Cx2388 White Crush (AGC) fix? Or replacement ATI AIW card?
 

Okay i have this Conextant card running and have been using it for quite some time.
And until recently when i discovered that Dscaler had it´s own driver that worked nicely with this, i noticed that the card had a setting called White Crush. What it does is that it automaticly increases/reduces the whiteness of the picture.

Not as in Contrast/Brightness, it works on it´s own level.
So if i turn it Off, details will dissapear into the brightness, no matter if i reduce the contrast or not.
So i have to have it On, and as with all AGC, it isn´t still and perfect, it changes over time, and will either make the picture to dim, or to bright, none of which can be fixed as it changes over time (and if it´s clipped, it´s gone).


I don´t think there is a way to fix this, as it´s probably a hardware issue, so i have been looking towards other cards.

But as AGP isn´t within my reach (don´t have a slot etc), i am looking towards newer cards.

but i still want the Best quality that can be gain, and NO AGC, as i want the "Exact" picture from VHS, Video 8 or whatever i feed it, not some automatic stuff changing it.

So i thought the Black Magic Intensity Pro was something, but from what i understand, it´s very sensitive to time base errors, and i only have a Line-TBC, and don´t really need a TBC (for my current card, and probably other cards) so it seems like a waste to buy an expensive card, just to buy a TBC to it.

So i am looking towards the ATI AIW 600-650 PAL editions, which sadly i can´t find.

But how are these compared to the AGP, are they worse, identical?

I just now addressed the topic of white/black crushing here: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vide...html#post22912

Also...

- There isn't a "PAL edition".
- Note that the ATI All-In-Wonder (AIW) series is different from the ATI 600/650 series (non-AIW) cards.
- In the ATI AIW cards, the NTSC or PAL designations were solely for the tuner -- not composite or s-video. Same for the 600/650 cards.
- The 600 card cannot capture PAL MPEG in ATI CMC, only NTSC.
- However, the ATI 600 card can capture PAL AVI in VirtualDub, and in Windows XP/Vista/7.

Driver downloads and install instructions are here: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vide...i-600-usb.html
Guides are forthcoming. Links to them will be added to the driver download page when done.

Okay, so, the Ati 600, can capture AVI lossless, and with the entire capture window (meaning, it doesn´t overscan, i have seen some doing that, conextant does it with the normal drivers).

And it doesn´t have White Crush AGC (White Crush isn´t Crushing white, as in a flat line, it´s lowering the "whiteness" to prevent data loss, though it´s a pretty weird AGC, i think it´s to compensate something the card doesn´t have).

I would like to not have the USB, as PCI is "always" better and often more stable, and no latency issues.

How is it with drivers and Macrovision etc?

Can you capture Without, a TBC, directly from the VCR? (The conextant can).

Yes, but issues vary. The same is true of virtually all capture cards, hence the need for TBC.

PCI isn't always better than USB, when it comes to video capture cards. I've never run into latency or dropped frames issues.
Note: On some other types of hardware, I'd be inclined to agree with you.

What do you mean with issues vary?

As i know that many "pro" capture cards, tend to drop intensively, both sound and video, "black screen" flicker etc.

on Conextant, everything looks like, well, a complete flow. Only time i get dropped frames are when there isn´t anything on the tape (only static noise etc), or if i use the PC to much.

I am glad to here that Capture isn´t bad when it comes to the USB parts, i only think of, dunno the name now, but you now the easycap stuff.

There's more than just dropped frames to consider. Luma and chroma tends to be unstable as well, when not corrected. Lots of people miss it. You have to know what to look for. It becomes more obvious when you're watching the show for enjoyment, as opposed to previewing it during capture/editing/etc.

Oh, i see:S

Do you have the Ati 600?

if so, could you maybe capture directly from the VCR and give me a sample if possible?