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  1. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    So are there any devices that support 480p 16x9 capturing with 5.1 fiber optic recording?

    I would be happy with 480i as long as it had decent letterboxing. But 5.1 recording via fiber optic is a must - for Ps3 and xbox 360 capturing.

    I have a fusion hdtv 3 and a pinnacle hd pro usb stick. However It seems I'm destined for letterboxed recording this way.

    I was investigating 5.1 recording seperately. I have a sb live 5.1 usb device that supports the digital i/o module for fiber optic inputs. However I am doubtful if it would actually record in ac3 or dts. My suspensions are that it would only accept the fiber optic and convert to stereo - thus defeating my purpose.

    I am looking to spend in the area of 100.00 or so.

    I have firewire connective, usb 2.0 (obviously) and esata. I have a dual core 2.7ghz amd process running Vista Premium. I don't have a raid system but i have a 80gb os drive, 500gb internal and a 320gb firewire external drive. Since my intended destination is dvd mpeg format with 5.1 audio recording space shouldn't be too much of a factor.

    I also have the notion of recording component output from the ps3 and xbox 360. I already have the component cables for the 360 but I'm currently using the vga cable for the xbox 360. I would need to purchase the component cables seperately for the ps3 but I would not factor that into the 100.00 benchmark I'm tentatively setting.

    So is it possible to record 16x9 using plain old composite cables? What about svideo cables? Are those strictly limited to letterboxed due to bandwidth restrictions? Are there capture devices that would interpret these sources and record to a widecreen flagged file?

    By the way my MAIN goal is for cutscene recording so actual gameplay footage is only a side issue. I may dabble in it but movie sequences are main goal and as those are non-interactive lag and what not are not a pressing concern to me.

    I do know of the blackmagic hdmi capture card. However it is my understanding that you need a raid storage system to record at top quality. Also I don't own a hdmi version of the 360 - hence my use of the vga cable. They do make a hdmi adapter now for the 360 but I have been under the impression that that would be of lesser quality than a 360 with it built in.

    So are there relatively affordable options with my requirements? I've been searching bestbuy and circuitcities websites but they are suprisingly skimpy on some of the finer points of the products. They do detail a lot but not as much as I'd like without going to the store and picking up the box to look at it.

    Opinions are welcome. Again please keep in mind my request centers specifically around integrated 5.1 recording and hopes for widescreen capturing - not letterboxed.

    I do have the notion of trying for a soundcard with a packaged fiber optic recording capabilty. However I'd have to sacrifice a pci card to install it - I'd probably ditch the firewire card since my firewire drive also supports usb and esata.

    Thanks.

    Edit - is there a cheaper version of this with 5.1 input recording?

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0018LX0DY/ref=dp_image_0/105-9540492-0942805?...&s=electronics

    Hauppauge 1212 HD-PVR High Definition Personal Video Recorder

    High-definition personal video recorder records directly from cable TV and satellite set top boxes at up to 1080i
    Records in AVCHD format for burning Blu-ray DVD discs
    Includes Hauppage's WinTV scheduler to schedule TV recordings, and built-in IR blaster to automatically change TV channels
    Standard definition composite and S-Video inputs lets you digitize your old home video tapes directly from VCR
    Measures 7.8 x 6.8 x 2.8 inches; weighs 1.2 pounds


    A user review says it has fiber optic in but is limited to stereo until there is a fix for it.

    This is kind of what I'm looking for but not quite as pricey.
    Donatello - The Shredder? Michelangelo - Maybe all that hardware is for making coleslaw?
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  2. Yes, but I'm not sure if this will work for you.

    The Creative X-fi can record from optical or coaxial SPDIF input and capture a valid 5.1 AC-3 file. It requires some minimal processing, but this is easy. There ore 2 or 3 other cards that have been reported to have this capability, but I can only verify the x-fi. Some audigy cards with hacked drivers have been reported as capable, has to be 24-bit, bit accurate recording.

