1080p60 Capture Card Recommendations

[TheThrillness]

Did you really just post a sample showing off 60 fps where only the first 8 seconds had actual motion? Haha.

Thank you, though. Nice to see that software-compression 1080p60 capture is beginning to reach an affordable price.

Capturing high motion 108060 is still out of the question for most people (why is why the sample is small and low motion). My Sandy Bridge overclocked to 4Ghz can't manage high motion with lossless capture using Lagarith. Huffyuv seems to be a bit more efficient and only takes about 80% CPU.

The data rates are close to 200Mb/s for high motion so RAID0 or nothing unfortunately. I think this was expected.

[jagabo]

Huffyuv seems to be a bit more efficient and only takes about 80% CPU.

Try a fast MJPEG encoder. Those are about as fast as huffyuv and can get more compression. With some compression artifacts, of course.

[Brad]

Trying Lagarith with 1080p60 seems crazy to me. How about Ut Video?

[TheThrillness]

I tried Ut Video (ULH2). CPU is about 30-35% while capturing and data rates did not go above 110Mb/s.

I then tried x264vfw (Ultra fast mode, lossless). CPU never went above 25% from what I saw and data rates never went above 70Mb/s. That sounds amazing but the only 1080p PS3 game I have is MGS4 and that only really runs at 30 so still to see what an actual 60 game would do to that figure. Those figures were for high motion during a gun fight.

jagabo, do you have any links to an MJPEG encoder? The PicVideo one needs registration.

[jagabo]

Old builds of ffdshow used to include an MJPEG encoder. I don't know how fast it was though. I used to use PicVideo with standard def video a long time ago. I think it only handled SD at the time.

x264vfw size will vary depending on the CRF value you choose. You probably won't see any difference between CRF=0 (lossless) and CRF=12.

[Brad]

The reason x264vfw lossless is smaller is because it's converted to YV12. ULY0 should provide similar results with much faster decode speeds.

[TheThrillness]

So even enabling "Keep/accept only YUV 4:2:2" I am still getting YV12 (4:2:0)? I guess that makes sense. I really had doubts x264vfw was that much better than Ut.

[Brad]

Oh sorry, the version I've got installed is years old and just converted color spaces without notification or any options. Maybe it is somehow better.

[jagabo]

So even enabling "Keep/accept only YUV 4:2:2" I am still getting YV12 (4:2:0)? I guess that makes sense. I really had doubts x264vfw was that much better than Ut.

If you specify YUV 4:2:2 it will encode and decode that way. The reason it gives better compression is because it uses both i and p frames. UT is all i frames. For more easily edited files you might want to switch the keyframe interval to something less than the default 250. Somewhere from maybe 6 to 30. For example, put --keyint=6 in the Extra Command Line options.

By the way, most end delivery formats are YUV 4:2:0 so there's no need to keep the video as 4:2:2 unless you plan on some heavy filtering that works in 4:2:2.

[Brad]

I was going to mention that, but I think people doing video game captures often like to post screenshots from them as well.

[jagabo]

I was going to mention that, but I think people doing video game captures often like to post screenshots from them as well.

If their screenshots are JPG images they'll usually be 4:2:0 too.

[Brad]

AVerMedia C877 (no price or date announced):



http://gamerzone.avermedia.com//game_capture/extremecap_u3
http://maxlevel.org/avermedia-reveals-extremecap-u3-capture-device/

ExtremeCap U3 is an USB 3.0 capture card that is truly capable of recording and streaming 1080p 60fps gameplay via HDMI and component inputs. Beyond that, this capture card supports capturing HD raw data to popular video software with its DirectShow compatibility. Simply connect it with your game console and an USB 3.0 PC/ laptop, launch the video software you love, and you are ready to record or share your splendid gameplay footage.

18Mbps MP4 sample (oddly encoded using VFR...):
https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B2B00qZvvJbNc0E2Z29MeGZqV0U&export=download

This could be interesting. They don't mention whether the audio is multichannel, so no doubt limited to 2ch.

[Cauptain]

AVerMedia C877 (no price or date announced):


[Attachment 20275 - Click to enlarge]

Direct USB Power Supply??

All Aver cards are below $200.00




Claudio

[jagabo]

AVerMedia C877

Nice.

