Hauppauge USB-Live2 vs IO Data GV-USB2

[anachronon]

Recently, I have seen a few favorable mentions of the IO Data GV-USB2. I currently have a Hauppauge USB Live2. Has anyone ever done a side-by-side comparison of these two capture devices? I would be interested in knowing if one is better than the other, and in which situations that would be true.

[lollo]

Alwin has a IOData GV-USB2 and a August VBG-100; not the Hauppauge USB Live2, but apparently it uses the same Conexant video chip.

I do not know if it makes sense, but maybe you could ask him...

[Alwyn]

Give me a couple of days; I'll do some comparison captures and post some images side by side.

[dave_van_damme]

Following!

[victormt]

Following!

[Alwyn]

Sorry, still coming. More important things have pushed their way to the front!

[jwillis84]

I have both, but not impressed by the GV-USB2 .. quality is so so.

The GV-USB2 is not as flexible as the Honestech Vidbox NW07 models because the device driver is not as easy to install as the Vidbox.

The Hauppauge Live USB2 is kind of sketchy but easier to work with, but hardware quality varies from one production run to another.

I am a champion of the Vidbox mainly because its device driver is current and appears as two separate devices, a video capture device and an audio capture source.. even within VirtualDub.. its really the way DirectShow was intended to be used.

Vidboxes have been around a long long time, I have not played with the much newer one that left the NWxx model numbers behind.

Do keep in mind that regardless of which you use.. only use them with a USB2.0 port. And if your system doesn't have a true USB2.0 port and only USB3.0 ports.. get a card that has USB2.0 or look for a different PC.

USB2.0 is the gold standard for reliable ports.

USB3.1 / USB-C is largely correcting the mistakes made with USB 3.0 but costs more to implement.

GV-USB2 uses the Renesas/Techwell TW9910 chipset (2012) (it is "different" and Japan customers have discriminating video image tastes)
Hauppauge Live USB2 uses a Conexant CX23102 chipset (2012) (same as Diamond VC500)(same as August VGB100)(same as AverMedia C039)
Vidbox NW07 uses an eMPIA EM28284 chipset (2011)(same/similar to Pinnacle Dazzle DVC100, DVC103, DVC107)

Ranking for device drivers

1. Vidbox NWxx
2. Hauppauge
3. GV-USB2

Ranking for ease of use with multiple video capture applications

1. Vidbox NWxx
2. GV-USB2
3. Hauppauge

Ranking for "Hope" it will work with Windows 10 (sometimes)

1. Vidbox NWxx
2. GV-USB2
3. Hauppuage

Throwing Windows 10 comparison in there is not fair really.. it is what it is.. it matters more whether you have a genuine USB2.0 port than anything else. Forcing it to work in a USB3.0 port is just bashing your head against the wall over and over.

The August VGB100 USB 2.0 was an earlier, Windows Only model.. the Importer to the UK seems to have made a quality judgement as to which models they imported so in general all products with the August brand name are superior to cheaper knock off products and clones .. so in that way August is the UK equivalent of the Hauppauge importer business/brand in the USA

These are essentially the "bare bones" of a "capture system"

After the analog to digital conversion step.. later generations of USB Personal Video Recorders, Tivos, or DVD recorders would take the digital data and put it into a line, field or full-frame time base corrector.. and frame synchronizer that was kept in lock-step with the audio sample path.. if a frame was incomplete or damaged, it would drop it.. but also drop the audio samples associated with that video frame.. so audio/video lip sync was not lost in the PVR data stream.. or make a decision to keep the audio samples and duplicate the missing frame with the previous frame of video.

For a line time base corrector with no frame synchronizer this was not possible.. it just had to toss the video frame and audio samples.

For a field time base corrector it could be either toss or duplicate

For a full-frame time base corrector it would probably duplicate.. minimized the clicks and pops of audio discontinuities and smoothed the video flow, especially during "trick play" (also known as FF or REV, or Freeze Frame).

I don't know enough history "wise" to place these all on an evolutionary timeline, but these three in particular are probably somewhere around "Generation 2" of the Raw YUV capture era. The chips were pretty mature by this time and the SAA7113 - SAA7115 video decoders had all been replaced by the Conexant chips by 2012, you still find the Philips SAA video decoders on old PCI/PCI express cards or ultracheap bare bones video capture cards but they were mostly gone by 2012. (After - this) time Texas Instruments seemed to evolve their tvp5100 series quite a bit. The ATI 600 USB is an example with the tvp5150, the German Terratec Grabsters and Grass Valley ADVCmini (with the Afa video decoder). Things kept evolving as the years rolled by.