    For the video, an ATI AIW card can take 480i, TELECINED video and do a real-time IVTC, resulting in an effective 480P file. Widescreen capture is also doable. The problem is whether or not your output is actually Telecined, I don't think it is but I'm not sure.
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  3. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by nelson37
    The Creative X-fi can record from optical or coaxial SPDIF input and capture a valid 5.1 AC-3 file. It requires some minimal processing, but this is easy. There ore 2 or 3 other cards that have been reported to have this capability, but I can only verify the x-fi. Some audigy cards with hacked drivers have been reported as capable, has to be 24-bit, bit accurate recording.
    Thank you for the report.

    I have a sound blaster live usb adapter with updated drivers that work on vista. It is said that the same i/o module is compatible with the live adapter. It can go up to 96khz output so would that suggest it can do 24bit recording?

    Also are there video capture programs that can accept this ac3 as a realtime audio source? I suppose it shouldn't be too hard to multiplex this together considering they would be coming from the same recording soure though ensuring synch might be touchy.

    How is the widescreen handled?

    I appreciate the realworld insight into the fiber optic input.
    Donatello - The Shredder? Michelangelo - Maybe all that hardware is for making coleslaw?
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  4. Apparently, 96k output and 24-bit recording do not necessarily go together. At least one card I tried demonstrated this. The Audigy cards with the Emu-10k-2 chip (Not the '-1') and hacked drivers, K-something I think, were reported to work but no mention IIRC of a USB device.

    As for recording progs that can handle both, Vdub apparently can, but would require re-encoding the video. Nothing I could find for my ATI could handle it. There are other MMC versions, but I am extremely hesitant to change this after I get one working. Handling of letterboxing and audio, as well as encoding parameters, have changed significantly. Later versions suffer from extreme bitrate spikes which give non-compatible DVD video, requiring a lowering of target bitrates. But, the IVTC seems better.

    Not all audio progs support the 24-bit capture. What I ended up doing was capture the MPG with ATI, and also the AC-3 with the Creative software. Then convert the AC-3 to 6 waves, and load both into Vegas. This allowed for visually synching up the 2-channel MPG with the 6-channel Wave, using the waveform display, not the video.

    There was a size limitation on the audio capture, I think it was 4 Gb. The new King Kong was about 5 minutes too long, something over 3 hours. Only one I ever had a problem with. The original audio cap is a DD-Wave, which BeSplit can convert to AC-3.

    2 issues here. First, had to align the start points, this was easy. Second problem was a duration variation, the audio needed to be stretched roughly 1-2 seconds per half-hour. Fairly easy with Vegas, again visually using the audio waveform for a precise match. Finally re-encode the 5.1 with Vegas. 448 bitrate seems to cause some issues on some authoring progs, as oppossed to 384 bitrate.

    The Widescreen was real simple, MMC simply sets to Widescreen capture, flags to 16:9, piece of cake. Tested this with alighnent marks on TV, comparing to re-broadcast of original program and authored DVD playback. Perfect match. My recording source was DTV satellite, HD broadcast, using S-Video output to ATI card. Real-time IVTC on.

    The IVTC was near-perfect on recent programs and movies, less so on older movies. One oddity was that CC info, at least as capped by the card, was stripped out when sat box was set to 1080i, on 720p it was present.

    So I ended up with true anamorphic widescreen, 24fps, Hi-Quality 704x480 DVD with subtitle and 5.1 audio. Damn I was happy.

    Next project is to get the same thing working with HD OTA broadcasts, just got my coupons for the tuner box.
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  5. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    @Nelson 37 - wow that sounds awfuly complex.

    Are you saying you simultaneously captured analog audio and video as well as the ac3 via fiber optic?

    i don't own Vegas nor do I plan on buying it.

    What creative software did you use to record the 5.1?

    I was at Office Max today and saw that they have a diamond 7.1 audio card with coaxial spdif inputs. It was a 24bit playback card with 16 bit recording. Does that negate the possibility of accurate 5.1 recording? Also that would only allow me to cap off my hddvr not my game consoles. I did see that they do make a fiber optic to coax adapter but I don't know if that allows perfect passthrough of the signal.

    Is MMC the ATI recording software for the all in wonder?
    Donatello - The Shredder? Michelangelo - Maybe all that hardware is for making coleslaw?
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  6. 16-bit just won't cut it. What you are actually capturing is more like a file transfer than an audio file, I tried a similar 16-bit card, no go.

