Dazzle on Windows 10 and Windows 11 Tutorial

[Larsenv]

http://repo.mariocube.com/Dazzle/

There are a couple of Dazzles on the market in various colors. This tutorial only works on the Dazzle DVC100, which is shaped like a teardrop. Older models will probably not work on newer versions of Windows.

• White Dazzles are recommended since they have the least problems, and can cut through copy protection on VHS tapes
• Black Dazzles don’t get past copy protection like the white Dazzles do.
• Red Dazzles don’t get past copy protection
• Silver Dazzles only have 32 bit drivers, therefore they do not work on newer versions of Windows
• Blue Dazzles are hard to find and haven’t been tested. However, these models compress the video captures it makes with its hardware, therefore it might not be the best choice.

A Dazzle is a video capture device for composite and SVideo input. It’s used in the community for capturing VHS tapes, game console footage, or camcorder tapes. However, the process of installing Dazzle drivers is often difficult if not followed properly. There are specific instructions you need in order to use Dazzle on a computer with Windows 10 or Windows 11 on it as it requires a newer version of a driver (1.09) that isn't found on the disc the Dazzle ships with. If you do not follow these instructions, the audio may be choppy when playing back a recording that you created.

Prerequisites
• A Dazzle DVC100
• A computer running Windows

Process

1. Find any Dazzle drivers on your system then uninstall them. Restart your computer.
2. (Skip to 5 if you do not want to use Pinnacle Studio) Dazzles come with a disc that includes a program called Pinnacle Studio which is a video editor. This is recommended to use because it compresses the video, which is something that most video capture tools cannot do with the risk of the audio being choppy. Updating after installing from the disc actually will break registration. Download Pinnacle Studio here. http://cdn.pinnaclesys.com/Release/PSD/PinnacleForDazzle_ESD.exe
3. Accept the license agreement, put in whatever registration info you want, and then do a complete install.
4. Once Pinnacle Studio is installed, you can open it then you can select the import option to record from your Dazzle. It’s recommended to use MPEG as the video capture option as that will give you the highest quality. It’s optional whether or not you want to edit your video with Pinnacle Studio.
5. If you do not want to use Pinnacle Studio, you can download Dazzle Driver DVC.zip and install it, and amarectv310.zip in this folder. As a video codec, you can either use Lagarith or x264. Lagarith is a lossless codec, but x264 compresses the video and might not work right on every computer. If you want to use Lagarith, unzip it then install LagarithSetup. If you want to use x264, you can download x264vfw and install it. When it’s installed, open x264 configuration and make sure that fast decode and zero latency are turned on.
6. Open amarec and change your video path. You will have to change the codec to be either x264 or Lagarith.
7. If you experience pixelated video when using your Dazzle, you will need to replace one of the drivers. Unpack Data1.cab from Dazzle DVC then open Device Manager. Find your Dazzle in the device list, and right click then pick Update driver. Select Browse my computer for drivers, then Let me pick from list of available drivers on my computer. Click Have disk, then Browse, then pick emvideo.inf. However, doing this will break Pinnacle Studio

[Alwyn]

Larsenv, I may have this wrong but your procedure doesn't install any drivers for the Dazzle if I skip step 2. Step 2 goes straight to step 5 if I don't want to use Pinnacle Studio, and there doesn't appear to be any other driver installation in steps 5 onwards.

Did you really mean that you have to install the full Pinnacle Studio (to get the correct driver) but simply use AmarecTV to capture if desired? If so, I suggest you remove "Skip to 5 if you do not want to use Pinnacle Studio".

[Larsenv]

Larsenv, I may have this wrong but your procedure doesn't install any drivers for the Dazzle if I skip step 2. Step 2 goes straight to step 5 if I don't want to use Pinnacle Studio, and there doesn't appear to be any other driver installation in steps 5 onwards.

Did you really mean that you have to install the full Pinnacle Studio (to get the correct driver) but simply use AmarecTV to capture if desired? If so, I suggest you remove "Skip to 5 if you do not want to use Pinnacle Studio".

My bad, you will need the Dazzle DVC drivers in that case on the link provided

[lordsmurf]

The quality of Dazzle cards is only slightly better than Easycap cards.
In other words, lousy.

[aramkolt]

Dazzle can capture macrovision content (commercial tapes) without stripping it first which is somewhat rare among capture cards. It isn't very tolerant to line time base errors, so that still needs to be used.

The comparisons I've seen make it look pretty middle-of-the-pack, but would love to see any comparisons that show the inferiority if that's the case. I have a DVC100 for testing of course, but haven't actually tested it yet because I haven't finalized the actual protocol for testing and I don't want to test all capture cards several times.

