Video equipment news/stuff thread

Doctor DooM

I don't think we have one, thought it'd be a good idea.

Main feedback I've been getting lately is it's a pain in the arse for people who can't hear each other while talking.

I've invested in 2 super cheap headphone/ mic combos which I got on a cyber monday deal. They have 1.8 M leads so you should be a safe distance from the desk I'll experiment with them at whichever tournament I am next at (I'm currently dealing with a nasty tooth infection so Inferno might not happen).

In other news, the new build of HDPVR capture seems to have solved nearly all the issues I've been having with the Hauppage and VLC. I've also gotten camtwist working as a source for Wirecast which means potential for inlays, player/ commentator cam and even streaming.

Anyone else wanna talk about there own stuff, feel free to. Also note there's a games recording and editing forum which is helpful for the more techy side of things if needs be.

I'll update this thread whenever I have a bit of news.

UberPrinny_Baal

Sounds cool.

Am I misremembering that you had commentator headphones in the slightly more distant past?

Not at any of the more recent infernos, but I can remember doing commentary with headphones on.

Inlays sounds badass!

chopperbyrne

DooM currently has my headphones.

Doctor DooM

Indeed, when 2 pairs are volunteered I used to hook them up and hand them out.

When it's just choppers I use them myself as monitors

D4RK ONION

Got mine! Hopefully my export settings were right, my first video will be with us shortly.

Doctor DooM

Been a long time since I updated this thread but always meant to



I've just taken delivery of a Black Magic Intensity Shuttle. It's supposed to be difficult to get working but provide amazing quality when it does. Hopefully I can get it running with Xsplit.

I also got a powered USB hub, the hope is I can use multiple webcams with it.

I also need to spend a bit of money on a couple widescreen cams. I got a mega cheap one but xsplit isn't recognising 16:9 definitions for it

Dreddybajs

When you add the camera to xsolit, right click and go into video capture format and set it to 720p. Gotta do it every time annoyingly, hopefully they fix it soon.

Fergus_

Pffft, all you need is a camera and some books to put it on.

Doctor DooM

Well, this is going horribly wrong.

Inside the box for the shuttle there's a warning note which says if you have a certain USB3.0 set you need to update the driver to a certain level. Of course I was below this level.

So I try to update the driver and get a dialog box saying I am already above that level.

Except I am not, I can clearly see in devices that the level hasn't changed.

So I try to delete the driver, and then replace it with a higher level- which says it works, then no USB 3.0 devices work at all and I had to roll back.

So I can't even get to the point where I am fighting with the device to work...

Doyler01

Doctor DooM wrote: »

Well, this is going horribly wrong.

Inside the box for the shuttle there's a warning note which says if you have a certain USB3.0 set you need to update the driver to a certain level. Of course I was below this level.

So I try to update the driver and get a dialog box saying I am already above that level.

Except I am not, I can clearly see in devices that the level hasn't changed.

So I try to delete the driver, and then replace it with a higher level- which says it works, then no USB 3.0 devices work at all and I had to roll back.

So I can't even get to the point where I am fighting with the device to work...

Bring back the DOOMCAM

ayjayirl

Doyler01 wrote: »

Bring back the DOOMCAM

SonicDoom.......... cam

Doctor DooM

Ok, to be fair, you win the internet Jackson.


Also, driver's updated, thanks to intel, so Sunday I return to war with the Shuttle.

Azza

Does it fix the issue with the recording set up causing lag?

ayjayirl

Azza wrote: »

Does it fix the issue with the recording set up causing lag?

It will if it works Chunkis Azza

Doctor DooM

What AJ said.

Doctor DooM

Think I might be very close to having the shuttle working, need to get a few hours to work on it before I can confirm though.

I have the thing talking to my computer though, and I can alter settings on it and importantly tell it dropping the odd frame is not the end of the world, which is way further than I could so far.

Doctor DooM

Well... this sucks.

So the Shuttle CAN work at 1980p... as long as the device you're recording from outputs at 30 fps.

Seeing as there's pretty much no devices which do this, it's seriously disingenous of them to advertise this as a 1080p recording solution.

I guess my next option is to find a down scaler.

J0hnick

Hey Doom, I was thinking of getting an AverMedia Game Capture HD, but I don't know if you can stream with one, I think you can only capture with it, any ideas ?.

Doctor DooM

J0hnick wrote: »

Hey Doom, I was thinking of getting an AverMedia Game Capture HD, but I don't know if you can stream with one, I think you can only capture with it, any ideas ?.

It's a great device but yes you can't stream with it.

I think the roxio is the cheapest way to do a relavitely decent stream...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Roxio-Game-Capture-Xbox-360/dp/B004SB1RVI/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1343606087&sr=1-1

J0hnick

Doctor DooM wrote: »

It's a great device but yes you can't stream with it.

