Thoughts on XLR8 Proview USB video capture?

[Tsmall88]

Hello all!

I am exploring different ways of inputing live video feed into Isadora. I have exhausted my FireWire bus on my Mac Pro, and am currently considering the XLR8 Proview external device (I am not able to add PCIe cards to my machine). More info here  http://xlr8.com/xlr8proviewusbfullscreenvideocapturepackageforusb20.aspx 

Does anyone have good/bad stories about this device?

It is also a little pricey for my budget - are there any cheaper options out there? I am in Australia.

Many, many thanks,

Tess

[vanakaru]

I recommend dirt cheap EasyCap DC60+ (v.3).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-Easycap-Video-Grabber-DC60-Game-Play-Video-Recording-for-Xbox-360-PS3-Wii-/230674446702?pt=AU_Components&hash=item35b544b96e#ht_5841wt_890 Or any other dongle that supports VideoGlide drivers.

Actually there is a good list of working devices for mac here:

http://forum.garagecube.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3951

[Tsmall88]

Fantastic!

I found numerous types of USB video capture devices, but they all require Windows OS or only work with their specific capture software. Very frustrating! 

But if the EasyCap DC60+ (v.3) plays friendly with Isadora, it will solve a big system - and financial - problem!

Thank you!

[vanakaru]

http://www.echofx.com/videoglide.html

there is a list of working dongles. BTW you need to purchase a VideoGide driver too. I you look around there may be some on eBay sold with the driver serial nr.

Also EasyCap DC60 (v.1 and 2) should work with Isadora.

http://forum.troikatronix.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=12282;search_string=easycap;t=search_engine#12282

But on my system Ben's component does not work. It causes all quicktime related apps crash. 

If you need just a camera input you may want to try Sony PS3 Eye that works very well with Isadora (excellent quality). Or if you are willing to solder wires you can use iSight from old iMac (G5 and early Intel). Your mac will see these as iSight1, iSight2\. Maybe more - I just have made 2 so far. The beauty of this is that it recognized as mac native usb camera and have no issues ever.

http://forum.troikatronix.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=11136;search_string=isight;t=search_engine#11136

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-661-3811-iSight-Camera-w-Cables-17-iMac-G5-820-1836-0A-M23-/280890848746?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41666635ea#ht_1753wt_890

[Skulpture]

The easy cap is windows only. I've got one and never got it to work.

I have the XLR8 and it's just ok. 

But I also agree on the PS3 Eye cam they are ace! 

[vanakaru]

EasyCap works fine on mac. I got both versions and v.3 works VERY WELL. Version 2 should work with Ben's drivers as you can read above. But with my MBP it doesn't.

I find XLR8 grossly overpriced. It is not any better than all the ones listed on echofx site. I had XLR8 Inteview that I resold pretty quick.

[Skulpture]

I will try it again. Not sure if I had 10.5.8 at the time of testing.

[vanakaru]

The benefit of XLR8 is not needing additional driver though.
I should mention that the problem with EasyCap is exactly identical look of different versions. When you buy one the data is printed on the box and the drivers CD is white and purple(not yellow). Other than that it is impossible to tell the difference by looking.
system profiler tells me that non working v.2 is this

Product ID: 0x0408
Vendor ID: 0x05e1 (Syntek Design Technology Inc.)
Version: 0.05
Speed: Up to 480 Mb/sec
Manufacturer: Syntek Semiconductor

and working v.3 is this

Product ID: 0x2861
Vendor ID: 0xeb1a (Empia Technology, Inc.)
Version: 1.00
Speed: Up to 480 Mb/sec

BTW I can capture frame size 720x576 with it.

[vanakaru]

There are some new devices that do mac native video capture. I have not tested these but they look rather affordable. The question is if these allow to get live video stream into Isadora

http://www.geniatech.com/pa/iGrabber.asp for 25USD

• 640 x 480, 29.97 frames per second NTSC video capture

• 640 x 480, 25 frames per second PAL/SECAM video capture

• High contrast, high quality video -better than DV at the same size

• Excellent audio/video synchronization

• Uncompressed YUV format: 66.5 GB per hour for video and audio

• Compressed JPEG format: 3 GB per hour for video and audio

• 640 x 480 single frame capture

• Audio support up to 48 KHz 16-bit stereo for devices that have audio input

• Auto-Detect Input And Format, to automatically adapt to the current video source

• Easy to use, AppleScript enabled capture software with fast full screen playback

• Software to export movies to any QuickTime supported format, including DV and H.264

• Push to start push to stop Video Capture button

• Handheld design to let you seat in front of the TV

[Tsmall88]

Thanks vanakaru for the further information!