[lollo]

The comparisons I've seen make it look pretty middle-of-the-pack, but would love to see any comparisons that show the inferiority if that's the case.

Here some of our conclusions based on a real case: https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/407779-Elgato-vs-Diamond-VC500-vs-Dazzle

[dellsam34]

It's hard to see the difference through two lossy compressions, the original compressed file and youtube.

[lordsmurf]

Dazzle can capture macrovision content (commercial tapes) without stripping it first

No, it cannot. It trips all most anti-copy.

The comparisons I've seen make it look pretty middle-of-the-pack,

No, it blows values away, both augmenting tints, and excess over/underexposure. It's a POS, comparable to Easycaps. If you want crappy captures, buy a Dazzle. If you want better, there are many.

Like certain other cards, the most damning aspect of the Dazzles is that the cards are highly variable in quality from unit to unit. Cards can range from barely-acceptable mediocre, to wholly unacceptable. This is yet another long-lived card, with production changes, and is obviously affected by both chips and firmwares.

Dazzles cards are not Pinnacle or Avid designs. Pinnacle bought out Dazzle in the early/mid 2000s, and the cards have never changed in that time. Dazzles is low-end POS now, and low-end POS then. Avid bought Pinnacle in the mid/late 2000s. These were cheap consumer fodder cards, easy to make money from the low-knowledge "VHS is supposed to look bad" crowd. That is why the cards were kept in production -- not due to quality.

In the 2000s, VH members widely knew Dazzle cards were crap, and were often referred to as "Razzles" or "razzle Dazzles" by members. Sadly, it didn't have the same negative connotation as "Easycrap" (Easycap) and "Elcrapo" (Elgato). The negative quality of these cards have been forgotten by the newer and/or younger capture generation (who are now getting suckered by lots of USB junk).

ie, candy cards, toy cards, junky cards.

[The_Doman]

Here some of our conclusions based on a real case: https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/407779-Elgato-vs-Diamond-VC500-vs-Dazzle

I don't know what dazzle model was used there exactly, but it seems one with hardware compression?
Here is a good explanation of all the different versions:

YT ConsumerDV: Which Pinnacle Dazzle?

I have several DVC100's (Red HW1.1 PAL) here too and with right software/settings they sure can give good results.
But i use S-Video and a DMR-ES10 which will make things easier of course.

[lordsmurf]

YT ConsumerDV: Which Pinnacle Dazzle?

ConsumerDV is a banned/former VH member, and a video newbie, that tends to create videos that mix fact and myth. He's a C-grade student trying to be the teacher.

[Larsenv]

The quality of Dazzle cards is only slightly better than Easycap cards.
In other words, lousy.

I've found that the quality of a recording done with my VCR connected to a DVD recorder which outputs S Video is higher quality than if you use composite

[Larsenv]

Dazzle can capture macrovision content (commercial tapes) without stripping it first

No, it cannot. It trips all most anti-copy.

It actually can strip some of the Macrovision but not all

[Larsenv]

Like certain other cards, the most damning aspect of the Dazzles is that the cards are highly variable in quality from unit to unit. Cards can range from barely-acceptable mediocre, to wholly unacceptable. This is yet another long-lived card, with production changes, and is obviously affected by both chips and firmwares.

Do you want a hug? You seem to be arrogant

[lollo]

I had sometime heated discussions with ConsumerDV/Bwaak, and often disagree with him, but he is not that naive.

He produced facts and real data rather than useless opinions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggDtXJIUVfM&t=462s

[The_Doman]

I've found that the quality of a recording done with my VCR connected to a DVD recorder which outputs S Video is higher quality than if you use composite

Well yes exactly that is what i am also always doing when recording from composite.
You would expect the DVD recorder doing a better job separating/filtering the Y/C signals instead of most (simpler/cheaper?) capture devices.
Also of course combined with the stabilization and optional noise reduction of the recorder it can improve composite recording significantly.
I have several S-VHS/TBC decks too but often prefer capturing with a regular VHS through the Panasonic DVD recorder.

[The_Doman]

Dazzle can capture macrovision content (commercial tapes) without stripping it first which is somewhat rare among capture cards.

No, it cannot. It trips all most anti-copy.

It actually can strip some of the Macrovision but not all

From the earlier mentioned video, it seems the chip/driver just signals a copy protection flag to the recording software which then can decide to ignore it or not.
With AmaRecTV, Virtualdub i see indeed no problems recording from a Macrovision tape with the DVC100.
May be with other driver/versions/models results can differ, but i think not.