[vhelp]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1Aa-SmAVnw

so, it must be out, somewhere..

[vhelp]

so i am wondering what hauppauge will call there's. being that they the HD PVR, and PVR Gaming. maybe they will call it the PVR Supreme or hauppauge supreme. i guess that aver's newest box give's you the impression that all the other vendors were not true 1080p. anyway.

[jagabo]

Pvr3?

[Cauptain]

Pvr3?

PVR3 make 1080p@60 card maximum 13.5 bitrate? No, thanks.

PVR3 make 1080p@60 card without directshow drivers? No, thanks.




Claudio

[jagabo]

Pvr3?

PVR3 make 1080p@60 card maximum 13.5 bitrate? No, thanks.

Knowing Hauppauge, yes.

[Brad]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1Aa-SmAVnw

so, it must be out, somewhere..

Maybe, but their employees in Asia seem to post samples to their own YT accounts months in advance of product releases. It happened with the Game Broadcaster HD card as well.

[Zetmor]

A 2000$ solution: 1000$ for BlackMagic UltraStudio 4K (Thunderbolt)
+ 1000$ for Apple Mac mini core i7 2.6 GHz (quad-core with HD4000 = supporting Intel QuickSync)

My current setup (for 720p) is not far: I'm using a BlackMagic Intensity Extreme (1080p30 or 720p60) with a Mac mini core i5 2.5 GHz (no QuickSync) running Windows 7 / OBS. I'm capturing the cam (Pana GH2) with a Elgato + game with UltraStudio, the dual core i5 runs at ~40% CPU in 720p30 stream.

(gaming PC is a i7 @ 4.0 GHz / 8GB RAM / GTX 680 / 256 GB Samsung Pro 840 SDD)

Sample (in french): http://www.twitch.tv/zetmor/b/457888869

(not using any passthrough, I'm just configuring my GTX680 in dual screen with screen cloning: DisplayPort connected to my 24" screen for playing, HDMI output to the BlackMagic ; only drawback: if you want no screen tearing on the stream it's the HDMI output that needs to be the clone source, meaning you get screen tearing on your own screen why playing ; on my sample it was setup with my game screen as clone source, so I did not have any tearing -vsynced- why playing but you can see some tearing on the stream)

[infinite.loop]

AVerMedia C877 (no price or date announced):


[Attachment 20275 - Click to enlarge]

http://gamerzone.avermedia.com//game_capture/extremecap_u3
http://maxlevel.org/avermedia-reveals-extremecap-u3-capture-device/

ExtremeCap U3 is an USB 3.0 capture card that is truly capable of recording and streaming 1080p 60fps gameplay via HDMI and component inputs. Beyond that, this capture card supports capturing HD raw data to popular video software with its DirectShow compatibility. Simply connect it with your game console and an USB 3.0 PC/ laptop, launch the video software you love, and you are ready to record or share your splendid gameplay footage.

18Mbps MP4 sample (oddly encoded using VFR...):
https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B2B00qZvvJbNc0E2Z29MeGZqV0U&export=download

This could be interesting. They don't mention whether the audio is multichannel, so no doubt limited to 2ch.

First I was exited, but then I read the specs.
30mbit/sec max, YUV4:2:2

Thanks, but no thanks.

I disagree that overall HD capture is expensive. At the low end we have the AVerMedia HD DVR which thanks to two different exploits can capture HDCP-encrypted video in either uncompressed, lossless, or lossy.

Do you have more info on those exploits?

[Brad]

First I was exited, but then I read the specs.
30mbit/sec max, YUV4:2:2

Which part is the problem? They say uncompressed, so the 30Mbps limit is just for their own software. Do you need RGB for some reason?

Do you have more info on those exploits?

As I said in another thread, at this point I wouldn't bother if I were buying a new capture card for 720p/1080i and only wanted HDMI input. I would take a chance on one of the $66 Timeleak cards on eBay.

[infinite.loop]

Thanks for your reply vaporeon800!

First I was exited, but then I read the specs.
30mbit/sec max, YUV4:2:2

Which part is the problem? They say uncompressed, so the 30Mbps limit is just for their own software.

