Cheap HDMI Capture Device, is it worth it?

[Bwaak]

I am interested in buying a ClonerAlliance UHD Pro, 4K Video Recorder, HDMI Capture DVR.This is a stand alone recorder that saves to a Flash drive or external drive. You can also connect it to a PC and record from it with OBS.
Reading a reviewers comments it seems that the colours are overcompressed and there is too much Black in the capture when you use it as a stand alone.

See this video and comments below it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRIfgqImj-g

[bloggo3]

Thanks, some of the comments were interesting but the latest Cloner Alliance that I am looking at only has HDMI input: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEo-H6ZNkYk
Comparisons and colour analysis are between 7.00 and 9.20 on the video. I'm going to buy one anyway but I would prefer to skip Post Processing if possible

[lordsmurf]

I'm going to buy one anyway

Don't expect quality.
You'll get a picture and some sound, but nothing more.

[rgr]

...

OBS is not a capture program, so I don't know if you'll find help.

[Alwyn]

OBS is not a capture program, so I don't know if you'll find help.

It is a capture program and from what I have seen so far, it does a pretty good job. The only downside is it's limited capture codec options.

[bloggo3]

I'm going to buy one anyway

Don't expect quality.
You'll get a picture and some sound, but nothing more.

That doesn't sound too good. In fact it sounds very like what I already get from the cheapie. Can you do me a favour and have a look at the comparisons in the link I posted. The results in that,while not ideal, look fairly good. I realise that there is no movement in the clips. The reviews on Amazon all seem very positive, but I'm sure that you are far more knowledgeable than they are. What would you recommend to capture old movies from a firestick?

[lordsmurf]

OBS is not a capture program, so I don't know if you'll find help.

It is a capture program and from what I have seen so far, it does a pretty good job. The only downside is it's limited capture codec options.

It sort-of is, but really is not. That's the problem.

Adobe Premiere could be equally consider capture software by the same logic, but it really is not, and totally sucks at it.

[Eric-jan]

OBS is not a capture program, so I don't know if you'll find help.

It is a capture program and from what I have seen so far, it does a pretty good job. The only downside is it's limited capture codec options.

With that i guess you do mean it is a screen capture program ? because that's what i allways hear here, and it's the way it is "taken" i guess it'is taken from the windows GUI in some way, and not through other "hardware "paths" ? so it has allways the resolution of your screen settings, and it's "mode" or "layer" ?
But then i don't understand that there are devices need to be selected…. or this is all virtual….

[Alwyn]

Adobe Premiere could be equally consider capture software by the same logic, but it really is not, and totally sucks at it

Hang on. Where is Premiere (and Magix, for that matter) getting the video from? In these programs you select the card/digitiser device. Why would it not be video from the card? OBS looks to be the same.

With that i guess you do mean it is a screen capture program ?

Quite the opposite, Eric. You choose the source in the settings, which includes the active digitisers.

[themaster1]

Forget OBS it really is a screen cap app. Tried it with my hdmi pcie card, gave me subpar results compared to say an oldschool app like virtualvcr. It connect directly to the "output pins" of the card like good app should.

[Sharc]

Forget OBS it really is a screen cap app. Tried it with my hdmi pcie card, gave me subpar results compared to say an oldschool app like virtualvcr. It connect directly to the "output pins" of the card like good app should.

I have never used OBS for capturing analog sources. I just installed the latest version and it seems you can select the capture HW device (like Hauppauge USB live2, GV-USB Analog capture, configure the crossbar, open the properties of the device and adjust its proc-amp settings etc. Very much like the traditional capturing apps it seems. But I haven't seen that you can select a lossless codec like those typically used for analog video capturing (Huffyuv, UTvideo, FFV1 etc.).
As I said, I didn't try it out.

[Alwyn]

Themaster1, that youtube link in your signature is dead.