    Yeah, the sat box output SPDIF as well as analog, the creative card actually passed thru the analog to the ATI card as well as capturing the digital SPDIF input. I was surprised by this, tested by completely disconnecting the analog inputs to the ATI card. Still got an MPG with stereo audio and the AC-3 as a seperate file.

    The creative software was what came with the card, IIRC Goldwave also worked. You have to set SPDIF input, 48k, bit accurate input. Sounds like pulsing static, Besplit processes to AC-3. The file will play thru AC-3 filter, and possibly as output to an amp. Others stated damage was possible with this so I never tried it. Volume of the pulsing static was very loud. One indicator that the capture is right is that volume controls are disabled.

    MMC is the ATI capture software that comes with the card. Many don't like it but after recently using a Hauppage card I really can't see what folks are complaining about.

    I originally purchased Vegas for the compatible AC-3 encoder. There is a gradually increasing synch problem with the movie capture, I suppose you could get basic synch with just a video display and use Delaycut to get the start points right. Using two different cap softwares at the same time was an issue, could not get both to start at the exact same instant.

    If you are only doing short captures the de-synch might not be too noticeable, Delaycut can compensate for the different start times. It cuts the AC-3 directly.

    I found synching audio to video without some more direct visual check very difficult, I know other progs can show an audio waveform, this allowed a more exact synch. So it could be done with free software, though I've read that most freebie 5.1 AC-3 encoders may not be completely compatible.

    It did involve a few steps, but I automated much of the process and the final result was very, very close to commercial quality. To see if this could be equaled or surpassed was where I started out, almost 10 years ago.

    I should say about the Hauppage that despite possibly the worst capture software I've ever worked with, it does make actually creating Better than DVD quality quite feasible.
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  7. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    Thanks Nelson.

    WHen I finally settle on a device for bit capturing I'll report back for more detail.
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  8. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    I tested a composite capture off the playstation 3 with the pinnacle usb stick in virtualdub. I first set the ps3 to 480i over composite and I noticed the widescreen option this time - thanks for whoever mentined that in this thread. IT WORKS BEAUTIFULLY in virtualdub.

    Next thing was audio - I am using the rca stereo cables and it worked ok. The BEST part was that virtualdub allowed me to record in AC3 audio! It played back and gspot recognizes it as ac3 audio no problem.

    Now my question:

    -------------

    ** CAN VIRTUALDUB CAPTURE DIRECTLY TO MPEG2 VIDEO?

    ------------

    Or in another way can you FRAMESERVE your capture to say tmpgenc 2.5 so it encodes to mpeg with ac3 audio? (granted is purely stereo at this pioint but I'm looking forward in this approach).




    Also I did finally order the digital i/o module from creative.com. I should get it next week. My real hope is that now I'll be able to record 480i widescreen video and capture with ac3 5.1 in realtime when I get the adapter.

    My only sticking point is getting a capture program that will record in widescreen AND mpeg 2 video formats. My goal here is to simplify the steps and produce a good quality video with as little manipulation as possible.

    In the end if I have to capture to avi and convert to mpg later I could ultimatley live with that.

    I guess my next question is would it be worth getting a svideo cable for my playstation 3 or would recording in 480i make the distinction between composite and svideo moot?

    Thanks for everyones advice. This is exciting now that I'm getting really close here to my final goals. I'm interested in trying this out on my xbox 360. I'll have to use my composite cables which have analog audio and video cables on them.


    EDIT - I have submitted a question to pinnacles support system. I am asking if I can record a widescreen video over the composite signal. I'll post the response. I'd prefer to record the video directly to mpeg2 dvd video. That would save me some conversion steps.
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  9. Member FulciLives's Avatar
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    I have a Sony PS3 and downloaded some anime episodes from the Playstation store. They were $1.99 each and you "own" them for unlimited playback but apparently they have some sort of DRM on them. The resolution is SD not HDTV but they look pretty darn nice. They are MP4 files.

    So I set the PS3 to 480i output and hooked it up to a stand alone DVD recorder using the composite video and rca stereo audio jack connector that comes with the PS3.

    Guess what? I got a dreaded "This program cannot be recorded" message on my DVD recorder. This was for the anime episodes I downloaded.

