there a reason why you guys use IUVCR and not IUVCS?

[Revgen]

Ok... is there a reason why you guys use IUVCR and not IUVCS?

I've never tried IUVCS so I'm not sure. I just tried IUVCR one time to see if it worked.

[MaggIvy]

Well I never tried IUVCS either, but aside from graph edit and all that, I've used IUVCR since my very first capture card. So I thought I could try it with my IP one day, and it worked.

Edit: Oh wait, I have tried it. I didn't like it, the layout was just too messy....

http://www.softpedia.com/progScreenshots/iuVCS-Screenshot-87984.html

IUVCR is just two screens pretty much, one for capping/watching and one for everything else.

So IMO, it's because I like IUVCR better.

[Gabe Logan]

Has anyone with the Intensity Pro using component and using Cineform Neo HD been able to capture to 30fps because all i can get is 60.59.9 but no 30 or 29.97.

EDIT: Finally got it to show after some reinstall of the drivers but now i got the problem again of too much cpu usage when in use let alone during capture.

[MaggIvy]

Just thought I'd update on the IUVCR and cineform codec together thing...there are times where the usage will still jump causing me to drop 150 frames every so often...every 4 hours. And the codec sometimes even freezes the program. You are better off with huffyuv. OR use graph edit with the codec.

[Seraphic-]

Anyone else with a MonsterX?

Found this page that gives some help on color configuration. My Japanese is limited, but he seems to suggest disabling the auto-gain and auto offset?

http://karinto2.mine.nu/?MonsterXColor

[easy2Bcheesy]

Has anyone with the Intensity Pro using component and using Cineform Neo HD been able to capture to 30fps because all i can get is 60.59.9 but no 30 or 29.97.

EDIT: Finally got it to show after some reinstall of the drivers but now i got the problem again of too much cpu usage when in use let alone during capture.

Intensity's 720p/29.97fps mode is designed for slow motion video from cameras (ie acquire at 59.94, playback at 29.97 for slow-mo), so won't work with videogames.

[Dot50Cal]

Hi again everyone ;) Glad to see the topic is doing so well. I come to ask a question. I'm looking for an HDMI capture card which supports 480p. Has there been any made since the topic began?

[Seraphic-]

Hi again everyone ;) Glad to see the topic is doing so well. I come to ask a question. I'm looking for an HDMI capture card which supports 480p. Has there been any made since the topic began?

Hey Dot50Cal.

There are none.

The only one that might was that one Japanese HDMI card talked about somewhere in this topic.
But I don't think it supports 480p.

Thinking of giving up your PV3?

[Dot50Cal]

I'd still keep the PV3, but I would like a way to capture from my PS3 test with lossless quality.

[Seraphic-]

I'd still keep the PV3, but I would like a way to capture from my PS3 test with lossless quality.

But what about HDCP?

[Dot50Cal]

PS3 Tests allow you to turn off HDCP.

[Seraphic-]

PS3 Tests allow you to turn off HDCP.

And just where did you find a PS3 Test system? :p

[odditory]

So what's the verdict on the USB based BlackMagic Video Recorder? My problem is I need 3 - 4 VCR's and capture cards or usb sticks running in parallel to be able to capture the volume I have to do. Not sure what the best workflow would be but for the BlackMagic solution it seemed ideal if it's got the MPEG4 chip in the USB stick rather than relying on CPU on host PC to do the compression with its software.

[squid_80]

There's no information that says the encoding is done by the device and not the host...

[News Bot]

Bit of a bump, but I came across a new HD capture card just now:

http://www.planetdv.net/Content/By_Manufacturer/Grass_Valley/Video_Editing_Cards/Grass_Valley_Canopus_Pegasus_HD_Capture_Card.asp

It takes HDMI, DVI and Component on top of standard S-Video and Composite. Very pricey however.

[Schrade]

Bit of a bump, but I came across a new HD capture card just now:

http://www.planetdv.net/Content/By_Manufacturer/Grass_Valley/Video_Editing_Cards/Grass_Valley_Canopus_Pegasus_HD_Capture_Card.asp

It takes HDMI, DVI and Component on top of standard S-Video and Composite. Very pricey however.

Here's the web page for that product: http://desktop.thomsongrassvalley.com/products/Pegasus/

[Seraphic-]

Here's the web page for that product: http://desktop.thomsongrassvalley.com/products/Pegasus/

Audio Capture
Line In, Monitor Out6

* Stereo at 24bit 48kHz

HDMI Input

* LPCM 2-8ch at 24bit 32/44.1/48kHz

Although multichannel recording is a great feature, it seems to can't capture uncompressed.
Can only capture with what seems to be a proprietary format.

[Mysteriouskk]

Anybody want my Sknet Monster X card? I'll be putting it on ebay soon since I don't have time to capture video game footage anymore.

[News Bot]

Anybody want my Sknet Monster X card? I'll be putting it on ebay soon since I don't have time to capture video game footage anymore.

How much?

Got the Leadtek 480p card a few days ago. Can't use it until I get a new motherboard sadly. :mad:

[MaggIvy]

I'm also looking to sell my Intensity HD, the regular intensity...

[miraged]

Capture card sellout? Maybe I should drop my PV4 here too xD!?

Anyhow why do you sell your intensity!?

[News Bot]

Prices people! =p

[Mysteriouskk]

Check ebay for mine (search Monster X Sknet)

[MaggIvy]

Anyhow why do you sell your intensity!?

Because I bought the wrong one when I first got my pc, it wasn't the Intensity Pro (which was what I needed), it was the Intensity HD (which is the one I want to sell). So then I went and bought the Pro and now I have no use for the HD one lol.

Good if you want to cap from your xbox and other stuff that doesn't have HDCP.

[miraged]

Ah okay, just wanted to ask why you dont buy the extension to have a pro^^.

You sure have a lot of money (I + IP) XD.

Well what are you guys currently using for HD online videos? Since vimeo has forbidden game videos its hard to find a place for HD game videos.

So far my favourite: Wipido - http://www.wipido.com/video/oMdntDWp9Fxa Was just a quick 720p capture when I recently got my PS3. But even in fullscreen its still watchable.

[Revgen]

^The intensity pro has a dongle and a port for the dongle.

The regular intensity does not. Even if she bought the extension, there wouldn't be a port for it.

[MaggIvy]

You sure have a lot of money (I + IP) XD.

Well what are you guys currently using for HD online videos? Since vimeo has forbidden game videos its hard to find a place for HD game videos.

At the time I did lol, but now I'm broke lol.

At the moment I'm not using anything for my vids, I have them hosted so it's downloadable though.

Someone put one of the vids I uploaded on vimeo...

It happens to be one of my favorite scenes lol.

They finally removed it.

[News Bot]

Can anyone confirm if the Leadtek works with VirtualDub? I know the Intensity works with it fine and can capture 720p through VirtualDub...

[gia257]

A bit of necromancy. Could anyone repeat whats the best card available if I want uncompressed 480p (+hopefully widescreen)?

I want to record gamecube so I can get the d terminal, which I hear is a better connector than component anyway.

Intensity, no
PV4, yes but lossy
MonsterX, yes but ?
Leadtek
other?

[easy2Bcheesy]

My recommendation would be MonsterX + VirtualDub + UT Codec Pack or AMV codec for lossless compression. However, I've never managed to get it working at 720p properly.

Of the other options, PV4 is probably the best as its lossy mode isn't that lossy plus it'll do HD if you want it.

Intensity: No.
Leadtek: Not sure if 480p lossless is possible with it and the 480p is apparently inaccessible with VirtualDub (which means inaccessible with any other capture tool)

[squid_80]

The leadtek PxDTV2300H (hybrid digital/analog) works with virtualdub and will detect 480p if you run the winfast app beforehand, but in my experience it has more dropping issues than a one armed juggler. Also the x64 drivers are completely non-functional.

[edwinbradford]

Hi gia,

I think you might be over estimating the degree of loss on the compression of the P4. I've uploaded some sample screen shots for you. The quality is amazing. Its a long time since I read up on all of this but it uses a 4:2:2 YUV colour model, that's the same as the Black Magic intensity but of course it handles progressive 480p.

Mine is running through D terminals, they're just a component connector for the Japanese market. Bear in mind also that if you're converting to MP2 or MP4 which you almost definitely will the compression will be much greater than the source material. I really think you'll be happy with it, I haven't looked back since getting mine.

Your bigger problem is the Japanese language only issue as I can read it to some degree. However I'm sure you'll figure it out. :D

[gia257]

No, I know PV4 is very good, it's just the greedy me that would prefer perfect lossless than barely lossy. I keep my raw files.

I have past experience with the winfast program and virtualdub (on older hardware though), so I would be able to get around it, problem would be the random drops you claim, maybe it was your hard disk setup?. Card is cheap though so I dont lose by testing, bet it can't do widescreen.

[squid_80]

I have no problems capturing 1280x720@60 using the Intensity, I don't see why it wouldn't handle 720x480@60. And yes it handles widescreen, because widescreen is just the same signal with more pixels crammed in.

[gia257]

Intensity can't do 480p. Someone emailed them and they said it shouldn't be able to capture 480p correctly, this is from their site:

PCI-e x1

HD:
1080i 50fps
1080i 59.94
720p 50
720p 59.94

YUV 4:2:2
Audio 48 kHz and 24 bit

SD:
625 25 PAL
525 29.97 NTSC


vvvv Ah ok lol

[squid_80]

I know that since I own one. I was demonstrating that my hard drive should definitely be able to handle capturing 480p with the Leadtek since it can handle 720p from the Intensity.

[YouCantGetME]

Maybe it's a little late for this thread , but this thread helps me a lot so let me do some feedback.

I bought Leadtek 2300H , and confirmed this card only support 480p @ PVR2 with LT's video card department on phone.(I am Taiwanese)
I tried many ways , including replace driver. All failed.

Then I discovered Compro has new cards E850F/E900F.

http://www.comprousa.com/en/product/e900f/e900f.html

-Supports Composite, S-Video and Component (480i ~ 576p) input

ps. The only different between E850F and E900F is E900F has dual TV tuners and E850F only has one.

I received card yesterday , using my own software.

And.......... works excellent.

It will detect signal and switch automatically , no need to worry about configuration.

I am sure that E850F/E900F is the most cheap progress scan signal solution.

[ajp_anton]

- As the E900F has two analog tuners and enough pins in the video-in connector, does it support two sources simultaneously (for example component + s-video)?
- Can you get around the hardware encoder (and record lossless), preferably with VirtualDub?
- Is it available anywhere that ships to Sweden (except Australia, wtf)?

[YouCantGetME]

- As the E900F has two analog tuners and enough pins in the video-in connector, does it support two sources simultaneously (for example component + s-video)?
- Can you get around the hardware encoder (and record lossless), preferably with VirtualDub?
- Is it available anywhere that ships to Sweden (except Australia, wtf)?

1.no , the other one is TV Tuner not video connector set.

2.I success capture video with VirtualDub , but it crash often while I setting it. Debug window shows "ksproxy.ax".

3.Maybe u should go US net shop , Compro seems has retail sell in US.

[Seraphic-]

When doing a scaled 1080p capture, for those with a PV4, does it:

A: Capture the full 1920x1080p in a 960x1080p resolution
or
B: Capture half of the 1920 (x1080p) field thus giving a 960 (x1080p) resolution

[Gabe Logan]

If anyone wants to sell their Monster X or PV4 cards give me a PM or anything that can capture 480P.

