how can I capture game video at 1600x1200 85hz?

[thehessian]

first off I would like to run a 3d game at ONLY this resolution 1600x1200 85hz and be able to capture/record footage of that game to some sort of recording device ie vcr, another computer, dvd recorder, ect..)

I don't care if the capture footage resolution is lower as long as it is at least 320x240 or higher...The key point here is that I need to be able to run the source at 1600x1200 85hz.

I know I can easily capture video if i lower the resolution down to 1024x768 in the game and run the video out to a VCR from my 6800gt video card, but like I said I don't want to compromise on the resolution from the game.

Would a scan convertor solve my problem and also work with 85hz?

I've looked into scan convertors online but most that I see only handle up to 1600x1200 at 60hz (note not 85hz). Are we talking BIG bucks for something that handles 85hz?

Is there a way to feed that vga feed to some sort of capture card or firewire card to a seperate computer for recording at 1600x1200 or do I have to lower the resolution down via a svideo or rca cable?

any ideas or thoughts on how I might accomplish this?

thanks in advance.

[yoda313]

Try something like fraps. Or other screen avi recorders. Fraps records in uncompressed avi. Others can use divx and the like.

[thehessian]

Try something like fraps. Or other screen avi recorders. Fraps records in uncompressed avi. Others can use divx and the like.

fraps takes up too much system resources...I need to be able to record 1-2 hr footage ect.

game cam doesn't work on win2k or least I don't see a version that does.

bump for another look at the problem.

[Abbadon]

Hi,

I have tried this before, but the quality of the recording was not so great.

This is what I did:

1. Connected my VCR to my Computer Video card to composite using a gold cable (VCR Video In/Video card Video out connector , and using a High Quality VHS tape for recording. After being owned by kids while playing Unreal Tournament 2004, I connected my VCR to my Tv card using the same setup, but this time the VCR video out goes to my TV card video in Composite, record to MPEG or DivX.

2. Connected my Video card using an S-Video Gold Cable to my second computer TV card and record directly to MPEG or DivX.

The trick here is to shut down all devices before you connect cables

[anubis13]

If you are outputting your game footage to VCR or DVD recorder you are automatically reducing the resolution. 1600x1200 or 1024x768 will look about the same on a VCR so you might as well try to capture internally. even if you get good 1600x1200 capture you would have to display it on a HDTV using HD DV or high bitrate DVD to maintain the quality of 1600x1200. Most likely you will have to make a quality compromise at one point in the chain

[BrainStorm69]

He already said he doesn't care about the capture resolution as long as it is at least 320x240 or higher.

[thehessian]

He already said he doesn't care about the capture resolution as long as it is at least 320x240 or higher.

yeah the trick being if I'm running 1600x1200 and I hook a VCR up to my video out it will only allow 1024x768 resolution. Now maybe if I turn it off it might allow me to go higher, but would it really even capture that FULL resolution anyway?

So basically when I set it to 1024x768 for my svideo out on my graphics card and hook it into a VCR and record I'm only recording a *portion* of the video and not the whole 1600x1200 (only recording 1024x768)...

so if I lock the pan in windows (so the screen doesn't scroll because it is a lower resolution) I will only be recording the upper left corner of the 1600x1200 game.

my question is how do I record the whole thing without changing the original resolution of 1600x1200. I know I can do ALL of this if I drop my resolution down to 1024x768, but as I said I would like to play this game at 1600x1200.

Would a TV card on another computer even capture 1600x1200 via a s-video cable and would I be able to configure it at that resoution? (is that even possible?)

Do I need a vga card?

any other ideas?

even if it involves using another computer...??!?

[jagabo]

S-video is only about 640x480 resolution. And VHS tape is only about 352x480. So there's no point in playing at 1600x1200 for recording purposes.

[Dragonsf]

If you could redirect your video out to SDI, you maybe could use this:
http://www.computermodules.com/broadcast/smpte259M-sdi-PCI.shtml
To record, use a DVD recorder with DVB input (or a STB)

[thehessian]

S-video is only about 640x480 resolution. And VHS tape is only about 352x480. So there's no point in playing at 1600x1200 for recording purposes.

the point for recording purposes is so I can play the game at 1600x1200 but still be able to record it.

anyone ever try a line output convertor device such as this?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=448337&CatId=0

the only downside on this convertor that I see is that it will only handle 65hz at 1600x1200.

If I'm running 1600x1200 85hz on my monitor it won't work, but what if I was to run CLONE view mode in windows and change my second monitor (the one that I would be recording and hooking up to this device) to run at 65hz instead of 85hz.

might this be an option?

[thehessian]

If you could redirect your video out to SDI, you maybe could use this:
http://www.computermodules.com/broadcast/smpte259M-sdi-PCI.shtml
To record, use a DVD recorder with DVB input (or a STB)

can't find a price on this card anywhere nor on the site which leads me to believe its probably some high end card around $500-1000?!??

I'm guessing this is probably not going to be cheap so it's probably not something I'd want to do since this is just for fun.

[Sillyname]

Run it at 800x600 instead.

I understand you may be better at playing the game when you run it 1600x1200 but you have to make a compromise for this to work without spending gobs of cash.

Set your anti-aliasing as high as you can and you should be able to see a little better at 800x600.