    I tried playing back some other stuff like game demo videos etc. and that stuff all recorded. Didn't actually try to play any games though. Really my main idea was to record those anime episodes so that I had a back-up of them that could be played DRM free.

    I do have a Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1600 which is an internal PCI card with OTA and QAM tuners plus it features S-Video input with analog stereo audio input and like the old PVR units (250, 350 and USB2) it has built-in hardware MPEG-2 recording. It also cares less about copy protection.

    So I guess I'll be using that although I like the idea of getting the Hauppauge HD PVR with it's 180i/720p/480p/480i capable component inputs (and again no copy protection worries).

    Alas money is tight these days and I really need a new or updated computer before I worry about getting the HD PVR anyways. On top of that I'd have to move the PS3 into another room for recording to the computer (grumble rumble).

    I guess the point of all this is that copy protection can be a royal pain-in-the-ass *sigh*

    - John "FulciLives" Coleman
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  10. Member vhelp's Avatar
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    EDIT - I have submitted a question to pinnacles support system. I am asking if I can record a widescreen video over the composite signal. I'll post the response. I'd prefer to record the video directly to mpeg2 dvd video. That would save me some conversion steps.
    Well, I can tell only this much. My Polaroid DRM-2001G dvd recorder outputs 480i over component video.

    What that means is that the HD (any content) over its Component INPUT will get downsampled to the SD 720x480 or dvd size over into the Composite or S-Video connections for capture cards and the likes.

    Two things will effect the outcome of the final video:

    A -- proper setup of widescreen output from your source unit
    B -- proper setup of widescreen output from your xbox's output format

    Once you have {A} in order, (as for {B} it is optional) you should be able to capture your video as it is being presented. In other words, if you set your incoming source to widescreen letterbox, you will be capturing a 720x480 letter box video with borders, etc. Or, if you set your incoming source to Widescreen or Enhanced Widescreen or Anamorphic (cause they all have different setup terminology) you will be capturig the anamorphic video as it is being presented.

    So, whatever you use to capture it, hardware mpeg or analog avi capture cards, or dvd recorder or even vhs, they will all receive the video as they are presented. You just have to set them up prior to sending to the unit that will be the medeator.. or you xbox, in your case, I think.

    * source unit -> xbox -> capture/dvd recorder -> AVI or MPEG

    I've already tested this out on my DRM-2001G soon after I took it out of the box

    -vhelp 4869
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  11. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by vhelp
    Two things will effect the outcome of the final video:

    A -- proper setup of widescreen output from your source unit
    B -- proper setup of widescreen output from your xbox's output format

    Once you have {A} in order, (as for {B} it is optional) you should be able to capture your video as it is being presented. In other words, if you set your incoming source to widescreen letterbox, you will be capturing a 720x480 letter box video with borders, etc.
    Thanks.

    I do know the procedure I need. My main problem is getting my software to cooperate. As I have mentioned Virtualdub does record the 16x9 signal from the COMPOSITE cable. It looks pretty darn good at sd resolutions. My only gripe is the avi "limitation". By limitation i mean that i have to convert it to mpeg2 later for dvd authoring. Not that big of a deal but I'd like to have this as streamlined as possible. Not that I have any time pressure to make a dvd once its captured, it's just that I'm a tad lazy and don't want to have to do something twice if I can get the same result in one capture without conversion later.

    ---------

    by the way just got an email that my spdif input/output module has shipped. I'll be getting it next wednesday by ups hopefully

    ----------

    I am hoping there is a setting in pinnacle to select widescreen capturing instead of just widescreen display. However I don't think it will happen and I'll be waiting for my support response - probably Tuesday after the holiday.

    I have done a brief test of my xbox 360 with ninja gaiden 2 (intro logo graphics only). It looks really good once I got it set to widescreen. I have it set up with the component cable adapter that has a seperate analog composite cable that I have connected to my composite input on my pinnacle stick (the cable has both component and composite outputs for the xbox 360 - I normally use the vga hd cable though for my hdtv).

    Thanks everyone.