[Dot50Cal]

Just a little bump here because I just got an Intensity Pro in. I'm loving the capture quality, but I've come into a problem. As suggested by someone on this topic, I've been using Graph Studio to record video off it. This is because Virtualdub won't let me use anything other than MJPEG and Uncompressed codecs (any way around that? I really want to use HuffyUV).

Anyway, I have my chain setup like this:

http://pici.se/pictures/oJJkkQeYp.jpg

At the time of capturing, I had interleaving on AVI Mux set to none. However, upon reviewing my footage (approximately 1 hour of 1280x720 videogame footage), I found that the audio gradually desyncs to about 18 seconds behind the action. Almost right off the bat the audio was off, which is really puzzling to me.

I can fix these files manually, but its a big pain to know that my capturing setup is not reliable. So can anyone suggest any help? I'm capturing to two 300GB Raid0 drives, and I'm using a multi-threaded huffyuv codec so there shouldn't be a problem with writing to the drives. Ideally, I would use Virtualdub since it has some really nice syncing options, but I can't select any other codecs.

Any help is appreciated!

[easy2Bcheesy]

Stick with VirtualDub and change codec. Try the UT Codec Suite here (http://forum.doom9.org/showpost.php?p=1226110&postcount=1) or better yet, spend $10 on an AMV codec shareware license here. (http://amamaman.hp.infoseek.co.jp/english/top_e.html) AMV is the biggest leap in lossless encoding in years and I'm frankly amazed people aren't talking more about it. File sizes are usually half the size of Huffyuv, depending on the content, and it's very light on the CPU.

AMV definitely works with Intensity and I'm fairly sure that UT does too.

[Dot50Cal]

Just did a little test run with AMV, even that gradually desyncs. I also noticed that there was a huge amount of input lag as soon as I started recording with Virtualdub. The preview it was showing was nearly a whole second behind my actual actions.

Why is it that AMV will show up fine in the list of codecs, but Huffyuv wont?

EDIT: Ok, I found something odd. I don't think its a gradual loss of sync, but rather tied to a specific time when the stream has issues. I'm assuming this is HDMI related, since it looks like video just drops out entirely for a moment or two. I've made a sample video of the sync going out after the video freezes for several frames. You'll need something to decode x264.

*If you haven't played MGS4 to completion, you probably shouldn't watch this!*
http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/test-muxed.mp4 26MB

Any ideas what might have triggered this? I don't think I've ever seen something like that happen before.

[easy2Bcheesy]

Intensity has a specific pixel format which is actually supported by lots of codecs, but they renamed it so it would only appear to be supported by their own. Lame! I contacted the developer of AMV, gave him the Blackmagic designation and he had Intensity support working within a day.

I've no idea about your sync issues. It doesn't do that on my Intensity Pro.

You're not using Vista are you? If so, try shifting to accelerated preview rather than overlay.

[Revgen]

Just a little bump here because I just got an Intensity Pro in. I'm loving the capture quality, but I've come into a problem. As suggested by someone on this topic, I've been using Graph Studio to record video off it. This is because Virtualdub won't let me use anything other than MJPEG and Uncompressed codecs (any way around that? I really want to use HuffyUV).

Anyway, I have my chain setup like this:

http://pici.se/pictures/oJJkkQeYp.jpg

At the time of capturing, I had interleaving on AVI Mux set to none. However, upon reviewing my footage (approximately 1 hour of 1280x720 videogame footage), I found that the audio gradually desyncs to about 18 seconds behind the action. Almost right off the bat the audio was off, which is really puzzling to me.

I can fix these files manually, but its a big pain to know that my capturing setup is not reliable. So can anyone suggest any help? I'm capturing to two 300GB Raid0 drives, and I'm using a multi-threaded huffyuv codec so there shouldn't be a problem with writing to the drives. Ideally, I would use Virtualdub since it has some really nice syncing options, but I can't select any other codecs.

Any help is appreciated!

I don't use the Multi-Threading Patch. I just use the regular Huffyuv or FFHuffyuv and capture to a SINGLE 7200rpm Maxtor drive. Then again my comp is a quad-core with a 1333mhz bus speed so maybe that's not realistic for most users.

[Dot50Cal]

I also have a quad core and I'm capturing to two raided sata drives. I'm not sure why it happens, but it continues to occur. I also noticed something really odd. I lost about 20 minutes of footage on a 152GB file while using Graph Studio. No idea how it happened, but its just gone. I'll probably switch to Virtualdub with AMV, since that seems to produce the best result.

I figure AMV2 would be best since 3 is YV12 only. Sure, that'll be what I output to eventually, but I'd like to keep raw recordings with the highest possible quality. I'm under the impression that would be YUY2 with the Intensity Pro, correct?

[Revgen]

^Try capping to a single drive. If your bus speed is 1333mhz, then it should be enough for huffyuv. Yes, Intensity Pro is YUY2, but I cap to yv12 just fine, no frame drops.

[easy2Bcheesy]

Considering I have captured 720p60 in Huffyuv using a 3.0GHz Pentium 4 back in 2005, CPU is not the problem here. GraphStudio will have no resampling/sync capabilities whatsoever. I'm guessing it's not built for video capture so should be avoided.

[Dot50Cal]

Been running with AMV for a bit now. It recorded 7 hours of HD footage with Virtualdub from the PS3 with zero sync issues. So I'll be going with that (even though it seems to create larger files than Huffy by a small margin). The fact that it can decode while using multiple cores is also pretty nice, since 720p Huffy footage usually chugs on fast motion if I play it in Media Player Classic. $10 well spent imo :)

The only issue I seem to have noticed is while viewing the capturing in Virtualdub, it chugs sometimes. It makes me nervous that I might drop a frame, since the CPU usage goes to 90 at times. Another one is that there is a noticeable delay between your inputs and what is presented on screen. Luckily, this can all be solved by turning off the preview and using the component out of the Intensity pro. I wonder why there isn't a 64 bit, multi-threaded version of Virtualdub out.

I'll see about putting together a quick comparison with my PV3 and the Intensity Pro. Another thing I want to look further into is the lackluster performance of the PS3's component out signal.

Easy, what cards do you own? I seem to recall you had a PV4? Any others?

EDIT/UPDATE:
Alrighty, I just finished up testing a few different theories of mine and I came out pleasantly surprised. I tested the Earthsoft PV3 and the Intensity Pro on a Playstation 3 "Test". The Test will allow me to capture from HDMI by turning HDCP off, enabling me to try the FULL RANGE RGB option on the Playstation 3.

First off, here are some notes to read:


For the Intensity HDMI and PV3 via Intensity shots, I had to adjust the black levels. I used the following in Avisynth to do this:
Levels(16, 1, 235, 0, 255, coring=false)
For the FULL RANGE Intensity test, I did not apply this command.
I also had to adjust the PV3 based shots by 1 pixel upwards, so the shots could match if you copy/pasted them onto one another.


The main goal of this test was to see how poor the PS3's analog out is (component). It creates a halo type effect on harsh edges which you can see in the shots. This initially caused me a lot of problems on captures, since these halo's even appear on the PV3 when taking a direct screenshot (without even applying its compression).

A secondary goal was to see the quality difference with component vs HDMI on the PS3. As you can see, the difference is quite substantial. The halo effects alone should drive you away from Component on the PS3.

Another thing to test was the difference between native PS3 component out, and taking the component out signal from the Intensity Pro and running them both through the Earthsoft PV3. As you can see, the preferred method for this would be using the Intensity's out (HDMI out from PS3 [to> Intensity Pro [to> Earthsoft PV3 via Intensity component out). With this method, you get rid of any halo effects.

Finally, I wanted to test the Full Range RGB option on the PS3. I was dis-pleased to see that when capturing HDMI with the Intensity, the image that the PS3 put out had black levels at 16,16,16 rather than 0,0,0. I had previously been using an Avisynth script to correct this, which worked fine, but also introduced slight deviations from the original image. Mostly it was gradient colors, or some pixels that didn't turn fully to 0,0,0. While this was invisible to the naked eye in playback, I could still sense it was there :p. Luckily, the Full Range option on the PS3 does the trick. There is no loss of black levels or anything (as far as I can tell).

My only regret about all this is that I couldn't get the component in working on the Intensity Pro. Pictures and a small "article" in a little bit! If you want to just check out the pictures yourself in the meantime, heres a 50MB zip with the images that I'll be using. (Note that the engine sometimes changed things between captures. Stuff like dust, and position of people are off in some of the pictures).

http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/b3d/Testing.zip

EDIT2/UPDATE2
***If your browser hates PNG files, quote the post to see the images you are missing***
FULL RANGE vs LIMITED
Initially, I was skeptical about this option. Since it always crushed blacks for me on my television set. The results are quite different when capturing though. The Intensity Pro seems to take this setting just fine. Previously, when capturing with LIMITED, I had to manually adjust the black levels by around -16. With the setting on, I lose absolutely no shadow detail. This also cuts down on processing time, as well as any errors the correcting may have introduced.

http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/b3d/images/fullrange1.png
Limited on left, Full on right. You can see the gradient colors on limited (possibly a result of the black level correction I applied). *Blown up 4x

http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/b3d/images/fullrange2.png
Limited on left, Full on right. More gradients inside the mouth of the Majini. *Blown up 4x

Colors are also affected. While I was doing an article for my site ( http://www.the-horror.com/index.php?id=features&s=bh5demo ), I was struck by how the Xbox 360 seemed to have a darker green tone to the entire image. After using the Full Range, you can see that the colors certainly are slightly tuned to green. They also seem to be more vibrant with the Full Range.

http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/b3d/images/fullrange3.png
Limited on left, Full on right. You can see that on Full, the image takes on a green tone, similar to the Xbox 360 versions native color.

All in all, I'd say that if you have an Intensity, its definitely worth your while to turn the setting on. This way, you can get the "true" image that you are supposed to be seeing without having to tweak or modify the color settings so that black will be black.

PS3 COMPONENT OUTPUT QUALITY
For a while now, I've noticed that the PS3 just isn't up to snuff in the analog out department. While doing the 360 x PS3 comparison for several titles, the PS3 would always exhibit strange halo artifacts around every edge. It was especially apparent on harsh edges (IE: Black railing on white wall). After getting the Intensity pro, I was finally able to test this theory. Since the Intensity can take an HDMI signal and then spit that same signal back out through its component out, I was able to see if it was truely the PS3 making the artifacts or my Earthsoft PV3.

Please note that the following pictures we're compressed with Earthsoft's codec. I have no control over that, so any jpg type artifacts are a result of that.
Results are..well, mixed.
I'm still not certain whats causing the halo effect, but its most likely the Earthsoft codec. As you can see, the effect exists on both PV3 direct and Intensity>PV3 shots. With the amount of compression that it applies to the images, It would be a shot in the dark to name a culprit. However, I suspect it may be a combination of the two. The Xbox 360's component out signal doesn't have this effect when capturing on the Earthsoft PV3.

One thing I can say is that the images spit out via a direct component capture on the PS3 are more blurred than those captured from the Intensity's component out.

http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/b3d/images/quality1.png
Direct from PS3 on left, via intensity on right. *Blown up 4x

The PS3 direct captures also seem "squished" a bit, but its very slight.

