Please post your recommendations and reviews of capture and recording devices, along with notes on setup that may be helpful to other users.
At LZX Industries we love the Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle. While some devices may be quicker to set up and configure, you can’t find a better quality analog recording interface for the same price:
I found out the hard way that these Intensity Shuttles (at least the usb3 model) are very picky about the USB chipset you’re using.
After some research, I found this card https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ITJ7X9K/ based on a NEC chipset. It seems to work quite well for capture in Windows 10 with Adobe Premiere for standard capture.
Originally, I bought this to use for live VJ purposes but I can’t get the shuttle to work very reliably with my late 2016 Macbook Pro (at least with VDMX/Resolume). I get frame drops whenever I try to do basic operations like using the menubar. I plan on doing some additional testing with other hardware manufacturers in the near future (I’ll add to this thread when I manage to get around to it).
That’s definitely something worth mentioning here: avoid the USB version of the shuttle unless you can confirm your chipset. We have the Thunderbolt2 models and use them with a desktop PC and Thinkpad laptops. They are trouble free but sometimes we have to to reset the format settings after plugging them in.
I’ll just add here that’s I use the TB2 Intensity Shuttle as a way of outputting full color video into my LZX System. This is using a Current MacBookPro (TB3,Touchbar variety). I’ve used it without issue with FCP7, Resolve and Premiere to output video.
So it is fine with a TB3 to TB2 adaptor between it.
And they run hot!
For the Vidiot, I’ve had good luck with Vidiot -> Gana AV2HDMI -> Magewell HDMI Plus -> Resolume. I already had the Magewell to work with streaming with my G85. For quick recording, I also use Elgato, but it only seems to work with the Elgato recording app. I want to try Blackmagic, but the reviews lately seem mixed on them.
I’m REALLY happy with the Blackmagic Intensity Pro 4k PCI-E card. $199
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/intensitypro4k
On Win10 & can use their utility or Premiere to capture. Of note, it allows recording & sending video out at the same time (full duplex or something) so it’s possible to be sending clips to LZX for processing & recording the LZX output at the same time from the same puter. Admittedly I haven’t messed with that much, noticed it lagged some and haven’t gotten around to toying with settings to see if that can be diminished. I rarely hit record (bad habit) so it fell low in the priority queue.
Can upscale real-time while recording too, again I never do that but works A-OK far as I could tell.
I’ve had mixed results with BlackMagic devices (frame dropout and increased latency when using with VJ apps like Resolume and VDMX).
Magewell USB DVI Capture Plus - It hits the sweet spot for me since it comes with a breakout cable that can capture all of the following: DVI, HDMI (1080p60), VGA, CVBS, Component. I’ve been using it with Resolume 6 on a Windows 10 laptop (I notice about a frame of latency and it runs silky smooth 90% of the time).
(Side note) Ambery S-Video to Component is great for converting CVBS & S-Video to Component.
We’re currently using the Atomos Connect Convert Scale Analog-to-SDI/HDMI to merge Visual Cortex component output with 3.5mm stereo audio data from an H6 audio recorder line out, delivered over HDMI cable to an Atomos Ninja Inferno for recording to SSD.
The Atomos uses dip switches, although it can also be connected to a computer as well. We’ve used it straight out of the box with dip-switch settings only.
Some preliminary results: https://youtu.be/eTViN2wljvU
Just got my BM thunderbolt shuttle connected. Running a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. They do run hot! I am still trying to get my audio captured, I am new to this. Update. Got the audio capture to work.
I get my BM thunderbolt to capture video and audio, to my MacBook Pro, and it looks good in Media Express, but when I go to export it I loose definition in the edges. Not sure what I am doing wrong. Can anyone advise?
For composite and s-video signals, at Tremendm Labs we prefer the Elgato Video Capture. We use it every week on our stream!
For HDMI signals we use the Elgato Cam Link, which we also use live weekly, but hope to phase it out soon with the Roland V4-EX.
There is a new video up on the LZX YouTube that offers lots of good tips for capturing video.