Easycap USB capture thingy

[Cream Soda]

http://www.amazon.com/EASYCAP-Audio-...6868507&sr=1-3

Would I be able to play console games on this on my laptop and record gameplay? (at a decent quality, and sound etc?)

Cause for 8 bucks, would be totally worth it.

[Callisto]

Not really, this is more for stuff like VHS/camcorder transfers. The resolution it records at is 720x480 which is kind of awkard for consoles, it only has standard composite input so all current-gen systems would look like ass through it, and only records at 30fps, even PS2 games ran at 60.

[Pikarya]

Anything above $50.00 is about the only way you're getting HD quality.

[Cream Soda]

Well, I should have mentioned it's mainly for Wii and we're comparing it to a 4.0 megapixel camera that I have to save the replay first then play the replay while I hold the cam to my computer screen. It doesn't capture audio, so I have to do that separately and then edit them together in windows movie maker and it comes out in this quality.



As long as I can get better quality than that w/o all the work, it'd be worth 8.50 for me.

[Cream Soda]

Anything above $50.00 is about the only way you're getting HD quality.

Not really looking for HD, just looking for something that is definitely better than the video I just posted.

[Callisto]

Pretty sure the Wii runs most games at 480p(640x480), which should fit within the box that's being recorded with some black area on the sides, the main issue is that recording a 60fps game at 30fps would likely make it come out fucky. Not saying this wouldn't be worth experimenting on for $8, just that this likely won't do a very good job.

[Kohan]

Yes, you absolutely can get superior -- not to mention rather impressive -- looking footage out of the EasyCap. The key is simple: don't use the software it comes with. If you're willing to toy around with VirtualDub, you can create incredible looking video with the cheapest, shittiest USB capture devices around.

To prove it, I have two examples for you. One, which wasn't created by me (and is of considerably higher visual quality than those I usually make):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWEKN0WGlcM

And two, part of a guide I created for IGN (there are plenty of other video samples throughout the guide, too):

[link deleted]

You'll need tons upon tons of HDD space (because you're going to be capturing lossless video and audio) and a reasonably powerful computer. If you have those two things, and already have an inkling as to how to use VirtualDub, I can help you with specifics.

[Callisto]

So the framerate cap is imposed by the software and not the device?

[Cream Soda]

Yes, you absolutely can get superior -- not to mention rather impressive -- looking footage out of the EasyCap. The key is simple: don't use the software it comes with. If you're willing to toy around with VirtualDub, you can create incredible looking video with the cheapest, shittiest USB capture devices around.

To prove it, I have two examples for you. One, which wasn't created by me (and is of considerably higher visual quality than those I usually make):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWEKN0WGlcM

And two, part of a guide I created for IGN (there are plenty of other video samples throughout the guide, too):

[link deleted]

You'll need tons upon tons of HDD space (because you're going to be capturing lossless video and audio) and a reasonably powerful computer. If you have those two things, and already have an inkling as to how to use VirtualDub, I can help you with specifics.

Well, I'm not looking to do super HD, but just something reasonable and better than the vid I posted in this thread.

I am using a couple year old laptop, so the specs aren't amazing, but if you think I could make due with it and make a somewhat decent video, would you mind helpin me out w/ it?

Intel(r) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU p7350 @ 2.00GHZ
4 gb ram
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 graphics card

[Kohan]

So the framerate cap is imposed by the software and not the device?

Yes, in every case I've seen. The maximum resolution is still going to be the same (and, as you know, you can't magically make RCA or S-Video footage into HD video), but you can get an impressively clean source to work with if you use VirtualDub.

To be more specific, I use HuffYUV to capture losslessly. Naturally, the video has interleaving issues, so I have to repair that. Formerly, I did considerably lossier XviD compression, but nowadays, my final product is H.264 with V0 MP3 audio.

Well, I'm not looking to do super HD, but just something reasonable and better than the vid I posted in this thread.

I am using a couple year old laptop, so the specs aren't amazing, but if you think I could make due with it and make a somewhat decent video, would you mind helpin me out w/ it?

Intel(r) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU p7350 @ 2.00GHZ
4 gb ram
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 graphics card

Since it's a laptop, I'm not sure how well it will handle it, but on the surface, that seems powerful enough to handle the capturing aspects. You'll spend a lot of time doing the final encode, but as long as your laptop doesn't have overheating issues and/or is kept cool somehow, you can leave it on for however long it takes.

I won't mind helping you with more intricate specifics, but I haven't slept all night due to a project I've been working on, so I'll do it later. For now, though, know that yes, that capture device will do what you want it to do. If you're on Windows 7, it may be a little trickier getting it to work, but if you have XP, it'll be very simple. A lot of cheap-ass USB capture devices don't play nice with 64-bit OSes, either, so keep that in mind too. The EasyCap in particular has been fiddled with and turned functional in most cases, though.