Since ~ 4 weeks, I own a Avermedia's Live Gamer HD. I use FRAPS and DxTory for many years now and mainly bought it because my target was to reduce the CPU load, the filesize of the recordings (and because I got confused by the product description and thought it does 1080p60 )

Now, even when I record 1080p30 with 60MBit/sec in RecCentral, I am not happy with the image quality.
So my "guess" was that with 30MBit/Sec and 2x the framerate (60fps then) quality will decrease even more.

The quality issues I mean is color banding/artefacts in the dark areas. That is something I usually see caused b< "adaptive quantization strength" set too low or "DCT-Decimate" when I do encoding.

The captures done with my "Live Gamer HD" are many times pretty useless for me because of those troubles in the dark areas.
Corlor Correction? Forget it.

Do you need RGB for some reason?

well it is always nice to be able to work in RGB when doing the editing (Adobe Premiere / After Effects) to have some headroom for ColorCorrection. Yet I is not a "must".

But YUV24 or YUV420 would be nice.

I've done comparisons in DxTory using the Dxtory Video Codec, and there was a very clear difference between RGB>YUV24>YUV420>YUV410


Another issue I have with the"Live Gamer HD" is tearing. I must have vsync enabled in the game, or it will be there.
Funny is that DxTory, does not have that issue. I have no idea why. I can have 120-80 Display FPS, and recording set to 30 or 60 FPS will be absolutely smooth with no tearing at all. :S

Also did I read that right that the "Live Gamer HD" records with variable framerate?

Yesterday a friend recommend to try out x264vfw as codec in DxTory. I though he must be nuts because that will create an insane CPU load.
After 3 hours of testing, I realized that I was wrong.

I can easily record 1080p60, in games like Battlefield 3 with CPU heavy 2-way SLI.
The image quality is way better than what the "Live Gamer HD" produces, the framerate is really a stable 60 (or 30) FPS and the filesize is reasonable.

So currently, if there is no way to *pimp* the "Live Gamer HD" I think I will seel it again.

[Brad]

Color correction for computer game captures?

[infinite.loop]

Color correction for computer game captures?

I am not doing gameplay videos - I am a machinima director. And there I do need color correct for achieving different styles. Or in the case of Battlefield 3, get rid of the horrible blue tint.

http://www.youtube.com/user/FEARProductionsNet

[videoman9]

I just got the Live Gamer HD also, and I think it's not going to be able to do what I want. I have a camcorder that can record 1080p60. I wanted to use the HDMI out of it with the capture card so I can LIVE stream videos online in 1080p60. But the Avermedia RECentral software that comes with it seems to be the ONLY way to connect to the device. Sony Vegas can't connect, Yawcam can't connect. No third-party software can connect to the device, even though the device is listed as an available option in all the softwares.

Now, even if I can't record 1080p, I was hoping to at least be able to use the capture card with other software. But maybe this card is really only meant for capturing games. Any advice? What kind of card do I need then?

[infinite.loop]

Sony Vegas can't connect, Yawcam can't connect. No third-party software can connect to the device, even though the device is listed as an available option in all the softwares.

VirtualDub does see it as a capture device too and it can record.But you only receive the stream from the inbuilt h.264 encoder. So 1080p30 is the maximum the filter allows there as well.

Now, even if I can't record 1080p, I was hoping to at least be able to use the capture card with other software. But maybe this card is really only meant for capturing games. Any advice? What kind of card do I need then?

When reading the specs, I think you will need to have to wait for this -> http://gamerzone.avermedia.com//game_capture/extremecap_u3

[Brad]

The ExtremeCap U3 (CV710 / C877) is out there now ($180 MSRP).

Newegg ($170)
Press release: "AVerMedia Unveils ExtremeCap U3 for Uncompressed 1080p 60fps Video Capture" (2013-12-02)
Regular site product page
GamerZone product page (nothing new here)

For some reason Aussie reviewers got samples first..? I suppose due to the proximity to Taiwan.





There are some others on YouTube, as well as the AVerMedia Lab channel.

Where the hell is the download for the USB 3.0 Diagnosis Tool? Having it included with the device is nice and all, but sort of pointless if I can't check whether my motherboard is compatible before purchase.

[jagabo]

How much CPU do you need to compress 250 MB/s (uncompressed 1920x1080 YUY2) down to something small enough to save to a hard drive that can write about 100 MB/s? And what codecs? UT Video Codec? Lagarith? Multithreaded HuffYUV?