how to capture VGA stream on a dedicated HD?

[DiTBho]

I need to record videos from a VGA card, 1024x768x24 @ 60Hz, but I can't dedicate a computer to capture the stream and I have to watch the screen during the recording section.

I am looking for something that is capable of recording videos without the assistance of a computer and I would like the videos to be recorded on a SATA hd rather than an SD card.

Is there anything that you would recommend?

[PKTKS]

You want DVRs for surveillance and stuff...

**VERY EXTENSIVE** topic and list of alternatives...

Formats changed a lot including HIGH RESOLUTION ANALOG... using RG59/RG6 coax.
and dedicated boxes..

I use myself  ZONEMINDER locally https://zoneminder.com/

If you are new to the topic it will consume you extensive research to options

Paul 

[DiTBho]

If you are new to the topic it will consume you extensive research to options

I am a total n00b (~newbie) about this stuff 

[nightfire]

Some questions: As you said, you cannot dedicate a complete computer to that project, so can we assume that the solution that you want has to be budget-oriented?

In fact, VGA grabbing with some dedicated hardware can be done with fairly cheap used hardware, like an old PC with a grabber card- as analog stuff is a bit out of fashion for most people, the old grabber cards are available for decent money on ebay etc.

About which amount of data do we talk here? If the datastream and recording duration is not too long, a good value SSD as dumping device allows for less cpu usage and a bit more headroom in a comfortable way to deal with the recordings. After that the dump can be copied to maybe some external HDD to be flexible.

What about VGA to USB grabber cards? Or would the hook up the dedicated PC?

Otherwise:
In filmmaking and movie production, capture devices that usually record from a HDMI input (the output of a standard DSLR etc.) and dump it to Flash (SD-Card or SSD) are standard stuff, including a monitor.
A well known member of that species as the Ninja Atomos https://www.atomos.com/products/ninja-v
This stuff also would not break the bank, some VGA-to-HDMI converter would need to be used. The HDMI out of the Atomos or similar recorders allows then even for hookup to a bigger screen.

[DiTBho]

Yesterday I did my typical wild hack; I took an old LCD monitor, a VGA splitter kit, and an old camera that records on CF, and I put the camera in front of the LCD and 2 meters away and prepared a black cardboard cone, which I put around the LCD up to the camera just to avoid that external light disturbs the camera

Code: [Select]

     ||\ cone
     || \
 LCD ||  === camera
     || /
     ||/              ___ VGA_in from the VGA-board (embedded board to be filmed)
      |______________/
        VGA splitter \___ VGA mirror to a second LCD

This stuff ... well *somehow* works, but it takes a lot of space in my room, the camera records on an CF, which is limited to 8GB, and the VGA-splitter tends to introduce a green component, and some videos look 'matrix-ish' 


So, definitively a wild hack rather than something vaguely serious   

[DiTBho]

Some questions: As you said, you cannot dedicate a complete computer to that project, so can we assume that the solution that you want has to be budget-oriented?

max 500 euro for the setup, but I also have to buy a decent microphone, a couple of spotlights and a green background vector.

In fact, VGA grabbing with some dedicated hardware can be done with fairly cheap used hardware, like an old PC with a grabber card- as analog stuff is a bit out of fashion for most people, the old grabber cards are available for decent money on ebay etc.

In theory, I have an old Fujitsu Pentium4 @ 2Ghz computer, but it only has 4GB of ram and a cheap video card without any hardware video compression.

About which amount of data do we talk here? If the datastream and recording duration is not too long

it's to prepare videos of 15 min on Youtube. The recorded videos should be less than 50 min considering they will be time-lapse edited.

What about VGA to USB grabber cards? Or would the hook up the dedicated PC?

I don't have any USB3 computers that I can use for this.

In filmmaking and movie production, capture devices that usually record from a HDMI input (the output of a standard DSLR etc.) and dump it to Flash (SD-Card or SSD) are standard stuff, including a monitor.
A well known member of that species as the Ninja Atomos https://www.atomos.com/products/ninja-v
This stuff also would not break the bank, some VGA-to-HDMI converter would need to be used. The HDMI out of the Atomos or similar recorders allows then even for hookup to a bigger screen.

Interesting 

[mariush]

Can you install software on the computer?

If you can, you can install OBS - https://obsproject.com/ -  and configure it to capture the screen and record to disk. Go in options and configure it to minimize to system tray (a small icon by the clock) and configure a hotkey to start recording and one to stop recording

You could in theory also use VirtualDub using a lossless codec like Magicyuv or maybe an older codec like XVID configured to least compression / fastest encoding

If you can't install software, go on eBay and find some external capture devices.

For example : https://www.ebay.com/itm/174268643977

Another model with similar specs : https://www.ebay.com/itm/384742791800

Get a VGA to HDMI converter for 5-10$ , plug the HDMI output into this box, connect monitor/tv to hdmi out. Optionally connect a stereo cable from sound card output/headphones to audio input (or get a vga to hdmi converter with stereo input and connect stereo output to converter's audio input to mux the audio with the hdmi signal)
Plug a USB stick in the box and hit record.

[DiTBho]

Can you install software on the computer?

No, I can't. I have to film an embedded board, and I cannot install anything on it also because it's very resource limited.

So I will use an external equipment to film it.

[DiTBho]

If you can't install software, go on eBay and find some external capture devices.