    EDIT -

    I also thought of something:

    What is the average audio ac3 bitrate for video games? I believe dvd movies use 384kbps as the main average with 448kpbs being the max for dolby digital. When I do get the digital audio capturing setup should I aim for 384 as a "sweet spot" for quality and space saving?
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  12. Interesting Vdub is capturing as AC-3 thru RCA stereo cables, either AC3Filter is doing this or you have one of the newer X-fi cards with AC-3 encoding. Haven't captured with Vdub in quite some time, what I do know is that AC-3 is not coming in over those cables.

    There apparently is a way to use VDub to cap in real-time MPG, there is a software codec I saw mentioned which could do this. Unrotunately I forget the name or any mention of results or quality. Not much discussion on it. However a re-encode from the AVI might geve best quality, definitely filesize advantages.

    It took me quite a while to fine-tune the ATI card for best quality, with changes in software encoder and different cards over the years. Beware of bitrate spikes!

    When you do the digital capture, you have no opportunity to set bitrate, you get whatever the source is. This is not a capture, more like a file transfer. Similar to a Firewire copy. Most have been 384. Some have also been 2.0 instead of 5.1, again there is no user control whatsoever.

    Be careful about playing back the original captured wav file, it is extremely loud pulsing static. You have to run this through a BeSplice command, look up my old post on Capturing AC-3 or post back if you can't find it, I'll copy it from my other PC.
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  13. Well, for more money, philips 5520 will do what you require
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  14. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    @nelson37 -

    Originally Posted by nelson37
    Interesting Vdub is capturing as AC-3 thru RCA stereo cables, either AC3Filter is doing this or you have one of the newer X-fi cards with AC-3 encoding. Haven't captured with Vdub in quite some time, what I do know is that AC-3 is not coming in over those cables.
    Originally Posted by nelson37
    There apparently is a way to use VDub to cap in real-time MPG, there is a software codec I saw mentioned which could do this. Unrotunately I forget the name or any mention of results or quality. Not much discussion on it. However a re-encode from the AVI might geve best quality, definitely filesize advantages.
    I've seen the ffdshow codec option available and a mpg setting however it still outputs as avi. There is mjpeg but I don't know how to configure it to record in .mpg if that is possible.

    Thanks for the bitrate knowledge Nelson.

    I don't have the xfi yet but I do have ac3filter (at least I think I do on my vista capturing machine - I know my xp pc has it I just don't remember if I installed it on the vista pc as well).


    @rabiddog - I take it the phillips 5520 is a standalone dvd recorder? I seriously doubt that it includes fiber optic input recording. Got a link for more specs?

    EDIT - I see the 5520 is a UK model so that is one knock against it for me since I need a ntsc model. ALso it is coaxial input only so an adapter would be need and I don't know if it would allow for a full digital passthrough. Plus it sounds like the 5.1 can't be burned to a dvd so it would be essentially useless for my application:

    However, the latter isn't as useful as it sounds. First of all, the input is coaxial-only, making it incompatible with the optical-only Sky+/HD hardware, unless adaptors are used. Secondly, 5.1 recordings can't go beyond the HDD

    http://www.techradar.com/products/audio-visual/dvd-recorders/philips-dvdr5520h-417849/...ab=user-review

    For

    >5.1 recording

    >Good AV

    >Funky clickwheel remote

    Against

    >Ponderously unresponsive

    >Can’t transfer 5.1 to (compatible) DVD

    >No optical input

    However, the latter isn't as useful as it sounds. First of all, the input is coaxial-only, making it incompatible with the optical-only Sky+/HD hardware, unless adaptors are used. Secondly, 5.1 recordings can't go beyond the HDD

    I do appreciate the suggestion Rabiddog however this looks to be a hybrid attempt at digital surround recording that is being crippled by industry factors right now.

    EDIT 2 -

    What about the slingbox high def version? I see it has component inputs. Can that be used to RECORD HIGH DEF to the computer? I would still need to use a seperate fiber optic input for 5.1 capturing as this only has analog audio inputs.

    Is that feasible with a slingbox? Or are they solely for streaming? Would it be a high enough bandwidth? Would that guarentee a clean widescreen progressive capture?
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  15. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    Ok I finally got my digital i/o module from creative today. I also bought an extra 8ft fiber optic cable so I can leave my existing fiber optic cables in place and just swap em while I'm capturing.

