Any good USB capture devices

[lollo]

Amazon is not the reference.

There is only one Live-2 model from the hardware point of view. Bundle software may change, together with box color. Use latest drivers from Hauppauge.

[techmot]

Amazon is not the reference.

There is only one Live-2 model from the hardware point of view. Bundle software may change, together with box color. Use latest drivers from Hauppauge.

Ok thanks, so it will work with Windows 11 so long as I download the latest drivers?. Seems odd though why the one on Amazon UK mentions XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10. It must be an old device if it works with XP and Vista.

[TimA-C]

If you're so concerned about the description on Amazon, just ask the question on Amazon, "Does this definitely work in Windows 11?" I'm sure there'll be at least one purchaser who'll answer definitively for you.

Mine works fine on 64-bit Windows 10 Home & Pro (and on 64-bit Windows 7 before), so I would expect that it would work on Win11, but I can't say for certain because I don't have any machines here running 11. Yet. I'm sure eventually I'll have to "upgrade" to it. Or Win12? (So much for Win10 being the last version of Windows eh, Microsoft?) Most of the actually knowledgeable people on here will probably tell you - with some good reasons - that you really Should be capturing in Windows XP anyway.

[techmot]

If you're so concerned about the description on Amazon, just ask the question on Amazon, "Does this definitely work in Windows 11?" I'm sure there'll be at least one purchaser who'll answer definitively for you.

Mine works fine on 64-bit Windows 10 Home & Pro (and on 64-bit Windows 7 before), so I would expect that it would work on Win11, but I can't say for certain because I don't have any machines here running 11. Yet. I'm sure eventually I'll have to "upgrade" to it. Or Win12? (So much for Win10 being the last version of Windows eh, Microsoft?) Most of the actually knowledgeable people on here will probably tell you - with some good reasons - that you really Should be capturing in Windows XP anyway.

Well since posting I ordered the device from Amazon UK a few days ago so should be here soon. I thought it was quite expensive for £46 given that it looks very similar to an Easycrap device, plenty of those types of devices on ebay and Amazon, but at least it's a reputable brand. Only hope it will work with Windows 11, though I have issues with my Ideapad at the moment where the discspace keeps dissapearing when I use my Opera browser (posted about this in another thread on the computer section) and the Bluestacks apk to allow Whatsapp. Can't explain why it keeps doing this where there's almost no space despite clearing cache, temp files in storage. When I restart windows it goes back to around 3gb. Very strange.

So why is capturing better with Windows XP?. I have an old desktop PC running XP but the RAM is about 256 and isn't very fast. Pity I threw away the Pinnacle capture card I had in the back years ago, may've come in handy. Could do with getting old of a cheap monitor as the CRT monitor I had it hooked up to I gave it away.

[TimA-C]

Yes. Opera has been messed around with quite a lot by it's programmers recently. SO many updates since they "upgraded" (downgraded?) to Opera One. (I'm guessing One out of 10!) At least they've FINALLY brought back the Home/SpeedDial button on the Address Bar . . . ! I had no idea that that would be my biggest issue with the so-called "upgrade" but it was. And the frequency of updates has slowed, so maybe they're FINALLY getting to grips with this latest version? Shame they never thought to, oh, I don't know, Beta Test the bloomin' thing BEFORE foisting it out onto their users!?! (Microsoft, I'm lookin' Directly at you Too with regards to, you know, testing updates before pushing them out!)

As for why XP . . . ? I guess the main one is probably that because it was around & supported for SO long, many of the issues with it (and the drivers & software for use with it) were sorted out. These days, I guess it's also a 'quieter' OS with far fewer background tasks going on than in current versions of Windows. Also, again in these days, it almost certainly won't be connected to the internet, so no updates, no software 'phoning home' etc. etc. I'm sure others here will tell me if I'm massively wrong and being an idiot! (Certainly wouldn't be the first time! )

The USB Live2 should come with a copy of Hauppauge's Capture program. When used with the Live2 it's (I'm pretty certain) limited to mpeg2 captures. The more recent versions FINALLY let you set the audio bitrate without having to delve into the registry, AND gives you access to the Procamp settings (apart from 'Sharpness'), but IIRC I think you're limited to a max bitrate of 10MBps.