I've since purchased an Easy Cap DC60+ (v.3) from the eBay site you recommended. I downloaded the Video Glide drivers and purchased a SN from EchoFX.

I've had issues getting it to work, and if you have any advice that would be great. 

Here's the situation - connected camcorder to the Easy Cap via the composite video feed, connected Easy Cap to my Macbook Pro (running Lion), and then started my licensed version of Video Glide Capture software. The 'Video Glide' window showed green, so I went to RECORD>Video Settings. I selected the composite feed from the Video Glide device, and for a few seconds, I saw the feed coming from my camera. Then it went back to green, and then to black.

I've tried other input devices (i.e. DVD player), and exact same reaction.

I then closed Video Glide, and opened latest version of Isadora. Went to INPUT>Live Capture Settings, confirmed the device was set to VideoGlide:Composite, and hit "Start live capture". The preview screen goes green, then black. Going into the 'Settings' of that device, I again selected 'Composite' in the drop down menu, and same deal as I saw when in the actual VideoGlide software - saw my camera footage for a second, then preview went green, then black.

Any experience with something similar? Could my cabling be to blame, or perhaps the camera itself?

I was worried the Easy Cap might be an older version, so I checked in System Profiler - the device specs match those of v.3 you have listed above. The CD that came with the Easy Cap is white, black and yellow - not purple, as you say above, which worries me. However, cause I'm on Mac, haven't touched that CD. 

Any help is appreciated!

[vanakaru]

So I found a moment to test this today. It runs as good as before. Both s-video and Composite. However I am still on SnowLeo and probably will skip Lion entirely.

At my next spare moment I will try with Lion.

Where are you located. If in EU I can send my EasyCap for you test.

[Tsmall88]

Unfortunately I'm in Australia, but thanks for the offer!

Fortunately, I have access to a Mac Pro that's still running Snow Leopard. I'll test the EasyCap on that OS tomorrow, and fingers crossed that'll solve the issue! If not, the device itself might be a dud, in which case I'll get a replacement from the eBay seller. 

[Tsmall88]

The final chapter in this issue - 

I tested the EasyCap on Snow Leopard, and experienced the same error. I requested a replacement device from the eBay seller. The replacement device did the exact same thing - saw the video feed for a few seconds in VideoGlide, & then the preview screen went green, then black.

Giving up on the EasyCap DC60+, I went back to the list of devices that EchoFX recommend to accompany their VideoGlide driver (http://www.echofx.com/videoglide.html). If I'd paid more attention to that list, I would have seen the device recommended for Australian customers - the Kaiser Baas DVD Maker (http://www.kaiserbaas.com/converters/video-to-dvd-maker).

It's a little deceptive because of the name - you wouldn't find it if you Google'd "Video to USB device" - but this device is exactly what an Isadora user needs to stream video via USB. It comes with the VideoGlide program on CD, with a SN. Compatible with Isadora 1.3.0f24, and Mac OS X Lion (if I have a chance, I'll check it's compatibility with SnowLeo). 

As the SN alone costs US $30 from EchoFX, the Kaiser Baas device is ridiculously cheap. It is fantastic quality, and has a one year warranty. You can purchase from the website, but - most importantly - it's readily available from Officeworks and Dick Smith Electronics - very common stores in Aus.

So in the end, I was able to drive to a store 5mins from my house, and purchase the exact product I needed - for under AU $70.

Thank you all for your advice!

[vanakaru]

I am very sad about my advise that produced so much trouble. Sorry about that!

But at least this resulted a stable solution and valuable information to others.

[Tsmall88]

Please don't apologize! I think I just experienced some bad luck with the EasyCap - others, inc. yourself obviously, speak very highly of it! And yes - I can happily say I now know the answer to that scenario.

[Skulpture]

Glad you got it sorted. I've still tested my easy cap but it was problematic for me a while back. Need to test it properly again for my own sanity!

[philifor]

I'm not having any luck with v.3 of the EasyCap running 10.6.8

System profiler sees something (similar profile to vanakaru's above with different vendor) but nothing doing in QT or Isadora.

Have Ben's QT component installed.

Anybody else have suggestions?

----------------------------------------------------------

MBP 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo 

10.6.8

1.3.0f24

[Tsmall88]

Unfortunately I never had any luck with the EasyCap device, and as the above post describes, gave up and moved onto another device. I found the one that worked for me (Kaiser Baas DVD Maker) off the EchoFX recommended list (http://www.echofx.com/videoglide.html). Maybe others have had better luck with it! Hope that helps.