Hunting for New Capture Card

Operating Systems & Open Source Linux
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1

Hello L1Tech peeps! I’m in the market for a new capture card for my streaming/digitization setup. I am currently using an AverMedia DarkCrystal HD Pro, but as my journey to Linux continues; that capture card is no longer viable to my streaming setup. I know when I tried using a DVI to HDMI from American Abyss into my current capture card while using Windows; lower resolutions came in super scrambled; 320x240 specifically…some of the games I play unfortunately run at that resolution.

The primary used would be with live streaming retro games using American Abyss (my Windows 98SE gaming rig) and digitizing old VHS tapes. I would like to have a variety of different inputs so I won’t have to use different adapters. As for American Abyss, I have the option of VGA, 7-Pin S-Video and DVI. For VCR/VHS Digitization, composite or coax. I know UVC is a standard across the board in terms of capture devices; as webcams use that standard.

What capture cards would y’all recommend for my application? I would much prefer a PCI-E card. New and used options are acceptible. I am aiming more on the used side. On the audio front, I’ll be running that into my mixer.

2

Is turning whatever signal you have into SDI an option for you?
That would make the capture card selection easier.

With some tinkering, a video-toaster card may also work, those are increasingly hard to find though.

Edit: “Blackmagic Design Intensity Pro 4K” may be worth looking into, the breakout cable may cover all the analog video you need.

3

Blackmagic is the big name I always hear when talking about these sorts of capture cards.
Elgato is the name brand of streaming type capture cards.

4

I haven’t tinkered with SDI at all.