The USB Live2 works well with Virtualdub (most versions, including Vdub2) but you may battle with audio sync issues. I do. AmarecTV solved the audio sync problems I was having, BUT you need to use version 3.10 or earlier if you don't want to have to buy & use their own video codec. For lossless capture I tend to use the Lagarith video codec, but HuffYUV and UT Video both work well with AmarecTV too. For quick & 'dirty' captures I tend to use X264VFW codec, although this does push the CPU a little harder than Lagarith does. (There is also a Lossless setting for X264VFW, but it pushes the CPU harder when capturing AND is slower when processing with an Avisynth script. I think there might also be some colour conversion issues as well, but not sure on this.)

Anyway, Good Luck! And let us know how you get on!

[techmot]

Yes. Opera has been messed around with quite a lot by it's programmers recently. SO many updates since they "upgraded" (downgraded?) to Opera One. (I'm guessing One out of 10!) At least they've FINALLY brought back the Home/SpeedDial button on the Address Bar . . . ! I had no idea that that would be my biggest issue with the so-called "upgrade" but it was. And the frequency of updates has slowed, so maybe they're FINALLY getting to grips with this latest version? Shame they never thought to, oh, I don't know, Beta Test the bloomin' thing BEFORE foisting it out onto their users!?! (Microsoft, I'm lookin' Directly at you Too with regards to, you know, testing updates before pushing them out!)

As for why XP . . . ? I guess the main one is probably that because it was around & supported for SO long, many of the issues with it (and the drivers & software for use with it) were sorted out. These days, I guess it's also a 'quieter' OS with far fewer background tasks going on than in current versions of Windows. Also, again in these days, it almost certainly won't be connected to the internet, so no updates, no software 'phoning home' etc. etc. I'm sure others here will tell me if I'm massively wrong and being an idiot! (Certainly wouldn't be the first time! )

The USB Live2 should come with a copy of Hauppauge's Capture program. When used with the Live2 it's (I'm pretty certain) limited to mpeg2 captures. The more recent versions FINALLY let you set the audio bitrate without having to delve into the registry, AND gives you access to the Procamp settings (apart from 'Sharpness'), but IIRC I think you're limited to a max bitrate of 10MBps.

The USB Live2 works well with Virtualdub (most versions, including Vdub2) but you may battle with audio sync issues. I do. AmarecTV solved the audio sync problems I was having, BUT you need to use version 3.10 or earlier if you don't want to have to buy & use their own video codec. For lossless capture I tend to use the Lagarith video codec, but HuffYUV and UT Video both work well with AmarecTV too. For quick & 'dirty' captures I tend to use X264VFW codec, although this does push the CPU a little harder than Lagarith does. (There is also a Lossless setting for X264VFW, but it pushes the CPU harder when capturing AND is slower when processing with an Avisynth script. I think there might also be some colour conversion issues as well, but not sure on this.)

Anyway, Good Luck! And let us know how you get on!

Hi thanks for the advice.

Got around to using the Happauge device and it seems pretty good, seemed to capture at 720 without the stuttering/jittering I was getting with the cheap Climax Digital device I was using before. Had to download an earlier version of Virtualdub as the current version didn't seem to work (it detected the device but no video window would appear, plus the Hauppauge audio didn't work but it does say on the box that the Live2 audio may not work on all capture programs). The only issue with Vdub is that I was getting the audio out of sync even just by few seconds, and I tried both options in the "timings" setting but nothing fixed the issue. On the other capture device the audio was in sync when I selected one of the options in timing (I forget which one it was) for around 40 mins of capture, but with the Hauppauge (or maybe it's down to the version of Vdub) I'm getting the audio of out sync from the start.


I decided to try OBS as I knew the audio would be fine, and I know many on here don't recommend using OBS for capture but at least the audio will be ok and doesn't produce very large file sizes. Tried AmarecTV but it kept displaying an error message when I clicked on audio codecs (I'm guessing it's asking for the paid codec). Will download the earlier version as suggested and see if that works.

[techmot]

I still seem to be having problems even with the Hauppauge. I can't get audio using AmarecTV no matter which audio option I choose I just get an error message appear. I've downloaded an older version and gone into the audio codecs setting and selected Lagarith, but when I try and select the audio I just get the error message, without selecting the audio the capture has no sound.

I thought the Hauppauge is supposed to work with AmarecTV?. With Virtualdub I get the audio out of sync, AmarecTV no audio at all.