[Cornucopia]

Personally I have never had an issue with capping from Premiere, but then it IS bloatware, and does require much heftier resources than most dedicated capture apps (premiere's is basically a capture module within the app). As long as you give it PLENTY of resources, it works fine giving you clean interlaced material from analog sources. However, being Adobe-focused, it doesn't expose all the variables you would want to make use of for some use cases. In those scenarios, Premiere is not optimal.

Scott

[Eric-jan]

I've tried a few cheap HDMI capture devices, and while they can be hit or miss, some do offer decent value for the price. If you're just starting out or need a quick solution for basic streaming or recording, they might suffice. However, if you're looking for high-quality, consistent performance, especially for professional work, investing in a more reputable brand might be a wiser choice. Always check reviews and make sure the device meets your specific needs. Remember, sometimes you get what you pay for, but bargains can be found!

I completely agree with you, one should try it, and decide if it is to the standard that is needed for one's use case, otherwise it stays a very long disscussion until the end of times… which it already is on the DigitalFaq forum.

[kenmo]

[Attachment 76102 - Click to enlarge]I have the HDMI ClonerAlliance Pro. Purchased from Amazon Canada in October 2020. I use this device a lot. I do not use any computer. I capture directly to a USB 3.0 flash drive so there is no Windows computer or OBS software used. The Pro device captures directly to an USB device in MP4 format. I record tv shows and movies

I transfer the mp4 from the flash drive to my Windows 10 computer and edit out tv ads via Bandicut. Then upload the edited MP4 to Handbrake on my linux server (Unraid) where Handbrake runs in a docker.

Love this device, but the Pro is expensive. In 2020 I paid $200 Canadian. It now sells for over $250 Canadian. This devices gets a lot of usage. Never had an issue with it shutting down due to heat after a long continuous run of 10 hours.

However IF you wish to capture via OBS on a computer, that option is available BUT I have never used it.

I would highly recommend.

[Bwaak]

I have the HDMI ClonerAlliance Pro. ... I would highly recommend.

Do you mind sharing a sample or two?

[lordsmurf]

I have the HDMI ClonerAlliance Pro.

This is infamous for low quality, and it outputs a compressed mess.

Essentially an Easycap (Easycrap) 2.0 --- actually worse.

[rgr]

[Attachment 76102 - Click to enlarge]I have the HDMI ClonerAlliance Pro. Purchased from Amazon Canada in October 2020. I use this device a lot. I do not use any computer. I capture directly to a USB 3.0 flash drive so there is no Windows computer or OBS software used. The Pro device captures directly to an USB device in MP4 format. I record tv shows and movies

I transfer the mp4 from the flash drive to my Windows 10 computer and edit out tv ads via Bandicut. Then upload the edited MP4 to Handbrake on my linux server (Unraid) where Handbrake runs in a docker.

Love this device, but the Pro is expensive. In 2020 I paid $200 Canadian. It now sells for over $250 Canadian. This devices gets a lot of usage. Never had an issue with it shutting down due to heat after a long continuous run of 10 hours.

However IF you wish to capture via OBS on a computer, that option is available BUT I have never used it.

I suspect that this device has a big drawback - it saves mp4 in progressive, making some crappy deinterlace.

[lordsmurf]

I suspect that this device has a big drawback - it saves mp4 in progressive, making some crappy deinterlace.

Yep. It has to deinterlace, upscale, and then screws with the quality values (exposure, etc). It outputs a hot mess.

_________

I missed these earlier...

I am interested in buying a ClonerAlliance UHD Pro, 4K Video Recorder, HDMI Capture DVR.This is a stand alone recorder that saves to a Flash drive or external drive. You can also connect it to a PC and record from it with OBS.
Reading a reviewers comments it seems that the colours are overcompressed and there is too much Black in the capture when you use it as a stand alone. He mentioned that this is easily fixed in Post Production. What would be involved in doing this?
I bought a cheap capture device that does 1080p at 60 fps with the idea of setting up a profile in OBS to correct the colours as I record. If I can get that to work, then I would repeat it with the Cloner Alliance.

