Recording pc video/audio out to itself - how do I avoid audio reverb?

[yoda313]

Ok here is what I am experimenting with. I have a dual core amdx2 5200 so I have the processing power to attempt this. I have a pinnacle pctv pro usb stick I am using to record the output to the caputre unit. THe video looks great - however I can only get the actual screen footage nothing from a an actual video clip - ie I can see the desktop and windows media player but not the actual video clip inside the window.

Also I get a serious reverb in the recording. At first I could not get any audio at all. What I ended up doing was having it fed to my stereo and than back out to the usb capture devices audio input. THats when I get the hideous reverb. There is no intelligible audio in at all.

Ideally I want this for realtime dvd caputring of pc games and internet video clips like trailers without conversions.

My setup is as follows:

Nvidia 8400 with breakout box setup to rca output cable to pinnacle usb device rca input jack.
Soundblaster live usb device with spdif audio out to stereo than headphone jack to audio input jack on pinnacle device.

As I said the video looks just fine though I can't get actual movie playing on it. I do have it set up to clone mode on the nvidia control panel. THat way the same is on both monitors (ie the dvi out to my hdtv and the rca cable to the pinnacle device on my computer - the same computer).


---------

Question 1 - Is there recording software that will record the "what u hear" windows sound without use of external inputs? Ideally I just want to record what the player is playing.

Question 2 - how do I clone the actual video in a video player like a previously captured mpg file?

Question 3 - Is this technically impossible? Is there no way for me to adequately record the sound on the same computer?

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

Note 1:

I do have a settop dvd recorder. Would this be the easiest way to get realtime mpg recording from the pc? I could use a rw disc and then simply reauthor it. I would like to do this internally though as that would save a step or two in the dubbing and ripping stages.

Thanks for advice. THis is just a pet project I dreamed up. THinking about recording some games internally but maybe realizing a dvd recorder is best bet....


EDIT 1 -

I am recording to a second drive. I have a 500gb extra internal drive I am using to record to so that shouldn't be a factor.

[olyteddy]

I actually have done this using my Hauppauge PVR USB2. You don't see the vid because of 'Overlay' mode. YMMV but there are a bunch of different ways to fix it. You may be able to set 'Clone' mode or some such in your Video properties, or you may be able to set your player to render in another mode, or you may be able to open a second instance of the player (overlay will only be used by the first instance), or you can go into 'DXDiag' and turn acceleration off. The audio is easier to fix. Just mute the volume of whatever software you're using to record with. As to what you hear recording, I suggest TotalRecorder. I've been using it for years and it still works great. Overall, though, it's probably easier to use the external DVD recorder.

[yoda313]

Thanks! The mute trick on the recording program worked perfectly!

I also tried video files again. What I did was play a dvd in powerdvd and clone that to my recording software. Its odd the Video seemed ok but no audio. Come to think of it I probably still have it set to spdif instead of normal speakers. I 'll try that again later.

I'll try this on games and see how it goes.

Thanks olyteddy

EDIT - I was able to get the dvd to dub directly using the speaker mode instead of spdif and got sound and picture just fine.

However trying a game didn't work. I tried nhl 08 on disc and got it to record as far as the opening splash and the selection screens. When I went to load the game it just crashed.

ALso I couldn't find the hardware acceleartion option in dxdiag. I'll try the nvidia control panel. Thanks.

EDIT 2 - I'm thinking I might buy FRAPS for game capturing. I just did a demo and it looked pretty good. I'll have to play around with frame rates and that stuff but now that I have a faster computer and an extra harddrive this is a more viable option for game recording. ANd 37.00 isn't too bad. Though this would entail a reencode to make a dvd. Though I would only do that for cutscene material like my older star wars games.

Thanks everyone.

[olyteddy]

Sry, didn't see you are on Vista. My DXDiag is XP. Just below the middle on the 'Dispaly 1' tab is a section called 'DirectX Features' and the option to disable Acceleration. Don't know if DX 10 has that option or not.

[vhelp]

yoda313,

I'm sorry. I'm still lost as to what you are trying to do. You lost me after the PCTV Pro stick

From prev experience, any of the sound blasters come with the RECORDER app. Its a great app, IMHO.
And, you can record 'what you hear' from your computer as it is playing in real-time. I used to do
this when I was playing my acoustic guitar -- i rigged an el-cheapo mic to the cavity of the guitar
(the edge around the circle) and recorded it -- later, I would replay it and record it but add in a
little 'reverb' to it with one of the SB's EAS effects.

But do go find the RECORDER app in your SB folder, cause it should be there. Else, as olyteddy
suggested.. totalrecorder can do it, too.

You know, I don't think that anything has beaten the SB (in terms of feature and quality) at least
not yet.

-vhelp 4548