[Attachment 73952 - Click to enlarge]

[TimA-C]

OK. So this is my setup in AmarecTV v3.10:


[Attachment 73954 - Click to enlarge]

Also, I'm not sure if I'm misreading this but Lagarith is a video codec. I'd recommend that you leave the audio uncompressed and convert/process afterwards.


[Attachment 73955 - Click to enlarge]

OBS does work with the Live2 as a video source, but you can't trust that the output is what you're expecting. You NEED to check the output and adapt any subsequent processing accordingly. (It has been a while since I did any playing around with OBS, so newer versions may be better.)

[techmot]

OK. So this is my setup in AmarecTV v3.10:


[Attachment 73954 - Click to enlarge]

Also, I'm not sure if I'm misreading this but Lagarith is a video codec. I'd recommend that you leave the audio uncompressed and convert/process afterwards.


[Attachment 73955 - Click to enlarge]

OBS does work with the Live2 as a video source, but you can't trust that the output is what you're expecting. You NEED to check the output and adapt any subsequent processing accordingly. (It has been a while since I did any playing around with OBS, so newer versions may be better.)

Hi thanks for that. I selected the Hauppauge video in the the audio settings in Amarec and I was able to get audio on both capture and playback. Captued about 50 mins and the audio was perfectly in sync. Why does Virtualdub have so many issues with the audio when AmarecTV doesn't?.

The only issue was in encoding the 30gb file size in Handbrake which seems to be taking about 3 hours to convert setting the quality at 23, constant framerate and setting the audio bitrate at 256. Is there a faster way of encoding?. Previously when I would capture in VDub I would just record in parts, mainly to keep the audio in sync but also so that it wouldn't take hours to encode later in Handbrake.

Yeah OBS seems a strange capture program (primarily used for live streaming) as the video resolution options vary but don't seem to offer 720x576, 640x40 etc, but at least it captured in MKV or MP4 at a decent file size.

[Alwyn]

Is there a faster way of encoding?

This will depend entirely on the power of CPU and GPU(s). Handbrake allows you to choose different encoder types (on the Video tab > Video Encoder dropdown). I can choose, for example, H264 NVec, which will use my NVidia graphics card, which is a much faster encoder than the CPU ("H264").

the video resolution options vary but don't seem to offer 720x576, 640x40 etc, but at least it captured in MKV or MP4 at a decent file size.

You can set whatever resolution you like in OBS. Check the tutes on YT.

The "decent file size" was probably because OBS records directly to MP4; you don't have to go through the 30GB lossless intermediate file.

[techmot]

This will depend entirely on the power of CPU and GPU(s). Handbrake allows you to choose different encoder types (on the Video tab > Video Encoder dropdown). I can choose, for example, H264 NVec, which will use my NVidia graphics card, which is a much faster encoder than the CPU ("H264").

the video resolution options vary but don't seem to offer 720x576, 640x40 etc, but at least it captured in MKV or MP4 at a decent file size.

You can set whatever resolution you like in OBS. Check the tutes on YT.

The "decent file size" was probably because OBS records directly to MP4; you don't have to go through the 30GB lossless intermediate file.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for that, I didn't know you could custom set the resolution by typing in the desired size, thought the options in the drop down bar couldn't be changed.

I did a capture at 720x576, captured for 1 hr 5 mins, set the video bitrate at 7000kbps, audio at 256kbps, and set the recording quality to "High quality, medium file size", and yet I got a outputted size of 6GB. It shouldn't be that big surely. I have used OBS on my older laptop when my Easycap device and never had the files that large before.

Strangely, after I had remuxed the MKV file to MP4 and checked the file in properties, I am getting a video bitrate of 14289kbps, the audio is reading 192kbps which is clearly not what I set the bitrate to in settings. The only thing correct is the framerate being 25fps and at 720x576. No wonder I am getting a 6GB file. Do you know what is causing this?.

I set both base (canvas) and output (scaled) resolution at 720x576, but the video window I had to resize the video to fit the window area as it appeared too big. Maybe I am doing it wrong.


[Attachment 74105 - Click to enlarge][QUOTE=Alwyn;2706720][QUOTE]

[Attachment 74106 - Click to enlarge]

[Attachment 74107 - Click to enlarge]

All I can think of is that by typing in the video resolution it has made no difference to the output or as saved it and it is just capturing what it was originally defaulted to, hence the high video bitrate I am getting in the outputted file, why it's doing this I don't know.