Clone Alliance is just low-end low-quality junk like Easycap (Easycrap).

The claim that the video is "easily fixed" is nonsense. The errors, once digitized, are there forever.

A better quality capture is required for better quality video. And it's not even hard to do, however it will not be $100 from Amazon (as all of the "new" stuff is low-end Chinese crap). VHS tapes do not really look bad, it's methods of capture (bad cards, bad VCRs, lack of TBC) that are atrocious or even unwatchable schlock.

Consumer analog sources like VHS should never be captured to 1080p, nor 60fps. Massive quality loss.

I'm going to buy one anyway

Don't expect quality.
You'll get a picture and some sound, but nothing more.

That doesn't sound too good. In fact it sounds very like what I already get from the cheapie.

Yep.

Can you do me a favour and have a look at the comparisons in the link I posted. The results in that,while not ideal, look fairly good. I realise that there is no movement in the clips. The reviews on Amazon all seem very positive, but I'm sure that you are far more knowledgeable than they are. What would you recommend to capture old movies from a firestick?

Amazon is full of fake reviews, and reviews by idiots.

[kenmo]

I do not capture from VHS tapes. I capture from HD TV cable broadcasts with my ClonerAlliance via HDMI cables. It is a gigantic improvement over my Toshiba DVD box top recorder.

Bwaak Do you mind sharing a sample or two?

I sure can. But is it OK to post to this forum a small segment from a movie or tv show which maybe copywrited?

[Bwaak]

is it OK to post to this forum a small segment from a movie or tv show which maybe copywrited?

A small segment is fine, although it is not the main use case people deal with here, which is digitizing analog videos.

BTW, for capturing OTA broadcasts I use the OTA receiver/converter, paid for it $20 on Amazon. It saves the TS stream as is, no conversion. It won't work for cable though. Also, it knows nothing about ATSC 3.0.

[Sharc]

OBS is not a capture program, so I don't know if you'll find help.

It is a capture program and from what I have seen so far, it does a pretty good job. The only downside is it's limited capture codec options.

@Alwin: A blast from the past, but out of curiosity did you succeed to capture interlaced video from VHS, S-VHS or Video8, similar as one would usually do with Vdub, VirtualVCR or AmarecTV?

[kenmo]

I removed this small clip from the original MP4 I captured. I used Bandicut to remove the segment.

[rgr]

I do not capture from VHS tapes. I capture from HD TV cable broadcasts with my ClonerAlliance via HDMI cables. It is a gigantic improvement over my Toshiba DVD box top recorder.

It will definitely be better than when saving to MPEG2, but it will still be a poor deinterlace.

[kenmo]

My sample capture was recorded in 720p as I find 1080p files are too big and I am only recording HD tv and movies and convert from MP4 to m4v via Handbrake.

[kenmo]

This is how I record from my cable box to a flash drive via the HDML ClonerAlliance.

In the past I have used two versions of the ATI TV Wonder card, a Hauppauge with MPEG2 hardware encoding and two versions of a Toshiba DVD box top recorder. The HDML ClonerAlliance is by far superior to anything I used prior. Better quality, video & audio are ALWAYS in synch, no dropouts. Simple to use.

[Bwaak]

So the Cloner box does not mind the HDCP protection? Nice. I have a similar box. I don't have cable, but I could record off my BD player just for kicks - OK picture, but the audio was very faint.

[kenmo]

Yes it bypasses the HDCP protection.

I just played the clip I uploaded and the audio level was fine on my end.

Cheers

[kenmo]

When I digitalized a few classic VHS comedies about 15 years ago (Charlie Chaplin, Little Rascals/Our Gang, WC Fields, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Marx Bros, Three Stooges) I had purchased in the 1970s from Blackhawk Films and others, I used my Hauppauge card which I much preferred over any ATI capture card.

[rgr]

I assume from the above that you are testing a MS2109 chip device. Those are the really cheap ones.

Unfortunately this stick allows only 576p input.