    Now how do I activate bit for bit recording?

    I have the module plugged into the line in jack on my usb sb live 5.1 external device. I did a test capture and got stereo pcm only - didn't hear what it sounded like yet however as I deleted the test file since it was stereo and not 5.1 (it is a 5.1 source I was testing from).

    I have checked and my sb live DOES support 24bit 48khz recording. However I only have a 2 channel option in my control panel settings. HOW DO I ENABLE multichannel recording over fiber optic?

    Thanks.

    I will be emailing creatives tech support for more info.

    If worse comes to worse I'll sacrifice my firewire card and go buy a creative xfi card. I want this to work.
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  16. You are not yet understanding this fully.

    You capture the source as 24-bit, bit-accurate, 48k, stereo WAV. DOES NOT MATTER if the actual AC-3 file is 5.1, 2.0, or whatever. This is a digital bitstream, with blank spaces for timing. Sounds like pulsing static. It WILL be a stereo WAV. SPDIF input does not allow volume setting, there are other limitations. This file is known as a DDWAV, though there are apparently more normal variations of that.

    Imagine if you were looking at the 1's and 0's of a digital video file, would not matter if it was HD, SD, or what, would not even be recognizable as video. BUT, capture it accurately, process it correctly, and Voila! You got video.

    There is a specific BeSplit command to create a valid AC-3 from this WAV, I have it on another PC or do a search on my name and AC-3 capture. AC3Filter can playback the original DDWAVE, I just read in another post that VLC can do this, as well, though I can only personally verify AC3Filter.

    You set the output source to Bitstream or Digital, NOT PCM. Capture is stereo, NOT 5.1. What you are capturing is the 5.1 AC-3 BEFORE it is decoded, it's like a Zip file. The BeSplit processing is quite fast, not all AC-3 by any means are full 5.1. Did about 2 dozen movies, roughly half or a little less were actually full 5.1 Not directly related to quality of broadcast station or age of movie, fairly random. HDNet was mostly 5.1, HBO was mostly 2.0.

    Goldwave could do it, the main Creative Center app could do it, the basic Creative capture app could not. Any software relating to SPDIF must be set to pass-thru or as-is. NO DECODING.

    It's been a while since I have done this and don't have the same sources anymore, but could do a simulation run. It is a bear to get running and test, I originally did this without an amp which could decode AC-3, gosh that was fun. But is is a charge when you turn that pulsing static into valid 6-channel surround sound the first time.

    EDIT: - Creative tech support will tell you this can't be done, waste of time. M-Audio told me the same thing.

    Edit2: BeSplit -core( -input %1.wav -prefix %1 -type ddwav -fix )" . The ending quote mark is actually in the batch file but I don't think it's necessary. I would put it in, though. Save this as SOMENAME.bat, usage is at command line is SOMENAME SOMEWAVE, no extensions. Output is SOMEWAVE01.ac3
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  17. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    Thanks Nelson. I'll start reading over this in more detail.

    I ended up buying a new soundcard anyway. What I had was really old and a drain on resources since it was a usb device.

    I splurged and got the pci version of the sound blaster FATALITY version. It was a 110.00 at best buy on sale. I am installing it now.

    I will let you know how I do. Thanks.

    EDIT -

    Here is my first test with my ps3 set to bitstream out:



    I ended up with a 0 byte ac3 file. Also it shows a 2channel source. I believe my source is 5.1 all the way but I could check to see if the default audio track is the stereo track and not the 5.1 track.

    Am I on the right approach here? Thanks.
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  18. Capture has to be 48K, not 44.1. I recall I had to set the frequency every time, it would not default. In the Creative software, there was a checkbox for Bit-accurate, one for SPDIF, and a dialog box for 48k. The creative software is a bit funky.

    If the recording volume controls are active, something is wrong. They are disabled for SPDIF capture.

    Also try playing the file, it should sound like pulsing static, kind of like a fast-revving small motorbike. Make sure your volume is turned low for the speakers and do NOT use headphones, or at least do not put them over your ears.

    The "%1" in the command line are variables for a batch file, if you type the original line in notepad and save it as, for instance "BeAC3.bat", any name but MUST end in ".bat", then for your example you would just type the command "BeAC3 bitstreamtest". Capitals not necessary. Using a batch file saves a lot of typing and prevents typos.