The conclusion I come up for this is that it is better to capture HDMI off the Playstation 3, then convert that to component for capture. This is of course a bit redundant, since you are already getting an digital signal with HDMI. But this is just for arguments sake here. There does indeed appear to be something wrong with the PS3's analog out.

[Seraphic-]

Interesting stuff there, dot.

Don't forget, the 360 has I think five different render modes with HDMI (RGB is one) that you can try.
I don't have console on for exact names, but it is under console video settings.

What problems did you have using component in with the Intensity Pro?
If no video, did you remember to switch it to component mode in the Intensity Control Panel?

Also interested to know how you got your hands on a PS3 Test unit.
You posted about it awhile back, not never gave more information. :D

[Dot50Cal]

Yeah, I captured those using RGB. It fit the most with what the PS3 was outputting. Others made black 1,1,1 , or something other than 0,0,0. So it was obvious which ones to use. The only important thing was setting the range to expanded. That made 16,16,16 into 0,0,0.

I just can't get any video to show up. I did change that setting in the Intensity control panel, but still no luck. As for the Test, working in the industry has its perks :)

[Seraphic-]

For the Intensity component, there are a few things to check.
1. Make sure component cables are plugged into the correct "IN" plugs on the Intensity analog adapter.
2. Make sure you match the console and intensity analog settings (i.e both set to 480i for example).
3. Make sure intensity is switched to analog input mode (which you already said you did).

In closing, analog input works for PS3/360 on Intensity.
I've tried it once or twice and recall having a few issues. Just need double check cables/settings.

You found one at a liquidation sale? Nice. Must of cost a lot.
Well, don't think I would have much luck finding a Test Unit.
That is okay though, I record direct HDMI from my retail PS3 (or 360), which works out better I think anyway as console keeps its blu-ray/dvd movie playback features that Test Units remove.

Oh and I don't think I really need for my MonxterX anymore if anyone is interested.
It has 480i, 480p, 1080i, and 720p capture.

[squid_80]

I wonder why there isn't a 64 bit, multi-threaded version of Virtualdub out.
The preview already runs on a separate thread, and the 64-bit version of virtualdub has the same capturing features as the 32-bit version - there just aren't many 64-bit compatible capture cards. The intensity claims to be 64-bit compatible, but in reality it just has 64-bit drivers with a 32-bit directshow interface. Hence it will work under a 64-bit OS but only in 32-bit programs.

[Schrade]

That is okay though, I record direct HDMI from my retail PS3 (or 360), which works out better I think anyway as console keeps its blu-ray/dvd movie playback features that Test Units remove.

!!! Do tell please!

[Dot50Cal]

Hes probably using one of those HDCP strippers. I'd be curious to know how long hes been using it, and if Sony has ever blocked such a device with their PS3 updates.

[Seraphic-]

No, I don't use a HDCP stripper, rather a modified display device.
But HDCP stripping is a really risky business.
You could spend several hundred dollars for one, then at any time, it can stop working.

HDCP security is built around a three-stage authentication protocol:

Device authentication that will not allow non-compliant devices to receive HD content. During this process, source and sink devices exchange their 'public' key which they then use in conjunction with their set of special secret keys, in order to arrive at a common computed number that they will eventually use in the encryption process.

Encryption of the actual data that will flow over the link using the special computed number arrived at during the device authentication process.

Key-revocation procedures to ensure that any device which violates the license agreement could be relatively easily blocked from receiving HD data. Key revocation lists are encoded onto the media - meaning the newer the media - e.g. DVD disc - the larger will be the revocation list.

It is this key revocation process that makes HDCP sort of 'future-proof' when it comes to combating the use of fake or rogue devices. Through key revocation, HDCP gives the media, content, or even other devices, the ability to invalidate keys of devices known to be a problem.

This means that everything may be working fine with your $500 HDCP stripper box and then one day, you discover that your HDTV is refusing to show any picture. What happened is that your HDTV source has simply invalidated the keys used by your stripper box - hence it is no longer passing the authentication process.

HDCP has the power to retroactively disable any HDCP-enabled device!

Oh and I don't think I really need for my MonxterX anymore if anyone is interested.
It has 480i, 480p, 1080i, and 720p capture.

[Dot50Cal]

Could you explain what you mean by modified display device? I'd love to be able to capture via HDMI from a retail PS3, but as far as I know, the Intensity won't unless it is unprotected.

[miraged]

What Dot said, would like to know it too.

[Chikuzen]

Hi,guys.
I was surprised to know that this thread came for the first time today, and PV4 was being used by countries other than Japan.

EarthSoft seems to schedule PV5 to be put on the market, and to have already ended the design. (The sale will become next year. )
Because PV5 seems to use PCIe, 1980p-capture might become possible.

Sorry for my bad english.

[miraged]

日本人? 私の日本語はとても悪いです ^^

Anyway, I always wondered about a PV5, so awesome to know that we will get it (sooner or later).

[Dot50Cal]

Hi,guys.
I was surprised to know that this thread came for the first time today, and PV4 was being used by countries other than Japan.

EarthSoft seems to schedule PV5 to be put on the market, and to have already ended the design. (The sale will become next year. )
Because PV5 seems to use PCIe, 1980p-capture might become possible.

Sorry for my bad english.
Fully readable for me ;) Any details on what inputs it might have? Is it still D-Terminal or will they switch to HDMI as well?

[Chikuzen]

日本人?
Yes:)

[Chikuzen]

Fully readable for me ;) Any details on what inputs it might have? Is it still D-Terminal or will they switch to HDMI as well?
I think that the input of PV5 becomes only D-terminal as well as PV4.

Mr. Osada (president of EarthSoft) talked about us (fans of EarthSoft) in 2ch(BBS) as follows at middle of this month.
"Because priority levels are lower than another, it has not done anything yet though I want to be making the HDMI input capture card.
And, the procurement of parts for HDMI became difficult than before maybe for the license problem:(”

[Dot50Cal]

Thanks for the information Chikuzen! I'm surprised the president posted on 2chan. I imagine its a very different place to the American equivalent in that case, haha.

[Seraphic-]

In regards to the Earthsoft PV5, did some searching and found two links on a Japanese website:
http://earthsoft.jp/PV5/index.html
http://earthsoft.jp/PV5/tech-specification.html
Was hoping to get a look at the specs but pages are down/deleted.
If it does true 1080p over D-terminal I'm sold.
My PV4 accepts 1920x1080p as 960x1080p and records as such.
But what I was unsure of was if it records half the 1920 resolution as 960 or if it records the full 1920 but just as 960 and you have to resize back to 1920 again.

Oh and I don't think I really need for my MonxterX anymore if anyone is interested.
It is PCIe 1x and has 480i, 480p, 1080i, and 720p capture.

[Chikuzen]

In regards to the Earthsoft PV5, did some searching and found two links on a Japanese website:
http://earthsoft.jp/PV5/index.html
http://earthsoft.jp/PV5/tech-specification.html
Was hoping to get a look at the specs but pages are down/deleted.

Those links are all the one of fictitious.

"Hey,do you know? PV5 will come soon!
Click this link if you think that it is a lie:cool:
http://earthsoft.jp/PV5/index.html”

Such a mischief is often posted in bbs2ch:p

But my posts are not lies;)
http://earthsoft.jp/PV/tech-pci-data-rate.html
（インターレース=interlaced, プログレッシブ=progressive)
This is a table of the band that PV4 needs.
It is shown that 960x1080x60p is a limit in PV4 that uses PCI.
It is still too narrow for 1920x1080p in PCI though PV4 decreases a necessary band by converting the input into YUV422.

To be turning out about PV5 now is only to schedule PCIe to be used.
And, the band of PCIe is three times or more PCI.
Therefore,I am expecting 1080p capture for PV5 to be achieved.

[Seraphic-]

Yes, I believe you and are you in Japan by chance? Seems like you are based on your posts.
When do you think Earthsoft with release the technical specs of the PV5?
Sent them an e-mail asking for more information, but do not think I will hear back.
Would like to know what they are. Soon as I do, I'll look to sell my PV4 and MonsterX.
Although, I am taking offers on both the PV4 and MonsterX now.

[Chikuzen]

When do you think Earthsoft with release the technical specs of the PV5?
Perhaps,I think it will come in March in January of next year.
EarthSoft puts a new product on the market in this September. （It is not capturecard. ）
http://earthsoft.jp/order/index.html
According to this page,those manufacturing and shipment's ending seems to become February next year. I think that Mr. Osada will be not to have time to announce　about PV5 to the end of them.
Because Mr. Osada doesn't have the subordinate, and either he is almost doing everything to the work of EarthSoft alone other than manufacturing and delivery.

[easy2Bcheesy]

To be turning out about PV5 now is only to schedule PCIe to be used.
And, the band of PCIe is three times or more PCI.
Therefore,I am expecting 1080p capture for PV5 to be achieved.

PV5 will need to be a PCIe x4 card to do 1080p at 60Hz. There is not enough bandwidth on a PCIe x1 card, which realistically gives you 200MB/s when 422 1080p requires 248MB/s or thereabouts.

[Seraphic-]

PV5 will need to be a PCIe x4 card to do 1080p at 60Hz. There is not enough bandwidth on a PCIe x1 card, which realistically gives you 200MB/s when 422 1080p requires 248MB/s or thereabouts.

So how is it the PV4 is able to accept 1080p on PCI interface? True that it is 960x1080p 59.94, but it would seem would not have the bandwidth for any form of 1080p. What is the MB/s PCI buss and output?

Also easy2Bcheesy, do you know if the PV4 records half the 1920 resolution as 960 or if it records the full 1920 resolution but just in a 960 resolution, thus you have to resize back to 1920?

[easy2Bcheesy]

The PCI interface is the communications relay between the card and the motherboard. Before data streams to the motherboard, it can have as much bandwidth as is engineered into it. Therefore what is happening with the PV4 is that the data is being input at full bandwidth, then cut down in half to 124MB/s for its journey through the PCI port.

I've no idea about your other question as I've not got a PV4.

[easy2Bcheesy]

Thinking about it if the PV's compression scheme is on the hardware and not in the software (unlikely) then maybe a PCIe x1 device would be viable.

PCI bus is variable from system to system. The PV's 960x1080 at 60Hz mode is really pushing the bandwidth to its absolute max.

[Seraphic-]

PCI bus is variable from system to system. The PV's 960x1080 at 60Hz mode is really pushing the bandwidth to its absolute max.

Yes, it is. I have a PCI soundcard and PCI PV4, when both run at the same time, the soundcard starts to malfunction.
Get popping/buzzing from speakers. PV4 must be using most if not all the available bandwidth.
Even increasing the PCI latency in the BIOS will not help.

I've no idea about your other question as I've not got a PV4.

Is there anyway for me to tell after running tests?
Or should I post a sample?

[Pyrii]

Oh and I don't think I really need for my MonxterX anymore if anyone is interested.
It has 480i, 480p, 1080i, and 720p capture.

I'm interest, mainly for 480p component input :3 If it's still available. I'm not sure why the intensity pro DOESN'T do 480p, seems like a strange restriction.

[Seraphic-]

I'm interest, mainly for 480p component input :3 If it's still available. I'm not sure why the intensity pro DOESN'T do 480p, seems like a strange restriction.

Yeah, I agree. I have asked BlackMagic Tech support about this and they say that 480p is not common in cameras, so that is the reason.
Also, they say the card will accept 480p, but the hardware will turn it into 480i. But when ever I input for 480p, I get no display.

