VirtualDub constant audio problems with 1080i captures?
 

I'm trying to get Virtualdub working with capturing 1080i properly with no issue. I'm using the Elgato Cam Link 4K. Normally I've been using AmarecTV to record 1080i but there's the occasional inserted frame and the occasional "whatever the negative frame is". My last session with the UtVideo codec had Amarec saying something along the lines of:
"Drop[ 0, (+)1, (-)5] HDD[ 33.3MB/s, 99.0%] CPU[ 3%]", plus if I use x264fvw with Amarec it records in the wrong color space (4:2:0 instead of 4:2:2 like Virtualdub does).

So I wanted to try Virtualdub, and I've had no issues with dropped or inserted frames when capturing VHS tapes from my GV-USB2 with it (unlike Amarec which seems to happen at random for no reason :P).

However, the audio is driving me crazy. Keeps skipping and getting out of sync. Don't know what to do I've tried changing everything I can think of.

I believe my timing settings are the recommended ones on that one thread.
http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/error.gif

I enabled the graph option to see whats up and jeez...
http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/error.gif
http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/error.gif

Does anyone know what's going on? I tried using both x264fvw (my usual codec for Virtualdub) and UtVideo, but the same problem happens. Video is a tad over 2 GB so I don't think I'll be able to attach it.

Looks like the photos got "lost" despite the photos still being up. Can't seem to edit my post now so I'll just attach the photos here.

If you're still around, try changing Sync audio to video to Do not resync.

I will try that once I get my new Avermedia card. In the meantime I've been trying to get virtualdub working with my Elgato HD60s since the Cam Link doesn't look that great with HDMI Limited Range, but virtualdub doesn't display any preview + it doesn't want to capture anything. AmarecTV works perfectly fine but then again, occasional frame drops for no reason.

Here's my log if you know whats up:
EDIT: Here's a comparison about the limited range stuff. Image is attached. Left is the HD60s and right is the Cam Link.

I'm on my phone, but the frame on the left looks better to me. Tough to say which is correct. A test pattern could confirm, if you can ensure it is played properly.

Amarec frame drops: adjust buffer settings? Can you capture to SSD as a test?

VirtualDub starts up in [Overlay] mode.. which "assumes" your Graphics card has some hardware support for DirectX graphical overlays compatible with the capture source. Even if it has Overlay support sometimes the capture source "masters" the bus at the same time as the graphics card and they cancel each other out.. they collide fighting over the display.. so.. in that case.. and if your Graphics card has "no" Overlay support.. you have to Click on [Preview] to enable [Software Assisted "Overlay" mode] it takes more CPU time.. but blends both source and display regions into one and puts them on the screen.

I see this a lot with USB devices, and non-ATI capture cards, or ATI capture cards with non-ATI Graphics cards.. when they are (Not) both one and the same.. its almost "certain" you will need to flip that "Overlay to Preview" mode switch.

After you do that there are "many" versions of Preview in the sidebar menu that appears.. from Off to Odd frame, Even frame, Interlaced, non-Interlaced.. generally pick the one that least annoys you and doesn't grind the PC to a halt. Its only a display and has nothing to do with capture.. except when the CPU is sucked dry and can't capture a single frame because its busy rendering the Preview display.

Capturing HD in VirtualDub is insane. Don't do that. The data rate get unmanageable, aside from maybe SSD.

HD capturing is best done with lossy-yet-quality codecs like Cineform, DNxHD, or ProRes422, in either specific apps developed for the HD cards, or using modern NLEs that integrate with HD capturing (unlike SD).

Video capture is always about using the right tools for the task.

Hopefully you're not capturing SD video as HD, as that's equally terrible. You'll lose quality.

The 1st post of the thread lost images due to bad hotlinking. Attach to a new post, I'll merge and repair it.
See also: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/news...ly-upload.html

Sorry for the late reply fellas.

What should I set it to? I would record to my SSD but I'm kinda running low on space with it :P
Mind you this doesn't happen all the time.

Enabling Preview fixed that problem. Thanks!

Ah, alright.

Unfortunately I can't use the built in Elgato software. It always records to a 1080p30 file and I can't use any deinterlacing. It works fine if I use my original Game Capture HD but I can't really stand the delay (3+ seconds). I'm using x264vfw in Amarec to record 1080i stuff. What settings should I use in the encoder for good quality but not 1 terabyte a second? :laugh: Image is attached.

I would record in native resolution but whenever I change to an SD channel my capture card freaks out and doesn't automatically change resolution. I would use something like my old XP machine + a firewire card (I actually have used this a few times and it works fine) but most channels on Spectrum are copy protected and I can't record them.

EDIT: Scratch that. Seems to be working fine with the HD60s...I think. The Cam Link 4K kinda just cuts out when I change resolution. All I needed to do when that happened was restart Amarec.

Its in post #2, this thread is a few months old and just now came alive :P

A few months later and I've been still recording lossless 1080i with x264vfw in Amarec, although I have been experimenting with a CQP of 12. I'm curious about artifacting though. If something has a ton of artifacts to it, wouldn't that add more artifacts on top of that?

And I have been recording 480i and 720p content in 1080i since Spectrum is really bad with capturing 480i channels that have widescreen flags (like since my display is 16:9 capturing 4:3 would have borders everywhere and if I set stretching options it just stretches out any widescreen SD channels for some reason) + I legitimately don't notice any quality difference between a native res capture and a native res to 1080i upscale deinterlaced with QTGMC. Seriously, I don't :laugh: (images are attached. no scaling000000.png is a still of a 720p image upscaled to 1080i and deinterlaced with QTGMC, and amarec(20191130-2334)000000.png is a native 720p recording upscaled to 1080p with Spline64Resize)