USB-based VHS A-to-D Converters (The Good, Bad and the Ugly)

[Avagadro1]

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[DB83]

As a USB-Live owner/user methinks the basic difference between the better units to the easycraps is the quality of the chip used - the USB has a connextant.


It has been a long time since I installed via the CD but typically you have to install usb drivers first BEFORE anything else (including plugging in the unit) including the software. So, I guess, you can use this without installing WinTV (I did install it since I wanted the support for PAL60 which it has). And you can use the unit to capture by vdub with your own choice of codec.

[Avagadro1]

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[Sharc]

If I remember this correctly for USB-Live2 you have to install hauppaugecapture_xxxx.exe
Even though you might not use the mpeg-2 encoder, Vdub etc. should then recognize the device and you can capture with a lossless codec of your choice.

[davexnet]

You can download the Live 2 Windows drivers, by themselves, right from here:

https://www.hauppauge.com/pages/support/support.html#win10

For the Diamond, I don't see a separate driver, but if you download the complete package,
the drivers are separate from the app.

https://www.diamondmm.com/product/diamond-vc500-one-touch-video-capture-edit-stream/

[DB83]

I do not know about file editing or dvd-making in the Hauppauge install. WinTV is the main app (it only does capturing and 'tv channels') and that has a footprint of 20 meg on my Win7 install. I also keep an XP install on another drive and that has a footprint of 15 meg.


I did notice that on Hauppauge's support page the latest install is 108 meg and a separate driver 'update'. Not interested in these since I always take the view that if it is not broken then why try to fix it.

[lordsmurf]

I'm not fond of VC500, due to variable production that has yielded issues, with the most damning being over-aggressive AGC (not as bad as ATI 650/750, but still unwanted). The only happy users I've seen to date were early adopters, 6-7+ years ago, and those users had the cards verified as not having AGC issues. Newer VC500 cards are problems, possibly due to newer OS drivers.

The "grabbers" in general are mostly crappy.

EZcap/Easycap cards (regardless of the legit/fake BS/nonsense) have an easy tell: the values are screwed, especially the luma gain pushed so hard it crushes even legal values (highlights especially).

The Live2 is okay. I'm not giddy for it. There are better cards, there are worse.
It has some issues with color, audio, levels.
Some (not great) test images, and discussion:
http://www.digitalFAQ.com/forum/video-capture/7682-usb-capture-devices.html#post46568

[Avagadro1]

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[dellsam34]

I could never get the Pinnacle 500-USB to work in the recent Windows 10 few updates and CaptureFlux did the trick for me, It has the crossbar to change composite to S-Video input which vdub lacks, It captures AVI lossless without a hiccup even with audio monitor on which vdub seem to have issues with audio monitoring on. So give it a try.

[Avagadro1]

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[dellsam34]

If you have the driver then vdub will have access to the crossbar, If there is no driver for the card then the crossbar will not be shown in Vdub yet CaptureFlux is able to do it.

[TimA-C]

You can download just the drivers for the Hauppauge USB Live2 from the Hauppauge site and install them without having to install either WinfastTV(?) or Capture - although I'm not sure if you might not need some of the files from either of them if you ever plan to capture to mpeg2 through whatever capture program? (I seem to remember that there was a download available from NPVR - A software PVR/media centre program that can use the Live2 to "view" content from an external source - that included any required filters etc. As I said, I'm *fairly* sure that those files were only needed if you were using the Live2 with mpeg2.)

The Live2 also has the benefit that it's still listed as a current product by Hauppauge, so there is still the chance of updated/improved software and drivers coming out for it.

Just for clarity, the Live2 works with Vdub, Vdub2 and AmarecTV v2.?? & v3.?? (Don't bother with AmarecTV v4+ as you'll need to purchase their bespoke codec to capture anything.)

[hech54]

Just for clarity, the Live2 works with Vdub, Vdub2 and AmarecTV v2.?? & v3.?? (Don't bother with AmarecTV v4+ as you'll need to purchase their bespoke codec to capture anything.)

And DScaler ....and of course WinTV (7 for me) as mentioned.
As I recall you can only capture PAL60 via WinTV and mpeg2.

[TimA-C]

Hi Hech. You're right. You can also capture with DScaler and Virtual VCR as well, although I never really got on very well with either of them. WinTV as well as Hauppauge Capture (and the earlier Arcsoft something) which came with various Hauppauge devices will all let you capture to Mpeg2 with the Live2. NPVR (and probably other PVR software as well) will also let you capture to Mpeg2. Not sure about PAL60, so I'd probably be guided by you on that as well.

[DB83]

In fact it was LIVE's support for PAL60 that was my reason in getting it in the first place. And if memory serves it was our friend hech54 who altered me to that.


Vdub does have an option for PAL60 but I have never actually IIRC tried that.


So does DScaler but that can be a PITA to set up.

[TimA-C]

It was actually some of Hech54's posts and an example capture of some 80s(?) singer from VHS IIRC that decided me to get the Live2. He's got a lot to answer for!

[Avagadro1]

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[DB83]

"a lot to answer for" is an English expression. Basically it is a compliment for reasonable to good advice.

[Avagadro1]

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[DB83]

That is more a literal meaning. The smiley also speaks for itself.


If TimA-C had a bad experience with the unit he surely would have stated so in this thread.


But just remember that the capture device is only part of the equation. Here's another expression >> "Rubbish in means rubbish out". So your tapes and the vcr also play their part.

[TimA-C]

I was just trying to be funny - hence the smiley. I'm happy enough with the results I've gotten with the Live2 - far better than I ever managed with the more expensive Hauppauge PVR150 capture card I had before, and far more flexible than the Leadtek Winfast TV2000 capture card that I had before the PVR150.

At the beginning of the lockdown here in the UK, I discovered that I had a poor-ish connection where the input plugs connect to the main body of the Live2. Using an elastic band to hold the connector tight gave me cleaner audio on the left channel and maybe a slightly cleaner picture? Annoyingly, a couple of weeks later, I managed to damage the left audio input cable and had to replace the input connectors from Hauppauge. Not too pricey until you added in the 15 Euros delivery - which I still think was a bit much for a Jiffy bag in the post. (Not even recorded delivery!) Apparently the replacement is an improved design over the original. (hopefully more sturdy?) Anyway, my audio is definitely better and I do think that the video is a touch cleaner too?

As a result of the lockdown, I've had more time to refine my captures and the base Avisynth script that I can adapt for each project, so I'm even happier with the Live2 than I was at the start of the year. I generally capture to Lagarith as it's lossless and I get better compression than with HUFFYUV, UT Video or MagicYUV (the free one, v1.2?), and the speed of processing on my ageing Intel C2Q with HC Enc is acceptable to me.

As to Hech54's taste in music . . . well . . . ! To be fair to him, I didn't recognise the artiste, and I don't think there was any audio, but I do seem to remember quite an impressive jacket!

[hech54]

As to Hech54's taste in music . . . well . . . ! To be fair to him, I didn't recognise the artiste, and I don't think there was any audio, but I do seem to remember quite an impressive jacket!

My taste in music is quite narrow.....I must admit.