[lollo]

I have several S-VHS/TBC decks too but often prefer capturing with a regular VHS through the Panasonic DVD recorder.

If you have such a device, the direct Y/C output of a S-VHS VCR is always better in term of quality than a composite output + comb filter.
Its time base correction is enough for tapes in good shape; the DVD-Recorder is required when the needed correction is stronger, and should be used only in this case, because introduces other (small) problems.

[Alwyn]

If you have such a device, the direct Y/C output of a S-VHS VCR is always better in term of quality than a composite output + comb filter.

Theoretically.

[lollo]

The signal recorded on the tape is Y/C, and is propagated to the S-Video output with no manipulation (except few rare cases) so is always better than the same signal converted to composite, propagated to the RCA output and converted back to Y/C.

I am not considering defective devices.

[lordsmurf]

S Video is higher quality

Yes, 99%+ correct, that's what you need to do.

It actually can strip some of the Macrovision but not all

Nothing is "stripped" on a capture. At most, anti-copy can be ignored. But again, the Dazzle is unreliable in this area. Therefore it is bad advice to claim it has this feature. That sort of half advice is what makes people waste money.

Like certain other cards, the most damning aspect of the Dazzles is that the cards are highly variable in quality from unit to unit. Cards can range from barely-acceptable mediocre, to wholly unacceptable. This is yet another long-lived card, with production changes, and is obviously affected by both chips and firmwares.

Do you want a hug? You seem to be arrogant

That comment makes no sense.

but he is not that naive.
He produced facts and real data rather than useless opinions:

I suggest you re-review his many posts. He's a video newbie, and he too often "telephone games" information. To another newbie, it seems fine, and will lead them astray. To a non-newbie, it's a mess, very cringey.

May be with other driver/versions/models results can differ, but i think not.

Correct, lots of versions and sub-versions. Zero consistency over the years, over the 3 companies.

[Sharc]

The signal recorded on the tape is Y/C, and is propagated to the S-Video output with no manipulation ....

No manipulation? As "color-under" technique using a low-frequency subcarrier is used in consumer videotape recording, the chroma has to be upconverted (heterodyned, mixed) to the PAL or NTSC color subcarrier upon playback for outputting it on the C wire to make it TV compliant, as far as I know. So even for S-Video (Y/C) there is some signal manipulation.
The difference between S-Video and Composite is that for Composite the Y (=luma+sync) and C signals are eventually summed onto 1 wire (yellow RCA = Y+C) by frequency-interleaving (preferably) requiring separation by some filtering for decoding, while separate Y/C on the 2 wires for S-Video do not depend on a subsequent (never perfect) luma-chroma separating filter.

[lollo]

but he is not that naive.
He produced facts and real data rather than useless opinions:

I suggest you re-review his many posts. He's a video newbie, and he too often "telephone games" information. To another newbie, it seems fine, and will lead them astray. To a non-newbie, it's a mess, very cringey

No need to suggest anything, I perfectly know his level of knowledge (and yours). Is not kind to talk about somebody who cannot reply, but I just wanted to point out that I appreciated his effort to put some real data and test and facts in the video I linked (and had my own conclusions). I will do the same the day you will do the same.

No manipulation? As "color-under" technique using a low-frequency subcarrier is used in consumer videotape recording, the chroma has to be upconverted (heterodyned, mixed) to the PAL or NTSC color subcarrier upon playback for outputting it on the C wire to make it TV compliant, as far as I know.

Correct. I was not accurate, I meant no manipulation in "combining luma and chroma".

The only difference between S-Video and Composite is that for Composite the Y (=luma+sync) and C signals are eventually summed onto 1 wire (yellow RCA = Y+C) by frequency-interleaving (preferably), while separate Y/C on the 2 wires for S-Video do not depend on a (never perfect) luma-chroma separating filter.

Which makes all the difference

[oln]

From the earlier mentioned video, it seems the chip/driver just signals a copy protection flag to the recording software which then can decide to ignore it or not.
With AmaRecTV, Virtualdub i see indeed no problems recording from a Macrovision tape with the DVC100.
May be with other driver/versions/models results can differ, but i think not.

Yeah that's what modern cards like the IO-data GV USB and "conexant polaris" cards (Diamond VC500, hauppauge usb live2 etc, elgato video capture) do as well, at least on pal MV tapes those seem to otherwise not have any major issue, not like they 're ideal for capturing directly from vcrs (conexant polaris cards are especially bad at that) but still. Maybe that was more of an issue with older capture cards or is' more of an issue with more agressive NTSC macrovision though idk. The better video decoder ICs are used in all sorts of things including monitors and are made to be able to handle copy protected content at least to some degree if you look up the datasheets.