Need suggestions for new capture card to record composite video

[techspark]

Hi, I m looking to buy a new capture card that has the following features ;

1. Composite yellow video input.
2. Records macrovision protected content.
3. Can record pal video 576i in 50fps if possible.
4. Under $80
5. Usb 2.0 only as need it for laptop.

I was looking at hauppauge usb live 2 but it cannot record macrovision protected content

[techspark]

No one ??
Still looking to buy one .

[johns0]

Best to look on newegg or do a google search.

[Brad]

Still trying to find one that can do Macrovision stuff, myself. I've got one that will capture protected DVDs but screws up on the VHS form, which seems backwards.

[hech54]

I've never had any problem with Macrovision with PAL VHS tapes.
Never.

[sanlyn]

You won't find a capture card that can defeat Macrovision effects. You don't say where you live (apparently in PAL country ?), but it appears that you are inadequately geared and inadequately financed for working with PAL HD. If you are of the mind that you can capture VHS to an HD format to improve it and process it on a laptop, I'm afraid you're in for a disappointment. Not that it hasn't been done, but the stories we've heard and many results we've seen can be chilling. Capturing VHS directly to lossy encoded formats is probably one of the worst ways of doing it.

In any case, you need a full-frame tbc to capture copy-protected VHS. Or you can use many older Panasonic and Toshiba DVD recorders as pass-thru units that defeat many flavors of Macrovision (but will not record it directly), and have line-level tbc functionality as well.

[Brad]

You won't find a capture card that can defeat Macrovision effects.

Oh come on. Many Hauppauge products ignore Macrovision, among others. They just aren't uncompressed USB devices.

[jman98]

What vaporeon800 said. I'm pretty sure my Hauppauge Colossus (if you use a registry hack to turn on the TBC in the card) defeats Macrovision based on some VHS captures I've done, but I have no way to be 100% certain that those commercial tapes have Macrovision. I think the odds are quite high that that they do have it though.

I don't know of any card that can record 576i or 480i at double the normal frame rate for such video. If there is one that can do that, it probably will be a lot more expensive than you'll want to pay.

[sanlyn]

I got a feeling the O.P. wants a USB device for compressed video. There might be one around that won't stumble on Macrovision, I just haven't seen any when browsing various vendor sites. Also says he wants a "card". I don't think "card" is what he/she means.

I've used Hauppauge stuff before (not USB, not the Colossus), had no Macrovision problems.

[usually_quiet]

I don't know of any card that can record 576i or 480i at double the normal frame rate for such video. If there is one that can do that, it probably will be a lot more expensive than you'll want to pay.

For interlaced video, "fps" can mean either fields per second or frames per second. Since 50 frames per second would be non-standard for interlaced video, 576i @ 50 fps normally means at 50 fields per second, which translates to 25 frames per second because there are two fields per frame.

[sanlyn]

O.P., stated he wants "Can record pal video 576i in 50fps if possible." I don't know what that means exactly. Wants 50 interlaced frames per second recorded at 50 progressed frames per second? Or 25 fps interlaced recorded at 50 progressed frames per second? Got me there.

[usually_quiet]

O.P., stated he wants "Can record pal video 576i in 50fps if possible." I don't know what that means exactly. Wants 50 interlaced frames per second recorded at 50 progressed frames per second? Or 25 fps interlaced recorded at 50 progressed frames per second? Got me there.

Don't you mean "Wants 50 interlaced fields per second recorded at 50 progressed frames per second?" Composite video connections don't provide interlaced video at 50 frames per second (or 100 fields per second). They provide video at 25 frames per second (or 50 fields per second).

[sanlyn]

I don't think the O.P. is aware of that. MAybe he's capping from a camera? Who knows, there's not enough detail.

[techspark]

Thank you guys for all the inputs. Sorry for not being clear enough in my requirments. I wasnt aware of the difference between 50 frames per second and 50 fields.

I had a pinnacle pctv card that recorded 576i in mpeg2 and when i checked the media info in vlc it shows frame rate as 50.

I need a usb capture device that can capture compressed video in mpeg2 or mpeg4 and can ignore macrovision as i m capturing from my set top box which has its composite out protected with macrovision.

I konw hauppauge hd pvr ignores macrovision and it would be idea for my case but the cost is too high and i dont need the component inputs. I just need it to have s-video or composite and do SD 576i PAL in good quality.

The hauppauge usb-live2 has good reviews and is withing my budget but it does not ignore macrovision unfortunately. (is there a workaround for this by using any registry hack or any other software ?)

