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Camcorder and CPC

Started by ComSoft6128, 06:42, 23 November 17

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ComSoft6128

I am looking at recording the CPC screen using a Camcorder with a Tripod.
Does anyone on the Wiki use this method?
If so, what are the Pros and Cons?
Any info would be appreciated.


Thanks,


Peter

Bryce

Reflection and terrible sound will be your problem. Why don't you record the signals directly?

Bryce.

ComSoft6128

Hi Bryce,


Thanks for the reply.


I am thinking about both approaches and would like find out if anyone has experience in this area. I assume that recording the signals directly would give the best quality, however to a non-techie like myself the simplicity of using a new, relatively cheap, HD camcorder has a certain appeal.


Cheers,


Peter




Bryce

The best people to talk to are @mr_lou and @chinnyhill10 who both spent a lot of time investigating the best way to record CPC action.

Bryce.

mr_lou

I've used the X-RGB Framemeister Mini to convert the Amstrad CPC RGB signal into an HDMI signal, which I've then recorded using a standalone recorder from Haupauge.

I prefer this setup because I want to be able to record from machines without needing to move them close to my PC. (Most other people seem to prefer a capture card in their PC's).

Note about the Framemeister though, that it can't keep up with various CRTC trickery. So forget about recording fancy demos using this setup.

If you want to use a camcorder, my best advice is to set it to record 50 frames per second. That'll give the least amount of flickering, although you probably won't be able to get rid of it completely.

ComSoft6128

Thanks mr_lou.


The Haughpage recorder looks ideal. However the Framemeister is a bit pricey. Do you know of a similar, cheaper, product that would work with the CPC?


Cheers,


Peter



mr_lou

Quote from: ComSoft6128 on 15:41, 23 November 17The Haughpage recorder looks ideal. However the Framemeister is a bit pricey. Do you know of a similar, cheaper, product that would work with the CPC?

Sadly no.

While there are cheaper converters available, they just don't work with the CPC. I bought one and experienced this myself. Chinny subsequently told me he'd done the exact same thing.
So steer clear of those other cheaper signal converters.

Another cheaper solution though, is to use DVD recorders. This is the approach Chinny has used for years.

If you use the search form on this forum, I'm sure you'll be able to find previous threads where both Chinny and I share the info we've gathered so far.

ComSoft6128

I will look at the threads.
Possibly they should be collected as a subject in the main Wiki?


Again thanks,


Peter

mr_lou

Quote from: ComSoft6128 on 16:02, 23 November 17
I will look at the threads.
Possibly they should be collected as a subject in the main Wiki?

Yes, that's a good idea.
I admit I'm not the best at adding pages to the wiki. Lack of time and other excuses.
But since you're diving into the topic yourself, you could start writing such a page yourself now.  ;)

ComSoft6128

Sadly I suffer from the same problem - lack of time. :(
However, at a later date when I have purchased the hardware and more importantly
KNOW what I am talking about, this would be something I could look at. :D


Cheers,


Peter

Bryce

If you want a "capture friendly" output, I still have some S-Video adapters which convert the RGB to PAL S-Video.

Bryce.

ComSoft6128

Thanks Bryce,
I may be buying one from you in the near future.


mr-lou - a question, how does the Hauppauge store the finished video - USB, External HD?


Cheers,


Peter

mr_lou

Quote from: ComSoft6128 on 16:38, 23 November 17mr-lou - a question, how does the Hauppauge store the finished video - USB, External HD?

It can handle both. USB stick or external harddisk.

It saves the videos as mp4 files.

The quality of these mp4 files can be set on a Windows PC.


One other thing:

The videos I've recorded have all been for my Blu-ray project "8-bit Memoirs".
The CPC outputs a 50,08hz signal or so, but to be Blu-ray compliant I needed to have a straight 50 fps stream. So the X-RGB Mini converts the 50,08hz signal to a 720p 50 fps stream - but doesn't adjust the audio accordingly.
So video and audio is out of sync in the mp4 file.
I think this applies also even if you don't go through an X-RGB Mini, because the Haupauge device is set to support only certain streams. Since it doesn't handle 50,08 fps, it records as 50 fps obviously resulting in sync issues.

In my case it's exactly what I want though, because I want the videos to be 50 fps in order to be Blu-ray compliant. Then I edit the audio in Audacity afterwards and simply stretch it to have the same length as the video. This means the audio plays slightly slower that the original audio - but no one will notice this as we're talking about microseconds.

ComSoft6128

Cheers for that, this is starting to look viable.


Bryce, I am starting to slide into an area where I am "out of my depth" - would the out of sync problem also affect your S-Video adapter?


Thanks,


Peter

chinnyhill10

Sorry, not been around.


I don't use an XRGB. I might swap to one when channel funds permit just for space reasons. I use a Pioneer DVD recorder to do live signal conversion from RGB via SCART to component and then capture the component. The shift to component only gives a tiny quality drop and with excellent adjustable signal processing in the Pioneer, the picture is rather good.


None of this is cheap. I use a Blackmagic external card via Thunderbolt which is about £175 and the DVD recorder was £100 for a bashed up example (the model I have is sought after and consequently changes hands for upwards of £200 if in good condition).


In short there's no cheap decent way of doing it. There's various cards you can buy that will convert the CPC's signal to VGA etc but the results always seem to be pretty rough.
--
ChinnyVision - Reviews Of Classic Games Using Original Hardware
chinnyhill10 - YouTube

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