It is really interesting you can still buy an AverMedia C039 using the Conexant CX23102 chip, or the GV-USB2 using the Techwell 9910.. not so much the Vidbox NW07 with the Empia EM28284.

For RAW YUV 422 capture.. with no time base correction or audio/video frame synchronization.. these are still being sold.

AverMedia just doesn't seem like its willing to let the low end Consumer market go.. they keep coming out with SD resolution support in even their latest standalone 4K capture devices.

IO Data GV-USB2 seems more like a document camera capture device to me.. its slim and tiny, and ultra portable.. possibly something used to capture old camcorder or VHS footage where the audio sync doesn't matter that much.

Hauppauge Live USB2 also has been around far longer than you would ever expect, but since AverMedia uses the same chipset in their C039 "EzMaker" USB device.. between those two, I guess the market is still big enough.

[Alwyn]

As an avid user of the GV-USB2, some comments if I may:

The GV-USB2 is not as flexible as the Honestech Vidbox NW03,06, 07 models because the device driver is not as easy to install as the Vidbox.

The procedure is simple enough when you find the english-translated procedure; for a computer-savvy/enthusiast it is a piece of cake. I am intrigued by the apparently tailored drivers, where you input your GV-USB2 serial number and it then gives you the setup file.

I am a champion of the Vidbox mainly because its device driver is current and appears as two separate devices, a video capture device and an audio capture source.. even within VirtualDub.. its really the way DirectShow was intended to be used.

The GV-USB2 is listed in the VDub Audio Devices.

[Attachment 58974 - Click to enlarge]

Do keep in mind that regardless of which you use.. only use them with a USB2.0 port. And if your system doesn't have a true USB2.0 port and only USB3.0 ports.. get a card that has USB2.0 or look for a different PC.

USB2.0 is the gold standard for reliable ports.

USB3.0 is a joke.. the vendors got control of the spec and diluted it so its highly variable and unreliable. (you actually have to hunt down different device drivers for different chips.. thats all on the end user!)

No problems here with the GV-USB2 on USB 3.0. In fact that is the only way I use it. I have had trouble with VDub and the VGB-100 and Pinnacle 710-USB drivers but not sure if it's USB 3 causing it or not.

GV-USB2 uses the Techwell chipset
Hauppauge uses an EMPIA chipset
Vidbox NWxx uses an EMPIA chipset

Out of interest, what does the VGB-100 use? There was some conjecture it has the same gizzards as USB-2 Live, but it comes up in Windows/Vdub as a Connexant.

None have advanced Input signal conditioning, most have post conversion to Digital PROC-Amp controls.. so you need to add your Signal conditioning boxes, like a TBC before the Inputs to the capture device.

Depends on how serious you want to get; the Proc amp during capture works fine using the GV-USB 2 Graphstudio; once again, not a complicated thing to set up.

I tend to think of these all pretty much the same.. except for the level of difficulty finding, installing and using their device drivers.. and their physical form factor.

Ranking for device drivers

1. Vidbox NWxx
2. Hauppauge
3. GV-USB2

The others must be ultra-easy because the GV-USB 2 is easy. It's not a no-brainer like the VGB-100 but easy enough, and at least it works flawlessy after installation on Windows 10 20H2.

Ranking for "Hope" it will work with Windows 10 (sometimes)

1. Vidbox NWxx
2. GV-USB2
3. Hauppuage

In my experience, this is incorrect. The GV-USB2 has never failed me under Windows 10.

Throwing Windows 10 comparison in there is not fair really.. it is what it is.. it matters more whether you have a genuine USB2.0 port than anything else. Forcing it to work in a USB3.0 port is just bashing your head against the wall over and over.

As I said before, the GV-USB2 works with no issues on USB 3.0.

I tend to think of these all pretty much the same.. except for the level of difficulty finding, installing and using their device drivers.. and their physical form factor.

I can't agree. I've already said my bit re drivers, but the GV-USB2 has a 50cm cable from the USB plug to the unit itself, making it better than the VGB-100) in terms of not stressing the USB port or not needing to have the thing sticking out of your computer.