    SFAIK the Fatality card is near identical to the X-Fi, though I have read that some versions have added real-time AC-3 Encoding, but for your purpose you want all such features turned off.

    Am getting set up to do this again for OTA HD, going the long way round, it's a long story. My capture box has been basically unused for a while.

    Keep banging away, you're getting there.
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  19. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    @nelson37 - thanks for the frequency note.

    FYI my first test was a capture in virtualdub. I selected audio line in as the source. Was that a mistake?

    I'm really hoping to find a way to capture the audio and video simultaneously. Then all I have to do is split off the audio, reencode than remux it later without resynching.

    I'll have to check out the bat file creation tip. It has been a LONG time since I wrote a bat file. The only time I ever did was for my old DOS Xwing game. That was to rewrite a pilot file so I'd never lose my ranking or points even after dying. That way I could instantly refly a mission and be back where I started from.

    By the way the Fatality card appears to be a discontinuing item for Bestbuy as I got it for 50.00 off or so. BUT it did have a seperate install disc for VISTA so its new enough to have that without downloading seperately.
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  20. Not Line-in, you have to select SPDIF-in. I always muted all other input connections.

    I have seen reports that Vdub captures with DDWAV have been successful, though I have not done it myself.

    Be prepared for a very slight De-synch over time, on captures of a half-hour or less it should not even be noticeable. Full-length movies require some stretching, roughly one second or so.
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  21. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    @nelson37 - thanks for the advice. I don't think I saw that option in the version of vdub I was testing with. I'll try to download an updated version and see if its an option.

    So I guess there is no way around having to resynch huh? How much is a basic version of VEGAS? Or are there alternative visual editors like this?
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  22. Check Windows recording options to set SPDIF-in as source.

    Audacity apparently has the necessary options, you can also use a free AC-3 encoder.

    There's another post from a Mac guy who is using this method. Apparently the Mac can do the SPDIF record with stock sound card, on a Mac Mini no less. He is also seeing the synch problem.

    But, he can't run all the software we can.

    The fact that the synch issue is gradual and fairly minor makes me wonder if it is a result of the DDWAV-AC3 conversion process. There is also some info in that thread on doing the conversion using VLC, one thing I never tried was testing the video against the original DDWAV to see if synch is maintained.
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  23. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    Ok I'm going back to the video capturing for the moment (thanks for all the audio advice nelson37 - hope to get it working soon).

    I bought the visiontek ati all-in-wonder hd 650 512mb pci-e card today (well Saturday ). It looks good and everything however have a couple of questions:

    In the catalyst media center how do I set it to widescreen capture? Also how do I change the recording location? I try clicking on the default location but I can't edit it.

    Another thing - the card has hdmi out which is fantastic but it doesn't have an svideo port. That means I need to get the adapter card for it (there is a connector port on the card itself for connection to the second unit - internally that is). However I just checked it out on the visiontek website and it is svideo and composite only - though does come with a remote which is a plus.

    The bad thing is I got all excited becuase the Best Buy website said it had HDMI and RCA input capablitity with the optional input kit. But the card itself doesn't have hdmi inputs. The other thing was the card has the rgb component ports on it but alas, they are output only - would it be possible to get it hacked to be component inputs???????????

    Thanks.....
    Donatello - The Shredder? Michelangelo - Maybe all that hardware is for making coleslaw?
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  24. Some new thoughts and info on the de-synch issue, appreciate any thoughts or ideas.

    https://forum.videohelp.com/topic356438.html
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  25. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    Well on the VIDEO side of this whole issue I have a new program to look into. I was just on a live chat with a tech support person at PINNACLE and I was asking about PINNACLE STUDIO 12.

    They said it DOES SUPPORT 16x9 WIDESCREEN RECORDING FROM ANALOG VIDEO!

    Now my next task is download the trial and check out for myself how good it works. Hopefully it supports mpeg2 recording as well and half of my goals will finally be satisfied.

    I have the day off but I have some stuff I need to do this morning. I'll download the trial this afternoon and run some captures from my ps3 and probably the xbox 360 as well.