For example : https://www.ebay.com/itm/174268643977

Another model with similar specs : https://www.ebay.com/itm/384742791800

These two look interesting 

[mariush]

You should also be able to find for quite cheap epiphan vga grabbers ... but the cheap models are low fps .. ex vga2usb models will have variable fps, up to around 10-15 fps at 1024x768

This person has 3 epiphan dvi2usb 3.0 for around 60$: https://www.ebay.com/itm/294826327623  - these are much more capable as they're not limited by usb 2.0 bandwidth, so they do vga/dvi/hdmi capture at up to at least 30 fps, probably up to 60 fps. I'm not sure.

It's a DVI-I port on the device, so you can use a cheap 1$ passive DVI-VGA adapter to connect the thing to your vga output  and capture the image.. and you could probably either use their software or your could use Virtuadub or whatever video capture software you like to capture the video. MagicYUV would be a free lossless and low cpu usage codec, or you could use xvid or x264 filters with near lossless compression settings (for low cpu encoding) or you could use OBS on another computer to record and compress with x264 
When you're done capturing, you can recompress the video with high quality settings at your desired bitrate.

[DiTBho]

Ummm, I am thinking about a dedicate Linux SBC/ARM with USB3 for acquiring the video and storing on a SSD/HD/whatever

Is there anything with Linux-non-x86 support?

StarTech has a video-grabbing series of products
- USB3 Vga, 1080P 60Fps, ‎USB32VGCAPRO
- USB3 DVI, 1080p 60 fps, USB32DVCAPRO <---- on Amazon, 300 Euro brand new
- USB3 HDMI, 1080P 60Fps

they say "Windows 8.1", Linux is not mentioned, who knows 

[nightfire]

Depending on your PC, you could use a 50 Euro USB3 PCI Express card for upgrading it.
And then use a standard Grabber like this: https://www.z-cam.com/ipman-gemini-pro/

This one does not require special drivers and is recognizes like a USB Webcam.

[Rick Law]

Does your recording devices has HDMI in?

Plenty of VGA to HDMI converters on AliExpress.  Some will do video with audio as well.  You could convert your VGA to HDMI and feed that into your camcorder if it has an HDMI in.

[DiTBho]

What about Gracetop's hdmi-to-usb? See here.

I have to check their kernel module, but it seems opensource, therefore I could recompile it for an ARM SBC board.

[DiTBho]

Umm, or something for MacOS, with FinalCUT in mind.

[Mechatrommer]

i havent try this but its looks tempting for a standalone device that can record 1080P@60fps Video Capture HDMI + 3.5 Inch LCD + Remote Control $100 (there are few devices option like this).. fits your spec except the save to TF card instead to HDD. today 32-64GB card can be had for cheap, 128-256GB maybe exist i havent check... a 1080P full 2-3hrs movies usually in size of 2-5GB if encoded nicely, try to get more than that is a waste of space and managerial nightmare imho... i have a VGA to USB PC capture card that i dont use anymore, its a 10 years back tech that can only save 640x480 that i used to capture what my videocam shoots in an event to a PC. if i want to go back to video sniff business maybe i'll get the above standalone device myself.. but for movies i dont have a need so far since i have TPB...

Code: [Select]

     ||\ cone
     || \
 LCD ||  === camera
     || /
     ||/              ___ VGA_in from the VGA-board (embedded board to be filmed)
      |______________/
        VGA splitter \___ VGA mirror to a second LCD
So, definitively a wild hack rather than something vaguely serious   

its not a hack, it is shit, sorry to say... this technique is used to capture the latest movie in cinema since eon and now find its way to ThePirateBay (when you see something like HDCAM tag that is)... i only will swallow the video with that quality if i ever have a near death experience due to Bored@Work (i just downloaded a few yesterday )... its probably the easiest way though for copyrighted/encrypted movies...

edit:

I need to record videos from a VGA card, 1024x768x24 @ 60Hz

i also bought radeon RX580 and RX470 graphics card 1-2 years ago for my used Z800 that their Radeon Control Panel (ReLive iirc) can screen capture video OSD to HDD. so it seems i dont have to buy additional device if what i want is on the PC Screen... ymmv.

edit:
i opened the Ninja-V site linked above and then few minutes later, the Ninja-V ad appeared on my FB, they must be tracking me 

[DiTBho]

its not a hack, it is shit, sorry to say... this technique is used to capture the latest movie in cinema since eon and now find its way to ThePirateBay

The Pirate Bay? I won't pirate my own content 

When you say Pirate Bay related to capture the latest movie in cinema, well ... I think you cannot compare it with what I used in my hack.

A *movie theater projection screen* is affected by

• Barrel distortion
• Pincushion distortion
• Mustache distortion
• Chromatic aberration

In my hack I used a *TFT-LCD projection screen*, a common computer monitor, which is only affected by

• lateral chromatic aberration

When I film the TFT-LCD, the camera also introduces barrel distortion due to its wide-angle lens.

It's not that bad, it's not what I would like to use, but it's definitely not as bad as the result of capturing the latest movie in cinema 

[Mechatrommer]

you are right. you will have more controlled environment hence better picture compared to movie sniffer in the cinema.. but you wont get away with distortion, uneven lighting or aliasing etc that easy. with many cheap options of video grabber today, its pointless to do such trick imho, probably my cheap 10yrs old RCA grabber will produce better distortionless and even lighting video, if you can afford a DSLR to grab, or even a descent smartphone, you shold be able to afford one cheap dedicated video grabber. ymmv.

[NiHaoMike]

Get a VGA to HDMI adapter and either a LKV373A (hardware H.264 encoder) or one of those cheap MS2109 HDMI capture sticks (hardware JPEG encoder). Either of those will work with a Raspberry Pi to record to disk.