Video capture device and the Jag

[walter_J64bit]

I have just got my hands on a video capture device and I want to use it with my Jag and other game systems too , it's not a high-end device at best it can do is capture @ 30fps would that work for capturing video from the Jag?

[+madman]

30fps is more than enough for most Jag games.

[NoelleAmelie]

What capture device is it? You can get 60FPS out of most of the cheaper ones by using AmaRec TV's deinterlacer.

Edited September 15, 2017 by Noah120

[walter_J64bit]

What capture device is it? You can get 60FPS out of most of the cheaper ones by using AmaRec TV's deinterlacer.

It's an EasyCAP I can see the lag in JagDoom being over exaggerated @ 30fps. I'll check out AmaRec TV's software. Thanks!

[NoelleAmelie]

It's an EasyCAP I can see the lag in JagDoom being over exaggerated @ 30fps. I'll check out AmaRec TV's software. Thanks!

No problem! There's a pretty good guide on setting it up at this page: https://kb.speeddemosarchive.com/Amarectv_configuration

The only thing I disagree with on that page is using the Lagarith codec/video compressor. I would suggest downloading x264vfw and using that instead unless you HAVE to have lossless video. x264 looks nice and has a small file size; you can see it and AmaRec in action in this review I made here:

 

 

I used a Dazzle as my capture device in that video but it doesn't really matter. Basically any capture device that doesn't support HDMI or Component will work with AmaRec since all AmaRec does is restore the footage back to its native 240p at 60FPS, instead of the ugly 480i at 30FPS that capture cards normally spit out.

Edited September 15, 2017 by Noah120

[doctorclu]

For my videos I have a Eye TV 200. Works pretty good.

[LianneJaguar64]

For me it's my trusty DVR, sure U have to put it on a DVD before a computer, but eh never had any problems with it

[Editorb]

I've been interested in making stuff like a longplay video of Last Strike but have never made heads nor tails of how to do so. Majority of capture devices seem to be HDMI. I see an Elgato Video Capture that has S-video input, USB output. So I guess I could use MacBook Air as the screen? That would suck compared to having a passthrough device that can output to CRT as well as record signals. I have a Jag HDMI adapter that I plugged into Mac before realizing, I think, that the computer side of adapter was made for exporting signal from Mac to HDMI rather than as input.

 

I seem to be utterly steeped in tech wisdom compared to the common Chuzzlewit, but I consider myself strictly a user/consumer, which is why I use Macs so I don't have to know how to do things. If someone can delineate the gadgets/techniques required in a way a dullard can grasp, I would greatly appreciate it.

[Austin]

Capturing can be as simple or as complex as you want.

 

The Elgato devices (even the early Game Capture HDs that have composite/s-video/component inputs) have HDMI passthrough, so you can pass the capture feed through to a separate display instead of playing it within the actual capture window in your software. If you are monitoring/playing from the actual capture window, you will experience significant input lag, but passing the converted HDMI signal through to a separate display is lag free.

 

Another solution is getting an analog video amplifier box. Basically, it will take your input and amplify your signal out into multiple directions. This will let you route it into both the capture card as well as a separate display, such as a CRT. Example: https://www.amazon.com/RadioShack-4-Output-Component-Distribution-Amplifier/dp/B010EIK6K6/

 

If you decide you want to capture regularly, then I recommend an upscaler or line doubler of some sort (RetroTINK devices, OSSC, GBS Control, etc). They can be somewhat affordable, from about $100, upwards of $300+. They generally support a wide variety of inputs, like component and RGB, but also output HDMI and so you can utilize a newer capture card with them and get a really crisp image capture. Otherwise start small with a cheap analog capture card.

 

For software, some capture cards come with their own, others require separate capture programs like OBS or Xsplit. Even if a card has its own capture software, as does the Elgato cards, I still recommend using a program like OBS to capture. I've found it to be a lot more stable than some of these dedicated programs made specifically for the cards. Backwards, I know, but that's my experience. OBS has great recording quality too and you have more file container and quality options, whereas Elgato's software can be buggy when recording locally. There are a lot of tutorials out there if you need tips on how to get OBS set up (it's not hard).

 

Be careful with the early Elgatos that do analog video, as the USB ports tend to lift up off the boards causing them to go defective. You'll find a lot of dead ones on eBay as a result.

Edited March 9 by Austin

[+cubanismo]

Jag can support multiple outputs at once. I capture with a cheap WinTV USB device (On Linux, of course, but works on windows with Hauppagge's WinTV app too) connected to S-Video, and pipe the RGB to my VGA adapter at the same time to watch while playing. The WinTV and probably other SDTV-based capture devices aren't going to give you the super crisp output of a fancy upscaler hooked up to an HDMI capture device, but it looks "fine" and is crisper than all my modern TV's built in upscaling, though a little blurrier than what I see on a real CRT or obviously on the RGB signal running into my NEC multisync. You might be able to use the RF out to play on some monitor/TV with an SD tuner while capturing composite or S-Video to do something similar without any fancy adapters. The upside of this setup is it cost about $20 total via eBay.

[Austin]

5 minutes ago, cubanismo said:

Jag can support multiple outputs at once. I capture with a cheap WinTV USB device (On Linux, of course, but works on windows with Hauppagge's WinTV app too) connected to S-Video, and pipe the RGB to my VGA adapter at the same time to watch while playing.

How are you doing that? Are you using a custom made cable to get the S-Video and RGB from the same connector?

 

I like the idea of doing that, as I prefer to capture in RGB, but one of my CRTs that I sometimes like to play on only supports up to S-Video.