    The best part is studio 12 is only 50.00 so as long this is available in the basic edition and i dont' need a more expensive "plus" or "premium" package I may be set for video capturing.

    I'll report back this evening and see if I get what I wanted. I'll also do a gspot screen post to see if the DAR is a true 16x9 or not.
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  26. Pinnacle products have generally sucked, though I haven't tried them in a while, others have reported the same thing. Will most likely be software MPG, not hardware or hardware-assisted as the ATI can do.

    Sorry I missed the widescreen question. In all versions of MMC I have used, or at least the last 8.x and 9.x versions, you right-click on the capture window, select aspect ratio, widescreen, and 16x9. There have been some variations on how this works, along with the letterboxing option, combined with "capture cropped", and the now-gone vcr option. I believe that the version of MMC that comes with your card is now different.

    What is the version number of your MMC program, not the Catalyst control center or drivers, just the capture prog?

    The default recording directory is now specified in the TV-on-demand section, even if you do not install or use this option.

    IIRC, your card can do hardware encoding, the older AIW cards are hardware-assisted. Anything outside of MMC encodes software-only. The encoder program changed in 9.x, now it adheres more closely to the specified bitrate, BUT suffers from extreme spikes, making non-compatible DVD files, unless you lower the bitrate.

    On the SPDIF time-stretching issue, am very interested to hear your synch results. I have now determined that this is NOT an issue with the AC-3 file or the conversion process. Instead, when an HD program is down-sampled thru S-Video, the video itself is somehow Lengthened by about 0.5 seconds per half-hour. You may, or may not, suffer from this problem.
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  27. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    bump

    I bought studio version 12 today. IT CAPTURES ANALOG WIDESCREEN!!!

    It has a radio button to capture either 4:3 or 16:9. It works great. I was able to do a test capture of the composite cables off the ps3 with HEAVENLY SWORD. I did a cutscene from the viewing room. It recorded it in perfect widescreen format. I even checked gspot and it shows a 16:9 dar.

    Unfortunately in my first test there was audio popping over the rca audio cables for some reason. I was using the analog capture module from the ati all-in-wonder device.

    THe strange thing is I plugged in my usb pinnacle hd stick and the pinnacle studio wouldn't recognize it as a capture source!?!?!?!?!? There must be a setup option somewhere. How on earth would it not recognize its own product??????

    I played back the test capture and I did notice a white line at the bottom of the screen during playback. Normally I'd say that was overscan but is that still in effect for a videogame? Now granted I was using windows media player so it may not be perfectly tuned for a 16x9 playback on a 1366x768 screen res. I'll try it with powerdvd and see if the line disappeares.

    I look forward to more testing. Now that I finally have a true 16x9 capturing option I can continue on my quest. I'll also try out the xbox 360 some time with the analog cables off the component set (they are combined on one cable pack).

    Thanks for eveyones help. (fyi the pinnacle studio 12 was 50.00 at bestbuy, I figure I may eventually use the other features - also it will be nice to have editing software other than windows movie maker which is limited to dv avi or wmv - neither are ideal for quick dvd making since a reencode is needed - this will be more point and click simplicity for faster projects ).
    Donatello - The Shredder? Michelangelo - Maybe all that hardware is for making coleslaw?
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  28. By the way, beta AC3 5.1 drivers are now out for the Hauppauge HD PVR.
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  29. Member yoda313's Avatar
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    So will that allow it to capture COMPONENT AND 5.1 fiber optic audio?

    That would be great. Now if only it wasn't 200.00 or so......

    By the way does that auto downconvert hd to 480p for dvd authoring or is it only high def recoding?
    Donatello - The Shredder? Michelangelo - Maybe all that hardware is for making coleslaw?
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  30. Originally Posted by yoda313
    So will that allow it to capture COMPONENT AND 5.1 fiber optic audio?
    Yes.

    Originally Posted by yoda313
    By the way does that auto downconvert hd to 480p for dvd authoring or is it only high def recoding?
    No, it captures whatever the input is, 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i. It doesn't capture 1080p.

    When I first got it I played around with capturing from my cable box set to 480p output for SD channels. The resulting files played back 4:3. The cable box was pretty poor at deinterlacing so I switched it to 480i output for SD channels.
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