RGB Video in

[-=Mr_B=-]

Im hoping this is the right place to ask, since this forum is highly recomended.

Well, here goes.
Im looking for a way to capture, and show fullscreen RGBvideo from a wide array of devices. From my trusted old Amiga 1200'a and up to XboX and similar consoles.

I've been told that there "should" be RGBvideo in the S-video connector, but that not all cards actually are able to use it, and it might still not be compitable with the RGB signals in a EURO-Scart anyway (the RGB from a PSX is a great example, that i belive is available world wide. the signal from the amiga is taken from the monitor outlet, but infact is the same.)

I could go for anything from a external device, to a PCI / AGP card that will handle it, and if i have to "power" it with a lot of cpu power, then it will go in to a dual Xeon rig, just so i can use it. (its what i got standing with most power, not what i belive is the most powerfull on the market, no AMD vs Intel, pls)

Any advice, tip, or hint is greatly apreciated.
B!

 

[digitalwanderer]

Mr. B from R3D?

 

[MuFu]

Dig, MrB is Canadian (kind of).

As far as simply displaying output goes, VGA=>RGB SCART will work for any card that generates a composite sync signal (e.g. ATi Radeons, from the 7500 onwards). You can make the cable yourself and it should work pretty well. Otherwise, assuming the display is frequency-compatible, you'll have to build/buy a converter. They aren't too expensive... about £50 in this country I think (some of them also take SVHS/composite/component signals, which might be useful).

I think VGA capture cards exist but they're pricey. Converting everything to component and capturing that is an option but again, solutions are expensive. I'm pretty sure the ATi Theater200 chip is capable of component capture (or was supposed to be, at least) - just not sure the capability has been exposed in a product yet.

 

[-=Mr_B=-]

Not from R3D, not the first time im mistaken for someone else tho.

The whole idea with converting to composite video is what im trying to avoid, it gives worse pic quality, and not to rarely actually changes the picture in other ways aswell. most the consoles actually are able to provide composite video out, and so is the Amiga, if it comes to that, i'll simply use a Matrox Millenium 2 Rainbow runner studio card as the video in card, but i really want to avoid it since that to, provides "crappy quality" when taken to fullsize on a monitor, i dont know exacly why, but the quality of the images simple isent there.

Oh, and i dont want to display the output from a graphics card as scart RGB, i want to find a input that can use sutch signals. Just to clarify. Just building a converter for displaying the amiga on a monitor would be great fun, but the output from the amiga is at aprox 15 Hz., most PC monitors dont even start picking up a signal untill it passes 50Hz. Buying a scandoubler for the amiga, is (if available) in the range of 150-500$ and frankly, i can have more fun with a video in source that i can do more then the amiga on if its going to be in those amounts.

B!

 

[nutball]

Are you looking for this:

http://www.pluggedin.tv/sweetspot/

???

 

[-=Mr_B=-]

Nutball, i dont know, yet. But it looks promising. Going to stomp on a few emails, and a fow other things. BIG thanks. (And a big + is the fact that the store you linked to, accepts PayPal. Good, since cant find a reseller in sweden)

Im gone poke around a bit more, but this looks like dead on what i want. Just wanna verify. Would hurt the wallet if it turns out to not work at all, or poorly.
B!

 

[nutball]

I hope it works out for you. I came across it looking for an MPEG-2 capture card that would accept RGB component input (from the RGB SCART output of my cable TV box).

It was the closest thing I found but didn't quite fit the bill ... as far as I can tell it outputs uncompressed frames across the PCI bus, so I'd need to MPEG-2 encode on the CPU. I was wanting to put this in a small, quiet PVR system, ie. preferably without requiring a stonkingly powerful CPU (I guess the saying goes: small, powerful, cheap, quiet -- choose three out of the four). It's also not very well supported under Linux as far as I can tell.

 

[-=Mr_B=-]

I'd have to agre with your conclution on the uncompressed data sent via the PCI bus and forward. Its pretty much a must due to the capture stream being as untuched as possible.

But live conversion to Mpeg2 should be possible by a lowheat cpu, sutch as a Pentium M, or a LV Xeon (or, since i lack knowledge od AMD's productlines, a Opteron counterpart for the Xeon LV's) Its my best guess. Big thanks for your input.
B!

 

[MuFu]

The whole idea with converting to composite video is what im trying to avoid...

Component, not composite (with the Xbox in mind - you can get a component output kit for that off the shelf). Anyway, it's a moot point since nutball's suggestion is exactly that.

The Sweetspot card has a really good reputation in HTPC circles; it's the cheapest component capture card by miles. Lots of people use it with DScaler for playback of external sources, but it should work with any recording software that supports WDM. I think the card is also called the "PDI Deluxe" in the US.

That Amiga output is still a problem though. 15Hz, yowch!

 

[-=Mr_B=-]

15kHz, Sorry.

B!

 

[Blazkowicz]

I'd have to agre with your conclution on the uncompressed data sent via the PCI bus and forward. Its pretty much a must due to the capture stream being as untuched as possible.

But live conversion to Mpeg2 should be possible by a lowheat cpu, sutch as a Pentium M, or a LV Xeon (or, since i lack knowledge od AMD's productlines, a Opteron counterpart for the Xeon LV's) Its my best guess. Big thanks for your input.
B!

an Athlon 64 90nm (Venice core), on socket 939, may be considered as low power CPU (about 30W), at least they are much better than 130nm Athlon 64, which are much better than the awful Pentium 4. You have AMD Turion on socket 754, in 25W and 35W rated versions, these are similar CPUs but more expensive for commercial reasons .
Cool'nQuiet (automatic downclocking and "downvolting") is also interesting on those.

 

[Blazkowicz]

(edit button doesn't work?)

I wanted to add, for cheaper you now have 90nm (Palermo) Semprons on s754.
Turion being the "official" low power CPU (but I tend to see all AMD CPUs as the same stuff anyway ^ )