Strange that when I did a capture a few days ago before adjusting the output to 720x576 the outputted file video bitrate was as I set it to (which was at 10000kbps), but since I set the out to 720x576 and only set the bitrate to 7000, I am getting a very high file size. Why?

[Alwyn]

First, 7000 is (too) high for a SD MP4. Try 2500. That will get the file size down. A good size is around 2GB for 60 minutes worth of SD MP4.

video resolution it has made no difference to the output

Correct. Resolution eg 720x576 has no bearing at all on the file size if you're setting the bitrate. A 720x576 file will be exactly the same as a 2560x1920 file at 2500. If you use CRF, then you'll get a bigger file size.

Don't rely on Windows Properties: use Mediainfo, specifically the "Text" view to give you the details of your file.

I'm not at my OBS computer for a few days but IIRC just set all resolutions to 720x576 and that should set your canvas to 720x576.

Have a look at Tim Ford's YT OBS tute:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2CIEE8kjSU

Note his note in the description re PAL recordings.

Strangely, after I had remuxed the MKV file to MP4 and checked the file in properties, I am getting a video bitrate of 14289kbps, the audio is reading 192kbps which is clearly not what I set the bitrate to in settings. The only thing correct is the framerate being 25fps and at 720x576. No wonder I am getting a 6GB file. Do you know what is causing this?.

You've put the 7000 in the Streaming section, not the Recording section.

On the Output section, from the top droplist choose Advanced (as opposed to Simple), on the Recording tab, Video Encoder droplist to x264 and below that Rate control to Av Bitrate (ABR) put in 2500.

Also, in the Advanced Section, set the colour space to Rec 601.

See how you go with that.

[techmot]

First, 7000 is (too) high for a SD MP4. Try 2500. That will get the file size down. A good size is around 2GB for 60 minutes worth of SD MP4.

video resolution it has made no difference to the output

Correct. Resolution eg 720x576 has no bearing at all on the file size if you're setting the bitrate. A 720x576 file will be exactly the same as a 2560x1920 file at 2500. If you use CRF, then you'll get a bigger file size.

Don't rely on Windows Properties: use Mediainfo, specifically the "Text" view to give you the details of your file.

I'm not at my OBS computer for a few days but IIRC just set all resolutions to 720x576 and that should set your canvas to 720x576.

Have a look at Tim Ford's YT OBS tute:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2CIEE8kjSU

Note his note in the description re PAL recordings.

Strangely, after I had remuxed the MKV file to MP4 and checked the file in properties, I am getting a video bitrate of 14289kbps, the audio is reading 192kbps which is clearly not what I set the bitrate to in settings. The only thing correct is the framerate being 25fps and at 720x576. No wonder I am getting a 6GB file. Do you know what is causing this?.

You've put the 7000 in the Streaming section, not the Recording section.

On the Output section, from the top droplist choose Advanced (as opposed to Simple), on the Recording tab, Video Encoder droplist to x264 and below that Rate control to Av Bitrate (ABR) put in 2500.

Also, in the Advanced Section, set the colour space to Rec 601.

See how you go with that.

Thanks for that, using the Advance tab changed the output file size. The only thing is that outputted video seems to be a little stuttering which I wasn't getting before when it was set to CBR and the higher size The previous capture was very smooth but now it seems to a little "stuttery" but only slightly. At least this time I am getting the correct video bitrate.

In the video link above it suggests using CBR but doesn't mention using ABR.

Why is Windows properties not accurate?.

[DB83]

I read this type of topic and I ask myself if the issues are with the device, the capture settings/software or the user.

So allow me to take these one by one.


A device requires drivers. If the owner of the device provides declared drivers then you use them from the official source not some random ones which may work. And AFAIK Hauppuage provide working drivers for OS as indicated. Yet no driver can/will work if your system has been doctored.


Just an aside. Windows beyond 7 is a lottery when it comes down to capturing. One reason why I have NEVER upgraded.


Software-wise there is no logical reason why both vdub - not vdub2 - should not work. The 'latest' version of vdub has NEVER been official. 1.10.4 would, probably, the last pure version and that AFAIK is the one that works for me. That being said, I do not think you even then see vdub as the device but the chip which works for both video and audio ie cx....... Even so, you must chek your audio recording settings in your OS to ensure that nothing else has priority.