Anyway, I guess we should take this to PMs maybe? (send me your offer)
If anyone else is interested, let me know.
Here is some more information:

Card was purchased new directly in Japan and has had one owner, myself.
Card has been well taken care of and is in like new condition.
Card is ideal for capture from any current/past generation (PS3/Xbox360/Wii etc) consoles.
Card is extremely rare and hard find and is 100% working.
Let me know if you are interested or if you have questions.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/8510/monsterx.jpg

MonsterX Technical Specifications
Video Capture: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i
Audio Capture: Two Channel Linear PCM
Video Connectors: Japanese D-Terminal
Audio Connectors: RCA (red/white), Optical Toslink

[Pyrii]

Yeah, I agree. I have asked BlackMagic Tech support about this and they say that 480p is not common in cameras, so that is the reason.
Also, they say the card will accept 480p, but the hardware will turn it into 480i. But when ever I input for 480p, I get no display.

Anyway, I guess we should take this to PMs maybe? (send me your offer)
If anyone else is interested, let me know.
Here is some more information:

Card was purchased new directly in Japan and has had one owner, myself.
Card has been well taken care of and is in like new condition.
Card is ideal for capture from any current/past generation (PS3/Xbox360/Wii etc) consoles.
Card is extremely rare and hard find and is 100% working.
Let me know if you are interested or if you have questions.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/8510/monsterx.jpg

MonsterX Technical Specifications
Video Capture: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i
Audio Capture: Two Channel Linear PCM
Video Connectors: Japanese D-Terminal
Audio Connectors: RCA (red/white), Optical Toslink

Well I need to capture 480p via component, is there a breakout cable for this?

EDIT: Looking closer it says D/YPbPi in, so I'd say yes. Just as long as there's a cable/adaptor

[Chikuzen]

Well I need to capture 480p via component, is there a breakout cable for this?

EDIT: Looking closer it says D/YPbPi in, so I'd say yes. Just as long as there's a cable/adaptor

D-Terminal is subspecies of the component used only in Japan.
The signal is same YPbPr as the component.
http://www.fujiparts.co.jp/fvcds.jpg
http://www.fujiparts.co.jp/ds.htm
The equipment of the component output can connect to MonsterX and PV4 if there is such a cable.
The grade from D1 to D5 is, and corresponds to 480i(D1), 480p(D2), 1080i(D3), 720p(D4), and 1080p(D5) respectively in D-Terminal.
It is necessary to take care to which grade about the cable corresponds when the cable is bought.
For instance, D1 might not be able to be output to the cable (When it is the inferior one) that corresponds to D4.

[Pyrii]

Easy enough to make a conversion cable, failing that, solder component breakouts straight onto the board (as well as sticking a resistor on the cable detect). I'm also curious if you can capture uncompressed pure video from it or whether the card re-compresses it. I have a capture RAID array of 3Tb for capturing HD video so that part isn't the problem.

[Chikuzen]

3TB?
Are you using 64bit OS?
MonsterX never re-compresses movie by it.But it can be used only on 32bit Windows(XP or Vista).
PV4 can be used on 64bit Windows(XP,Vista and 7).But it re-compresses movie,and ｔhe result is lossy only just a little.

[Pyrii]

3TB?
Are you using 64bit OS?
MonsterX never re-compresses movie by it.But it can be used only on 32bit Windows(XP or Vista).
PV4 can be used on 64bit Windows(XP,Vista and 7).But it re-compresses movie,and ｔhe result is lossy only just a little.

Windows7 x64 on my laptop and capture machine. I'll prolly be using VirtualDub for capture. Premiere is nice, but virtualdub has far more options for controlling capture.

[Manufacturer]
%SKN%=SKNET,NTAMD64

[SKNET]
%SKNCap.DeviceDesc%=SKNCap,PCI\VEN_1A0A&DEV_6200&SUBSYS_32756301
%SKNCap.DeviceDesc%=SKNCap,PCI\VEN_1A0A&DEV_6200

[SKNET.NTAMD64]
%SKNCap.DeviceDesc%=SKNCap,PCI\VEN_1A0A&DEV_6200&SUBSYS_32756301
%SKNCap.DeviceDesc%=SKNCap,PCI\VEN_1A0A&DEV_6200

[Seraphic-]

Chikuzen about summed everything up.
MonsterX can capture in full lossless or using any WMD codec installed to your system (32bit os only)
PV4 can only capture using a proprietary lossy codec. (32bit or 64bit os)
I take it you are using a GPT file system on your raid array to go above the normal 2TB raid limit, right?
What kind if speeds do you get for read/write using the disk tester for your Intensity?

And yes, there are D-Terminal to Component cables and vice versa.
D-Terminal is just the Japanese version of Component.
In my case, I purchased direct official manufacture D-Terminal cables for the all the consoles I work with.
To be honest, I like it better. Why have five cables to plug in when you could have three?

So what kind of capture work are you doing? For a website or just personal use?

[Chikuzen]

Why have five cables to plug in when you could have three?

haha.
I do not think like that though I am Japanese.
As for D-terminal cable, connectors are more breakable and more expensive than the component cables. The component cable can be substituted even with three yellow cables for composites.
I often think like this.
"The raison d'etre of D-terminal standard is to gain the cable manufacturers unjustified:angry:"

[Pyrii]

haha.
I do not think like that though I am Japanese.
As for D-terminal cable, connectors are more breakable and more expensive than the component cables. The component cable can be substituted even with three yellow cables for composites.
I often think like this.
"The raison d'etre of D-terminal standard is to gain the cable manufacturers unjustified:angry:"

Agreed, while component cables are fiddly and cumbersome, they are fairly simple for an analogue standard, widely supported and cheap as chips to make yourself (http://www.rapidonline.com/Cables-Connectors/Connectors-Audio-Video/Phono/Phono-line-sockets/60347). HDMI is annoying as businesses are praying on consumer stupidity to overcharge for "High quality" cables on a digital signal o_O

[Seraphic-]

Yeah, the HDMI scene is bad. Monster Cable (and others) with the just insane prices for HDMI cables.

I also might be looking to sell my PV4 soon too. More Information:

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/6703/pv41.jpg

PV4 Technical Specifications
Video Capture: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
Audio Capture: Two Channel Linear PCM
Video Connectors: Japanese D-Terminal x2
Audio Connectors: Optical Toslink x2

[Dot50Cal]

Does anyone know of a way to capture the PV3/4 video/audio streams in something like Virtualdub or Graph Studio? I recall a while back, when I first got the card, there was a Japanese site that hosted an Avisynth script which took the live stream from the PV3 and allowed you to record in Virtualdub, but it had its drawbacks. Just curious if there has been any advancements in this field.

The main reason I ask is because I'd really love to be able to capture 480p lossless. After using the PV3 for a long time and getting the Intensity Pro, its made me realize that I shouldn't really substitute for anything less than lossless on archiving footage :) The AMV codec is great in that regard.

[Chikuzen]

Does anyone know of a way to capture the PV3/4 video/audio streams in something like Virtualdub or Graph Studio? I recall a while back, when I first got the card, there was a Japanese site that hosted an Avisynth script which took the live stream from the PV3 and allowed you to record in Virtualdub, but it had its drawbacks. Just curious if there has been any advancements in this field.

The main reason I ask is because I'd really love to be able to capture 480p lossless. After using the PV3 for a long time and getting the Intensity Pro, its made me realize that I shouldn't really substitute for anything less than lossless on archiving footage :) The AMV codec is great in that regard.

If you want to capture lossless with PV4 by all means, I recommend desktop capture to be used for you.
When setting of VideoTechnology described in PV.txt is rewritten from 0 in 2, PV4 comes to do drawing of the preview by not overlay but using DxVA2.0. And,you will be able to use Fraps,Dxtory,AmaRecCo　and Windows Media Encoder,etc.
The method of using AviSynth is stopping developing now. The method was originally developed by reverse assembling PV.exe. However, the developer has resigned the update because he became impossible to catch up with the change of the specification of PV.exe it:(
A better method is to buy MonsterX (For instance, from Seraphic:D).
I do not think that I use these methods by the purposes other than the streaming because I satisfy it with the performance of PV3DVcodec. It is high-quality enough for me,and it It is compressed fast and compact in time even HDD of the USB2.0 connection at 480p.The good above all one is not to generate the drop frame. Because PV.exe stops caputure if it is generated(However, it might be able to be said that this is the most awful fault).

[Seraphic-]

I have a bunch of stuff to sell really.
Just do not think I need any of them anymore.

MonsterX Capture Card
PV4 Capture Card
Official Sony PS3 D-Terminal Cable
Official Sony PSP D-Terminal Cable
Official Microsoft Xbox 360 D-Terminal Cable
Official Nintendo Wii D-Terminal Cable
Component to D-Terminal Cable

[Dot50Cal]

Chikuzen, how exactly would I go about setting that up? I'm not familiar with anything in the PV3/4 scene, since most of it is in Japanese or hard to come by through English search engines. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Seraphic-, Can you post some uncompressed shots of some 480p games? I'm curious how the quality is.

[Seraphic-]

Seraphic-, Can you post some uncompressed shots of some 480p games? I'm curious how the quality is.

Yeah sure, any requests? I have all the consoles, but not many games.
Maybe some demos from PSN/XBLive? You want 4:3s or 16:9s?

[Chikuzen]

Chikuzen, how exactly would I go about setting that up? I'm not familiar with anything in the PV3/4 scene, since most of it is in Japanese or hard to come by through English search engines. Any help is greatly appreciated!
I translated PV.txt into English.
; English translation by Chikuzen too not accurate.
; These set values are read When PV.exe starts.

[DirectX]
; Method of displaying image (Default value: 0)
; 0: DirectDraw 7.0 Overlay (※1)
; 1: DirectDraw 7.0 Offscreen
; 2: DirectX Video Acceleration 2.0 (※2)
; (※1) Aero is invalidated for Windows Vista immediately after the start.
; (※2) Necessary system requirements:WindowsXP or Vista / Graphics card for DirectX10.0 / dxva2.dll (XP onry)
; Dxva2.dll is distributed with .NET Framework 3.0.
VideoTechnology=2

; Method of outputting sound (Default value: 0)
; 0: DirectSound 2.0
; 1: DirectSound 8.0 [Unmounting]
; 2: XAudio2 [Unmounting]
AudioTechnology=0

[AnalogVideoInterface]
; Phase of sampling clock (Unit:1/32 pixel / Setting range:0～31 / Default value:16 / AD9980 Register address 0x04 [7:3])
Phase=16

[Pixel]
; Input value of Cb/Cr (0:Operation usually 1:compulsorily sets it to ±0)
DisableCb=0
DisableCr=0

;Input delay of Y/Cb/Cr (Unit:pixel / Setting range:-500～+500 / Default value:0)
; Please make DelayCb and DelayCr an even number for PV3.
DelayY =0
DelayCb=0
DelayCr=0

[DMA]
; Method of locking buffer (Default value:1)
; 0: The entire buffer is locked before it begins to forward DMA.
; 1: Buffer of amount specified with PreLock is locked before it begins to forward,and After it begins to forward DMA, the entire buffer is locked one by one.
; 2: Buffer of amount specified with PreLock is locked before it begins to forward,and the amount of the buffer locked after it begins to forward DMA is not changed.
LockMode=1

; Amount of buffer locked before DMA forwarding begins (Unit:1001/60000sec / Setting range:3 or more / Default value:30)
; It is disregarded at LockMode=0.
PreLock=30

[PCI]
; The lowest, permissible value of latency timer (Setting range:0～248 / Default value:128)
; The value of the latency timer is examined when starting, and when it is smaller than a specified value, it sets it to a specified value.
; It is necessary that it is a multiple of eight.
LatencyTimer=128

; Setting of high-speed back to back transaction. (0:Disable 1:Enable / Default value:0)
EnableFastBackToBack=0

; Setting of DAC on 32bit space (0:Disable 1:Enable / Default value:0)
AlwaysUseDualAddressCycle=0

The place of PV.txt is "C:\Documents and Settings\account\EARTH SOFT\PV\PV.txt"(XP) or "C:\Users\account\EarthSoft\PV\PV.txt"(Vista).
Please use it beforehand in the self-responsibility after taking the backup of PV.txt. (Tentatively, it confirmed the operation. )

Moreover, if contents of QuantizerMatrix.txt are rewritten, the amount of the quantization of luma and chroma of PV3DVCodec can be changed.
All these values can be set again within the range from 16 to 65535. It is the highest quality (lowest compressibility) by 16.
The quality goes up a little in PV3DVcodec if everything is adjusted to 16(And, filesize considerably grows:D).