[usually_quiet]

Thank you guys for all the inputs. Sorry for not being clear enough in my requirments. I wasnt aware of the difference between 50 frames per second and 50 fields.

I had a pinnacle pctv card that recorded 576i in mpeg2 and when i checked the media info in vlc it shows frame rate as 50.

VLC's media information tool and codec information tool both incorrectly report the number of fields per second for interlaced video as frames per second. If you need something that gives accurate information about video and audio files, don't use VLC. Use MediaInfo instead.

I need a usb capture device that can capture compressed video in mpeg2 or mpeg4 and can ignore macrovision as i m capturing from my set top box which has its composite out protected with macrovision.

I konw hauppauge hd pvr ignores macrovision and it would be idea for my case but the cost is too high and i dont need the component inputs. I just need it to have s-video or composite and do SD 576i PAL in good quality.

The hauppauge usb-live2 has good reviews and is withing my budget but it does not ignore macrovision unfortunately. (is there a workaround for this by using any registry hack or any other software ?)

The only recent external USB 2.0 capture devices I know of that use hardware MPEG-2 encoding are the Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1900 for Windows and Elgato EyeTV 250 Plus for OSX, but they are also out of your budget, and I don't know if either will ignore Macrovision.

Recording Macrovision-protected material generally requires a video stabilizer/video clarifier (the Dimax Grex is one example) or a TBC that removes Macrovision as a side-effect.

[Edit] I found a thread that indicates the Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1950, which is a US-specific sister product of the WinTV-HVR-1900, ignores Macrovision.
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/324187-Hauppauge-1192-WinTV-HVR-1950-MacroVision

[Brad]

The Diamond VC500 contains some interesting entries in its INF.

HKLM,%MediaInterfaces%\{0A7AF963-6805-4f99-B284-29B680975542},,,"Copy Protect Notification Filter"
HKLM,%MediaInterfaces%\{0A7AF963-6805-4f99-B284-29B680975542},IID,1,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00, 00,00,00,00,00,00
...
;Copy protection method enforced by driver
HKR,"DriverData","CpMethod",0x00010001, 0xFE, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00

But I can't test removing or modifying those since I'm again without access to a VCR.

[sanlyn]

I don 't believe Macrovision is the system used on cable boxes. Anyone know what the cable industry's copy-once protection is called (I don't remember) ? I don't think it's the same "macrovision" used on VHS in the old days. A frame tbc doesn't defeat the cable variety nor does a device used for tbc pas-thru.

[artx2013]

Just use Linux. Tutorial here:
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/355880-Tutorial-Video-capturing-VHS-using-Linux-%28...-VLC-player%29

[techspark]

Thanks again guys for your inputs.

I don 't believe Macrovision is the system used on cable boxes

I'm sure it is macrovision because when i try to record it with my avermedia game capture hd box , it says macrovision found and it cannot record.

VLC's media information tool and codec information tool both incorrectly report the number

Yes, you are right. I checked the same file in mediainfo app and it shows 25 fps. But i also checked another 576i file recorded with my avermedia game capture card and that file is mpeg4 and mediainfo shows 50fps.

I will check out win tv hvr 1900 and let you know. Thanks for the suggestion.

Just use Linux. Tutorial here:

thansk for the suggestion but i want to keep it simple, don't have any experience with linux. Would like to plug the capture box through usb and record directly.

The Diamond VC500 contains some interesting entries in its INF

Thanks - looks interesting. Can i just delete out these lines and it will ignore macrovision ? Can this be done with hauppauge usb-live2. One of the reviewer on amazon mentioned there is a simple hack to disable macrovision on hauppauge usb-live2 but i have searched a lot on google but not found anything yet.

I'm pretty sure my Hauppauge Colossus (if you use a registry hack to turn on the TBC in the card) defeats Macrovision

Can i turn on the tbc for hauppauge usb-live2. Will that make it ignore macrovision ?? Is there any registry hack for the usb-live2??

[jagabo]

Cable boxes can use Macrovision or CGMS-A on their analog outputs.

Try a local broadcast station like PBS. They are the least likely to be protected.

[usually_quiet]

I don 't believe Macrovision is the system used on cable boxes. Anyone know what the cable industry's copy-once protection is called (I don't remember) ? I don't think it's the same "macrovision" used on VHS in the old days. A frame tbc doesn't defeat the cable variety nor does a device used for tbc pas-thru.

