GV USB2 Audio issue

[Kat_]

Hi, I'm new to this forum so I hope I'm posting this in the right spot.

I have been using a GV USB2 as a video capture device for my retro gaming setup for a while, but I started experiencing audio issues recently.

I use OBS to stream/record videos and sometimes the audio is there and it's fine, but then all of a sudden it just vanishes, although I can clearly see some audio is coming through as the green bar in OBS moves back and forth, but then no audio is present in my recordings.

Sometimes I open OBS and audio is just fine, sometimes I do the same but audio is gone.

I have tried changing USB port, reinstalling and updating the GV USB2 drivers, reinstalling OBS, removing all plugins. I am not sure what else to do.

I have also tried a second GV USB2 as maybe the first one could have been faulty, but I still have the same issue.

Any suggestion or advice would be highly appreciated as I am honestly clueless at this point and don't really want to spend more money on a device that might end up presenting the same issue.

Thank you!

[lordsmurf]

OBS is digital streaming recording software, while the GV-USB2 is intended for analog videotapes. There are specific cards for video games, such as Retrotink, and that's what you should look at. Videotapes and video games are not the same thing whatsoever, sources different wildly from technical aspect.

[Kat_]

I beg to differ. I have been using CRT + GVUSB2 for 5 years for my retrogaming setup. GVUSB2 might be mostly used for videotapes and related, but not exclusively.

I am aware of Retrotink but changing my setup is not something I can afford, or I would have not even bothered trying to ask here for an answer to my issue.

Thank you anyway for your answer.

[lollo]

I am aware of Retrotink but changing my setup is not something I can afford, or I would have not even bothered trying to ask here for an answer to my issue.

What about changing the capture software? (AmarecTV or VirtualDub)

[lordsmurf]

What about changing the capture software? (AmarecTV or VirtualDub)

Doesn't hurt to try. It's still the wrong source for this card, but at least it would pair the card with the proper software.

I have been using CRT + GVUSB2 for 5 years

So? You can do the wrong things for years, and many people do.
This situation always reminds me of stories where some old/insane/dumb person adopts a "cat" but discovers it's actually a possum or weasel when he/she rushes it to the vet years later. Some people don't know what they don't know.

for a while, but I started experiencing audio issues recently.

I want to revisit this.

What you describe is one of the issue many of us face when using the legacy hardware for this legacy task (capturing videotapes). Now, with videotapes, it's always lack of TBC causing it, because those signals are never truly stable (even when a person falsely thinks it "looks fine" or "looks stable"). But when the source is generated/stable, such as a video games (and NOT videotapes), and you get drops/sync issues, it's often because of OS and updates affecting the system. Updating drivers does nothing, even different software can do nothing. It's an issue with the underlying OS, and it started with Win8, and is common with Win10/11. (M chip Macs essentially nuked everything, what little still worked after OS X versions, and realizing it never had much to begin with.)

So again we conclude "wrong card", and specific retro gaming capture cards (so far) do not suffer the same.

You can try to piddle around, and I wish you luck on it. But you do need to face facts about what the card is, was made for, how/which OS affect it. Odds are high that your old video game capture look fairly crappy using methods made to capture VHS tapes.

What OS? When last updated?

[Kat_]

OS causing incompatibilities was my initial guess, as the suddenness of it all was honestly quite odd. I am on Windows 10 by the way, so I would not exclude that Windows updates might have wrecked what was at least functional before.

I will try what was suggested, and thank you for that, but from what was said I suppose my issue can't really have an actual resolution.

Thank you all for the feedback.

[Alwyn]

Lordsmurf, the GV USB2 still runs perfectly on Win 10 and Win 11. Once again, you're critiquing a digitiser that you don't even own.

Kat, certainly, as a first step try AmarecTV. I have posted a guide here. Let us know how you get on.

You could also try a VCR if you have one.

The GV driver I am using is the 111 driver. It's at the bottom left of the "Device Setting" screen ("Graph 1(Device)" tab in AmarecTV):


[Attachment 75401 - Click to enlarge]

[Kat_]

Lordsmurf, the GV USB2 still runs perfectly on Win 10 and Win 11. Once again, you're critiquing a digitiser that you don't even own.

Kat, certainly, as a first step try AmarecTV. I have posted a guide here. Let us know how you get on.

You could also try a VCR if you have one.

The GV driver I am using is the 111 driver. It's at the bottom left of the "Device Setting" screen ("Graph 1(Device)" tab in AmarecTV):


[Attachment 75401 - Click to enlarge]

Thank you Alwyn, I'll see if I can manage to give Amarec a shot.

And yes, those are basically the same settings for video capture that I am using in OBS. Thanks again for your feedback.

[lordsmurf]

Lordsmurf, the GV USB2 still runs perfectly on Win 10 and Win 11. Once again, you're critiquing a digitiser that you don't even own

Oh no! Then what is this?



... but that's NOT an endorsement. I test lots of gear, and have for decades. When I write/speak, it's from experience.

[lollo]

Oh no! Then what is this?


[Attachment 75452 - Click to enlarge]

Is nothing. You should provide some test showing the (false) remarks you often repeat, rather than a picture of an item that you (probably) just received (recently, in your forum you wrote you were not able to get it).

Provide facts, and not your usual blah blah

[lordsmurf]

Is nothing. You should provide

Moving goal posts. But it will happen in time, on my timeline.

recently

Yes, but months ago.

Provide facts, and not your usual blah blah

Try this fact: "GV-USB2" is now a gamed term, and sellers "from Japan" (China) are sending out Easycap clones.
Here's one of many: https://www.ebay.com/itm/364202151020
It's duping newbies, and I've now helped several. At least one of them specifically took your advice, and I defended you. So perhaps don't be such a dick towards me? We can disagree, and still stay friendly.

[lollo]

Try this fact: "GV-USB2" is now a gamed term, and sellers "from Japan" (China) are sending out Easycap clones.
Here's one of many: https://www.ebay.com/itm/364202151020
It's duping newbies, and I've now helped several.

Sure, you are the first to warn people about bad items on ebay and similar. No news. People should pay attention to what they buy.
OTTH this has nothing to do with the fact that owning the card proves that is bad

At least one of them specifically took your advice, and I defended you.

My advice is always the same: buy/use a high end player with TBC and Y/C output (90% of the whole requirements for quality capture); use one of the recommended capture cards (Hauppauge USB-Live 2, IOData GV-USB2, Pinnacle 710 USB, ATI 600 USB); add an external TBC if needed because tape conditions. No news here.

So perhaps don't be such a dick towards me? We can disagree, and still stay friendly.

I am not, and sure, you are my friend and I enjoy (most of) your posts

[lordsmurf]

Try this fact: "GV-USB2" is now a gamed term, and sellers "from Japan" (China) are sending out Easycap clones.
Here's one of many: https://www.ebay.com/itm/364202151020
It's duping newbies, and I've now helped several.

Sure, you are the first to warn people about bad items on ebay and similar. No news. People should pay attention to what they buy.

That reminds me. Legit boxes and cards are shown, and a "new version" (Easycrap) is sent. Gullible newbies believe it. I'm actually fairly certain that my early attempts to get this card was from fakes sellers, and CNY delays was a clue that I missed at the time.

and sure, you are my friend and I enjoy (most of) your posts

... and we need more smileys, I miss that about classic VH.

[Alwyn]

Why haven't you made a post about this to warn everybody?

[lordsmurf]

Why haven't you made a post about this to warn everybody?

Busy. Must triage time. Warning others about fakes of a card I don't even suggest didn't make the cut.

[Alwyn]

Made mine!