[Seraphic-]

Thanks for the translation, even with Japanese Language installed on my system, notepad displays that page in "%@&%???" characters for some reason. So basically, what you are doing with that is disabling hardware acceleration/overlay, then using a program like fraps to record the preview window using a lossless codec?

[miraged]

I translated PV.txt into English.

ありがとうございます！

@seraphics, opening the textfile in firefox displays it in japanese for me.

I really think I need to play around with my PV4 again, this seems very interesting!

[Chikuzen]

Thanks for the translation, even with Japanese Language installed on my system, notepad displays that page in "%@&%???" characters for some reason.
It is because the character-code used is Shift_JIS. The shift to UTF-8 doesn't proceed easily because Shift-JIS has been shortly used for 30 years in Japan.
So basically, what you are doing with that is disabling hardware acceleration/overlay, then using a program like fraps to record the preview window using a lossless codec?
That's right.
Because drop frames will be generated in this method, I do not like it so much.

[Seraphic-]

Ah, alright. Thanks for clearing that up.

I'm looking to sell these cables if anyone is interested.

Official Sony PS3 D-Terminal Cable - Asking $25 (negotiable)
Official Microsoft Xbox 360 D-Terminal Cable - Asking $25 (negotiable)
Official Sony PSP D-Terminal Cable - Asking $25 (negotiable)
Official Nintendo Wii D-Terminal Cable - Asking $25 (negotiable)
Monster Cable Optical Toslink Cable - Asking $10 (negotiable)
Component to D-Terminal Cable - Asking $5 (Capture video from PC. Works best with video cards that include component video output adapter) (negotiable)

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/2186/sellstuff.jpg
http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/2774/stuff2y.jpg
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/791/mco.jpg

[Chikuzen]

I finished reading this thread to the last minute, and noticed one.
It is that no one refers the method of reading .dv file with AviSynth.

AviUtl is a high performance and excellent software,but I have hardly seen information other than Japanese concerning this.
TMPGEnc4.0XP can also treat .dv,but it is charged and can treat x264 only with vfw unlike AviUtl.

Is there a person who knows the method of reading .dv file with AviSynth?

[miraged]

Btw Chikuzen, did the last earthsoft driver/software update bring anything useful?

[Chikuzen]

Btw Chikuzen, did the last earthsoft driver/software update bring anything useful?
Especially, there is no remarkable change.
It is only update of the installer.

[miraged]

Ah okay, thanks :).

[Seraphic-]

Yeah, I noticed there was a new driver/update as well.
So any updates on PV5? Earthsoft never mailed me back. :(
It seems random if they reply, sometimes they do and other times they do not.

On a side note, anyone using their PV4 with Vista x64?
I switched it from my Windows XP 32bit system to my other Vista x64bit system.
But now I am unable to get the drivers to run/install as the PV4 driver is not digitally signed.

[Chikuzen]

On a side note, anyone using their PV4 with Vista x64?
I switched it from my Windows XP 32bit system to my other Vista x64bit system.
But now I am unable to get the drivers to run/install as the PV4 driver is not digitally signed.
Push F8 when you start Vista x64.
If you feel unpleasantness to push F8 every time,use ReadyDriverPlusV1.1.
http://www.citadelindustries.net/readydriverplus/

[Seraphic-]

Push F8 when you start Vista x64.
If you feel unpleasantness to push F8 every time,use ReadyDriverPlusV1.1.
http://www.citadelindustries.net/readydriverplus/

Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider works too.

[jalyst]

1.no , the other one is TV Tuner not video connector set.

Sorry for reviving an old thread but are you sure about that?

I imagine with the right adapter there's no reason why it couldn't take two analogue sources via the A/V-in.
Just like it can take two analogue sources via the RF...

2.I success capture video with VirtualDub , but it crash often while I setting it. Debug window shows "ksproxy.ax".

I'd be really interested in this too!
More often than not the hw encode would be a wank, so one would want the option to bypass it.

By all accounts the E900F uses many of the same chipsets as the HVR-2200, and this is nearing full support in Linux.

[jalyst]

guess you're not subscribed to the thread anymore :-(

[Schrade]

Well, earlier on in the thread Seraphic mentioned something about a way to remove HDCP so he could capture from HDMI.

Here's a site that mentions a TV that is vulnerable to doing this:

http://sites.google.com/site/hdcontentsecurity/

Found via: http://hackaday.com/2009/10/01/tv-hack-bypasses-hdcp/

[jalyst]

hmm, not sure what this has to do with my post but thanks.

[Schrade]

hmm, not sure what this has to do with my post but thanks.

Nothing to do with your post otherwise I would have quoted your post...

[jalyst]

who's post were you addressing?

Nothing to do with your post otherwise I would have quoted your post...

[Schrade]

Well if you read the first line of my post... (just go to the previous page and read a bit)

[jalyst]

YouCan'tGetME/anyone? Care to address my response to this earlier post?
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1262916#post1262916
Thanks

1.no , the other one is TV Tuner not video connector set.

Sorry for reviving an old thread but are you sure about that?

I imagine with the right adapter there's no reason why it couldn't take two analogue sources via the A/V-in.
Just like it can take two analogue sources via the RF...

2.I success capture video with VirtualDub , but it crash often while I setting it. Debug window shows "ksproxy.ax".

I'd be really interested in this too! (more so in Linux)
More often than not the hw encode would be a wank, so one would want the option to bypass it.


*Update*
I learned that these are quite different beasts & at this stage there's no support for E900F.
There is however some solid support developing for HVR-2200....

By all accounts the E900F uses many of the same chipsets as the HVR-2200, and this is nearing full support in Linux.

[Seraphic-]

If anyone is interested, I am looking to sell my Blackmagic Intensity Pro + two 3ft DVI to HDMI cables (HDMI 1.3a certified).
It supports compressed and uncompressed capture (720x480i, 1280x720p, 1920x1080i) over Component and HDMI.
Comes with all original items, retail box, install CD, manual booklet, intensity pro card, and component break-out cable.
Send me a PM for more information.

[miraged]

Hm, did anyone try to install a PV4 under Win7 Pro 64bit. I recently upgraded and when I wanted to install the card for capturing it didn't work at all.

[edwinbradford]

Hm, did anyone try to install a PV4 under Win7 Pro 64bit. I recently upgraded and when I wanted to install the card for capturing it didn't work at all.

I had a quick read of the PV4 notes on the manufacturers site and it said something about pressing the F8 key when Windows Vista 64 boots and disabling the enforcement of driver signatures. I know its not Windows 7 but you could try it, Windows driver issues is why I don't want to upgrade myself.

[miraged]

I used Vista 64bit before that and it worked without problems.

The problem is that I am already in the mode to install unsigned drivers, but the driver itself can't be installed =/.

[Seraphic-]

I sold my PV4 awhile ago, but I do recall it not working when I tried installing in Win7.
(I believe the drivers are not intended for Win7)

But that does not mean you couldn't try again using Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider.
http://www.ngohq.com/home.php?page=dseo

[Chikuzen]

An un-official PV-driver to evade the problem concerning the signature has appeared in Japan.
http://www.mediafire.com/?o4z4u0fyjoi
I have been using this on win7(x64) for about three month, and there seems especially to be no problem in this.
(Though I might be lucky...)
I don’t have so much time now though it tried to translate readme.txt.
I think that I can translate perhaps if it is possible to wait for about one week...

[miraged]

Ah hey Chikuzen,

I was hoping you would still check out this thread!

It would be awesome if you could translate the readme. Time isn't a problem since I don't plan on capturing in the next weeks.

Thanks in advance already.

[Chikuzen]

Because my main PC occupation period by MCBob of three days that was the schedule had ended by the crash in a day, I became possible to complete translating early it besides the desire:confused::eek::scared::angry::mad::(:cool:;)

PV4 64bit un-official Windows Driver3.60 for signature problem (http://www.mediafire.com/?o4z4u0fyjoi)


PV4 64bit un-official Windows Driver3.60 for signature problem

* Even if F8 is not pushed when windows starts, it comes to be able to use PV4.
* Use this at your own risk. There is no warranty at all.

------------------------------------------------------------

0. Download the following two files.
PV4-Windows-Driver-360.exe (official PV-Driver)
(http://earthsoft.jp/PV/bin/PV4-Windows-Driver-360.exe)
PV-Windows-360-64bit.exe (official PV-application)
(http://earthsoft.jp/PV/bin/PV-Windows-360-64bit.exe)

1. First of all, uninstall official PV-Driver if you have already installed it.
execute following in order of a), b), and c).
a) Controll Panel -> Programs and Features -> PV4 ドライババージョン 3.6 -> Uninstall
b) Device Manager -> Jungo -> WinDriver -> Properties -> Driver -> Uninstall
c) Device Manager -> Sounds,video and game controllers -> EARTH SOFT PV4 -> Properties
-> Driver -> Uninstall

Check "Action"(Menu Bar) -> "Scan for Hardware changes" after b) and c).
If "WinDriver" or "EARTH SOFT PV4" appear again, repeat b) and c) until they disappear.
(If "Other devices" and "Multimedia Controller" are appeared, it is a success.)

2. Install official PV-Driver (PV4-Windows-Driver-360.exe) in your Windows.

3. Install un-official PV-Driver
execute following in order of a) and b)
a) Device Manager -> Action -> Add legacy Hardwar -> Next
-> "Install the hardware that I manually select from a list(Advanced)" and "Next"
-> "Show All Devices" and "Next" -> "Have disk..."
-> Specify ...\PV_x64_360\windrvr6_EARTHSOFT_PV4_driver.inf and "OK"
-> Install all warning disregarding it.
-> Confirm "Jungo" and "WinDriver" are appireared on Device Manager.
b) Device Manager -> Other Device -> Update Device Driver
-> Brouse my computer for drive software Specify ..\PV4_x64_360 and "Next"
-> Install all warning disregarding it.
-> Confirm "EARTH SOFT PV4" is appireared under "Sounds,video and game controllers" on Device Manager.

