Best way to capture video?

[Blue ESPer]

Hi, I'm new here, just registered to ask this question in all honesty, but with all these Saturn lovers here, I'll probably stick around ;D

Right, onto the reason I'm here.

I'm attempting to do a series of 'Hyper Analysis' videos, starting with a couple of SEGA Saturn games. Only problem I've been having is a compatibility problem with my Saturn and my AverMedia M103 hybrid capture card..

Some facts:
I own a stock PAL Saturn and a modified 50/60Hz & Region switch modified PAL Saturn. But the only display cable I own for both is the standard Saturn SCART/RGB cable, and my capture card only features S-Video input.

I've attempted to connect the Saturn to my capture card via the display cable to a scart coupler to a scart input/output block (with S-Video connection) and using my old 20meter s-video cable to route it to my laptop. I get a display, however, bright red and blue colours appear grey, while all other colours appear fine(ish). I also have a standard Yellow RCA from the box plugged into the TV for real-time display, but tests with that cable not being used all result in the same colour loss effect.

I'm just curious as to the best method of capturing video from the Saturn with the least amount of information lost, while still being able to route the console to the TV for playing the game without substantial lagging.

Equipment I have immediate access to:

SEGA RGB/Scart Connector for Saturn
AverMedia M103 Hybrid DVB-T (ROCK Xtreme SL Laptop with only Aerial and S-Video input)
Scart Coupler (From Maplin)
RCA/S-Video Scart Input/Output adaptor (From Maplin)
Standard RCA (YWR) cable
20 Meter S-Video cable
20 Meter Phono (WR) cable

I'm trying to keep costs as low as possible at the moment, but any help to guide me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.

As a note, I am thinking of getting a PCI capture card for my Desktop, as my M103 only captures at 320x240. But I don't have much of a budget to work with at the moment.

For anyone interested, the video I am planning to create will be a hyper analysis of Dark Savior, detailing the game, it's production, secrets, mysteries and a whole host of items (I am going to be playing through the PAL, US and Jap versions for any differences, capturing all three versions in video format). I have also been navigating websites and other sources about the game, from those in Japanese to German and even a SKorean fansite. For something I will be broaching on, if you have a copy of the game, get access to the menu (Z button during gameplay) then press right on the D-Pad and the right shoulder button simultaneously. You might have to highlight the bottom option for it to work. But a little calculator will appear. I don't know how well known this feature is, but I've found no English based sites that have knowledge of it.

If this one proves successful I will be moving onto other games and later other systems titles.

[Blue ESPer]

Right, did some digging around the forum, took some information in, and I'm thinking of buying the following items later in the week. If anyone has any experience with these items, it would be great to get your opinion on them.

USB Capture:
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001DERJZ6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&m=A1JDMJR2QMTT2Q

Saturn Composite AV Lead:
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005C3NUY8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&m=A10B05B1P57137

Phono Splitter (I'm getting 3):
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000L980MU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=A2KWSZB804VQD5

Another Phono Splitter (going to get 3):
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000Q8FEHA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=A2ACJA70RBOPSQ

Scart Adaptor (just in case and for other devices, like the VCR):
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00077DC6A/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=A2A924GII7IGV4

I've allready got a version of the scart adaptor, but I'm wondering if some of the issues I've gotten may have been a part of that.

For a total of around £27, it's not bad, but any advice before ordering would be appreciated (I'll probably order on Tuesday).

[mick_aka]

That's pretty much the exact set-up I was using for video capture, worked out ok.

Now I use a DVD recorder set in super high quality mode (fits about 30 mins on a DVD) recording direct from RGB SCART, then I copy the files from the re-writeable DVD to my computer

[Blue ESPer]

Is there any lag with that set-up? I've used DVD recorders before, but I always got about a half second lag so I never attempted to use them for games before. I used to capture some footage on VCR back in the day, but I've no idea where those old tapes are. Need a new DVD recorder anyway, last one has basically died, still plays, but won't record anymore.

[mick_aka]

I'm splitting the video off to composite for playing on the TV before the DVD recorder, as opposed to playing using the signal that's coming back out od the recorder, if I used the latter yes I expect there would be a good deal of lag.

[Blue ESPer]

Good plan, might just get a new DVD recorder and that scart adapter, need one anyway. Rip's good quality I bet.

[buckoa51]

The very best capture card on the market for videogames is the Micomsoft 500N1. It's one of the few cards that actually supports 15khz RGB directly.

www.solarisjapan.com/products/Xsync%252d1-%252b-SC%252d-500N1-DVI-Component-RGB-Capture-Card.html

If you don't fancy that there's the Black Magic Intensity range, but you'll need an upscaler between your Saturn and the Blackmagic for it to work.

Expect the above solutions to give way better quality, but cost way more than the £27 you'd worked out above

my M103 only captures at 320x240

Well you do realise that is the native resolution of most Saturn NTSC games?

[Blue ESPer]

Yeah, but due to how the video is captured, there is some quality loss over recording via a higher resolution/definition and downscaling if necessary. Recording at 320x240 is all right, but has the factor that it doesn't look half as close to the actual appearance from the console as does recording in the highest quality available.

[mick_aka]

Apr 29, 2012 22:01:12 GMT Blue ESPer said:

Good plan, might just get a new DVD recorder and that scart adapter, need one anyway. Rip's good quality I bet.

You don't gain any resolution obviously but you get zero distortion and really nice colour reproduction.

I must warn you I went through several 2nd hand recorders before I found one that supported full RGB in, ironically a Bush mode that was the cheapest of the lot.
The one I got also has an ample had disk which means you can record several vids to there then burn off.

[Blue ESPer]

I've got this Toshiba DVD recorder, fantastic quality with hdmi input and output, sadly, its no longer recording onto disc, gonna try and fix it, probably the cheapest method for this.

[Blue ESPer]

Hey guys, right, update on my video...I've got two video capture cards, scart to composite adaptors as well as just recently, a composite cable for the saturn itself. Neither saturn (modded or unmodded) get ANY display on my EZCap, and they both only produce black and white with green and blue colours (no red) on my AverMedia. Both look fine through any method I can conceive to connect to any of my TV's, VCR's or DVD-Recorder (which can't record DVD's at the moment either). I patch that signal from the VCR or DVD player to my capture card, and again, either no or corrupted display. This is REALLY odd, since my SONY, Nintendo, Microsoft and other SEGA systems that all have scart or composite output display PERFECTLY.

I'll apologise now if it sounds like I'm ranting, it's just, I've spend numerous weeks and lots of cash going back and forth trying to get this working, and every time I'm hitting a wall. Any ideas would be great.

[buckoa51]

Buy a 500N1? So you're saying your other consoles will capture correctly but your Saturn won't? Which other consoles have you tried and successfully captured?

[Blue ESPer]

PS1, 2 & 3
Xbox classic and 360
Dreamcast (appears blurry on AverMedia, perfect on EasyCap)
Megadrive
GameCube, N64 and SNES (GameCube has green flashing bands and no colour in 60hz mode).
Phillips CDi
Those are all the systems I own with composite or s-video cables and it works with them. Only the Saturn seems to have problems, no display with my EasyCap (admittedly a cheap knockoff one) and serious colour issues with my AveMedia card (cost £80 when I bought it, but only records at very low resolutions).

[buckoa51]

Double checked that your capture card still captures with the other systems?

[Blue ESPer]

yep, tested with PS2. Gonna try and get it running on my old 2007 macbook, see if I can get any thing different with that.