The copy-protection technology you are thinking of is Copy Generation Management System - Analog or CGMS-A for short. Compliance is not built into a computer capture device's hardware or drivers, as far as I can tell. The capture software used is what enforces compliance.

[Brad]

I was thinking the other day: the "HDCP driver trick" for the AVerMedia C027 PCIe card actually applies to Macrovision and any copy protection (i.e. anything that can be viewed in AMC can be captured). So I wonder if any of their CD drivers for other devices from the same period contained the same flaw. Does anyone have one of the Volar USB sticks or something else from around 2010 to test?

Can i just delete out these lines and it will ignore macrovision ? Can this be done with hauppauge usb-live2. One of the reviewer on amazon mentioned there is a simple hack to disable macrovision on hauppauge usb-live2 but i have searched a lot on google but not found anything yet.

As I said, I haven't found a way to test the VC500. The USB-Live2 is based on a similar Conexant chip and the drivers contain the same lines. Maybe someone could test that.

[usually_quiet]

Thanks again guys for your inputs.

VLC's media information tool and codec information tool both incorrectly report the number

Yes, you are right. I checked the same file in mediainfo app and it shows 25 fps. But i also checked another 576i file recorded with my avermedia game capture card and that file is mpeg4 and mediainfo shows 50fps.

I will check out win tv hvr 1900 and let you know. Thanks for the suggestion.

MediaInfo is normally very reliable if the video information contained in the file is correct. I don't know much about AVerMedia's game capture devices and their software, so I can't give you a definitive explanation for why MediaInfo would show 50 fps for a 576i MPEG-4 file recorded with them. I can only speculate that the video information in the file is wrong, or MediaInfo has a bug when it comes to deciphering the video information contained in whatever file format you are using to hold your MPEG-4 recordings.

[artx2013]

Just use Linux. Tutorial here: thansk for the suggestion but i want to keep it simple, don't have any experience with linux.

How do you know how difficult it is until you've tried it? Maybe you're not as mentally retarded as you think. Whatever method you use, there's going to be an initial learning curve. Linux gives you a ton of free software to cheer you up after the pain and toil of learning it.

[hech54]

How do you know how difficult it is until you've tried it? Maybe you're not as mentally retarded as you think.

Wow.....Linux fanboys are becoming even bigger dikkheads than Mac fanboys.

[hech54]

Can i turn on the tbc for hauppauge usb-live2. Will that make it ignore macrovision ?? Is there any registry hack for the usb-live2??

I can record anything I want from my Kabel Deutschland box with my Hauppauge USB-Live2......and this is Germany....home of GEMA.

[artx2013]

Wow.....Linux fanboys are becoming even bigger dikkheads than Mac fanboys.

My comment was intended to be good-natured, helpful, and humorous (obviously).

[artx2013]

Hi, I m looking to buy a new capture card that has the following features ;

1. Composite yellow video input.
2. Records macrovision protected content.
3. Can record pal video 576i in 50fps if possible.
4. Under $80
5. Usb 2.0 only as need it for laptop.

I was looking at hauppauge usb live 2 but it cannot record macrovision protected content

Windows is programmed to detect and block macrovision recording, no matter which video capture card you use. This guy has a WIndows fix which may or may not work for you. But I think that Microsoft may have come out with a Windows macrovision update which prevents this fix from working.
http://www.biline.ca/ati_macrovision.htm
http://www.biline.ca/macrovision.htm

[budwzr]

You won't find a capture card that can defeat Macrovision effects.

Oh come on. Many Hauppauge products ignore Macrovision, among others. They just aren't uncompressed USB devices.

You can capture SD on a Hauppage HD-PVR. It's USB connected and uses the computer's resources to capture. And the capture software has some levels adjustments so you can tweak it to your liking before recording.

[vhelp]

but the hd-pvr does not ignore macrovision. you guys are forgetting that there are many flavors of macrovision. while you may get away with one tape, one form, there's another tape with a different mv level that the capture device will not overcome. i think many of your guys fall under this situation and don't realize it.

here's an examle. get youself a copy (if you are able to) of jurassic park or galaxy quest. these two have the mv that disrupts the agc, the image brightness flickers. that's one form of mv. another form.. get youself a copy of jeepers creepers, this has the mv that curls the top of your image. while it even effects my 25 year old tv 1/3 the way all-the-while it is playing cleanly throuh my grex->dr430->capture card, perfectly.

these are just some examples. and every capture device (brand/make/model) handles mv differently in a given system. and no two systems are the same--that is, mine vs. yours, for instance. then you have driver versions, directshow versions, graphcis cards, and so on and so forth.