Why would you suggest a capture card over another?
 

Hi there,

So my question is mainly to LS, but other users who tried various capture cards are welcome to contribute!

I was wondering, what would make you recommend a capture card for a specific use-case? Since there is no one card that is "always the best card".

Example, LS recently suggested I use a pinnacle USB capture card, instead of the commonly suggested ATI devices here(usb 600 or aiw usb). So that made me wonder, in what scenario would you use one over the other?

(aside from OS compatibility factor, I am talking about video quality mainly)

- intrinsic values (luma, sharpness, interlaced handling, etc)
- reliability (lack of bugs, drivers, etc)

All cards have quirks. Let's take that Pinnacle vs. ATI 600. The ATI needs the audio registry hack to normalize at 50% (128), Pinnacle defaults there already. The ATI may need sharpness values tweaked, but it does depend on OS (some leave it unity, others push sharp). Pinnacle already unity. Sometimes the ATI needs to be reset per session (especially if changing USB port), but at minimum verified. The Pinnacle, by contrast, needs Crossbar Thing to control the input, sometimes per session, again based on OS.

The quality profiles of both cards differs some, the values.

When you and I chatted in PMs and emails, you told me about your projects, sources, etc. The custom advice was for a certain card. For others, it can be different. General advice is general advice, ATI 600 USB is great. For you exactly, something else worked better (also a good card, arguably better).

While I do sell some items in the marketplace, it's not just about the seling. I want you to get an item that will work great for your situation. It's why some PMs get so lengthy.