How many times must one reiterate that OBS is NOT a desired analoge to digital capture program. Sure it may work but one still needs to delve in to the program's workings to ensure that your capture is not larger than you expect it to be. I have always been consistent that your video bitrate should not exceed 8,000 kbps. if it is larger (and it seems to be) what do you really expect ?


User. Read the above. Nothing more to add.

[techmot]

I read this type of topic and I ask myself if the issues are with the device, the capture settings/software or the user.

So allow me to take these one by one.


A device requires drivers. If the owner of the device provides declared drivers then you use them from the official source not some random ones which may work. And AFAIK Hauppuage provide working drivers for OS as indicated. Yet no driver can/will work if your system has been doctored.


Just an aside. Windows beyond 7 is a lottery when it comes down to capturing. One reason why I have NEVER upgraded.


Software-wise there is no logical reason why both vdub - not vdub2 - should not work. The 'latest' version of vdub has NEVER been official. 1.10.4 would, probably, the last pure version and that AFAIK is the one that works for me. That being said, I do not think you even then see vdub as the device but the chip which works for both video and audio ie cx....... Even so, you must chek your audio recording settings in your OS to ensure that nothing else has priority.


How many times must one reiterate that OBS is NOT a desired analoge to digital capture program. Sure it may work but one still needs to delve in to the program's workings to ensure that your capture is not larger than you expect it to be. I have always been consistent that your video bitrate should not exceed 8,000 kbps. if it is larger (and it seems to be) what do you really expect ?


User. Read the above. Nothing more to add.

Ok I get your point. The high video bitrate was because I was using the streaming tab. Why would other posters recommend OBS if it's not a suitable capturing program for analog video, why do people make videos on youtube about them?. The main reason I prefer using OBS is because there's no need to encode very large file. I captured a 50 min video in AmarecTV a few days ago and it took over 3 hours to encode to an MP4 in Handbrake.

[DB83]

I can not speak for YT users except that many act like sheep. One talks and the rest follow. And the head sheep often does not have a clue what he talks about.

10,000 kps for streaming 720*576 is hardly appropiate. Jeez. I can record a 1280*720 stream @ < 3500 kbps.


Encoding from an already captured video is not a true comparison. Too many factors to appreciate. I last did one some months ago and, yes, they do take time unless you replicate all settings and with a high original bitrate you need to change atleast one (and guess which one)

[Alwyn]

The only thing is that outputted video seems to be a little stuttering which I wasn't getting before when it was set to CBR and the higher size The previous capture was very smooth but now it seems to a little "stuttery" but only slightly. At least this time I am getting the correct video bitrate.

In the video link above it suggests using CBR but doesn't mention using ABR.

CBR isn't ideal because it doesn't optimise bitrate for each scene and therefore will probably result in larger file sizes. But by all means, try it.

The stuttering could also be a result of the lower bitrate because less data is available for the encoder to work with.

Remember also that with OBS, you are encoding in real-time, which decreases encoder efficiency, resulting in lower quality.

Which brings us back to AmarecTV: firstly, your 3 hours encode time using Handbrake is because the encoder can take more time to do the encoding and therefore do a better job. In Handbrake, have a look on the Video tab > Encoder Preset. Put your mouse pointer on it; it explains the encoder speed verses quality tradeoff.

Secondly, the advantage of using AmarecTV/Lossless is that you can experiment with your exports to get the size/quality right without having to recapture each time as you are doing with OBS.

As importantly, by capturing lossless, you will get the best quality off the tape initially, before you export it.

Remember that, once you have your video encoded satisfactorily in MP4, you delete the big Lossless file.

Having said all that, if you are able to settle on OBS settings that work for you, it is a lot less fluffing around to produce a video.

Windows beyond 7 is a lottery when it comes down to capturing.

There's plenty of good quality capture options under Win 10/11. If you want to use old gear, then yes, stick with Win 7. But there's no need for newbys to be scared into thinking that Win 10/11 is unusable for video capture.

[TimA-C]

Hi Techmot. You may have already told us this, but are you doing any filtering/processing on your captured video, beyond just encoding to your desired final format?