The only real thing going against the GV-USB2 is the lack of application software, which the Videobox and August devices have. But that obviously is not an issue here.

The quality of the GV-USB2 is superior to the VGB-100, and on a par with the 710-USB; I don't have a Hauppauge to test.

[jwillis84]

I've amended and softened my opinions somewhat in the original post. And added links to sources of information.

The 710-USB is a very interesting device, until a couple weeks ago I thought the DV port not to work on Win7x64, now I know it does work.. with some difficulty getting the system class driver installed.

The Pinnacles often (really often) included ADV7180 or some other preconditioning chip "in front of" the video decoder.. which could cure a lot of problems with poor quality signals. The ADV7180 in particular was known for adaptive line length correction, and specialized in VHS sync signal problems. The MovieBox Deluxe (wall adapter powered), the 500-usb, 700-usb, 510-usb and 710-usb (all USB bus powered) were more or less premium Raw YUV 422 capture devices. A level above typical low level consumer grade capture devices. AVID bought the Pinnacle company and kept sponsoring and supporting their development.

Solid, chunky, often heavy duty plastic or metal cases. The "Marvins" were and are really good.. except for one tiny thing. The device driver always reaches into the Windows registry and flips the audio output bit off. So the next time the device driver is loaded into memory the audio is silent. Pinnacle & Avid software know to flip this back on after loading the device driver, AMCap, OBS and other third party software doesn't know it. But you can load a Graph in GraphEdit to turn it back on manually, or change it in the registry after loading the device driver.. VirtualDub 1.9.11 (does know) to flip this bit after loading the device driver for the Marvins. Crossbar Thingy .. also works.

But its a "feature" of the device driver.. soon as it shuts down it disables it again. Kind of makes using a Pinnacle usb-Marvin a pain sometimes.. but the audio and video quality is very very good.

The GV-USB2 is Uber, super tiny thin or slim compared to any other capture dongle I have seen. Its easy to confuse it with just another black cable.

If portability is the goal, I can certainly understand why you prefer it over a Marvin. The heavy metal shielding of a usb-700 weighs probably as much as a laptop all by itself. .. and dropping one on your toe.. might put you in the hospital.

Update:

I did go back and look for the audio source GV-USB2, and it was there.. I must have over looked it.. that really excited me since its so.. so.. rare.

It mostly works.. the audio driver component (may?) be 32 bit only or 64 bit only.. I'm not sure which.

On Windows 7 x64 different third party programs work well with the audio driver component, others can't see it.

The Windows Mixer does not see it, which is 64 bit.. if the component is 32 bit only this would make sense.


Windows 7 Pro x64

VirtualDub 1.9.11 is 32 bit, it can see it.

CaptureFlux 6.0.5 is 32 bit (I think), it can see it

Stoik Capturer 1.0.1 is 32 bit (I think), it cannot see it

VLC 2.2.4 is 32 bit, it can see it, but requires a manual video size 704x480 and [Advanced option..] Video input pin 1, Video output pin 0

iuVCR 4.17.0.408 is 32 bit, it can see it.. requires a lot of manual configuration

Noel Danjou AMCap 9.23 is 32 bit, it can see it

OBS 25.0.8 is 64 bit, it cannot see it.. but can use it

Windows MovieMaker 2.1 is 32 bit, it can (sort of see it).. but can't use the audio for capture, video captures fine

Ulead VideoStudio 11 is 32 bit (I think), it cannot see it, video captures fine



Windows 10 Pro x64

Installing the device driver was rather "un-intuitive" for me.

1. Tried installing device driver from the Japanese installer Disc, error dialog

2. Tried downloading the gvusb2_111.exe with the device serial number from the IO DATA, Japan website, same error dialog

3. Hail Mary (US Metaphor), used 7Zip to extract gvusb2_111.exe to a folder

3.a. navigated to gvusb2_111\Driver\X64

3.b. Right clicked on GVUSB2.INF and picked Install (this usually doesn't work, usually it says driver does not support this install method)

3.c. It installed the device driver, and updated the detected "Yellow" warning cone GVUSB2 devices in the Device Manger

VirtualDub 1.9.11 works fine, audio and video work fine

I did not test any other applications.. but I was surprised to get this far.