I think the roxio is the cheapest way to do a relavitely decent stream...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Roxio-Game-Capture-Xbox-360/dp/B004SB1RVI/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1343606087&sr=1-1

Ive heard the Roxio has lag, and that's from people in the FPS scene, oh well. I mainly want it to cap matches, especially for games that don't have replays (hello Marvel) though streaming would have been nice. Theres always the Happauge, but game capture HD seems so much more convenient.

Doctor DooM

J0hnick wrote: »

Ive heard the Roxio has lag, and that's from people in the FPS scene, oh well. I mainly want it to cap matches, especially for games that don't have replays (hello Marvel) though streaming would have been nice. Theres always the Happauge, but game capture HD seems so much more convenient.

Well if you want to do it right, you'd get one of these:

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/HD-AV-1x4-RGB-Component-Splitter-Box-1-4-out-220V-/390075602045?pt=UK_DIY_Material_Electrical_Fittings_MJ&hash=item5ad251547d

Powered splitters split and add voltage to the signal so they are lagless and removes the recording device as a point of failure for the recording. The above one is a generic Chinese one and costs very little compared to the professional versions and has worked for me nearly as long as I have been recording. It also removes the lag of the device your using as a factor and makes it more a choice of which functionality is best or cost or whatever.

If you're using an external device like me I would 100% recommend splitting the signal.

Doctor DooM

Gonna leave this as a seperate post.

Here's the situation with the Shuttle.

It won't work at 1080p 60fps but I read releases from the Black Magic support staff saying the device is capable of it and it's on the way. The problem is the USB3.0 drivers the manufacturers are making, apparently, none of them give optimal speed yet so there's apparently no point in allowing the option. Which, I have to say, smells funny to me, but how and ever, at some point it should magically become capable of what I wanted it to do. I assume my dell is a prime candidate for this as it has the USB3.0 board it's designed to work with.

In the mean time, this leaves me with a problem, as the entire point of getting it was to replace the hauppage with a true 1080p HD solution, not for the sake of youtube videos but to remove the problem of downscaling our monitors and producing lag.

I've come up with a temporary solution til black magic get off their arses: there's a device on youtube which will downscale 1080p hdmi to 720p component. So I hopefully can let people play in lagless glory and I can record in 720p.

Long as the box works...

Doctor DooM

Ok, 1080p or not I've decided to keep the shuttle.

There are only 2 real weaknesses to the Hauppage for me, its reliance on component and its instability with xsplit.

The shuttle works with hdmi and component and it works absolutely beautifully with xsplit. My first tests have looked lovely. No more screen region capturing either, it works perfectly as a "camera" in xsplit. There are some very nice options for uncpmressed recording and the like which, although they make my current laptop freeze (they really need an SSD to work)

Part of me wants to tell them to F off with their shuttle because I do feel their marketing of it as a 1080p device is misleading (it's technically 1080p capable) but once the kinks were ironed out it's actually way more flexible than the hauppage. If they released this fabled 1080p 60fps firmware this would be the perfect recording solution for anyone who has a good enough laptop.

Da Bounca

Hey guys, I remember at one point you were looking into getting screens for use at the various tourneys etc.

I came across this screen today and it seems to have pretty good stats and a decent price, so I thought I'd post it.
Komplett

Lythero

Sucks to hear you're having so much trouble with the shuttle. I was reluctant to go near it myself cause of all the controversy following reviews of it and such, but hopefully it'll get the firmware update soon.

To tide you till then, maybe this will help with your next tourney recording:

Doctor DooM

Lol, thanks.

The thing is working perfect now actually, better than the hauppage ever did, I'm just waiting for a new magic descaler box to see if I can use 1080p and record at the same time.

EmSixTeen

Is AE not an upscaled 720p anyway though, or am I wrong? Why not just play on that?

Doctor DooM

EmSixTeen wrote: »

Is AE not an upscaled 720p anyway though, or am I wrong? Why not just play on that?

Because the monitors are 1080p native and downscaling to 720 p causes lag!

EmSixTeen

Doctor DooM wrote: »

Because the monitors are 1080p native and downscaling to 720 p causes lag!

Oh sheeit, understandable then!

Doctor DooM

Ok I just tool delivery of what seems to me to be an amazing piece of kit, if it works.

It's an Orei HDMI up AND downscaler which will also convert from interlaced to progressive AND NTSC to pal, and all these controls are manual.

It literally cost me a third of similar American products (this isn't unusual- if any of you are getting into video making and need something that looks ridiculously dear, I'd suggest asking someone with a bit of experience to take a look first...)...