Secondly, what is your final format? Is it going to be mainly for just you & your family to watch on increasingly bigger TVs as time moves forward, or are you wanting to upload it to YT or some other streaming site, or author to disc, etc., etc., etc.? What sort of spec. PC/Laptop are you using to a) capture on, and b) do any processing/encoding on? And, probably the two most important questions;- a) How important are these videos to you? b) How much time & effort are you prepared to put into getting the best results you can yourself?

[davexnet]

You can't judge 3 hour encoding time without knowledge of the PC/CPU spec, nor the x264 preset. ie. "faster" vs. "slow" -
Neither of which have been mentioned

[lordsmurf]

I can not speak for YT users except that many act like sheep. One talks and the rest follow. And the head sheep often does not have a clue what he talks about.

^ This.

Lost of morons leading others off cliffs.

OBS is not analog capture software, period, the end. No "but".
OBS is digital streaming recording software, and it treats your capture card like a webcam.

[Bwaak]

I can not speak for YT users except that many act like sheep. One talks and the rest follow. And the head sheep often does not have a clue what he talks about.

I know a particular youtuber who made a reasonable how-to five or so years ago, not without minor omissions, still a sensible one, using VirtualDub. He made another one this year using OBS, which quickly eclipsed the old video in popularity. His explanation: OBS is multi-platform, while VDub is Windows only. So, his new tutorial covers more platforms, more users. Not everyone wants to buy an old Windows machine to digitize a couple of tapes, after all, and not everyone wants the very best quality - often good enough is good enough.

[dellsam34]

Unless OBS dramatically changed and added support for rec.601 materials originated from analog tape sources, few years ago was not the recommended software for capturing video tapes and had a lot of issues, I still don't like the Swiss-knife app for one specific task.

[Alwyn]

Dellsam, for your education:


[Attachment 74145 - Click to enlarge]

[dellsam34]

As I said, I still don't like a multi-task software to do a specific task, I don't use vdub for the same reason, still has settings for recording from TV tuner cards. The analog video capture app should automatically detects and adjusts the input standard and resolution, Very few software do that, Such as the CaptureFlux and MediaExpress (only for BM devices). The user has to only specify the output parameters.

[Alwyn]

@Dellsam34, I've had a look at Captureflux. Can you confirm it only outputs Uncompressed AVI (not including DV and WMV obviously)? I can't see where you can change the output to one of the lossless AVI codecs.

[dellsam34]

You set it to whatever you want, AVI, DV ...

[Alwyn]

Yes, I know that, as I said in my post. But what sort of AVI?

[dellsam34]

uncompressed AVI obviously.

[techmot]

I did a couple of tests on OBS using the above settings and set to 2500 video bitate. However, the video quality seemed far too compressed, even when I set it at 6000 and then 8000 there was hardly much difference.

Yes I suppose OBS isn't for analog capture, but the reason why I am using it is because it doesn't capture RAW, and besides I don't wish to spend 3 hours or more encoding a 50 min long 30GB file in Handbrake. I have tried other encoding settings (though I haven't a clue which one applies to my CPU) and the only one which seemed the quickest (which I use anyway) is the H.264 encoder, the rest seem to be much slow.The laptop I am using aint the fastest having only 4GB ram and there seems to be a problem with the HDD space losing space for no reason even when I am only using programs like Gimp and saving to an external HDD, sometimes when i'm disavbed my internet, which I have no clue what could be the cause (I uninstalled Opera browser as someone on another thread suggested but didn't rectfy the problem). I would still be using my 8GB ram Toshiba laptop only for the power cord being broke and I aint taking it to my nearest shop and paying £70 to get it repaired because that is a ripoff, all the shop would do is solder the connection back on. Computer rapair shops sadly are very few and far between now for some reason, I'm guessing everyone knows how to DIY repair them.

I agree people youtube videos and people just follow them like sheep and think they know what they are talking when they don't.

[TimA-C]

Have you tried some of the other available codecs to capture in? I settled on Lagarith because on the PC that I was using to capture, I was getting the best CPU & HDD usage vs file size, and it was a good compromise for filtering with avisynth and encoding with HCEnc (into Mpeg2) on my ageing Intel Core2Quad system. (That I'm still using!) If your CPU is more recent (it probably is) then you might do better with UT Video? Or maybe a lossy codec like X264VFW or one of the Grass Valley codecs that someone was recommending to me some years ago?

Also, have the Task Manager open whilst you're encoding and see how much RAM is actually being used . . . you might be surprised.