[Callisto]

For whatever reason it seems like all included software with capture devices sucks. I use this guy and the recordings come out great @1280x720, but the software itself is finnicky as all hell to get going each time you want to launch it. I usually record straight to h.264 and edit in vegas10, would it be super-lossy to record to AVI using virtualdub instead? What I have now gets the job done, it's just a tad annoying at times.

[Cream Soda]

Yes, in every case I've seen. The maximum resolution is still going to be the same (and, as you know, you can't magically make RCA or S-Video footage into HD video), but you can get an impressively clean source to work with if you use VirtualDub.

To be more specific, I use HuffYUV to capture losslessly. Naturally, the video has interleaving issues, so I have to repair that. Formerly, I did considerably lossier XviD compression, but nowadays, my final product is H.264 with V0 MP3 audio.



Since it's a laptop, I'm not sure how well it will handle it, but on the surface, that seems powerful enough to handle the capturing aspects. You'll spend a lot of time doing the final encode, but as long as your laptop doesn't have overheating issues and/or is kept cool somehow, you can leave it on for however long it takes.

I won't mind helping you with more intricate specifics, but I haven't slept all night due to a project I've been working on, so I'll do it later. For now, though, know that yes, that capture device will do what you want it to do. If you're on Windows 7, it may be a little trickier getting it to work, but if you have XP, it'll be very simple. A lot of cheap-ass USB capture devices don't play nice with 64-bit OSes, either, so keep that in mind too. The EasyCap in particular has been fiddled with and turned functional in most cases, though.

Vista 32 bit

[Shojin]

the main issue is that recording a 60fps game at 30fps would likely make it come out fucky.

If he's just looking to upload it to Youtube it won't matter, as Youtube caps video to 30fps anyway.

[Tymon]

I bought one back in the day, it's BAD.

The software is only completely compatible with Windows XP 32-bit.

It can run, kind of, on Vista and Windows 7, but not very well.

Don't even bother if it's 64-bit.

I recommend, if anything, a Dazzle DVC100 USB capture device.

Or if you have some more money to blow, go all in and get a Hauppauge HD-PVR for $300ish and record in glorious HD.

[Callisto]

unless you want to record in 1080p you only need the $90-100 range aver or happauge cards, both do 720p/1080i just fine, there might be stuff that does it for cheaper as well but I haven't looked a ton

[Kohan]

For whatever reason it seems like all included software with capture devices sucks. I use this guy and the recordings come out great @1280x720, but the software itself is finnicky as all hell to get going each time you want to launch it. I usually record straight to h.264 and edit in vegas10, would it be super-lossy to record to AVI using virtualdub instead? What I have now gets the job done, it's just a tad annoying at times.

So long as you have the HDD space (and the processing power to handle editing), I always recommend recording lossless video/audio first, to ensure you're not damaging the video by compressing it once, then again, and however many times more you must before you're finished. H.264 is nearly lossless and incredibly efficient, but it still compresses, which is why I only use it to create the final product, and capture the source video with HuffYUV. This is especially important when it comes to videogames, as high motion sequences may be blurrier and/or suffer from frames captured out of sequence.

Here's another video for reference. This one is heavily compressed (as, for some reason, it was compressed twice again after submission -- you can tell by observing the overlapping watermarks in the lower right corner):

[link deleted]

The reason I show it nonetheless is due to the speed, as it's a Sonic game, and a demonstration of how to get the best rating possible (therefore requiring that the stage is beaten quickly). This video was taken before I perfected my capture techniques (which "Prince of Persia: The Forgottten Sands" better exemplifies), but is still a good case for capturing losslessly originally, as even the excessively compressed final product has relatively good clarity and minimal blur beyond what the game itself deliberately creates.

Vista 32 bit

I may detest Vista, but you should be able to get the EasyCap to work just fine on it.

I bought one back in the day, it's BAD.

The software is only completely compatible with Windows XP 32-bit.

That's why you don't use the included software. You shouldn't do so with an EasyCap, or a GameBridge, or any of the cheap USB video capture devices.

I do condone buying a better card (such as what Callisto has) if you've got the cash, but if you don't, there are still ways to get great video out of shitty dongles.

[EgeDal]

Guys, can we get 60 fps with EasyCap with audio and video?

I'm trying to play Wii U on my laptop, and i'm certainly not getting HD but i don't know if i'm getting 60fps or not.

I don't have a TV and the cheapest solution was EasyCap.

Does it work for you?

[Bardicrune]

Holy Necro!

[Brill Weave]

Nothing to see here. Move along.