4. Install PV-Windows-360-64bit.exe in your Windows if you have not done it yet.

5. Run PV.exe and confirm operation.

6. Finished

Cheers,
Chikuzen

[miraged]

That was faster than expected, thanks a lot for the translation.

I hope I can try it out tomorrow.

[miraged]

Finally got the time to test this today.

This works like a charm, so thanks a lot Chikuzen.

[MaggIvy]

Hi, I have a question, I'm trying to capture cut scenes from Bayonetta on PS3, and I'm getting an awful lot of screen tearing at the top. It comes and goes, but it's there a fair amount of the time.

I was wondering if anyone can help me fix this? It never did that before on other games, but this one it does. I'm gonna try it on a couple other games to see what my result is. I really don't want to chop off the top of these videos...I will if I have to.

I'm using the Intensity Pro, on PS3 connected via component. I've tried using different programs and I get the same result on them all.

Here's a picture.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/MaggIvy/Others/Screenie.png

[easy2Bcheesy]

It's a part of the game, there's nothing you can really do about it.

[MaggIvy]

Damn, that sucks. Well that's all I wanted to know. Thanks.

First I thought it was my pc or something.

[Seraphic-]

Anyone know the difference between the original SKNet MonsterX and the newer MonsterX-i?
After some searching I think the X-i added something to check for copy-protection.
Can the X-i still capture uncompressed though?

Also, what ever happened to that EarthSoft PV5 talk late last year?

[jalyst]

Why would one want a 480p capture card when there's devices like the Hauppauge HD-PVR (http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Hauppauge_HD-PVR) around nowadays?
Just curious, not criticising anyone here!

[Seraphic-]

Why would want a 480p capture card when there's devices like the Hauppauge HD-PVR (http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Hauppauge_HD-PVR) around nowadays?
Just curious, not criticising anyone here!

Because, why would you want to capture to a lossy codec when you don't have to?

Anyway, it looks like BlackMagic has answered the call with their new Intensity Shuttle that supports uncompressed capture of composite, s-video, component and hdmi up to 1080p (including 480p) all for $199. USB 3.0 Required.

http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/

Intensity Shuttle is a USB 3.0 version of Intensity Pro, however it also includes separate connections for HDMI 1.3, component, composite and s-video, with full 10 bit quality. It powers from the USB 3.0 connection, and is very compact in an attractive white inline design.

The quality of Intensity Shuttle video is amazing, and I think one of the most exciting things we have done is to build in broadcast quality video at a consumer price. There is just nothing available with such high video quality as Intensity Shuttle! I think Intensity Shuttle will continue to bring high quality video to even more videographers for true professional work.

Intensity Shuttle requires the same Intel x58 series computer with USB 3.0 connection as the UltraStudio Pro.

One exciting feature of Intensity Shuttle (and UltraStudio Pro) is it includes full support for HDMI and component up to 1080p60. However even though current USB 3.0 computers support full 10 bit uncompressed at normal 1080i HD frame rates, current USB 3.0 computers don't yet have enough speed to operate at progressive frame rates. But Intensity Shuttle is ready as computers get faster!

Intensity Shuttle supports working with Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, Fusion and more. We also include our Media Express software, and there is a free developer SDK available.

Intensity Shuttle will we available in early May for US$199.

[squid_80]

Where does it say that 480p is supported?

Edit: nm, found it on the specs page.

[Seraphic-]

Yeah, but it might be 480p with component only as 480p isn't listed as supported under the HDMI supported resolution list (which sucks). Anyway, looks like one would just need the Intensity Shuttle and one of the below cards for $30 and you are set to go (but won't be able to do 1080p/60).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813995004

[miraged]

Sadly that wont work (well according to the specs):

Installation: USB 3.0. Requires x58 based computer or better with a USB 3.0 connection.

Obviously I would be happy if your dont need this chipset...

[mariush]

That warning is only for Intel chipsets because even though they say their PCI Express lanes used for USB3 and other small controllers are PCI-Express 2.0, the bandwidth throughput is that of 1.0 so the maximum the devices get is 250MB/s.
I believe x58 is the only chipset that works right and gives 512MB/s bandwidth, the one of PCI express 2.0.

Most motherboards with Intel chipsets that have USB3 nowadays have some sort of hardware chip that multiplexes the signal from USB3 with the PCI Express 2.0 lanes that go to the second pci-express slot (where the video cards go) or they combine several pci-express 1.0 lanes to give usb3 and sata3 enough bandwidth.

See this article about 6 gbps sata3 and why it sucks on Intel boards: http://www.anandtech.com/show/2973/6gbps-sata-performance-amd-890gx-vs-intel-x58-p55/3 (this is page 3, see also page 2 and the rest)

AMD boards don't have this issue, all the lanes are real 2.0, 512 MB/s but I guess Blackmagic only thought of Intel boards when they said that.

[miraged]

Too bad I dont have a AMD board :s.

[jalyst]

Because, why would you want to capture to a lossy codec when you don't have to?

Well I'd be surprised if there wasn't a way to avoid mandatory transcodes of captured streams to a lossy format.
I haven't looked closely enough yet TBH... And it depends on the intended use....

I personally would prefer to transcode to a lossy format for most captured TV content that I want to store LT.
Still great quality, with space savings that aren't to be sneezed at!

Anyway, it looks like BlackMagic has answered the call with their new Intensity Shuttle that supports uncompressed capture of composite, s-video, component and hdmi up to 1080p (including 480p) all for $199. USB 3.0 Required.
http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/

Nice find, shame there'll prolly never be any decent support coming from the Linux-DVB/V4L (LinuxTV (http://www.linuxtv.org/)) project.
Devs have told me previously that all attempts to get any sort of collaboration going with BM has been met with utter disinterest.

[miraged]

Guess there something similiar to the hauppauge hd pvr now just with 1080p support and its from japan: http://www.sknet-web.co.jp/product/mhd264/index.html

[jalyst]

Guess there something similiar to the hauppauge hd pvr now just with 1080p support and its from japan: http://www.sknet-web.co.jp/product/mhd264/index.html

Interesting find, do you know if this device has Linux support? (prolly not)
Also FYI the HD-PVR does capture 1080p....

[miraged]

Since when? Last time I read the specs it was just 1080i.

[jalyst]

Sorry I thought you were saying 1080i.
I got my i's and p's mixed up!
Do you know if the device you linked to has Linux support?

[edwinbradford]

I just signed in to thank Chikuzen for the unofficial PV drivers link, thank god I'm still subscribed to this thread. I can read some Japanese but finding that site would have been tough. I've got my PV3 running in Vista 64 bit with no problems, very happy.

:thanks:

For anyone else attempting an update to the 340 driver, you have to flash your card with an official firmware update first. I guess its a bit difficult if you can't make head or tail of the Japanese instructions but if you read a little you can manage it.

Before today I tried out Ready Driver Plus and Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider tool, both work great, Ready Driver Plus felt like a sledgehammer to crack a nut fiddling with you boot procedure, I much preferred the second DSEO tool which was working fine although thanks to Chikuzen I don't even need to run that now.

What was the outcome of the new Intensity Shuttle? Did anyone find out if it specifically supports 480p because the Intensity Pro didn't. It would open up an OSX route to capture for anyone interested.

Cheers all.

[Seraphic-]

Could a few other people call blackmagic design and ask if the Intensity Shuttle/DeckLink HD Extreme 3D support 480p capture? I just called myself and was told even though 480p is listed in the tech specs for both cards, it is an error and not supported. Could anyone call and confirm if they tell you the same thing?

[edwinbradford]

Could a few other people call blackmagic design and ask if the Intensity Shuttle/DeckLink HD Extreme 3D support 480p capture? I just called myself and was told even though 480p is listed in the tech specs for both cards, it is an error and not supported. Could anyone call and confirm if they tell you the same thing?

I just sent this message to their European branch via their Support section:

There appears to be some confusion in the video capture community over the ability of your Shuttle and Decklink products to capture 480p (progressive) signals. This signal is output from some video game consoles. One of our members has been told by your sales team that your documentation is wrong for these products and they do not support 480p capture as stated.

Can you please confirm what the facts are and I will endeavour to pass them on.

Many thanks.

Last time I sent a message they didn't reply so lets see what happens.

Cheers.

[Seraphic-]

Thanks, hope they reply. When I first called and spoke to someone they said 480p works, but there is a bug and will be fixed in the future. But when I called back a week or so later I asked about the issue again and was told the tech specs are wrong and 480p is not supported. The UltraStudio Pro also lists 480p capture as well so... I don't understand why there is such confusion on the issue.

[jalyst]

Interesting find, do you know if this device has Linux support? (prolly not)
Also FYI the HD-PVR does capture 1080p....

For those whom also may have wanted to know...
I checked with them and they have no plans for Linux support.

[edwinbradford]

I have an official reply, looks hopeful:



Thank you for your email.

Our current capture products, like Intensity Pro or the Decklink cards, do
not support standard definition progressive capture, only interlace modes.

However, it is planned that our new range of products, like the Intensity
Shuttle which is not currently released, will support both interlace and
progressive versions of SD formats.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for any further information or
assistance.


--
Regards

So it seems they would like to do it, of course, but are waiting to find out if it will be possible, clearly the product is still in development. I suggest we wait until its actually released then ask again.

Hope that clears things up.

[jalyst]

That warning is only for Intel chipsets because even though they say their PCI Express lanes used for USB3 and other small controllers are PCI-Express 2.0, the bandwidth throughput is that of 1.0 so the maximum the devices get is 250MB/s.
I believe x58 is the only chipset that works right and gives 512MB/s bandwidth, the one of PCI express 2.0.

Most motherboards with Intel chipsets that have USB3 nowadays have some sort of hardware chip that multiplexes the signal from USB3 with the PCI Express 2.0 lanes that go to the second pci-express slot (where the video cards go) or they combine several pci-express 1.0 lanes to give usb3 and sata3 enough bandwidth.

See this article about 6 gbps sata3 and why it sucks on Intel boards: http://www.anandtech.com/show/2973/6gbps-sata-performance-amd-890gx-vs-intel-x58-p55/3 (this is page 3, see also page 2 and the rest)

AMD boards don't have this issue, all the lanes are real 2.0, 512 MB/s but I guess Blackmagic only thought of Intel boards when they said that.

I read that article when it came out, this excerpt among others....

AMD’s native 6Gbps implementation manages to outperform both Marvell and Intel’s controllers in the 4KB random write test by a substantial margin. AMD’s sequential read speed is lower than the Marvell controller, and random read speed is lower than Intel’s 3Gbps controller. With a bit of work, AMD looks like it could have the best performing SATA controller on the market.

Intel’s X58 still has a few tricks left up its sleeve - it manages to be a very high performing 3Gbps SATA controller. Other than in sequential read speed, it’s even faster than Marvell’s 6Gbps controller with a 6Gbps SSD - although not by much.

The P55 and H55 platforms are far less exciting. Any 6Gbps controller connected off the PCH is severely limited by Intel’s use of PCIe 1.0 slots. Unfortunately this means that you’ll have to use the 16 PCIe 2.0 lanes branching off the CPU for any real performance. That either results in you limiting your GPU to only 8 lanes or dropping back down to PCIe 1.0 if you have two graphics cards installed. ASUS’ PLX solution is an elegant workaround for the specific case of a user having two graphics cards and a 6Gbps SATA controller on-board. Our tests show that it does work well.