[lollo]

No problems here with the GV-USB2 on USB 3.0

Same for me with the Hauppauge USB-Live 2

but the GV-USB2 has a 50cm cable from the USB plug to the unit itself, making it miles better than the Hauppauge

Hauppauge USB-Live 2 has a cable from the "main core" to the usb port as well.

The GV-USB2 has never failed me under Windows 10.

Same here for the Hauppauge USB-Live 2 (used drivers 6.0.119.34217 and 6.0.119.36075)

Depends on how serious you want to get; the Proc amp during capture works fine using the GV-USB 2

Same here for the Hauppauge USB-Live 2. The only doubt I have is that if something is "happening" (crushed) before the signal reaches the procamp controls, our changes cannot recover.

For a line time base corrector with no frame synchronizer this was not possible.. it just had to toss the video frame and audio samples.

For what concerns dropped/inserted frames, most of the time I have a report with 0 inserted or dropped frames, but I know that sometimes the report is not accurate, and a card can drop frames without being reported by the capture software.

On the other hand, I often have a direct dvs-dump of the s-vhs recording, and with my big surprize, even for >1 hour long recordings, when I compare frame by frame, step-by-step the two videos they have exactly the same number of frames! This is mainly due to the good conditions of the tapes and the VCR with line TBC I assume, but also shows that the card and the capture software (and the laptop and OS used) are not introducing any error in the capture chain (and that the "recording chain" used very long time ago to create the tapes was also error free, but that's another story).

Still waiting the comparison for video quality, I noticed that a lot of people are interested

[Alwyn]

Alwin has a IOData GV-USB2 and a August VBG-100; not the Hauppauge USB Live2, but apparently it uses the same Conexant video chip.

JWillis said:

GV-USB2 uses the Techwell chipset
Hauppauge uses an EMPIA chipset

So I don't think a comparison of the VGB-100 and the GV-USB2 will be relevant to the Hauppauge.

Sorry Lollo!

Hauppauge USB-Live 2 has a cable from the "main core" to the usb port as well.

I do apologise, I remember seeing a pic of one with the video leads coming out of the side; that must have been one of the TV tuners (or an ATI 600). I have amended my post above.

[lollo]

So I don't think a comparison of the VGB-100 and the GV-USB2 will be relevant to the Hauppauge.

If I am not wrong JWillis refers to the USB chip or the USB portion of the chip if the brige is integrated (we do not care about a comparison in this field).

The VGB-100 and the Hauppauge should have the same video chip (Conextant 23102), so a comparison between VGB-100 and GV-USB2 will be relevant to the Hauppauge versus GV-USB2 assesment

I do apologise

No need

[Alwyn]

Interesting recent review of the GV-USB2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flc8pOWm6YQ

[Sharc]

My 2 cents re. GV-USB2 vs Hauppauge USB-live2:

For less experienced users I would give the GV-USB2 a slight plus over the USB-live2 for the following reasons:
1. Its Proc Amp default settings, reducing the contrast a few notches, prevent out-of-gamut captures (keyword: RGB cube within the YCbCr cube) better than the USB-live2.
2. Its strongly reduced sharpness Proc-amp settings (by default) avoids oversharpening artifacts. It can easily be changed though when someone prefers the same sharpness as the USB-live2.
3. Relevant for Composite video only: The GV-USB2 has a far superior luma/chroma separating filter avoiding dotcrawl and rainbow artifacts when capturing composite video.

While 1. and 2. can be adjusted with proc-amp settings or in post processing for the USB-live2, the GV-USB2 makes life easier for the less experienced user, I think.

[dave_van_damme]

My 2 cents re. GV-USB2 vs Hauppauge USB-live2:

For less experienced users I would give the GV-USB2 a slight plus over the USB-live2 for the following reasons:
1. Its Proc Amp default settings, reducing the contrast a few notches, prevent out-of-gamut captures (keyword: RGB cube within the YCbCr cube) better than the USB-live2.
2. Its strongly reduced sharpness Proc-amp settings (by default) avoids oversharpening artifacts. It can easily be changed though when someone prefers the same sharpness as the USB-live2.
3. Relevant for Composite video only: The GV-USB2 has a far superior luma/chroma separating filter avoiding dotcrawl and rainbow artifacts when capturing composite video.

While 1. and 2. can be adjusted with proc-amp settings or in post processing for the USB-live2, the GV-USB2 makes life easier for the less experienced user, I think.

Thanks for the insightful reply! I think I'll buy the GV-USB2 after reading this thread.