JAMMA and Video Capture

Anyone with a video capture card in their PC ever try to capture the output from one of their arcade machines hooked up through a JROK or NeoBitz or similar?

I tried and it doesn't work so well. The capture card can't seem to lock on to the signal.
If I run the signal through my VCR first it locks on just fine.

Any clue what the VCR could be doing to the signal that the encoder boards aren't?
What is it about the signal that makes it ok for the VCR and my TV, but not the capture card?

It's like how the encoder boards don't play nice with some LCD TV's. Does anyone have a technical explanation as to why that is? Is it because the resolution is odd, or is the Hsync or Vsync a little off or what?

I'd like to find a small device I can put in between the encoder and my capture card so I get a decent picture. The VCR is a bit unwieldy sometimes.

I've done it. I plan to capture some vids of some of my boards for youtube, but so far I admit all I've attempted to capture is the Neo. It worked fine. The videos are on my site. Do you have a sync cleaner?

Neo Alec said:

I've done it. I plan to capture some vids of some of my boards for youtube, but so far I admit all I've attempted to capture is the Neo. It worked fine. The videos are on my site. Do you have a sync cleaner?

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Yeah I've tried my MVS using the NeoBitz. I flipped the sync cleaner switch, but it didn't make a difference. What kind of capture card do you have? Also which encoder do you use?

I also wonder if it might work better with the JROK. Only problem there is it's sitting all nice and pretty in my supergun, and I dread having to open that thing up and get at the innards. My capture card only takes S-video, and I didn't wire up an s-video jack in my supergun...oops :P

I use a Jrok. I don't know what kind of capture card it is. It's some generic thing. I wish I knew, because I still haven't found the drivers since I reinstalled Windows. At any rate, it was a very cheap card when I got it online in '03. It's just good enough to do standard TV resolution 30fps video. It doesn't have S-video, just coaxial and composite. Just fine for VCDs and youtube.

Dude, you need to get the S-video wired up on your supergun. Does the gun have the Jrok sync cleaner?

Your VCR works with it right? Honestly, I'll probably be capturing off my VCR anyway. I hate to capture live with the computer while I play. That annoys me. The quality doesn't really matter for the videos I'm doing for the web anyway.

The way I do mine are from my JROK or Neobitz hooked up to my DVD recorder. Everything comes out pretty good but only thing is that the best I can input is S-video, which I think looks pretty good.

Neo Alec: Download a Linux LiveCD, with a bit of luck your card will be autodetected by the kernel while it boots and you'll be able to find out what it is.

Neo Alec said:

I use a Jrok. I don't know what kind of capture card it is. It's some generic thing. I wish I knew, because I still haven't found the drivers since I reinstalled Windows. At any rate, it was a very cheap card when I got it online in '03. It's just good enough to do standard TV resolution 30fps video. It doesn't have S-video, just coaxial and composite. Just fine for VCDs and youtube.

Dude, you need to get the S-video wired up on your supergun. Does the gun have the Jrok sync cleaner?

Your VCR works with it right? Honestly, I'll probably be capturing off my VCR anyway. I hate to capture live with the computer while I play. That annoys me. The quality doesn't really matter for the videos I'm doing for the web anyway.

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Can you see any words written on the card, or is it in your machine?

Well I didn't think I'd need s-video too much since I have the component hookups :P
I do have the sync cleaner for the JROK, it's just not hooked up. I dread opening the thing up and trying to fit it in there. I guess I could try hooking up the sync cleaner and running composite out to my other capture card (I have 2 machines w/ different cap cards).

Isn't there a program that helps with capture cards? Vscaler or some shit like that...

Neo Alec... Look all over the card for any identification... Google the hell out of any strings you see.

The more advanced cards let you change timing and everything.

All I have is an old Hauppauge WinTV and a Black Magic Intensity Pro.
While the Intensity is sorta high-end, it doesn't have any fancy settings like that.

Thanks for the advice. I'm sure I'll get it up and running again when I need it. I just don't use my capture card for much anymore, so there has been little motivation to get it reinstalled lately. Like I said though, next time I do some 4-player gaming... probably end of this year, I'll do some vids.

buaku, I added my sync cleaner after my mess of a supergun was already finished for like a year, and it was easy for me to add. I can't promise it'll fix your capture problem, but it's good to have it anyway.

Neo Alec said:

Thanks for the advice. I'm sure I'll get it up and running again when I need it. I just don't use my capture card for much anymore, so there has been little motivation to get it reinstalled lately. Like I said though, next time I do some 4-player gaming... probably end of this year, I'll do some vids.

buaku, I added my sync cleaner after my mess of a supergun was already finished for like a year, and it was easy for me to add. I can't promise it'll fix your capture problem, but it's good to have it anyway.

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I'll have to give a shot when I get some free time. It can't hurt!