Indicated to me you've got nothing to worry about if you use a H55/P55 with Asus's PLX bridge/switch chip, & you're not interested in putting a top-end GPU into one of your PCIe 16x slots*.
You can merrily use your SATA3 and USB3 ports without fear of bottlenecks! :)

*& I'm not for what is essentially the base (http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=CadI5xNLwMYopFyJ&templete=2) for my HEPC/PVR

[Dot50Cal]

An un-official PV-driver to evade the problem concerning the signature has appeared in Japan.
http://2sen.dip.jp/cgi-bin/pv3/source/up0049.rar
I have been using this on win7(x64) for about three month, and there seems especially to be no problem in this.
(Though I might be lucky...)
I don’t have so much time now though it tried to translate readme.txt.
I think that I can translate perhaps if it is possible to wait for about one week...

I really hope someone has this still, the link is dead and I can't find it anywhere. Cant get my PV3 to work on win7 at all no matter what I do. If someone has this, please upload it. :thanks:

Edit: Seems like its only accessible in Japan. Could someone be so kind as to reupload it?

[edwinbradford]

No problemo. I'm using it at home now. It works perfectly although it was a long process for me to update my PV3. If you've already firmware upgraded your PV3 to a PV4 then it is much quicker.

Can you PM me and I'll return send you the driver tonight if I get time.

[Chikuzen]

@Dot50Cal
I changed the link to the file.

[signal]

I have the Intensity Shuttle... not very happy with it atm. As far as 480p goes there is supposed to be support for it but it is currently missing in the drivers (not just their Media Express capture app). Blackmagic claims that this is an "oops" on their part and will be addressed (hopefully) soon.

[miraged]

Not very happy? Just because of the 480p or are there more issues?

[signal]

After 3 months of owning the Intensity Shuttle and no 480p support forthcoming I'm looking for another capture device now.
It is important to note that the issue with no 480p as advertised extends to other Blackmagic products as well and has been known by them for over 6 months (pretty much false advertising at this point).

The Intensity Shuttle is somewhat quirky in how Blackmagic Design implemented it and what is more than abysmal is the "black hole" support method Blackmagic Design implements.
You can ask them some serious questions about the product but those questions will get sucked into a black hole with no responses.
When they come out with a driver update you will be lucky if a 5 word or less explanation as to what was fixed is included.

For reference I did some analysis on the HDMI capture capabilities that I reported here:
http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/323104-Intensity-Shuttle-Problem?p=2013745&viewfull=1#post2013745

Also be aware that "SuperSpeed" xHCI USB3.0 has some very specific requirements that not all motherboards can meet:
http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/323104-Intensity-Shuttle-Problem?p=2019897&viewfull=1#post2019897

There were other issues with Color Space, Rec.601, and Rec.709 that continue to go unanswered as well.

Soooo... I'm back in the market for a card or external device that can offer uncompressed 480p - hopefully via hdmi

[edwinbradford]

That all sounds a bit poor. I had my eye on one long term but lack lustre support is a definite no-no. For the record I'm very happy with my Japanese Earthsoft PV3 which I've now soft-modded to a PV4, in fact its the only reason I've kept a PC and not gone to a Mac. As mentioned earlier in this thread, there's a vista signed driver available that works perfectly.

PV3/4 captures fine in 480P to a proprietary 4:2:2 colorspace codec. After reading up on the subject as much as possible (and now having seen the results) I don't need a lossless format to capture high quality from video games, 4:2:2 does an excellent job.

I'm not sure how accessible the PV is without Japanese. Google translate might do the job for you, Earthsoft have a web page showing all the menu options, if you ran that through google translate, theoretically it would work.

[signal]

Looks like the Earthsoft PV3 and PV4 cards are a bit more rare than they used to be. Monster X one as well.

Found this google translation for what looks like a HDMI + analog capture card in China.

With analog signal acquisition capabilities that acquisition from 480i/480P to 1080i HDTV 720P

Picture HC737 (http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&u=http://www.tpy888.cn/newp/meiruhua.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpicture%2Bhdmi%2Bhc737%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26prmd%3Div&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhizYtGeCKGIkzQbEfm8S-C4ayVefQ)

I'm seeing if I can get my friend in Hong Kong to dig up any more info on it.

[Undead Sega]

Wish we can get some new Resident Evil 1.5 gameplay footage recorded on this new capture card.

[Gser]

Wish we can get some new Resident Evil 1.5 gameplay footage recorded on this new capture card.

Use emulators and Fraps.

[jmac698]

Wow, all the solutions for this are known and even in this thread! Here is one product:
http://www.pluggedin.tv/sweetspot/specs/index.html
wait.. it does component capture, however not sure if it does 480p. In any case there is:
http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hdpvr.html
Which does HD analog video capture.

Even better, there is a free solution, and I invented it. It turns out that any (SD) video card can capture 480p in component. Just try it! If it's working for your card, you will see the video as two frames side-by-side, because 480P is just about double of 480i, therefore the first line shows in the left side, and the 2nd line shows on the right side, and so on down the screen. To recreate the original 480p is just a matter of cropping the two halves and interleaving them back together. I've done this, it does work for me.
In the above description, you connected the Y (yellow) output to your SD capture card, so of course it's b/w for now, but if you have a 2nd capture card (or simply a DVR), you can also record the color, composite out at the same time, then merge the color into the b/w. Hmm, I think I'll try that myself. There's one other way to get live, HD component video, but you need 3 recording devices of some type, which can be cheap, but the HD PVR is not that much more.
Of course you can always try it in an emulator too.

Anyhow here's where I invented it 4 years ago:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=108517

[jalyst]

Looks like the Earthsoft PV3 and PV4 cards are a bit more rare than they used to be. Monster X one as well.

Found this google translation for what looks like a HDMI + analog capture card in China.



Picture HC737 (http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&u=http://www.tpy888.cn/newp/meiruhua.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpicture%2Bhdmi%2Bhc737%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26prmd%3Div&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhizYtGeCKGIkzQbEfm8S-C4ayVefQ)

I'm seeing if I can get my friend in Hong Kong to dig up any more info on it.

Cool, please let us know what you find!
I'd be even more interested if it also does 1080p & ideally, transcodes to lossy formats.

[miraged]

Looks like the Earthsoft PV3 and PV4 cards are a bit more rare than they used to be. Monster X one as well.

Found this google translation for what looks like a HDMI + analog capture card in China.

I'm seeing if I can get my friend in Hong Kong to dig up any more info on it.

In Japan there are also the HDCAPPCIE and this one: http://akiba-pc.watch.impress.co.jp/hotline/20101002/ni_cdm626.html

[jalyst]

Looks like the Earthsoft PV3 and PV4 cards are a bit more rare than they used to be. Monster X one as well.

Found this google translation for what looks like a HDMI + analog capture card in China.



Picture HC737 (http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&u=http://www.tpy888.cn/newp/meiruhua.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpicture%2Bhdmi%2Bhc737%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26prmd%3Div&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhizYtGeCKGIkzQbEfm8S-C4ayVefQ)

I'm seeing if I can get my friend in Hong Kong to dig up any more info on it.

That link's dead now, how'd you go....
Did you end-up finding a decent digital capture (HDMI/lossless/uncompressed) which can do 480p and 1080p?

[edwinbradford]

I pm'd Signal some info on the P4 a couple of weeks back but he hasn't replied, I'm guessing he hasn't got his account set up to notify him of new posts.

[edwinbradford]

I don't suppose you could share it with everyone?No but I shared it with you, I sent you a PM too :). Its only info on where to buy the P4 and other Japan only items. I haven't checked the prices and it may not be a good deal. You also have to be determined to work out how to install, upgrade and run it in Japanese so its not for everyone. I don't broadcast it because I don't see the point of telling the world where to buy the same things I want and inadvertently bump the prices up. Having said that I'm happy to help out in this forum if its any use to members that have clearly played a part in this thread, it might not be of any use anyway.

[jalyst]

Thanks Edwin, I did get that PM & am most grateful for your thoughts.

[ChiDragon]

If people are still looking for this, the AVerMedia AVerTV HD DVR (Model # C027, Part # MTVHDDVRR) can do 480p60 YUY2 and other rates from 480i up to 1080i60 fairly solid in VirtualDub. I haven't tried capturing with the including app yet. Both HDMI and component work, and there is a "workaround" for HDCP...

Left screenshot is component, right is HDMI. The black line on component seems to be endemic to the setup, but I'm not sure why it's also darker. I am using the cheapest component cable I could obtain, though, so your results may vary.
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/7352/ps3480pcomponent.pnghttp://img3.imageshack.us/img3/7795/ps3480phdmi.png

Unfortunately you have to disable Overlay and use Preview mode with no accelerations in VDub, and playing back audio while recording is iffy at best.

You can often find it for around $80 after $10 rebate, plus shipping. The same card is sold under a different name for a much higher price in Europe.

[Schrade]

I uploaded the last working drivers for the AverTV card here:

AverMedia.AverTV.HD.DVR.32.and.64.bit.Drivers.v1.12.0.22.zip

http://www.multiupload.com/LTWYFIW1WS

It includes Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 versions (basically all that were released)

I think the latest version of the drivers available from their site is v1.12.0.29. That version and everything past most likely won't allow you to record the PS3's HDCP protected signal.

[miraged]

Btw, anyone saw this: http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/img/avw/docs/406/536/html/sk1.jpg.html :D?

[miraged]

1080p/60 capturing is pretty nice, dont know a single consumer card that offers this.

[jalyst]

ah... i see, good point! :)

can it capture digi/HDCP content?
http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/img/avw/docs/406/536/html/sk1.jpg.html

[miraged]

can it capture digi/HDCP content?
http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/img/avw/docs/406/536/html/sk1.jpg.html

I think there is barely anything known about the card yet, it was just on display at a exhibition last year. We probably have to wait a little longer for more details to surface.

[signal]

So how did you go, did you end-up finding anything? Thanks/cheers!

Sorry Folks - I had shelved this project for the past few months to concentrate on a few others that had backed up.

In regards to the HC737 - the drivers are claimed to be in English and I finally managed to get a copy of them to do some snooping.


480p support wasn't obvious.
It uses a pci vendor id of 0x1A0A - Trident Microsystems (Far East) Ltd.
It has both x86 and x64 drivers.
Comes with a capture application "HD Cap v2.0.0.1 (c) China Geniatech Inc. Ltd." and is in English.
The card goes for about $220 which isn't exactly cheap.


I was about to take a gamble on it when I decided to check the last Intensity Shuttle driver update 7.9.4 Dec 21, 2010.

Unceremoniously is the entry "Support for 480p/60 capture with Media Express 2.3 with Intensity Shuttle and UltraStudio Pro" in the release notes. :eek:

Sooooo.. I'm trying that out right now!

[signal]

Well.. hmm.. something isn't right.

Right off the bat through hdmi captures 720x486 (not 480p).
There is also some heavy pixelation going on.

I'll try some more tests this weekend but bottom line, right now this looks like cr*p.

Are you folks trying to capture a Wii or something else?

[jalyst]

Audio Capture
Line In, Monitor Out6

* Stereo at 24bit 48kHz

HDMI Input

* LPCM 2-8ch at 24bit 32/44.1/48kHz

Although multichannel recording is a great feature, it seems to can't capture uncompressed.
Can only capture with what seems to be a proprietary format.