So tonight it's round 4- can I get a 1080p signal into a 720p recording device?

ayjayirl

...and it still isn't working right..

joconnell

It's cos he's playing on pad.

Doctor DooM

The frame rate drops something horrible when I downscale from 1080p to 720p. I mean maybeto 20 fps, it's visibly choppy.

Neither the hauppage not the shuttle is able to pick it up at such a crappy frame rate.

UGH.

Going to have to play around with it more and see if it's something I'm doing (it could be a 50 to 60hrz thing, I guess).

Doctor DooM

Oooook, so I couldn't resist anymore, I've bought a HD-PVR-2.

If it does what it is supposed to we FINALLY will have a Chunkis proof, 100% lagless recording set to play on. If it gets here early enough (it says 3-4 days so fingers crossed here by thursday) I will use it for the SF25 tournament.

I'll be in the rather unique position of having multiple recording devices then, I'll probably do a series of videos on the pros and cons of each device.

Doctor DooM

funny that ireland has some of the best players in tha world.

Naaaw.

http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=q82QiXGXJ0I&feature=em-comment_reply_received

Doctor DooM

Another one, I said I'd pass it on to him.

James Chen used to be my favorite commentator. Now it's you guys.

http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=6E_GzyLFSXE&feature=em-comment_reply_owner

A lot of people seem to be enjoying our comedy accents at the moment.

Nutrient

Doctor DooM wrote: »

Another one, I said I'd pass it on to him.




http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=6E_GzyLFSXE&feature=em-comment_reply_owner

A lot of people seem to be enjoying our comedy accents at the moment.

Voa has an American Accent

I call no bueno on that, as jun would articulate

Doctor DooM

Nutrient wrote: »

Voa has an American Accent

I call no bueno on that, as jun would articulate

Voa doesn't have an American accent, he's never actually been to America.

PEDANTOR

Lythero

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0092P47GW/

If any of you wanted to get some recording equipment, this might be a good oppertunity.

Amazon's got this Hauppauge as a black friday deal coming up in like an hour and a half.

Just figured I'd give the heads up since there'll probably be like 30/40% off.

Doctor DooM

£127?

That's a good deal!

PPC

124.61€ delivered if you take the free shipping.

Doctor DooM

If anyone's looking right now, this is probably the best all rounder on the market, IMO, although it doesn't have seamless xsplit integration yet (they're working on it).

UberPrinny_Baal

To ask a stupid question: What can be done with it on it's own?

What cannot?

The "Doom setup" is a giant amorphous blob to me. I have no idea what individual components do or how important each one is.

Doctor DooM

UberPrinny_Baal wrote: »

To ask a stupid question: What can be done with it on it's own?

What cannot?

The "Doom setup" is a giant amorphous blob to me. I have no idea what individual components do or how important each one is.

It'll hook up to a tv from an xbox at any definition and produce up to glorious 720p video game footage. Without a good recording device like this, everything else in the set up is junk effectively.

It can't do commentary (although you can do that with xsplit and a mike), split a signal, or anything edity.

Fergus_

Had a go at recording some of my SFxT matches, easier than it looks but sound's a tad messed up but I think that's because I converted it to AVI because I wanted to have them joined together and the program I used converted it to AVI for some reason.

Works fine if I just leave the video file on it's own however, so all's good, will just upload in single files from now on until I figure out the problem with sets.

Nutrient

Fergus_ wrote: »

Had a go at recording some of my SFxT matches, easier than it looks but sound's a tad messed up but I think that's because I converted it to AVI because I wanted to have them joined together and the program I used converted it to AVI for some reason.

Works fine if I just leave the video file on it's own however, so all's good, will just upload in single files from now on until I figure out the problem with sets.

Uploading to youtube under the playlist

Infergus vol. 1

Doctor DooM

Probably just the software objecting to SFxT.

Serious answer: Yeah you're more than likely correct, I've had varying experiences with different editors and AVI. AAC and MP4 tend to work smoother, but perhaps the simplest solution is use another editor if you have access to one.

Nutrient

Doctor DooM wrote: »

Probably just the software objecting to SFxT.

Serious answer: Yeah you're more than likely correct, I've had varying experiences with different editors and AVI. AAC and MP4 tend to work smoother, but perhaps the simplest solution is use another editor if you have access to one.

MP4 works best of Xbox in my experience

Windows movie maker get in there

Fergus_

Ok now my videos are all shaky even though they were fine last night, WTF youtube.

Voa

Nutrient wrote: »

Voa has an American Accent

I call no bueno on that, as jun would articulate

gr.:mad:

Doctor DooM

Fergus_ wrote: »

Ok now my videos are all shaky even though they were fine last night, WTF youtube.

Define shaky? Lnkplz?