Capture Settings for best resolution screen capture?

[GrassValley_KH]

D'oh.

Ok, two different things to try:

First: Go to the control panel, and switch the ordering of the clones (shown in your screenshot, there'll be a choice for "ACER P241W + HDRECS"

This should at least give the ability to drive with vision :)
(When you do this, make a note of the refresh attributes for the two displays)

Try switching to the appropriate input again in HQ Recorder.


Second: If the above fails, try everything I've suggested in 1024 x 768 - let's see if the lower res at 60p at least shows any sort of input.

So you know:

- Grey screens means the chosen Pegasus input type is mismatched with the incoming signal, or the incoming signal has HDCP protection (which this won't)

- The setup I'm getting you to put together, is one I successfully put together when the product was announced (and I fooled a fellow moderator into thinking it was the real thing :) )

[GrassValley_KH]

Actually, why don't I make this easier for both of us!

Here's an extract from the reviewer's guide I made last year. :)

[TrackRanger]

OK - have read all the documentation.
Can state categorically that I have followed instructions to the letter.
No Video was ever available whenever any DVI option is selected.

So since then I've been through virtually every combination possible.
With a HDMI cable connected to Pegasus, and the Graphics card set to 1280x1024 I get nothing when I select any DVI input

If I connect to RGB input on Pegasus and select RGB input, I can an image, but the resolution is unusable (that's where we started).

If I connect DVI out to HDMI in and select Pegasus HDMI 1440x1080/60i I can get an image (see grab 1), but like the RGB, it is unusable (see grab 2)
So if I have RGB cable in, and select RGB in on Pegasus I get vision
If I have HDMI cable in and select HDMI 1140x1080/60i I get vision.
Contrary to all discussions and documentation, I never get anything when any DVI input setting(s) are used. Ever.
It works (unacceptably) with DVI out to HDMI in (DVI out at 1280x1026 60Hz) and the following three settings:
HDMI 1920x1080/60i
HDMI 1440x1080/60i
HDMI 1280x1080/60i
Nothing else

So it proves that the HDMI port works and the RGB port works on the Pegasus.
But why can you get those inputs using DVI and I never get anything when selecting DVI? (see grab 3)

And why is my resolution so poor?

Have even changed graphics cards on display PC (now GeoForce 8500 GT)
Made no difference.
So I took the HQ Capture card out of the XP machine, and installed in a Vista Business machine, and it works the exact same was as descried above. Nothing when DVI is selected, only HDMI (and poor quality).

Then I found that I could get picture when DVI was selected as longs as Scaling was NOT set to Do Not Scale. When I set it to do not scale the capture screen vision disappeared for DVI input.

Anyway, after all that, the resolution is still no good. See Grab 4 taken at 1280x1024/30p


Could the Pegasus card be faulty? I've never been able to get a clear image, and it obviously doesn't behave as it should. All the other Edius software runs fine.

TIA

[GrassValley_KH]

Wow, this is turning out to be a real puzzler. Sure, the card might have a fault...but I would have thought if that were the case, it wouldn't work at all.

Next round of things to look at:

- Drivers and software - are you up to date for Pegasus? (check the web site)

- So we've established that Clone mode isn't getting a picture no matter what, when choosing DVI input. How about Dualview? Dualview will let you force specific resolution and refresh settings to the HDRECS "monitor"

- I see a few other apps running in the tray - does disabling/exiting any of them have any effect?


I'm also beginning to wonder if perhaps the ForceWare drivers might be the culprit, the driver set has been updated at least once or twice since I wrote my original document.

As evidenced by the screens you've provided, EDIUS isn't running during capture...but so it's on record - EDIUS and HQ Recorder cannot be used at the same time. (EDIUS will disable HQ Recorder's functionality)

Seriously though, it might pay, after this last round of tests, to try another Pegasus board. At least get in touch with the local tech support and quiz them.

[TrackRanger]

Thanks KH

While you were replying I was still experimenting. I got it installed on Vista, (but still with unacceptable results), and then updated my post. Please re-read my previous post for the updated saga.

Thanks again. I'll talk to tech support on Monday I guess as the next step.

I'll also check the drivers. I used the disk that came with the card.

[TrackRanger]

Downloaded and upgraded to V1.02 (latest)
No difference

[GrassValley_KH]

Yeah...something's not right - that's nothing like the results I got with my captures.

I'd upload a sample if the file wasn't so darn big. :)

(I may still do this, but as a snapshot to give you an idea of how it should look when functioning correctly)

[TrackRanger]

Thanks, a snapshot would be great, as it would at least allow a comparison to be made.
Appreciate your assistance

[GrassValley_BH]

Just two quick notes...
1. TwinPact100 isn't "bad" or lacking. Just people often don't realize how bad SD video resolution is. You can't do anything more than VGA (640x480) resolution for SD video. Beyond that it gets downscaled and downscaled computer video looks pretty bad.

Since Pegasus does greater-than-SD resolution video, it has better potential.

2. What kind of cables are you using for the DVI-to-Pegasus connection? Is it a DVI-DVI cable with DVI-HDMI adapter, or a DVI-to-HDMI cable?

[GrassValley_BH]

Set one of the following patterns (tile, not stretch) as the desktop background. They will show a repeating pattern (large checkerboard for checkboard, or fat/skinny lines for the horizontal and vertical patterns) if is scaling going on.

Your LCD will likely show a pattern unless its native resolution is 1280x1024, but the resulting captured file, when viewed back with your LCD at native resolution, should not.