[+cubanismo]

21 minutes ago, Austin said:

How are you doing that? Are you using a custom made cable to get the S-Video and RGB from the same connector?

Yeah, I built a little PCB that breaks out the audio, RGB (with that TI sync extractor chip every RGB adapter uses), S-Video, and composite signals, but I believe you could use one of these as well:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185327288487

http://www.vector-labs.com/index_jagav.html

 

(Vector Labs/Retro Kidz Atari Jaguar Audio/Video Expansion, basically a knock-off Cat box). There's a thread on here somewhere about hooking the EGA output from those to a OSSC or something.

 

FWIW, this is the exact WinTV device I use:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/385416717808

 

WinTV-HVR-955q for future reference when that listing expires. Be careful:

• Make sure you buy one that includes the little break-out port for composite/S-Video and RCA audio input. There are several identical-looking ones that only have the RF input!
• Be sure it actually includes the break-out cable too. I believe these are custom cables and they're not easy to come by on their own.

[Editorb]

Hoowhee! Head now spinning.

 

Buh, so, if I grope me up a Radio Shack analog video amplifier gizmos, and this'n here Elgato doohickey, I will be able to connect Jag's S-video and L-R audio to gizmo; connect S-video and L-R audio output from gizmo to CRT; connect doohickey to gizmo; and connect doohickey to USB-A-to-USB-C adapter, USB adapter to MacBook Air, and use OBS to capture?

 

Doohickey link:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Video-Capture-Digitize-iPad/dp/B0029U2YSA/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3UBESE0Y62XPO&keywords=s-video+capture+card&qid=1678386760&sprefix=s-video+capture+card%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-2

[Austin]

Ahhh, OK, I thought you were talking about the Game Capture HD. I didn't realize Elgato has one that literally *only* does analog video with no passthrough. With no passthrough, you will 100% want an amplifier box. Just make sure the amplifier is a powered one.

 

So, yes, your setup should work fine assuming the listing is correct in stating the capture device works on Macs. I don't have experience with Macs, but going by the listing, it should work.

Edited March 9 by Austin

[Editorb]

My capture doodads arrived. Whee! Buh, it would simplify things due to the inaccessibility of the back of my television if I could connect RF cable to Jag for TV playing and also use the S-video from the fancy output for capture. Does Jag output both signals at once?

[Zerosquare]

Yes. You can also use composite and S-video at the same time.

[Madwindoman]

On 3/9/2023 at 8:23 AM, Editorb said:

I've been interested in making stuff like a longplay video of Last Strike but have never made heads nor tails of how to do so. Majority of capture devices seem to be HDMI. I see an Elgato Video Capture that has S-video input, USB output. So I guess I could use MacBook Air as the screen? That would suck compared to having a passthrough device that can output to CRT as well as record signals. I have a Jag HDMI adapter that I plugged into Mac before realizing, I think, that the computer side of adapter was made for exporting signal from Mac to HDMI rather than as input.

 

I seem to be utterly steeped in tech wisdom compared to the common Chuzzlewit, but I consider myself strictly a user/consumer, which is why I use Macs so I don't have to know how to do things. If someone can delineate the gadgets/techniques required in a way a dullard can grasp, I would greatly appreciate it.

I hope you get this figured out. I would love to see you do a last strike vid. I just completed the game with a score of 500 thousand. You completed the same game with a score of 2 million. I’m doin something wrong lol

[Seedy1812]

I have a weird set up , not as simple as others. Both my St's and Jag output to Scart which one at  time can be fed into an OSSC to get HDMI output ( i also used it for my ZX Next )  this then feeds into an Elgato card in the back of my PC which can be forwarded to another HDMI display but I use it for displaying in a window ( i can then capture things to examine at a later date ).

Edited March 16 by Seedy1812

[Editorb]

18 hours ago, Madwindoman said:

I hope you get this figured out. I would love to see you do a last strike vid. I just completed the game with a score of 500 thousand. You completed the same game with a score of 2 million. I’m doin something wrong lol

You can kill bosses more than once by ramming it as it leaves screen. I noticed sometimes I got 50,000 points, and sometimes 100,000. I thought for a while it was a reward for a certain number of boss kills. Nay, you get 50,000 for killing it, plus 50,000 if you can score a second shot after death throes arrive. It's tricky cuz you lose ability to fire as it's dying. After experimentation, I learnt that although it's more intuitive to think you'll get a double kill as it's zooming toward you, it's only possible as it moves away. So, I blast it until it has one shot left, wait until it zooms away, and double blast it. Try to make sure it's toward center cuz sometimes you can't kill yourself if it's too far to right.

 

The easiest bosses to whack with this technique are second and fourth. I generally have 54 rescues after first level(s), procure both extra shots, plus two lives. Get to second boss, kilt it until 3 lives remain, then do vertical stage. Top off lives to 9 after third stage and buy coupla shields, then whack fourth boss until 3-4 lives remain. Fifth boss tougher to double kill but heroes do what they can.

 

Memorize everything; it especially is handy when pesky foreground blocks the proceedings and you have to go by cranial memory and sound.

 

Don't try to kill everything; Last Strike isn't Raiden (mercifully).

 

Move ship only when necessary. I move quickly to general place I need to go, then tap and release D pad to fine-tune if time permits.

 

Fly low. The bottom of screen is often the safest from flying enemies and projectiles, and you get to destroy lots of stuff from side.

 

When I scored 2.6 million, I was a bit conservative killing bosses to ensure I had enough lives to get through vertical sections. I suspect that if I had a perfect run and used more lives on bosses, it's possible to top 3 million.

Edited March 17 by Editorb