Does anyone know of a more modern HDMI capture card that can do multich "HD audio" like this?
Something that doesn't cost much more than a few hundred $ ideally! :confused:

[jalyst]

I think there is barely anything known about the card yet, it was just on display at a exhibition last year. We probably have to wait a little longer for more details to surface.

@miraged

The one you were talking about (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1470023#post1470023) is in this sub-section
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http://www.sknet-web.co.jp/product/index_vid.html&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhjIq3SgsFiP5uCSvwMoX1dr9tQ4Aw

It's actually called the X2 not XX, & it only does 1080i/60 not 1080p/60
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http://www.sknet-web.co.jp/product/mvx2/specification.html&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhjRJBCktRYJ9BvrmisYBf0pqgeXbw

And then there's the Monster X3 that does 1080p/24 video
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http://www.sknet-web.co.jp/product/mvx3/index.html&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhgsQt_dGlSnUYle7NjErlM4UgpoPA

Alas both still only do 2ch LPCM, why the frack do they limit audio like that!

PV4's no good too as it only does 16bit 2ch PCM 48kHz, & it's an analogue-only capture device anyway
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://earthsoft.jp/PV/specification.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpv4%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DHqj%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26prmd%3Div&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhgfjm2umj3vGgJJgZ_viiSifxdn9A

[ChiDragon]

@miraged

The one you were talking about (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1470023#post1470023) is here
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http://www.sknet-web.co.jp/product/index_vid.html&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhjIq3SgsFiP5uCSvwMoX1dr9tQ4Aw

Wrong link? I don't see the MonsterXX there.

[ChiDragon]

No, the X2 has been out for some time and has HDMI + D-Terminal. The XX is a new card with HDMI + component that is supposed to do 1080p60.

[Ghitulescu]

Not weird at all, capturing audio is not one of the primary tasks for a video capturing card.

[jalyst]

I wasn't saying it's weird that it's audio capture abilities aren't mentioned.
I was saying it's weird that it's not on their site at all....

[miraged]

weird, not mentioned on their site anywhere, what's it's audio capture abilities?

Its probably (far?) from production yet, so that's why it's not on site yet. Still looking out for this.

[jalyst]

Its probably (far?) from production yet, so that's why it's not on site yet. Still looking out for this.

I hope it's audio capture is better than 2ch PCM...
If you come across it & you remember, can you please share it in this thread?
I'm probably going ahead with another solution in the meantime.

[jalyst]

Miraged have you heard any more about the the XX?
I'm emailing the company now to find out what happened to it
http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/img/avw/docs/406/536/html/sk1.jpg.html
I hope to god it's audio capture is 8-ch LPCM...

This card seems to suggest it supports AC3/DTS over HDMI.
http://www.digitalnow.com.au/CaptureX_HDMI.htm
But it's not clear whether it's "HD" DD/DTS, or just regular 5.1.
I suspect it'll only be 2-ch PCM & hence just regular DD/DTS.
I will email them too...

[jmac698]

Just to mention, Hauppage Collosus
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4273/hauppauge-colossus-hd-pvr-with-hdmi-support

[miraged]

Miraged? ^ Thanks!

No I haven't but I am also not actively looking for it.

However I checked 2ch today and saw another card: http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20110401_436648.html

Way too many of them in Japan ...

[jalyst]

No I haven't but I am also not actively looking for it.
However I checked 2ch today and saw another card: http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20110401_436648.html
Way too many of them in Japan ...

Yeah it blows that they get all the toys!
Gtranslate sux, I don't suppose you speak Japanese? :)

An update on my earlier post (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1491617#post1491617)...

I emailed SKnet about the MonsterXX they responded briefly:

We plan to release a goods after few months .
Now we are final stage to go into mass production.

But they still haven't answered all my questions yet.

SkyHD confirmed their card is only DD/DTS 5.1 2ch PCM.
But even that is pretty unique for a HDMI capture card.
(colossus also will support DTS soon apparently)

[miraged]

Oh wow, they actually bothered to reply to you? Seeing that post it will probably take another 3-6 months until we see something. Still interested in that card!

Colossus doesnt look all that hot to me, I suppose I would rather wait 1-2 years until that thing isn't beta anymore.

[jalyst]

Oh wow, they actually bothered to reply to you? Seeing that post it will probably take another 3-6 months until we see something. Still interested in that card!

Colossus doesnt look all that hot to me, I suppose I would rather wait 1-2 years until that thing isn't beta anymore.

Yeah well sknet didn't give me any useful info & now they're just ignoring my frackin emails.
Same for some other OEM's.....
Re the CaptureX, I got the info i needed from skydigital, but only via a intermediary that I don't trust.
Why are so many of these OEM's so useless at responding to emails, sooo frackin annoying!
I'm going to call a bunch of them via Google voice tomorrow...

[jalyst]

Google voice works beautifully w00t!
Got through to Hauppauge in Singapore, & SKNet in Japan successfully.
Skydigital & others here I come, no longer shall you ignore me!

[miraged]

Hehe, did you get anything out of your conversatons ?

[jalyst]

More detail to come in 24hrs hopefully.
Few more google voice calls to attempt :)

[miraged]

So any news ;)?

[jalyst]

Waaay down the prioriity list again...
As i recall i didn't get anywhere with skydgital as the guy couldn't understand a word.
Sknet (japan) had someone who could speak English.
But he still couldn't tell my any more and said to try again in about a mth.
I will pick it all up again in a few weeks or maybe never if i'm happy with my final build.

[beluga]

Hi guys,

MonsterXX is already out. Please check out the website at
http://www.sknet-web.co.jp/product/mvxx/index.html

[jalyst]

Thanks mate, I really need to pick this up again ASAP!!!!

[miraged]

Yep for a while now. However they removed all the component inputs they had on the earlier shown sample which is very unfortunate ...

[jalyst]

bummer :(

[beluga]

Hmmm.... is HD component still popular nowadays? What is the advantage over HDMI?

[miraged]

Well I have tons of console to capture from, since I started capturing years ago all my setup is focused on component (and I was really looking forward to this card). As for changing to hdmi (not even mentioning all the extra costs), need to get rid of hdcp ....

[ChiDragon]

Wow only one port and they still didn't make it a low-profile card. Lowest price I see equals $500 USD without shipping/customs, ouch. Wonder how many they have managed to sell...

[jmac698]

Some screenshots from MonsterX
http://amamaman.web.infoseek.co.jp/english/amarectv_e.htm
Maybe you can ask your questions to the author who apparently owns this card.

I'm just wondering, I've seen a few people trying to record console output - why do you do this? And why do you need such high quality?

[miraged]

Quality junkies :)?

Also here some MonsterXX stuff: http://translate.google.de/translate?sl=ja&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fkarinto2.mine.nu%2Fblog%2Fkuni%2F2011%2F09%2F-monsterxx-2.html

[qsdom9]

I tried to search for you with 1080p, the combination is very difficult to find out.

[Seraphic-]

I have one of those CaptureX cards that I purchased for AC3 capture, but it doesn't allow for audio only capture which is what I wanted it for. So I might be looking to sell if anyone is interested. It does 480p/720p/1080i/1080p24 v.i HDMI and up to 1080i v.i breakout cable component. Also does SPDIF/HDMI capture of AC3/DTS 5.1 or normal stereo v.i RCA. Also says it supports Stereo 3D, but I can't seem to get it to work with Xbox 360 but might have to due with the fact my monitor is not 3D (also comes with a pair of 3D glasses). I also noticed that HDCP input is allowed to be viewed (no matter what), but you can't capture from PS3, Xbox360 HDCP capture seems to work though. However, using a screen capture program might allow you to record the digital input from PS3.

[jmac698]

You can capture AC3 by recording SPDIF as WAV through normal audio card (soundblaster etc.) and using a utility to remove the wav wrapping. As for HDMI/ac3, just take the spdif output from the tv or receiver (derived from HDMI input).
Of course, you can't get e-ac3 this way, too high bitrate, I believe.

Hmm, I just had a thought, you could probably get high bitrate e-ac3 by deriving from two recordings of downmixed LPCM...
Update, seems like you could get some extra info to separate the two surrounds this way. Something like the difference between l/r surround.

[Seraphic-]

Yes, I have one of the sound cards you speak of. But the process to do it is kind of a hassle, though, maybe the process has changed since the last time I tried. If I can get it to work again, I will sell that CaptureX card for sure as I won't need it.

As for E-AC-3, does a normal optical cable support that bandwidth? I don't think Xbox 360 does anything other then normal AC-3 @ 640kbps.

Edit: This page has some nice info about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_Digital_Plus

[jmac698]

You could theoretically send an e-ac3 encoded stream over spdif, but no device does this. The best system for spdif is either pcm or DTS 1.5Mb/s. I have a setting for dts 24/96 on my receiver which only has spdif input so that must be an option.

What I was talking about was an idea where you output pcm stereo derived from some high quality surround format, downmixed to DPL, then output it again downmixed to DPL-II. I think you could combine them and get a slightly better upmix again. But this is pointless because the compressed ac3 would be better anyhow.

Anyhow, capturing audio is easy with a dedicated app, ddrec or ac3rec
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1121367&page=5

Also a way to use ac3filter.
Can do it on linux too.

[jalyst]

@Seraphic- & jmac698

Very interesting chat lads, all stuff I'm very interested in!
One of these days I'll find the time to get back to it, sigh.

Seraphic- if you still have the CaptureX in a mth, I may be interested in buying.
IIRC it was on my short-list of cards that I'm interested in.

[ChiDragon]

Out of curiosity, anyone found 1080p60 HDMI cards besides MonsterXX and the BlackMagic devices? I came across a Taiwanese company called YUAN High-Tech that offers multi-video-channel cards marketed for "surveillance" purposes with various options of HDMI and SDI inputs up to 1080p60 (ex: SC510 N1 (http://www.yuan.com.tw/en/products/surveillance/surveillance_products1_1_spec_sc510.htm#sc510)), but can't find any retailer that sells these or an indication of the price. I did see one site offering the lesser SC500 at an expected insane price (equal to $735 USD before any shipping).

[Asmodian]

I don't think the BlackMagic cards do 1080p60. I know the Infinity Pro tops out at 1080i60.

[Seraphic-]

Seraphic- if you still have the CaptureX in a mth, I may be interested in buying.
IIRC it was on my short-list of cards that I'm interested in.

I am ready to sell it now and will be posting it for sale on other forums too. By the way, I have the newer 1080p24 version of the card. Card does 480p/720p/1080i/1080p24 v.i HDMI and up to 1080i v.i breakout cable component. Also does SPDIF/HDMI capture of AC3/DTS 5.1 or normal stereo v.i RCA (also comes with English software). If you are interested (or if anyone is interested), send me a PM and we can work out the details.

(here is a photo)
http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/7163/20111204051927114.jpg

http://www.skyok.co.jp/product.php?code=610

Listed CaptureX on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/290649960958

[Ghitulescu]

Did actually one of you have and test capture cards that capture 1080p? Or just quote flyers and other internet sources?

[Ghitulescu]

Which one?

[jalyst]

Did actually one of you have and test capture cards that capture 1080p? Or just quote flyers and other internet sources?

It actually fell off the radar embarrassingly enough.
In the last year+ I've had so much happening...
I do hope to revive it all again very soon, fingers crossed.